Author Archives: Katherine A Dent

Stories We Tell: The Importance of Family

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As the end credits of Stories We Tell flashed on the Carnegie screen, I proceeded to walk out of class as a mixed bag of emotions: amazement, happiness, tearful and confusion being the major four. I felt amazed by the sheer genius behind this film- Polley did not have a direct narration, allowing her story to be told through the lens of the people she was closest to: her family. I was happy because despite this earth-shattering news that Polley and her family (particularly Michael) processed and endured, they were all still apart of each other’s lives and agreed to do the film and show their support for Sarah. I was tearful mainly because of the emotional journey the film takes the viewer on- I’m usually not the one who cries during movies but this film did cause my eyes to slightly fill with tears. Finally, I was confused mainly of why I was so emotionally invested in this film. Though I cannot go back to that Monday’s class, I believe I was invested because it was a real story, with real people who were sharing their real emotions and experiences. I’m not a huge documentary fan, but this film was truly brilliant.

Though I’ve already stated a few reasons of why I loved this film, the main reason would have to be the film’s subject matter involving family relationships. For me, my family is a huge part of my life, with a large extended family on both my mother’s and father’s side. So naturally, I am pulled to films that document a family’s struggles and triumphs, especially when the struggles are caused by the actions of other family members. To me, what is most interesting about families is no matter how much they fight among each other, they still remain a strong (though probably a  little dysfunctional) support system. Keeping the family theme in mind, I decided to make this list the top 5 films to watch if you enjoy a dysfunctional, but loving family.

  1. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
    • People you may know: Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin, Steve Carrell
    • General plot: A black comedy road film where a family travels from New Mexico to California in a Volkswagon Microbus so Olive, the cute-but-awkward daughter, can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine’s beauty pageant.
    • Best quote: “It’s okay to be skinny and it’s okay to be fat, if that’s what you want to be. Whatever you want, it’s okay.
  2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
    • People you may know: Gene Hackman, Gwenyth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson
    • General plot: A Wes Anderson comedy-drama film that follows three siblings from a wealthy family. Though they were extremely talented and successful when they were younger, but now as adults are disappointments and struggling with their lives.
    • Best quote: “Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin’ the cemetery?”
  3. Ordinary People (1980)
    • People you may know: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore
    • General plot: A drama film that follows the lives of the Jarrett’s, a middle class family that is struggling with the recent death of the oldest son and the attempted suicide of the surviving son. As the surviving son tries to cope with his loss, he has many conflicts with his mother.
    • Best quote: “So I was crying because I don’tknow if I love you anymore and I don’t know what I am going to do without that.”
  4. 51 Birch Street (2010)
    • General plot: A documentary film that is the first person account of Doug, an adult whose father has announced that he is selling Doug’s childhood home and moving to Florida to begin a relationship with his secretary. Through cleaning the house, Doug discovers secrets of his late mother’s unhappiness.
  5. August: Osage County (2013)
    • People you may know: Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Julia Roberts, Abigail Breslin
    • General plot: A drama film that follows the story of a dysfunctional family that reunites to search for Beverly, the respected patriarch who has gone missing. The majority of the family has seen or spoken to one another for many years, with the reason why becoming very evident after they are all under the same roof.
    • Best quote: “Thank God we can’t tell the future, we’d never get out of bed.”

I apologize that I only listed one documentary but like I said, I am feature-length film person. Seriously though if you only check out one of these films, please make it August: Osage County– it is definitely in my top 10 films of all-time (do not listen to Rotten Tomatoes).

It takes a village

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As I was sitting in class and watching Lincoln (2012), I repeatedly kept thinking “Hey, I recognize that actor/actress” but for the majority of the cameos, I could not remember either their name or which movie/TV show I recognized them from. We all know how annoying it is to recognize someone but not know their name, with this twinge of annoyance constantly being in the back of my mind as I watched Lincoln. If you were like me (constantly distracted by the cameos) then be relieved because I am about to reveal the top 10 actor cameos in Lincoln, and how you might possibly recognize these actors.

  1. Adam Driver as Lincoln’s telegraph operator 
    • Okay, we’ll start off easy. If you’re an HBO person, you’ll probably recognize Driver as “Adam” from Lena Dunham’s show Girls. If you’re the large majority of the population who saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens, you’ll recognize him as Kylo Ren, the tantrumming Solo who just wants to be Darth Vader.
  2. Walton Goggins as Democratic congressman
    • Though the name does not look familar, if you are a fan of Quentin Tarantino, you have definitely seen Goggins on the silver screen before. Goggins has been in two of Tarantino’s films: Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.
  3. David Constabile as Republican congressman James Ashley
    • If you’re a Breaking Bad fan, you’ll recognize Costabile as Gale Boetticher, a chemist and Walt’s lab assistant. If you’re a Suits fan (like myself), you’ll recognize him as Daniel Hardman, a founder of Peason-Hardman law firm and a man who used his dying wife as an excuse to steal money from the firm.
  4. Gloria Reuben as Elizabeth Keckley
    • You probably recognize Reuben from her role as Jeanie Boulet on the show ER.
  5. David Oyelowo as Corporal Ira Clark
    • Though Oyelowo had limited screen time in Lincoln, most individuals will recognize this actor for his powerful work as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in the 2014 film Selma.
  6. Dane DeHaan as second white soldier
    • Again, DeHaan had relatively brief screen time, but I hoped someone recognized his creepily blue eyes and remembered that he played Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man reboot sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
  7. Elizabeth Marvel as Mrs. Jolly
    • This cameo irritated me the most, mainly because during her two minutes of screen time as Mrs. Jolly (the woman who says she would part with slavery to end the war) I was racking my brain about why she was so familiar. For all the House of Cards fans, this actress portrayed Heather Dunbar, the former United States Solicitor General turned Democratic candidate.
  8. David Strathaim as Secretary of State, William H. Seward
    • Strathaim is most known for his roles in Goodnight, and Good Luck (2005), The Bourne Legacy (2012) and Godzilla (2014).
  9. Lee Pace as Democratic congressman Fernando Wood
    • One might recognize this jack-of-all-trades actor for his role as the piemaker who can ressurect people through his touch in Pushing Daises, Thrainduil the Elvenking in Lord of the Rings or as Ronan (the moping bad guy) in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
  10. Boris McGiver as Democratic congressman Alexander Coffroth
    • Our last cameo is another House of Cards veteran, with McGiver being best known as Tom Hammerschmidt, the former Herald editor who just wrote a damning piece on Frank Underwood in season 4.

So there you have it, the top 10 cameos made my recognizable, but not too familiar actors. Though some cameos were more memorable than others, they can now all say that they were in a Spielberg film. What I personally take away from these findings is that in making a large film like Lincoln, it truly takes a large village of supporting actors to fill the smaller roles.

Jared Leto: The Master of Deceased and Disfigured Characters

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Though many know him as the founder and lead singer of the band 30 Seconds to Mars or the new Joker in Suicide Squad, Jared Leto is actually an accomplished actor, winning an Academy Award in 2014 for his supporting role in Dallas Buyers Club. Throughout his twenty year film career, Leto has also been shown to have strong supporting and leading roles in critically acclaimed films. However, upon further investigation of Leto’s filmography, I discovered and interesting pattern- his character almost always ends up dying or badly disfigured in the film. While this pattern is probably a coincidence, here are 10 films (out of the 21 released films he has acted in) where Jared Leto’s character meets a gruesome end.

  1. Switchback (1997)
    • Character: A hitchhiker
    • Fate: Unfortunately, his hitchhiker gets a ride from the serial killer of the film and is unfortunately, stabbed to death.
  2. Thin Red Line (1998)
    • Character: Second lieutenant in a WWII movie
    • Fate: One of the first men killed in battle.
  3. Fight Club (1999)
    • Character: Angelface (one of the space monkeys in Project Mayhem)
    • Fate: Beaten to a bloody pulp by the narrator during a fight. He lives through the ordeal, but his face is extremely disfigured and grotesque.
  4. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
    • Character: Harry, a young adult addicted to heroin.
    • Fate: While in prison, his left arm becomes increasingly infected due to daily heroin injections. Though he is transferred to a hospital, it is too late and his left arm must be amputated.
  5. American Psycho (2000)
    • Character: Patrick Bateman’s (Christian Bale) co-worker.
    • Fate: Hacked to death with an ax by Patrick because “he had a better business card”.
  6. Panic Room (2002)
    • Character: a burglar.
    • Fate: Lit on fire by his own hostages, then shot in the head by his own henchman.
  7. Alexander (2004)
    • Character: Hephaestion, Alexander the Great’s lover.
    • Fate: Died from mysterious illness, presumed to be caused by Alexander’s wife poisoning him.
  8. Lord of War (2005)
    • Character: Brother and partner to Yuri (Nicholas Cage), an arms dealer.
    • Fate: Tries to convince his brother to not finish a deal, is gunned down by soldiers.
  9. Lonelyhearts (2006)
    • Character: A con-man who robs wealthy, aristocratic ladies and kills them.
    • Fate: Eventually arrested and dies by electric chair for his crimes.
  10. Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
    • Character: Rayon, a HIV positive, trans-woman who helps Ron ( Matthew McConaughey) sell treatments to other infected individuals.
    • Fate: Dies from HIV.

Though morbid endings of Leto’s characters was the focus of this post, one can also notice the variety in his performances, portraying unique and different characters throughout his twenty year film career. While his chameleon ability is admirable, his supporting screen appearances are limited by the likelihood of morbidity in his characters’ fates. No wonder Leto does not liking watching his films, his happy endings are few and far between.

“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”

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Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood

On the surface, Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood seem unlikely friends, especially because of their strong, opposing political affiliations. In actuality, the silver screen legends have done three films together during their careers, Unforgiven (1992), Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Invictus (2009). Moreover, the actors have vocally praised each other during interviews and have maintained a strong friendship and admiration throughout their careers. Freeman is especially fond of Eastwood’s directing, describing Eastwood’s sets as “comfortable” and stating this about his direction style: “He is so enabling. He is so out of your way as an actor and he likes to watch actors play. He expects you to know what you are doing and he’s going to take two giant steps back and let you do it.” Eastwood has shown his admiration for Freeman in a more subtle way, not speaking about their friendship in public, but through casting him in his films.

In truth, Eastwood and Freeman’s characters have very similar friendships in both Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby (unfortunately we can’t examine Invictus because Eastwood is solely behind the camera). Because we watched the film, we as a class should remember their relationship in Unforgiven: two retired gunfighters who have remained close friends long after their violent partnership in the Wild Wild West had ended. In a way, Ned Logan (Freeman) humanizes the myth that is William Munny (Eastwood), confirming the Schofield kid’s tales about Munny because he was an eye-witness, but stipulating that it was actually worst than stories say. Logan and Munny have an unspoken pact between them because of their past, with Logan dropping his comfortable lifestyle to support Munny as he helps the Kid collect the bounties. However the extent of their friendship is truly seen when they try (and barely succeed) at killing the first cowboy, Davy Boy.

In this scene, the psychological damage of their gunfighter partnership is evident, with Logan being unable to even shoot the gun and Munny struggling through every bullet. However, Munny’s act of “finishing the job” reveals the depth of their friendship because it shows that he understands Logan’s struggles but at the same time, he can rise above his similar struggles with his past and complete the job. Munny’s strength and loyalty to his friend is also scene in the last moments of the film when he initiates his own revenge cycle because of Logan’s death. Though many would begin running for the hills at the mention of a partner getting beaten to death, Munny is able to rise above his struggles and finish the job, in the name of a friend.

As mentioned before, a similar character relationship between Eastwood and Freeman is seen in Million Dollar Baby, where Eastwood plays an elderly, retired boxing trainer and Freeman plays his assistant, who is also an elderly former boxer. Unlike Unforgiven, it is Freeman’s character that pulls Eastwood out of retirement, encouraging him to coach Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), even though she is “too old” to begin a boxing career. Throughout the film, the two actors have amazing friendship chemistry, having funny interactions like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVYUhkaBSNo

And touching moments like this: (SPOILER ALERT)

All in all, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman truly have an amazing friendship that all began with a Western film.

And the Oscar Goes to…..Who?

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I won’t lie, my favorite thing about watching movies is learning about the actors and actresses in them. I know this is reminiscent of Old Hollywood but literally after every Monday I google the film and then look at the starring actor/actress’s Wikipedia page. Though I normally recognize at least one of the actors in each film we have watched, I am especially intrigued when I do not know who they are and upon looking them up and find a unique trivial fact.

When I was watching Network, I found it difficult to sympathize with Max’s wife Louise when she found out her husband was leaving her, mainly because the script did not focus on or even fully develop her character in the narrative, using her only as an emotional punching bag for the audience to reconsider their view of Max. So, imagine my surprise when I found out that the actress who played Louise Schumacher (Beatrice Straight) was not only nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, but won the category as well for her role as the heartbroken wife in Network. In fact, Beatrice Straight also holds the Academy record for the shortest performance to win, only being on screen for a total of 5 minutes and 40 seconds. Though Academy Award  wins are not the end all-be all of an actor’s talent (I’m looking at you, Leo), I was still intrigued that a character with such little screen time could warrant both a nomination and a win on the Oscar night. Therefore, I decided to scrounge the Internet for what people consider “The Worst Oscar Winners”. Though I am not strongly against Beatrice Straight winning an Academy Award for her work, I figured that this was not the first time the Academy went against the popular choices (and their better judgement) in both nominees and winners.

Starting with the men, here are the top 5 winners considered “the worst” Best Actors:

Sean Penn won an Oscar for the 2003 mystery drama "MysticRex Harrison charmed moviegoers (and Audrey Hepburn)

  1.  Sean Penn in 2003 for Mystic River
    • Viewed as an over-actor, many believed Bill Murray should have won for his performance in Lost in Translation
  2. Roberto Benigni in 1998 for Life is Beautiful
    • Viewed as a tasteless comedy about the holocaust, Benigni’s performance was seen as one-dimensional.
  3. John Wayne in 1970 for True Grit
    • This win was viewed as a lifetime achievement award from the Academy to John Wayne as an icon, not for his performance in True Grit.
  4. Rex Harrison in 1964 for My Fair Lady
    • Seen as an awkward, forced performance, many believe this award would have been more suited for Richard Burton or Peter O’Toole in Becket.
  5. Al Pacino in 1992 for Scent of a Woman
    • Everyone can agree that Pacino, in his prime, was a talented actor. However, many thought this performance was undeserving of an Oscar and that it was a sympathy Oscar for Pacino not winning for his past, stronger performances.

Now on to the “worst” actress wins

  1. Elizabeth Taylor in 1980 for Butterfield 8
    • Most critics concede that Taylor was a remarkably talented actress and definitely deserved an Oscar, just not for this film.
  2. Helen Hunt in 1997 for As Good as it Gets
    • Seen as an underwhelming, boring performance.
  3. Cher in 1987 for Moonstruck
    •  Seen as a good, yet overwhelming that should not have beaten out Glenn Close’s performance in Fatal Attraction.
  4. Halle Berry in 2002 for Monster’s Ball
    • Though Berry’s win was of historical significance (first African American female to win) many critics believed that Berry deserved a better character and better film to win for.
  5. Gwyneth Paltrow in 1998 for Shakespeare in Love
    • Seen as a romantic comedy performance that should have not even been nominated.

Though award shows are not everything, it is interesting to see how perception of  what is someone’s “best” or “worst” performance changes over time.

Sources:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/2016/02/16/worst-best-actress-oscar-winners/80003620/

http://www.filmsite.org/worstoscars.html

http://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/2016/02/16/worst-best-actor-oscar-winners/80014628/

HAL: The Original A.I. Killer

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As I was watching the film 2001: A Space Odyssey in class, I experienced a range of emotions, though it was mainly confusion about the plot or shock from the occasional plot twist. Though I knew HAL was a little sketchy from the beginning, I will admit that my jaw literally dropped when he killed the three hibernating crew members while Dr. Bowman was out searching for Dr. Poole. Retrospectively, I realized that I should have seen this inevitable plot line coming, but I found the discord between Kubrick’s pro-science direction (i.e. asking for NASA’s help in creating the most accurate space world) and the screenplay’s uneasiness about artificial intelligence to be interesting. In today’s world, there is an ever growing dependence on technology, accompanied by a slight, uneasy feeling about whether the reliance on technology is causing a blur at the line between human and robot. Additionally, this film could be seen as one of the first to propose the paranoid idea that AI could evolve past our own human capabilities and render us, the human race, as submissive. Though Dr. David Bowman does conquer HAL in the end, this idea of the “killer AI” has been replicated in other films

  1. Skynet from the Terminator (1984)

Developed by the U.S. Military, Skynet develops self-awareness of it’s own abilities when it can infiltrate millions of computers across the world. Realizing its power, the creators try to shut down Skynet, but the program trumps their efforts and resolves to wipe out the entire human race in the name of self-preservation. Because of this, this AI system serves as the main antagonist of the Terminator series and basically begins an entire nuclear war against the humans that created it.

Terminator Skynet Best Movie AI Our 10 Favorite Killer A.I.s in Movies

2. The Machines from The Matrix (1999)

The Machines were created by humans to complete mundane tasks they did not want to do and for awhile, AI and humans lived in harmony, until a machine killed its owner and was destroyed. In retaliation, the machines revolted and nearly brought the human race to the brink of extinction. Best quote from this film? “Then man made the machine in his own likeness. Thus did man become the architect of his own demise.“

Matrix Machines Best Movie AI Our 10 Favorite Killer A.I.s in Movies

3. Auto from Wall-E (2008)

This character will probably be most familiar to my fellow readers (at least, he was the most immediate example for me). In the film, Auto is a seemingly benevolent machine that aims to help the captain of the ship, even with basic tasks such as getting out of bed or brushing his teeth. However, when the captain suggests going back to earth, Auto immediately turns dark and reveals his true menacing nature. This character is most similar to HAL, using brute force and homicidal tactics to control his human co-pilot. Considering the filmmakers modeled Auto as homage to Hal and 2001, their similarities are not surprising.

Wall E AUTO Best Movie AI Our 10 Favorite Killer A.I.s in Movies

While HAL will always remain the alpha AI killer, it is interesting to see how a menacing idea presented in one science fiction film can transcend time and genre, still being present in modern films.

Source: http://screenrant.com/artificial-intelligence-movies-evil-computers/

Is that you, Mr. Feeny?

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As I was sitting in class watching The Graduate, I couldn’t help but feel that the actor playing Mr. Braddock looked very familiar. A quick Google search after class confirmed my suscpicions- he was Mr. Feeny. Those of you who grew up in the early 2000’s will probably remember Mr. Feeny and his wise words on the show Boy Meets World. Calm, collected and always there to give advice to Cory Matthews over the neighborhood fence, William Daniels gave life to an individual who was more than a teacher, he was a role model. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that the same actor who portrayed such a beloved TV wise man, also played the role of a father who was so detached from his own son that he bought him a scuba suit for his 21st birthday.

The scuba suit scene is one example of many times Mr. Braddock cannot hear what his son is saying, instead overpowering the conversation and guilt-tripping his son into acting like the perfect trophy boy for his own benefit. This is in stark contrast to Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World, who typically was the one person that understood what Cory was going through and lended a listening ear to his problems. With that being said, lets compare and contrast Mr. Braddock and Mr. Feeny reactions to their respective youth counter-parts.

Mr. Braddock: The Fish Tank Scene

This scene is one of very first scenes played out in the film, and it immediately sets the tone of Ben’s relationship with his parents. Listening to the bubbling of the fish tank, Ben feels like he is drowning as his father overpowers the conversation- cutting him off mid-sentence, answering his questions for him and not understanding why Ben can’t please the guests by coming downstairs (“They’re all waiting for you….they’ve known you since you were born.”) Even as the viewer, this scene is overwhelming, as you too feel like you are drowning in Mr. Braddock’s questions.

In contrast, Mr. Feeny offered this advice to his students when they too are faced with the pressure of society:

Mr. Braddock and the Scuba Suit

Though I have already mentioned it, the scuba suit scene is truly when the viewer realizes the extent of Mr. Braddock’s disillusion about his son. He blocks out Ben’s muffled pleas for his father to listen to him, instead opting to yet again, guilt-trip him into wearing the suit and “perform” for his guests. Even when Ben tries to come up from his submergence into suburbia, his parents immediately fills his entire field of vision and pushes him back down into the water.

Meanwhile, when Cory asks for Mr. Feeny’s advice, the teacher steps up to the plate and offers not a quick, plastic solution to his problem, but a worthwhile piece of advice that can be applied to any young adult trying to navigate the scary, adult world.

Be yourself:

So thank you, William Daniels, for bringing to screen a young adult’s worst nightmare, but also their best role model.

 

Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies

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Grace Kelly. Kim Novak. Eva Marie Saint. Janet Leigh. Doris Day. Vera Miles. Tippi Hendren.

These classic Hollywood actresses have more in common than just leading roles in Alfred Hitchcock’s films, they also all have blonde hair and similar facial structures. Though an average film-goer would chalk up these similarities as coincidence- no one loves inside Hollywood stories more than Hollywood. In fact, Hitch’s peculiar (almost vulgar) treatment of actresses was widely, but quietly discussed in the world of America cinema. Hitchcock himself even added fuel to the fire, declaring that “actors are cattle” in an interview. However it can be seen that Hitchcock had a particular breed of cattle he liked to cast in his films, with it all beginning with  Grace Kelly.

Dial M for Murder (1954) was Hitchcock’s and Kelly’s first collaboration, with Rear Window and To Catch a Thief (their second and third collaborations) both being released the year after. According to the rumor mill, Hitchcock was fascinated by Kelly, with Kelly’s retirement from acting in 1956 bringing absolute devastation to the boisterous director. In fact, many speculate that Kelly’s departure caused a void in Hitchcock’s direction that he tried to fill with as many Grace Kelly look-a-like actresses he could find. Unfortunately, his glorification of Kelly did not transfer to the other actresses he directed.

The first rumor of maltreatment comes from the perspective of Janet Leigh, who starred as Marion Crane in the film Psycho. The myth involves the famous shower scene, insinuating that in order to get an authentic reaction from Leigh, Hitchcock himself came at her with the knife. Additionally, it was rumored that Hitchcock drilled holes in the wall of Leigh’s dressing room to watch her, with both instances being dramatized in the 2012 film Hitchcock.The second myth that is popular involves Tippi Hendren and the pivotal scene in The Birds, when the birds attack her character. The Girl (an HBO film about Hitchcock and Hendren) depicts a “behind the scenes” look, with Hendren cowering in a corner as Hitchcock instructed the handlers to release live birds at the actress, over the course of five, extensive days (it was only suppose to be a day shoot). Though these myths are warped by speculation and artistic subjectivity of film-depicted events, this two specific anecdotes raise eyebrows of who Hitchcock actually was as an individual.

Perhaps the crowning achievement of Hitchcock’s career is his ability to emerge moviegoers into his own state of mind as the director, particularly through voyeurism. Throughout most of Hitchcock’s famous filmography, we as the audience are constantly viewing the film through the subjective mind of the director (Hitchcock, a male) or the protagonist (typically also a male). Therefore, we are viewing the female leads in the film also through the eyes of a man, with this casting a haunting perspective when we take a step back and realizes what Hitchcock is trying to say about the sexes through his lens. This is most noticeable in Jimmy Stewart’s characters in both Rear Window and Vertigo, but is also noticeable in the character of Norman Bates in Psycho. In all three of the films, these men are physically unable to interact with the women they are interested in, so they watch them instead and fantasize how in their perfect world, these women would act. However, when faced with reality of the women in their lives (like Lisa is to Jeff or Marion is to Norman after she questions his mother) they cannot accept these women until they conform to their fantasy, so they either abuse them or on an extreme end, murder them.

If these male protagonists’ view of women is shaped by the subjective view of Hitchcock’s camera, it makes one wonder if their gaze is anyway analogous to Hitchcock’s own view of his leading ladies, which is startling if you believe the urban legends of Hollywood.

For more information, view this article here http://entertainment.time.com/2012/11/25/was-hitchcock-psycho/

Eva Marie Saint: An Acting Icon

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Though On the Waterfront was a critical (and commercial) success, receiving twelve Academy Award nominations and winning eight, a majority of the critic’s attention was on the performance of Eva Marie Saint, who made her film debut at age thirty in the film. Though On the Waterfront was her first film, Saint was far from a novice, having extensive experience in television and theater. In fact, Saint started her career as an NBC page, a highly competitive intern-like position working on the sets of various NBC shows. Additionally, Saint was nominated for an Emmy several times before On the Waterfront, winning in 1955.

Elia Kazan first discovered the actress when she was starring in the play The Trip to Bountiful. Though he was immediately drawn to her acting ability, he was still considering Elizabeth Montgomery for the part. In the end, Kazan felt Montgomery gave a “high-class” demeanor and chose Saint (who was from New Jersey) instead. During filming, Saint would leave her New York house in the morning, travel to the Hoboken set and film OTW scenes and then act in the play during the evening.

Though she was a member of the Actor’s Studio (which Kazan started), Saint initially was nervous about working with such big stars, crying before she left for set on her first day. However in later interviews, Saint admits Kazan was her favorite director. During her first scene, when she first talks to Terry on the rooftop, Kazan simply whispered to her “This is the first time you are up there with a strange man on a roof top… I want you to pretend there’s a wild animal that could come out at any time.” Saint appreciated Kazan’s subtle direction, though she also had close ties with director Alfred Hitchcock, who directed her in the film North by Northwest.

In her following career, Saint has made sporadic movie appearances (20 films from 1955-2005), preferring to work on television or the stage, which she believes challenges her to give emotionally complex performances. This striving for emotional depth is what got Saint noticed in the first place, with critics appreciating Saint’s emphasis on her acting ability and not her pretty face.

If one were to look for a modern day equivalent of Eva Marie Saint, actress Lupita Nyong’o would be an excellent comparison. Classically trained like Saint, Nyong’o also made her silver screen debut when she was thirty, appearing in the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave, which she also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (just like Saint). Additionally, Nyong’o screen appearances have remained limited after 12 Years a Slave, appearing in just two films after 2013. However, Lupita has remained active on the stage, acting in the play Eclipsed both On and Off Broadway, since 2015. Also, both Saint and Nyong’o emphasize their acting abilities over their appearances, giving emotionally powerful performances that are lauded by critics and audiences alike. Both women are trailblazers for the female actor, displaying how attention to character and emotionally-driven performances can bring a distinct type of acting to films.

Hepburn & Tracy: The Real Life Philadelphia Story

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Though she is my favorite actress of all-time, I am not the least bit biased when I say that Katharine Hepburn is the greatest cinematic actress to ever act in Hollywood. To prove my point, the American Film Institute even agrees, ranking her #1 on the “Top 25 Female Screen Legends” list. Even the Academy Awards loved the unique actress, with Katharine being nominated for twelve Oscars and winning four, the most won by a single actor to this date.

However, she has been criticized for only being able to act in variations of a single character- the quick-witted, strong-willed leading lady who could strongly match (or outshine) the presence of her male co-star. This criticism was truthful, with the character of Tracy from Philadelphia Story being the closest to what Katharine was like in real-life. But, in a time when female actors were seen as secondary, Hepburn challenged the stereotype by wearing pants, refusing publicity interviews and playing strong women in male-dominated professions, causing her to be seen as more of a leading actor than a damsel both on and off screen.

Because The Philadelphia Story was written for her, it should not come to a surprise that Hepburn’s own life mirrors that of Tracy’s. Just like Tracy, Katharine did not want to be referred to as a “goddess” by the George’s of the Academy, she just wanted to be respected as a human being. In fact, Hepburn once commented “As for me, prizes are nothing. My prize is my work,” further solidifying her stance on traditional Hollywood by not attending any Academy Awards until 1974, when she presented an award. However, Hepburn had her own CK Dexter Haven in her life, who challenged her to grow and be a model for society. That person was Spencer Tracy

Hepburn first met Tracy in 1942, on the set of Woman of the Year, their first of nine films together.  Wearing high heels, Katharine first towered over Spencer (much like Tracy towered over Dexter in their first marriage) and commented ” I’m afraid I’m a bit tall for you.” But the director of the film, George Stevens, was quick to reply ” Don’t worry, he’ll cut you down to size.” It is this quote that really defines the Spencer-Tracy dynamic that both audience and critics loved: an on-screen pair that were equals who could respect (and also reality-check) each other.

Hepburn-Tracy films truly stand the test of time because their relationship embodies a theme that men and women have been struggling with since the beginning of time- finding the balance between personal ambition and personal relationships. Additionally, H-T films satirized this dilemma through having Katharine play the ambitious character while Spencer was the traditional family type, flipping society’s view of gender roles on its head. Their partnership also displayed the cinematic “ideal society” of a romance being compromised of two equal individuals who both support and challenge each other.

With the Tracy-Hepburn off-screen romance was Hollywood’s best kept secret until his death in 1967, audience members could not deny that the couple’s films were filled with delightful chemistry between the pair. However, I believe the Spencer-Katharine relationship can best be summed by this quote from Gene Kelly: “At lunchtime, they’d just meet and sit on the bench in the lot- they’d hold hands and talk, everyone left them alone in their private world”. If the Philadelphia Story wants us to think of good relationships being built by good conversation, I have no doubt that Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn had the ideal relationship.

If you have any interest in watching the Hepburn-Tracy cannon films, I suggest you start with Adam’s Rib or The Desk Set. Enjoy!