Ground Hog Day

[fflo]

I have rented the movie Ground Hog Day to watch tonight. I've seen it before; I like it. I like its message of eternal hope for redemption. That even a complete social schlub can eventually get it right. It's a "keep plugging" kind of tale, and we need more of those, particularly when it's a message to keep plugging at interpersonal relations.

Unfortunately, I don't much like Andie McDowell, having seen her be quite the snoot on Letterman (I think it was). So I think Bill Murray's character should get a better reward for his perseverance. Nominations? It should be a female character in a movie. I'll start with these:

1. Barbara Bel Geddes in Vertigo
2. Sigourney Weaver in Alien (or sequel)
3. Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday
4. Olympia Dukakis in Tales of the City

Comments

Re:

[groovesinorbit]

I notice he can't decide between the first two!

Oops, that was me.

Elaine probably isn't as well-rounded as some of the other characters mentioned, but I like her a lot anyway. She's cute and silly (as is Mortimer) and can whistle.

We both liked Rambling Rose a lot and loved The Apostle. Diane Ladd is fantastic in RR, as well. Definitely see The Apostle. Duvall is fantastic, and it has a wonderful cast besides him. The movie was Duvall's baby--he wrote and directed it, besides playing the title character.

Re:

[fflo.livejournal.com]

I've actually seen The Apostle---just had forgotten the movie, somehow (though I was struck by it at the time---powerful).

Re:

[groovesinorbit]

And Richardson is really good in it. I have to admit to being distracted by her, though, cuz when I finally recognized her I got "I am the Queen of England" (from Black Adder) stuck in my head. Added a comic slice no one else intended.

Re:

[fflo.livejournal.com]

You know, that's a real cinema phenomenon---how an actor's previous roles inform the viewing of her/his current performance. My favorite instance of playing off career history involves Dead Again. Have you seen that movie yet?

Re:

[groovesinorbit]

It is, isn't it? Richardson really threw me in The Apostle cuz her part was so different. When I finally recognized her, it took quite a while to get over it. (I've discovered that while I'll read the credits as a movie starts, I don't retain them. Shining example: we watched True Beloved--the Gary Oldman Beethoven movie--and afterwards I wanted to know who the actress who looked like Ingrid Bergman was. *smack* (good movie, that, by the way))

An actor's career can suffer for it, too, if she's too associated with her former role. I'm slightly pessimistic of Andy Serkis getting good/diverse parts from now on, for example.

I vaguely remember Dead Again, and I liked it. What career history did you play off?

Re:

[fflo.livejournal.com]

I think the FILM (Dead Again) actually plays off the acting history of Derek Jacobi, in that, if you know a certain role he was famous for, you have a leg up in predicting the outcome of the mystery. (Enough said, in case there are some out there who haven't seen it.)

I do love that movie. What fun. And talk about your strange versions of "Lush Life"---Branaugh's a capella one over the striking opening (yellow journalism) credits is haunting.

Know whatcha mean about Gollum. You never know, though.

Re:

[groovesinorbit]

Ah! I'd forgotten Derek Jacobi was in it. Now I need to see it again. I remember really liking it.