The Curious Case of Forest Gump...er...Benjamin Button

I love really good ideas. I love them the first time someone does them. It's always best the first time.

Benjamin Button is a really good idea. I think ultimately we can credit Mark Twain with that (who gave the idea to F. Scott Fitzgerald, who then passed it along to Eric Roth, who subsequently kept it to himself and wrote The Curious Case of Benjamin Button instead.)

A man who is born an old man and dies a baby. Lives life in reverse.

What kills me, after nearly 3 hours, is that the most important relationship in the entire damn film finally comes in to play about 2 hours in, and then lasts all of 30 minutes. Gee, I sure hope somebody gave Eric Roth a pair of scissors for Christmas. Snip, snip.

Benjamin Button is a man who gets better with age physically, emotionally, mentally ('cept for the end.) One thing that doesn't get better with age, however, is a good idea. A good idea lasts an exceptionally short amount of time, before it gives way to a better idea.

Forest Gump was a GOOD idea! It sucks the second time around. There's a scene in the movie that I swear to god was literally copied, word for word, from Forest and Jenn-ay! A mother from the South with a big heart and a few catchy sayings, a childhood love that he is somehow destined to be with (although, that point was lost on me), even a boat that survives many a storm! Oh, and did I mention it's all told with a narration from a person living in the present about to embark on a very important journey. The only new thing was the idea of living from old age to youth. And Hurricane Katrina (which made a nice, if meaningless, cameo.)

Brad Pitt is up for a Golden Globe for best performance by an actor, though you could hardly call it a performance. The role is written so inactively, that the make-up department's special effects do most of the heavy lifting for him.

Hope

I wish I could say Milk is the best film of the year.

But it isn't. Sean Penn's portrayal of Harvey Milk is nothing short of brilliant and inspiring. The script, however, is devastatingly lacking. Penn is surrounded by a very talented supporting cast that has absolutely nothing to do, and the relationships of those characters to Harvey are sadly non-existent.

But.
But.
But.

Go see this film. Just for Sean Penn and Harvey Milk. Go see this film.

'Tis the Season

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is upon us, indeed.

Deck the Halls, and Fa la la la la.

No, not christmakahwanza.

I'm talking Oscar Season.

And it begins with the announcement last thursday of this year's Golden Globes Nominees.
I'm already behind in my watching.

Some comments:

Meryl Streep with two nods, one for Doubt and the other for Mamma Mia! Now, if that isn't range, I don't know what is.

And how about 3 broadway shows on screen: Doubt, Mamma Mia!, and Frost/Nixon. All of them basically transplanted, not even adapted. Hmm.

The biggest surprise of the list: James Franco for (Milk, you ask? no...) Pineapple Express. I admit, I didn't see it. But the billboard with the beat up guys carrying sawed-off shot guns in a hazy mist of marijuana smoke touting "From the Guys who brought you Knocked Up" didn't really say Golden Globe to me.

I think The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gets the most nominated award, if my count is correct (note: I didn't actually count.) I'm excited to see it. But I honestly don't think anyone can beat Sean Penn in the best actor category. His turn as Harvey Milk is honest-to-god magic.

And what I wouldn't give to see Heath Ledger win for Dark Knight. God rest ya, Heath.

It Never Rains in Southern California...

But baby when it does, it pours.

A page out of the actor/composer's diary.

Up for a great guest-star on BONES. Did really well at the audition and the callback, down to two people, and then lost it because they had to match mother and son characters and the other guy was a better match.

Then went in for a great part on GREEK, but of course that was silly because I leave town tomorrow and what did I expect would happen? Of course they want to have me read for director and producers...on friday.

Sigh.

Story of many people's lives, I suppose.

But on this rainy, cold, Los Angeles day, before I head home to snowy, wintery Wisconsin, I can't help but feel a little blue.

And when you can no longer speak...you sing.

I don't get it - don't straight people LOVE Jack Black??

Honestly, what does it take!?

Anyway, here's a No on Prop 8 video that speaks to the actor/composer in me.

Are you ready for it?

"Prop 8 - the Musical"

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Up, Up, and Away...

This year of my life, I made a promise to myself that I would concentrate on my writing.

I've certainly tried to do that, and I have thus far enjoyed some success.
For over a year now, my collaborator, Ryan Scott Oliver, and I have been working non-stop (read: with many, many stops) on a new musical called Darling.

This January, Darling will receive a fully-produced reading at Pace University.

We just finished casting the piece yesterday, and I am so freakin' excited. There are some talented kids at Pace, and it's going to be such a thrill to work on this piece with them. Not to mention that I'll be spending a month in New York. It's always a pleasure to be in New York when you have something to do.

This is hopefully the first stop of many on Darling's way to bigger things.
And as always, the most satisfying thing is to set a goal and then achieve it.

Now if I could only figure out how to make some money in the process....



Alex Brightman sings "Lost Boy" from DARLING.

The Revolutionary Costume for Today

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa....

As I was prepping to go and demonstrate in Los Angeles for the civil rights of a discriminated minority, I took stock for a moment and thought, "Wow...I am participating in my democracy."
And then I thought, "Oh my god, what the hell am I going to wear?"

And honestly, what does one wear to a gay protest? Does one put on a chicken suit, as so many did, to comment on the failure of prop 2 against the passing of prop 8 (Chickens, 1; Gays, 0). While the commentary and the comedy might be effective, this is LA in November during fires, so it was approximately 1 million degrees. Does one, perhaps, combine stripes and polka dots to exemplify the absurdity of separate but equal? While clever, one runs the risk of seeming like just a fashion idiot - this is a gay protest after all.

Finally, I decided on jeans, a t-shirt (nothing particularly radical, as I don't really own anything radical), and to top it off, a red bandanna on my head, to elicit Rosie the Riveter. I figured that was fitting.

And then I got back to thinking about democracy, when I read this reader dissent on Andrew Sullivan's blog:

"Yesterday my girl friend and I drove to downtown San Diego to attend the wine and food festival. We encountered much difficulty because of the No on 8 Marchers.

Efforts at mob rule have always worried me. This great democracy is fragile and I think we do not fully realize how very small numbers of people can cause great disorder. We had an election and the majority of Californians voted to preserve the thousands of years old institution of marriage. Demonstrations like the one I witnessed yesterday gain no sympathy from those of use who still believe the the rule of law and democratic process.

I am afraid we are going to lose this country."

Mob rule? Disorder? Preserving institutions? Democratic process?

I can't help but wonder who the "we" is in his final statement...

Let's do a little constitutional review, shall we?
From the Bill of Rights (that's civil rights...you remember those, right?)
1st Ammendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

That last section is most relevant here (although that first part always needs reminding as well, it seems.)
So "mob rule" and "disorder" seem to be a most important part of our "democratic process." At least, according to our founding fathers. But what did they know?

And as for preserving institutions, let me remind you, and let me be clear:
People in California did not vote to preserve anything. The words "preserve" were not in the proposition at all. The words "Eliminate rights" were. This was not a vote to give gay people any rights. They already had them. This was a vote to take them away.

And with that, we go back to our constitution.
14th Amendment:

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

A quick side note in case you forgot, this was the amendment that came out of the civil war. A civil war fought over the notion that a minority could not be oppressed by a majority.

So yet again, we see what our "democratic process" is really about. It isn't about putting civil rights at the ballot box and allowing a mere 500,000 votes to rule.

No, I don't believe that demonstrations like this will gain much sympathy from those that have nothing to lose, that have never experienced the sensation of having to fight for your rights. But that's okay. We don't want your sympathy. And while I deeply regret your not getting to the wine and food festival with ease, I don't regret you witnessing our democratic process in action.

See the thing is, we don't want to lose our country either.