scene project take 9...

Bad Manners (1997) - Bonnie Bedelia

So, clearly if you've been reading at all, I have a love for strong, intelligent and clever actresses. Well it all started with Bonnie Bedelia. Though she may seem a slightly unorthodox choice, she was the first actress that I truly admired. I tried to go and see all of her films that I could find (a tradition which still continues with each new favorite). She is mostly known for playing Bruce Willis' wife in the first two Die Hard movies, but she is capable of much more than that. She has a gorgeously expressive face that conveys volumes and I could watch her all day long.

Bad Manners is a terrific film that I think me and maybe 3 other people saw. It's a Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf-esque four-hander about 2 couples facing off during several days: fueled by alcohol and repressed desire and armed with sharp dialogue (one of my favorites uttered by Ms. Bedelia: "and you use your self-pity - the way another man would use drink: to dredge up the shriveled sack of gall that passes for you as guts.")

Bonnie Bedelia plays Nancy who is married to Wes (David Strathairn). One of Nancy's college friends Matt (Saul Rubinek) comes to visit with his girlfriend Kim (Caroleen Feeney); and the sparks begin to fly. Nancy and Wes' marriage has lost some of its flair and the young and dangerous Kim may or may not have tempted Wes to adultery.

This scene takes place after Matt and Kim have left. It's a very simple and quite humorous chat between Nancy and Wes where Wes is describing the work he'd like to do in the backyard. They seem to really be hitting it off and Wes gives Nancy a little kiss - she is obviously touched and affected by the gesture, but it's clear that Wes is not...it's a devastating moment of realization on Bonnie's face that he no longer feels the sparks between them. You can really see the disconnect between the two in that final still.

soon it will be morning...

I am a huge Betty Buckley fan. I've seen her in concert 4 times (all within 6 months) and am always blown away by her incredible vocal prowess and her underrated talents as an actress. This now-famous video of her singing her signature tune, "Memory" (from Cats) at the Tony Awards, was my first introduction to her legendary singing pipes. Now, make fun if you will, but Memory is a stunner of a song and though it's been sung to death, it still has the power to move me...especially when La Buckley is singing it. The first time I saw her sing this song in person, may very well be the most thrilling experience I've ever had at a concert. She really and truly did become Grizabella at that moment - and the fact that it was probably the 2,083rd time that she'd sung the song and still imbued it with such freshness and spirit is a testament to her talent.

This particular performance here is famous for her belting in the line, "Touch me, it's so easy to leave me..." and rightly so. Everytime I hear her do it, it sends chills up my spine. And notice that it doesn't appear to be any strain on her whatsover....that difficult note comes out as naturally as a sigh.

I always wonder what audiences at that time (1983 I believe) thought of Betty's sudden stardom on the Broadway stage. Because she had recently ended her 5-year stint on the TV show Eight is Enough as the warm and sympathetic step-mom, Abby Bradford. I just can't imagine watching an actress you've only known as a lovely TV mom suddenly come out and perform like this. She was on Broadway before, but not quite at this level.

Anyway, I could go on and on...Betty rocks!


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there was somebody else in there...

Nanci Griffith Wednesday (actually Thursday...)!!

Here is Nanci duetting with her ex-husband and super-talented singer-songwriter, Eric Taylor. This is a beautiful tune that Mr. Taylor wrote with one of my favorite lyrics,

Burn like the lonesome in a young girl's eyes

The main attraction for me in this vid is Nanci's adorable intro to the song where she may break the record for saying the word "married" more times in a 1 minute span. I just love her sweetness and humor here and she really gives Mr. Taylor the spotlight.



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scene project take 8...

Pollyanna (1960) - Agnes Moorehead









Pollyanna is one of my favorite movies that was introduced to me as a child. Whenever I'm feeling a bit blue, I just pop this in and I feel glad again. For those not familiar, it's the story of a young girl who comes to the small town of Harrington to live with her rich aunt after her parents die. She is a breath of fresh air in the stuffy town and brings joy and positive thinking to everyone she comes across.

In this scene, Pollyanna meets Mrs. Snow played by the legendary Agnes Moorehead. Mrs. Snow is the definition of curmudgeonly and is always making plans for her imminent death, though she is hardly ill. Pollyanna has brought some food generously donated from the town's Ladies Aid Society. Mrs. Snow first appears annoyed and insulted by the young girl and tells her she has "a stubby little nose", but with the help of some rainbow-making prisms, Pollyanna even wins over the impossible Mrs. Snow. It's a lovely little scene with Agnes nailing every line (my personal favorite: "And the doctor: all he gives you is pills - pills and bills, just pills and bills, that's all" A line which I often incorporate into my everyday speech).

Along with Hayley Mills who gives one of the most impressive child performances I've ever seen, this film also boasts an extremely impressive adult cast: the aforementioned Moorehead, Jane Wyman (who will be showing up in later posts), Karl Malden, Adolph Menjou, Richard Egan, Nancy Olson, Donald Crisp and little Kevin Corcoran of Old Yeller and Swiss Family Robinson fame. Though the movie may sound a bit frothy, it's message is a powerful and important one: always try and look for the good in people, because "when you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will."

i didn't ask for the anal probe...

This is one of those brilliant little bits, that are probably often deleted, but some director's blessedly leave in. Nancy Mette pretty much just has this scene in a movie which stars the brilliant and lovely Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard. But director John Sayles completely gives these 3 minutes to Nancy. It's hilarious, odd, sad and wonderful...enjoy!


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i remember waving back at you from a silted window pane...

It's time for Nanci Wednesday...

This song, So Long Ago, absolutely ranks up there with the best of Nanci's lyrics. She has the gift of telling a complete story that spans several decades in a 4 minute tune. It is an achingly beautiful piece full of specific imagery that allows you to really visualize the scenes she is describing.

This is a sample of the superb lyrics:

Well I saw you once in a crowded bar
And it was Christmas time.
I was frightened by the thunder of our hearts in '69.
Because I live my life in whispers now,
and I choose to live alone.
So I slipped back to the avenue,
and flipped my collar to the cold.

Frakkin' brilliant y'all...



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scene project take 7...

Mrs. Miniver (1942) - Greer Garson
**MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW**









Mrs. Miniver is a WWII homefront drama directed by the great William Wyler. It stars Greer Garson as Kay Miniver, the wife and mother of a "typical" English middle class family who suffers nobly in the first stages of the war. The film is a bit dated, but there are some wonderfully shot and played moments that make it worthwhile, including this scene.

**Again, huge spoilers are headed your way, right now...**
This scene occurs at the end of the film...she was driving home during an air raid with her daughter-in-law, Carol (Teresa Wright) when Carol is hit by a bullet. Here Kay has called for an ambulance and is trying to remain calm for Carol's sake. When Carol weakly asks for a glass of water, Kay leaves only to hear Carol exhale her last breath. Kay comes rushing over and takes Carol in her arms in an emotional moment where Kay realizes the tragedy that has just taken place. It is a wrenching moment that comes across on Garson's distraught face and is heard in her cries. Greer won the Oscar for this performance, though I would have given it to her for another movie she made that same year, Random Harvest (which you will see later on). Though she's wonderful in Miniver I find her role in Random Harvest to be a bit more complex and thus more deserving.

Greer Garson is one of my favorite actresses from the studio era. She had the most incredible smile I've ever seen and her eyes could convey any number of emotions (which I will demonstrate later). Sadly, she is often forgotten which is really too bad. Garson the actress was an incredibly intelligent woman who also had a great sense of humor and those qualities are often apparent on screen. Her voice was another trademark...beautiful English diction peppered with hints of an Irish brogue (she spent a lot of time there in her youth).

bob's gals...

Just found this incredible picture...Robert Altman surrounded by his Five and Dime ladies...the brilliant Sandy Dennis, Cher and Karen Black in full-on crazy hair mode!

Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean is one of my favorite movies (and inspiration for my blog title) and Sandy Dennis' performance was one of the first that had a very big affect on me...unfortunately it's not available on DVD yet. But if you rummage up the VHS copy somewhere, check it out. It also feature Kathy Bates in one of her first film roles.

the sunshine walked beside her...

Do you know what time it is? Nanci Time!

This video was taken from the Austin City Limits episode that paid tribute to singer/songwriter Townes van Zandt shortly after he died. The lineup for this event is about as good as one can get as far as the folk/country world goes: Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell et al... and of course Nanci.

Here, she is accompanied on piano by the great James Hooker. There are a lot of great live versions of this song, but this one is by far my favorite. They changed up the arrangement slightly and Nanci and James harmonize so beautifully together...particularly on the word "daughter" at 4:56.

The song itself, Tecumseh Valley (written by van Zandt), is a real treasure. Nanci has stated many times how important this song has been to her, and Mr. van Zandt said that this was the best cover he had ever heard of any of his songs.


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scene project take 6...

Loggerheads (2005) - Tess Harper









Loggerheads is a little gem of a film that follows three different people's stories: a young adopted gay man who is HIV positive, his adoptive mother and his birth mother.

This scene features the wonderful Tess Harper (with the brilliant blue eyes), who plays the adoptive mother, Elizabeth. She has received a phone call from her estranged son saying he wants to see her because his health is failing. She goes to the church where her husband (Chris Sarandon) is the minister and tells him the news...but he can't bring himself to face his son...either out of prejudice against his sexuality or out of shame for how he treated his son in the past. Elizabeth, who has always been the diligent minister's wife and followed his lead, walks out in the middle of the service to be with her son.

This is a pretty boring description of a quietly powerful scene. Elizabeth has always gone along with whatever her husband believed, even when it meant turning her back on her son. The movie depicts her gradual inner growth as a woman regaining her own voice. This is illustrated in small little rebellions throughout: smoking when her husband is away, not asking the new neighbors over for church, seeking knowledge of her son's well-being from the neighbor who still keeps in touch, etc. Little things that lead to this act of walking out of his sermon.

Tess Harper's performance in this film is one that needs to be seen several times in order to fully appreciate her gifts of subtlety and subtext. Another great scene from her: when she runs into her son's former lover at the florist.

By the way, Bonnie Hunt also give a fantastic performance as the birth mother in a role that requires much more dramatic skill than her previous films.

we'll hide out in the subways and drink the poet's wine...

It's Nanci Wednesday:)

This is the video that left me absolutely without any doubt, smitten with this woman. It begins with a sweet little intro and then goes into an absolutely gorgeous rendition of my favorite song of hers, There's a Light Beyone These Woods (Mary Margaret).

What I love so much about this song is that it's basically a love song for her best friend. There really aren't enough songs out there that focus on the unique bond of friendship. It's a song that I, and I think most people, can identify with. Talking as youngsters with your best friend about going toward the "lights beyond the woods" of our lives; and then things turning out much different than you both had imagined. Emmylou Harris has a similar song, Red Dirt Girl, that is also wonderful.

This performance showcases Nanci at her loveliest and she gets backup help from Denise Franke - a beautiful vocalist in her own right. Nanci's natural warmth practically oozes out of the screen and I thank her for constantly sharing that with her audience.


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