Category: Biopics

Every Time I Got Overly Emotional During 42

Photo: Filmofilia
Photo: Filmofilia

I saw 42, the long overdue biopic about Jackie Robinson, last weekend. I was going to publish this post on Monday (Jackie Robinson Day). But with everything that happened in the last week, I thought this list might be too stupid to post. But whatever. 42 is a feel-good movie about integrity, perseverance, and loving your f-ing team. And maybe it will restore your faith in humanity a little bit. That is very necessary right now.

So yeah, I experienced more emotions during 42 than I was prepared to handle. Such as:

When Jackie asks Rachel to marry him over the phone and it is clear that their awesome relationship is going to

When a kid, who later is revealed to be Ed Charles, sees a baseball field for the first time.

When that same kid chases after Jackie and he tosses him a baseball.

When Wendell Smith reminds Jackie that he is not the only one who struggles because of segregation and that what he doing is bigger than himself.

When Jackie turns his Dodgers jersey around and reveals the number 42.

When Jackie is relentlessly taunted by Ben Chapman but can’t respond. So he goes into the tunnel, smashes his bat, cries, and is given a pep talk from Branch Rickey. Then he hits a home run.

When that white kid copies his father’s behavior and momentarily taunts Jackie.

When Pee Wee Reese embraces Jackie and I don’t even care that it probably didn’t happen that way.

When I realized Branch Rickey’s assistant was played by T.R. Knight and I was reminded that Grey’s Anatomy has not been good since George O’Malley died.

When Branch Rickey admits that Jackie made him love baseball again.

When the Dodgers win the pennant and Rachel Robinson is high-fiving everyone on the streets and even Red Barber is stoked and we pretend that the 1947 World Series never happened.

When the end credits roll and there is footage from Jackie Robinson Day with current baseball players wearing the number 42.

In conclusion, I am a big sap and nothing turns me into a pile of mush more than a good baseball movie. Never get me started on how much I sob during A League of Their Own.

Streep and Thatcher

This is what is known as “biopic casting bliss”. Meryl Streep is reportedly in talks to portray British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, which will be directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!). The Iron Lady is set during the 17 days prior to the 1982 Falklands War. (Insert Eddie Izzard joke here.)

If Streep does indeed play Thatcher, think about how wonderful it could be. Other than Helen Mirren (which could get confusing), I cannot think of another actress more qualified to play Thatcher. Maybe Streep will finally get that long-awaited third Oscar.

Of course, I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. Especially because Steep isn’t tackling the role of Madeleine Albright, the number of brooches in this film will be severely lacking. And what is a good biopic without a fabulous brooch or two?

Milk, Take Two

I saw Milk for the second time tonight and it is much better the second time around.

I’ll be the first person to admit that when a movie is receiving Oscar buzz, I almost always have to see it twice. After the first viewing, I’m iffy about the film – I like it and can see why others think it’s great but I’m just not as likely to jump on the Slumdog Millionaire party express. A second viewing really enables me to put aside everything I’ve heard and just watch. This is exactly what I had to do with Milk.

I enjoyed Milk the first time around but seeing it again tonight allowed me to read the true depth of this film.

While I noted the use of archival footage to tell Milk’s story, it did not stand out to me as an exceptional element of the film. Now I see that the archival footage is a crucial part of the story because it tells the history of both San Francisco and the gay rights in a way that just Harvey Milk’s story could not.

James Franco’s performance as Milk’s supportive but unhappy partner stands out more than Josh Brolin’s destructive villian.
I finally understand why Milkhas received so much buzz. Visually, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is stunning but it does not have same passion and insight as Milk. With the Oscar nominations being announced in just THREE days, I certainly hope this fantastic movie fares better with the Academy voters than it did with the HFPA.

Foxx to play Obama?

It goes without saying that everyone is focused on tomorrow’s inaguration. Which brings me to this article I found on Usmagazine.com:

Jamie Foxx Considers Playing Obama in Movie

Jamie Foxx might have already lined up his next big movie role.

The actor, who imitated Barack Obama at the We Are Once kick-off concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, seemed ready to portray the President-elect.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Foxx tells Usmagazine.com at the Declare Yourself event at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. “He’s going to do his own movie for the next four to eight years.”

Judging the article, this sounds more like tabloid speculation than a reality. Besides, a Barack Obama biopic would film rushed. Obama needs to run the country, like actually run the country, and create some sort of presidential legacy before there is a film about his life. Hence why W works.