Blast from the Past- Say Anything

Lloyd Dobler is the closest thing to a modern-day Aristotle we have.  He is an under-achieving, unimpressive romantic who also happens to be one of the greatest philosophers of this or any time. Think Silent Bob without the fart jokes and copious amounts of weed.  In Lloyd Dobler, Cameron Crowe, with no small degree of help from John Cusack, created his most timeless and cinematically influential character, which is saying something for the guy who also conjured up Rod Tidwell and Penny Lane.  Say Anything... is a good film, with a phenomenal character.  It reeks of 80's new wave and its dialogue is more than a little contrived at times, but it is the rare film where we just don't care.  Everything that happens in and around Lloyd are a means to the next beautiful, inspiring, and sometimes tragic thing that is about to come out of his mouth.  And it works.  I don't know how or why it works, but it does.

Say Anything... is really a very simple tale.  Boy meets girl, girl falls for boy, girl's father doesn't approve of boy, girl dumps boy, boy gets depressed, girl returns to boy, they live happily ever after.  Our story opens on Lloyd Dobler surrounded by a group of his female friends as he fawns over the untouchable Diane Court (Ione Sky).  Diane is the valedictorian of her class, and that compounded with her beauty makes her the envy of every girl in school.  Against the advice of the gaggle of females, Lloyd sets his sights on Diane, proclaiming in one of his greatest moments, "I want to get hurt!"  And that is that.  His mind is made up and he begins his attempts to court Court.  

Of the slew of boys who make this same attempt, Diane picks Lloyd.  After an odd telephone conversation, Diane agrees to accompany him to their graduation kegger.  Upon arrival at the party, Lloyd is deemed "keymaster", meaning it is his responsibility to gather keys from the patrons of the party and determine who can drive at the end of the night and who can't.  The party, you might notice, is a veritable who's who of future stars.  Jeremy Piven, Eric Stoltz, Pamela Adlon, and Lili Taylor all show up to bid farewell to their formative years in style.  Even the high school guidance counselor shows up to the party, which I guess we are supposed to find typical, and seeing Lloyd, approaches him to ask him if he has made up his mind about his future like the rest of his classmates.  Lloyd answers with a wonderful quip.

"How many of them really know what they want, though? I mean, a lot of them think they have to know, right? But inside they don't really know, so... I don't know, but I know that I don't know."

And that is the thesis for the post-high school life of Lloyd Dobler.  He knows he likes a few things: Kickboxing (the sport of the future), Peter Gabriel, and Diane Court.  And why does he have to know more than that?  His argument, which becomes abundantly clear throughout the rest of the film is simple-  he doesn't.

As Lloyd's relationship with Diane progresses her father (John Mahoney) becomes more and more involved in his daughter's romantic goings-on.  What high school boy hasn't lived that story?  Some over-bearing patriarch who thinks his daughter's taste in boys is his business.  He doesn't approve of Lloyd, nor his lackadaisical approach toward his future manifested in Lloyd's most classic line.

"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

This plot-line is perhaps my biggest complaint with the film.  It's played out now and it was played out in 1989.  A father raises his daughter alone and their relationship is closer than most so Daddy feels like he is losing a daughter and takes it out on poor Joe High School.  It really is a shame.  It's almost a waste of John Mahoney's talents on such a droll trope.  Almost.  He gets his moment in the sun because of the one caveat to this particular story.  You see, Mr. Court owns and operates a retirement home and has, apparently been cooking the books to hide the money he has been stealing from his residents for some time.  

Lloyd and Diane continue their relationship and things are going swimmingly when Diane receives a letter that she has ben accepted for a prestigious fellowship that would take her out of the country for a year.  At her father's coaxing, Diane dumps Lloyd as she "owes it to herself" to go on the fellowship free from encumberances.  Lloyd goes into a wholly hilarious, yet heartbreaking depression that sees him standing in the rain, leaving endless messages from payphones, and seeking advice from the ladykilling group of idiots sipping 40's outside the local gas station.  And then comes the most famous scene of the film.  Diane is sitting in her room when she hears Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" playing from outside.  We then see Lloyd standing in front of his car, hoisting a Run DMC-style boombox above his head, his eyes begging for Diane to come to the window.  She doesn't.  The boombox scene, frankly deserves a write-up all its own, but that sort of takes the magic away from seeing it for the first time, so i'll refrain.  

The pressure becomes too heavy to deny from the IRS and Diane pays a visit to an investigator, played by Philip Baker Hall.  He says in simple terms that Mr. Court is guilty.  He presents only enough evidence to Diane for her to prepare herself for when the figurative shit finally hits the fan.  Diane then approaches her father, who lies to her about his activities.  Diane realizes that her father's self-serving agenda includes the wedge he drove between her and Lloyd and she goes running back to Lloyd whose response is simple and again echoes high school boys the world over: "One question: are you here 'cause you need someone, or 'cause you need me?... Forget it, I don't care."

Lloyd accompanies Diane to Europe, but not before paying her father a visit who has since been imprisoned for his crimes.  He delivers a scathing letter from Diane stating that she can no longer trust her own father and that despite everything she still has love for him.  Things escalate between Lloyd and Mr. Court leading Mr. Court to call Lloyd a "distraction".  But Lloyd has won at this point and his response is simple.  He tells Mr. Court, "I'm the distraction that's going with her to England, sir."

The film ends with Lloyd and Diane on an airplane.  Diane is afraid of flying, but Lloyd assures her that everything will be okay and to wait for the smoking sign to come on.  Once the smoking sign comes on, it means that the plane is safely in the air and there is nothing to worry about anymore.  Lloyd and Diane sit, hand-in-hand waiting for the light and its accompanying "ding" that comes with it.  Cut to black.  Ding.

Say Anything...is a very flawed film, but the film isn't the achievement.  Lloyd Dobler is the lasting mark Say Anything... left on the world.  It is a true testament to the possible results of artistic collaboration.  Cameron Crowe wrote the words.  He molded the story, and brought it to life.  But Lloyd Dobler would be utterly forgettable in the hands of anybody but John Cusack.  Cusack is a very rare talent.  He is in a category all his own.  When you need John Cusack for a role, nobody else will do.  There is no "John Cusack" type.  There is just John Cusack.  He is unique in the same way that Bill Murray is unique- there is just no substitute.  The film world had been given glimpses of John Cusack prior to Say Anything... but they never forgot him afterwards.  I could spend time writing about how the dialogue could have been improved, or how the characters surrounding Lloyd are little more than a means to trigger emotional responses from Lloyd, but why?  It's a sweet, if average 80's high school love story with one exception- Lloyd Dobler.  I'll never be half as clumsily poetic as Lloyd, so I'll wrap this up with his own words.

"What I really want to do with my life - what I want to do for a living - is I want to be with your daughter. I'm good at it."

Overall Ratings

Say Anything...- 7/10

Lloyd Dobler- 10/10

Blast from the Past- A Billy Wilder Double Feature

For the grand relaunch of Filmjerk, I thought it appropriate to start a new "segment" of sorts.  "Blast from the Past" will focus on the classics.  Given that the whole of Filmjerk tends to focus on post-1990 cinema, the term "classics" will include films up to that period in time. So don't be surprised to see films like Raging Bull lumped in with older films like The Great Dictator.  I've internally deemed a classic as any film that has a) affected the current landscape of modern cinema and b) holds up to repeat viewings in a different era.

Today we'll take a look at (arguably) Billy Wilder's 2 greatest works- Some Like it Hot, and The Apartment.  It is hard to view the films as works independent from one another given the remarkable similarities in style, tone, talent, and quality.  And while each has its merits individually (and we'll certainly take a look at those) the pair is much stronger than the sum of its parts.  Looking at film as the ongoing, everchanging landscape that it is, these 2 films left one, remarkably large footprint rather than 2 average-sized prints, and directors for decades have thanked Wilder for that.

First to Some Like it Hot.  What a wonderful flick.  It is wonderful in its concept, its execution, its simplicity, just about everything.  That being said, it does have its flaws as any film does.  Just 2 sentences in and I'm already finding this new segment sort of hard.  How do you criticize a masterpiece?  How do you look at the Mona Lisa and say "her forehead is enormous"?  With balls- that's how.  But let's talk about the plethora of beauty first.  Some Like It Hot stands the test of time like few films I've ever seen have.  It isn't a chore to watch.  You can sit down with a generation tailored toward Judd Apatow and Kevin Smith and they will be in stitches when Jack Lemmon comes home drunk, maracas in hand, claiming that he is engaged to the most wonderful man.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Some Like it Hot is a comedy of errors.  Sort of.  It is also a screwball comedy.  Sort of.  I guess I would call it a "screwball comedy of errors".  Loosely using tropes created by The Bard, Some Like it Hot is the story of 2 down on their luck musicians looking for work.  They find some work 100 miles away and have to borrow a car to get to the gig.  Upon arriving at the garage where the car is housed, they witness the murder of 7 Northside Chicago gangsters (an event we refer to as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and go on the lam.  Having heard of a gig in Florida, they see their chance for escape.  The catch?  The gig is for an all female band.  There is a quick device used to get the men employed and they head to the train station.  Upon arrival, there is some immediate suspicion, but nothing that the men (women?) can't handle.  Most important on the train is their introduction to Sugar Kane, played by Marilyn Monroe.  She is a tart with a drinking problem, but undeniably cute and bubbly.  They host a party to quickly gain some allies amongst the women, and perhaps set the stage for some slap and tickle later on.

They make it to Florida and Daphne (the monicker Jack Lemmon has selected for himself) is in favor of immediately hitting the road.  He argues that the mob will be looking for them in every band in America.  A fair point, Josephine (Tony Curtis's name of choice) explains that they will not be looking for 2 women playing in an all-female band.  Having had the chance to buddy up to Sugar, Josephine lays the groundwork for some tomfoolery of his own.  He "predicts" that rather than falling for another saxophone-playing ne'er-do-well (which he/she is) Sugar will find a well-intentioned millionaire.  A young and single one to boot.  While this is happening, Daphne has caught the eye of one of the elder residents of the hotel where they are performing named Osgood Fielding.  Dirty old man doesn't really do him justice.  He is a spoiled rich boy all grown up.  But he is lovable.  By God, is he lovable.

Later, at the beach, Sugar Cane is playing around with Daphne.  Josephine is strangely absent, but neither pays this much mind.  Sugar clumsily bumps into an over-the-top rich-looking fellow who introduces himself as Shell Oil, Jr.  Dear christ.  Really?  But Sugar pays no mind as she doesn't exactly have a lot of mind to pay.  Shell Oil, Jr. is very clearly Josephine dressed back up like a man with glasses on.  He explains that he has been unsuccessful in love and pulls the hard-to-get card early.  Daphne comes over to see what all the fuss is about and decides to take Sugar back up to the hotel room where Josephine should be to blow his/her cover.  Making a quick, thru-the-window change, Josephine is able to conceal her identity.  At about this time, Daphne receives an invitation from Osgood Feeling to join him on his yacht, but Josephine has other plans.  Daphne will convince Osgood that she has terrible seasickness and Josephine, Dressed as Shell Oil, Jr. will take their place on the yacht.  From here the two couples both have a romantic evening together.  Yes, even Daphne discovers the wonderful heart of Osgood Feeling.

In the final act the mob holds a "convention" at the exact hotel where the women/men are staying.  Through a series of hysterical errors, their identities are discovered and the rest of the film is spent with the pair avoiding being whacked whilst simultaneously avoiding blowing their respective covers with their respective lovers.  In one of the best conclusions ever written Osgood Feeling states the moral of the story "Well, nobody's perfect!" as they sail off into the sunset.

I promise in Wilder's hands the plot isn't half as confusing as what I just made it out to be.  Its simplicity adds to its spectacle and vice versa.  Wilder embraces all of the cliches of the genre, and those which he doesn't use, he creates.  There is something about not trying to break new ground that is ground-breaking.  The historical significance of this film is undeniable.  It brought drag to the masses- something that wouldn't be accepted again until Dustin Hoffman dressed in drag in a little film called Tootsie (even sparking a theatrical re-release of Wilder's classic).  Almost everything about this film is perfect.  Almost.  The casting is damn near spot on.  Jack Lemmon steals the film, but Tony Curtis keeps great pace as do the archetypal gangsters cast as Spatts and his posse.  And Joe E. Brown might be the cutest old man on film until Jack Lemmon re-paired with Walter Matthau for Grumpy Old Men 40 years later.  My biggest problem is with Marilyn Monroe.  Now smart money says Wilder probably had to attach her to the project in order to put these other 2 relative unknowns in drag on screen in 1959. But to me it is a bit of a shame.  She tries.  You can tell she tries.  And frankly it is refreshing to see Monroe play against type, going for the cute and bubbly rather than the scandalous and seductive.  But she just can't match the rest of the cast.

There are also a few issues with the story.  For one, the discovery by Spatts that these 2 women are, in fact the 2 men from the massacre is a little quick and contrived.  It was like Wilder went "Shit, this thing can't get any longer.  Well, let's cut out half of the third act."  Given the suspension of disbelief we have granted thus far in the film, it isn't overly distracting, but could have been improved certainly.  I also would have enjoyed seeing the men's transformation into Josephine and Daphne, but now I'm getting nit-picky.  Let's move to The Apratment, shall we?  I promise it'll be shorter.

I like The Apartment a bit more than Some Like it Hot.  While still a comedy, it has a decidedly more melancholic tone.  The Apartment is the story of C.C. Baxter (played once again by Jack Lemmon), a cog in a corporate machine.  In order to advance within his enormous company, he allows the use of his apartment to his superiors for their extramarital affairs.  When we meet Baxter, he is already about fed up with juggling 4 different bosses around.  It is leading to complaints from his neighbors and landlord, scheduling conflicts, and a general icky feeling.  But the promise of advancement keeps him true to his commitment to play the fool.  He begins a flirtatious relationship with Ms. Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), who operates the elevator in his building and tries, unsuccessfully, to court her.

He is called into Mr. Sheldrake's (played by the legendary Fred MacMurray) office one day on the 27th floor.  This is huge.  Little does Baxter know, he is walking into a trap.  Mr. Sheldrake has heard about his arrangement with the other bosses and in a brilliant plot twist, requests exclusive use of the apartment for his own philandering.  With the promise of that promotion finally coming through, Baxter agrees.  He gets the promotion, but it doesn't take long to realize that Mr. Sheldrake's mistress is none other than Ms. Kubelik.  Baxter is heartbroken and begins dating much in the same way as the other executives he has seen before him.  One night he is getting drunk at the local watering hole and decides to bring a gal back to his apartment.  He walks in to find Ms. Kubelik unconscious, having attempted suicide by overdosing on his sleeping pills.

The rest of the story is about Baxter manning up.  He is promoted yet again, but his moral conflict is boiling to the surface.  As Ms. Kubelik continues to win his heart as she recovers in his apartment, he begins to see exactly what Mr. Sheldrake is.  Again, in another brilliant conclusion Baxter once more gives a key to Mr. Sheldrake.  A few seconds later, Mr. Sheldrake enters Baxter's corner office as he is packing up for the day and tells him that he gave him the wrong key.  Baxter states that he gave exactly the key that he meant to and that if this is what it takes to get the job, he can cram the job where the sun don't shine.  You go, Baxter!  Ms. Kubelik and Baxter presumably live happily ever after, but not before one of the most genuine, heart-touchiung scenes ever committed to celluloid over a simple game of Gin Rummy.

I have a harder time finding any criticism with The Apartment.  It is a near-perfect tale.  It is hilarious at times, heart-wrenching at others and both most of the time.  It boasts some of the greatest ensemble talent ever assembled and one of the greatest leading men of the past generation.  I can't say enough about Jack Lemmon as an actor.  He is beautiful.  That really is all there is to say.  Rare is the handsome man with perfect comedic timing, and Lemmon is his name-o.  If I were to change anything about The Apartment it would be that it occasionally slips further into gloom than I feel is necessary.  It at times loses sight that it is, in fact, a comedy.  While the suicide plot-line is absolutely necessary, I'm not sure that we need to see the brutal treatment of the doctor slapping Ms. Kubelik around to wake her up.  But I hesitate to even make these criticisms as to change anything about this film would be to bastardize it in some small way.

The Apartment and Some Like It Hot are classics now and were classics from the moment Wilder put pen to paper.  I don't think you'll find too many people who deny that.  But why?  Well they embrace what they are.  And rather than trying to revolutionize storytelling, they just strive to be the best at what they are.  And they succeed.  Some Like It Hot paved the way for The Apartment the following year.  Billy Wilder was Hollywood's funny-man.  Think a gentile Woody Allen of the golden age.  And the straightforward buffoonery of Some Like it Hot allowed him to explore deeper, darker comedy in The Apartment.  He was smart.  He kept what worked.  He shot both in black-and-white though technicolor had been the primary medium for over a decade, and he had faith that his leading man could make the leap from screwball comedy to dark comedy (some might even say drama).  Wilder gave us, with these 2 films, a permanent homage to a very particular place and time in Hollywood that people of my generation never got to experience.  And I thank him.

Overall Ratings
Some Like It Hot- 8/10
The Apartment- 10/10