I thought I might be able to blog daily as pub date approached, but Thursdays are just too long. After an intense shift at Viva House — last Thursday of the month — I had an interview yesterday, the first — and my first chance to think about what I want to say about this book. Another interview today. This is a tough book to discuss because I prefer never to discuss my private life, but ANOTHER THING TO FALL invites a few, perfectly fair inquiries.
It also happened that I heard kinds words, from two different sources, about my ability to write men. Again, this leads to some personal territory, as I credit my SO and a good writer friend with helping me write from the POV of men.
There are three male POV characters in ATTF — actually, four, including the prologue. One is a thirty-something writer, not a nice guy, but awfully fun to write. One member of my male advisory board told me to change this character’s critical assessment of an actor’s ballooning weight, exchanging the word “butt” for “ass.” That’s something I never would have caught. My ear still can’t quite catch it, the distinction between butt (a pretty casual word in its own right) and ass. But that’s why I consult with various people.
After the interview, I went to see MICHAEL CLAYTON. Granted, I can never be subjective about Amy Ryan; I wanted her to win the Oscar because I know her superficially and I think she’s amazing. Plus, she was great in GONE, BABY, GONE. That said, as much as I liked the movie — Jesus, this is a misogynistic country. Try to imagine MICHAEL CLAYTON with a man in Tilda Swinton’s role. It wouldn’t have been as successful. It’s the power-mad woman, willing to go to any lengths to protect her company and (let’s not forget) fuck-up of a boss/predecessor/patriarch, that gives MC its kick. Brothers rediscover their bonds, male friends go to the mat for each other, a son’s love of a book may, inadvertently, save his father’s life. Even your co-worker who’s a stuffed shirt and an asshole is basically a decent guy. But women come in two flavors, both from Nebraska — pure-hearted virgin and ruthless (but nervous nellie) bitch. I love you, Tony Gilroy, and I thought the screenplay was terrific, but SERIOUSLY.
Is <i>Good Boys and Dead Girls</i> one of the best of the works exploring that topic? I don’t have lots of reading time.
First – yes the woman is still the tempter, the bad one leading men on.
Two- she did a terrific job – the scene in the bathroom with sweat under her arms. And the costume design — her clothes, her looking at herself in the mirror and what she saw, packing — so precisely. I really admired the acting and the understanding of the clothes.
Your male advisory board serves you well. Hope you give them the thank you pat on the ass they so richly deserve.
I’ve been having a hugely hard time trying to find movies/boks to watch/read. I’m sure all the Oscar nominees were great and all but I just am not in the mood for stories about hate, ugliness, power, lying, killing, greed, guilt, suffering, more greed, more power, more hate. It all feels very, I dunno, retro-tough, macho, testosterony to me. I don’t want all happy happy joy joy, but I can do without misogyny. it’s probably very deep and shows lots of things that we should all face, but i don’t wanna, thanks. At least, not right now.
right now it’s a good time to own a DVD. Between holiday gifts, the library and swapping, we’ve got a stockpile. I’m sure they’re great scripts all those heavy movies (not to mention the really stunning moronic comedies with the same 4 actors doing the same role).
And I’m with Sam; nice to have the sounding board. I wouldn’t have occured to me but the second you said it, I realized yep, a man would not say “butt” even one steeped in the self-dramatization of being a Big Star. It’s his ass he’d worry about. Would i have noticed it in the reading? Hmmm.
the nuances of language are really fascinating, aren’t they? One litle word tilts the balance of plausibility.
I would recommend Michael Clayton to anyone who likes a smart, grown-up script. But I also would borrow Mary Gordon’s words from Good Boys and Dead Girls, her essay about problematic themes in certain books by men regarded as some of the 20th century’s best writers:
“Perhaps when we consider reading gifted but distorting writers we should keep in mind two metaphors. We can think of this kind of reading as a journey made in the company of an arresting but undependable guide. He can show us a hidden waterfall, a stunning glimpse of the river, but he may also take us to a fetid swamp and call it exotic wetlands . . . Now, knowing better, we can say to ou guide: ‘I’ll go with you to the waterfall, to see the view of the river, but the exotic wetlands are a stinking swamp, and I won’t go with you there. I will stand at the edge of the swamp, but I won’t hesitate to describe the smell.’”
<i>”Jesus, this is a misogynistic country.”</i>
I was yakking w/a witty customer recently. She said experience has taught her men usually do not find that an attractive quality in women. They pay lip service to wanting a partner w/a sense of humor but that generally translates to appreciating his humor.
There does seem to be a double standard toward funny women. We are sometimes treated as if we’re,to use an antiquated phrase, desexing ourselves. Remember vitriol Sarah Silverman, Margaret Cho, Roseanne, Kathy Griffin, etc have had heaped on them for actions/comments that would have been more or less high fived if committed by men.
I liked the movie very much and thought Tilda Swinton brought a nice androgyny to the role, even with the time spent on her character’s obsession with appearances. I also liked her acceptance speech. She got some grief about it from the press the next day, which was interesting.