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sing doo-wah-diddy
Aug. 20th, 2008 05:26 amReading this interesting but flawed list of unusual Shakespeare adaptations, I was reminded that there was a time when I considered L.A. STORY to not just be my favorite Steve Martin film, but also my favorite appropriate date movie.*
And really, as far as films go, it's far from perfect. The biggest flaw is the one that really should sink the film entirely, namely that the leads have absolutely zero chemistry whatsoever. I forget who declared the film law that actors who are dating in real life have terrible chemistry on screen, but L.A. STORY is a prime example with Steve Martin and then-wife Victoria Tennant (and what the hell else has she done since?). Let's face it, Sarah Jessica Parker's SanDeE* is the far more compelling love interest, and that's saying something.
Plus, it has Sarah Jessica Parker.
Plus plus, it's terribly dated, but what do you expect when your story lovingly skewers the superficial shallowness of Los Angeles (which, ironically, is always relevant and timely)?
Plus plus plus, the climactic moment involves Enya.
And yet, I loved the film when I first saw it, mainly due to the wonderful combination of wit, quotability, Shakespeare, and magic realism. Flaws and all, I was still ready to call it Martin's masterpiece when I rejoined the Rude Mechanicals from a semester abroad in London to take a part in their production of AS YOU LIKE IT. This was notable for two reasons: 1.) it was my first ever exposure to the play, and 2.) it was where I met Tammy.
When I revisited L.A. STORY not long after AYLI wrapped up and my affair with Tammy went into full-blown adolescent Chernobyl, I noticed something I had never--could never have--caught the first times around. It was a moment that would pass unnoticed by even most Shakespeare nerds, a quote that is hardly well-known, unless of course you had reason to know AS YOU LIKE IT pretty damn well.
As such, try to imagine how I felt when I saw this scene:
Even watching this out-of-context clip, my eyes still burn.
Time to revisit this film, methinks.
*As opposed to my usual date movie choices, RAVENOUS and THE NINTH CONFIGURATION. Or if I'm feeling mushy, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL.
And really, as far as films go, it's far from perfect. The biggest flaw is the one that really should sink the film entirely, namely that the leads have absolutely zero chemistry whatsoever. I forget who declared the film law that actors who are dating in real life have terrible chemistry on screen, but L.A. STORY is a prime example with Steve Martin and then-wife Victoria Tennant (and what the hell else has she done since?). Let's face it, Sarah Jessica Parker's SanDeE* is the far more compelling love interest, and that's saying something.
Plus, it has Sarah Jessica Parker.
Plus plus, it's terribly dated, but what do you expect when your story lovingly skewers the superficial shallowness of Los Angeles (which, ironically, is always relevant and timely)?
Plus plus plus, the climactic moment involves Enya.
And yet, I loved the film when I first saw it, mainly due to the wonderful combination of wit, quotability, Shakespeare, and magic realism. Flaws and all, I was still ready to call it Martin's masterpiece when I rejoined the Rude Mechanicals from a semester abroad in London to take a part in their production of AS YOU LIKE IT. This was notable for two reasons: 1.) it was my first ever exposure to the play, and 2.) it was where I met Tammy.
When I revisited L.A. STORY not long after AYLI wrapped up and my affair with Tammy went into full-blown adolescent Chernobyl, I noticed something I had never--could never have--caught the first times around. It was a moment that would pass unnoticed by even most Shakespeare nerds, a quote that is hardly well-known, unless of course you had reason to know AS YOU LIKE IT pretty damn well.
As such, try to imagine how I felt when I saw this scene:
Even watching this out-of-context clip, my eyes still burn.
Time to revisit this film, methinks.
*As opposed to my usual date movie choices, RAVENOUS and THE NINTH CONFIGURATION. Or if I'm feeling mushy, LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL.
