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The best sentence I read today
I'd like to see a film suggesting that you can be the boss without giving up your intellectual ideals, and that the alternative -- rejecting power -- has its corruptions, too.
That is David Denby, from the July 10 and 17 The New Yorker.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on July 5, 2006 at 09:02 PM in Film | Permalink
Comments
I'd settle for something that at least wasn't so black-and-white about it. Or at least something that discusses comprimising pie-in-the-sky ideals with pramaticism.
Posted by: Jor at Jul 5, 2006 9:46:18 PM
Isn't the short version of some of Peter Singer's ideas that we in the West have the power to dramatically improve the lives of people in undeveloped parts of the world, and we refuse to acknowledge that power? Is too subtle a point for Denby's argument, or is it the abstract point he wants to see illustrated?
Another take on the second half of the sentence: what about the trite scene in many superhero movies in which the superhero finds that his power may have accidently brought about harm to someone he cared about, so he gives up his superpower, only to find out that giving up his power has it problems, too.
Posted by: MikeKP at Jul 6, 2006 12:50:08 AM
That comment more or less describes the reaction I had to the movie The Devil Wears Prada, which I just saw this weekend.
Posted by: Constant at Jul 6, 2006 5:48:00 AM
Just to avoid confusing people, my point is The Devil Wears Prada is not the movie longed for in the comment; rather, it makes me long for such a movie.
Posted by: Constant at Jul 6, 2006 5:50:25 AM
"we in the West have the power to dramatically improve the lives of people in undeveloped parts of the world"
By toppling their governments, I presume, seeing as the problem is governmental.
Posted by: Constant at Jul 6, 2006 6:31:30 AM
Isn't what Denby's looking for the theme of a lot of movies -- i.e., convincing the old veteran/lawman/doctor/private eye/scientist/etc. that the world needs him to come out of retirement, even though he may think he's done more harm than good? (Unfortunately, the only example I can think of is the parody of this story line in the Seinfeld episode where Kramer persuades Frank Costanza to return to cooking even though Frank made a bunch of the "boys" sick when he was an Army cook in Korea.)
Posted by: John P. at Jul 6, 2006 8:52:22 AM
I dunno about movies, but two novels that might be of interest in
this discussion are American Pastoral, in which Philip Roth addresses
Denby's point in the context of a glove manufacturer, and Turn of the
Century, in which Kurt Andersen gives a really good portrait of a
boss--in this case a woman boss--who tries hard to maintain her ideals.
Both terrific books.
Posted by: Dan at Jul 6, 2006 2:56:20 PM
Isn't what Denby's looking for the theme of a lot of movies -- i.e., convincing the old veteran/lawman/doctor/private eye/scientist/etc. that the world needs him to come out of retirement, even though he may think he's done more harm than good?
Sure, it's a common theme, but he's saying he wants to see a particular instantiation of it, I presume because it's so common in film to see someone become the boss who has no, or has been forced to betray, their ideals. The end of In Good Company when the Dennis Quaid character gets his old job back, may well be such an instance, though the movie as a whole cuts exactly against what Denby wants.
Posted by: washerdreyer at Jul 6, 2006 6:19:24 PM
It would be great, but unlikely. Most writers in Hollywood are pretty liberal, in part because they've been exposed to a 'winner take all' style economic system where small differences in talent or luck result in wildly different economic outcomes. Plus, the lame job to support the career is stuff of cliche, so their experiences with bosses are probably a little different than mine or yours.
If you doubt my take on this, look no further than M. Night for a guy who essentially gets lucky and writes one good movie, and now is able to make movie after movie. Think about writing a few pretty good screenplays that don't get picked up and seeing 'The Village' - you would be pissed and morose, and your boss at that lame job would seem all the more the jackass.
I have a good friend who has a very good friend who happened to become one of the male stars of a little sitcom called 'Friends'. The 'friends' star is extremely talented, no doubt, but my friend is very talented too. You can tell by the rave reviews and sold out shows for her work. But her income isn't even 1/100 of his.
Not really complaining about that, but living with that specter must impact your writing. I don't think her story is unique - its essentially a product of the system.
Add in the natural tendency for writers to be liberal in the first place, the general resentment to bosses from anyone, and the current relyance of hollywood to create characters by their place in society rather than behavior or language, and volia, the boss is a lame cardboard character.
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Posted by: levan at Sep 11, 2006 2:56:24 AM
