From: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2010 #22 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-joni-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Website: http://jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Friday, January 22 2010 Volume 2010 : Number 022 ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: Meryl Street njc ["Mark" ] Re: NJC - going backwards with Scott Brown ["Mark" ] Re: Meryl Street njc ["Mark" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:19:44 -0800 From: "Mark" Subject: Re: Meryl Street njc I think of her more as this generation's Bette Davis, the great chameleon and character-driven movie actress of her day. Bette was never hesitant to leave vanity about physical appearance behind if that was what a role required. She also was not afraid to play 'unsympathetic' characters (watch 'The Little Foxes' sometime). VF cited 'A Cry in the Dark' as an example of Meryl playing that type of part. The VF article also quoted her as saying 'I'm 60 and I'm playing the romantic lead in romantic comedies! Bette Davis is rolling over in her grave. She was 42 when she did 'All About Eve' and she was 54 when she did "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"'. Meryl also did a 'Word of Mouth' for Turner Classic Movies on Bette Davis. And it's KathArine Hepburn, Mr. Librarian. ;-) I seem to remember hearing Kate say something in an interview back in her feisty grande dame days about getting letters from people who 'Say we love you so much, and then they spell your name K-a-t-h-e-r-i-n-e and you go MAD.' But maybe I imagined that. Lindsay, I was also impressed with that statement about being given the opportunity to play extraordinary women and something about people mistaking her (Meryl) for one. Add humility to her list of golden qualities. Mark in Seattle Meryl Streep fan - -------------------------------------------------- From: "Gerald Notaro" Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 9:22 AM To: "Lindsay Moon" Cc: "joni list" Subject: Re: Meryl Street njc > She is her generation's Katherine Hepburn. And each generation gets only > one! > > Jerry > > > On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 11:56 AM, Lindsay Moon wrote: > >> I very much liked in her acceptance speech she stressed that she is >> merely >> a >> "vessel" for these amazing women's stories, that people confuse her with >> the >> characters she's playing. Good for her. Now her daughter Mamie Gummer >> is >> getting into the "biz." What a long road she'll have with that mom. I >> wish >> her luck. I've always loved Meryl since I first saw her in the '70s in a >> miniseries called Holocaust. >> >> Lindsay ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:24:07 -0800 From: "Mark" Subject: Re: NJC - going backwards with Scott Brown - -------------------------------------------------- From: "Vince" Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 2:05 PM Cc: Subject: Re: NJC - going backwards with Scott Brown > On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 4:24 PM, Lori Fye wrote: > >> > At least he has to run for re-election in 2 years. (He's only filling >> > out >> > Kennedy's term.) >> >> > Kennedy called health care reform the "cause of his life" and this is what > Massachusetts does to honor him? > > These next two years will be deadly for health care issues as well as > climate change issues. > > I expected better from Massachusetts. > > Vince Amen, Father Vince. I almost feel like somebody went and spit on Ted Kennedy's grave. As far as I'm concerned, there are a bunch of TRAITORS in Massachusetts! Mark in Seattle only half joking about that traitors in Massachusetts thing. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:38:54 -0500 From: Gerald Notaro Subject: Re: Meryl Street njc I did think of Bette, Mark, but I am going to have to respectfully disagree, as much as I loved her. Bette had a 10 year slump in the 50's with bad melodrama while KathArine was making such films as Pat and Mike, Summertime, Suddenly Last Summer, Desk Set, The Rainmaker, and The Afican Queen, all great movies. And later Bette did have a resurgence with What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, but other than the Whales of August, the rest were poor. And yet Kate continued on with Lion In Winter, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Glass Menagerie, Delicate Balance, On Golden Pond, all remarkable performances for an actress over 60. Jerry On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 11:19 PM, Mark wrote: > I think of her more as this generation's Bette Davis, the great chameleon > and character-driven movie actress of her day. Bette was never hesitant to > leave vanity about physical appearance behind if that was what a role > required. She also was not afraid to play 'unsympathetic' characters (watch > 'The Little Foxes' sometime). VF cited 'A Cry in the Dark' as an example of > Meryl playing that type of part. The VF article also quoted her as saying > 'I'm 60 and I'm playing the romantic lead in romantic comedies! Bette Davis > is rolling over in her grave. She was 42 when she did 'All About Eve' and > she was 54 when she did "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?"'. > > Meryl also did a 'Word of Mouth' for Turner Classic Movies on Bette Davis. > > And it's KathArine Hepburn, Mr. Librarian. ;-) I seem to remember hearing > Kate say something in an interview back in her feisty grande dame days about > getting letters from people who 'Say we love you so much, and then they > spell your name K-a-t-h-e-r-i-n-e and you go MAD.' > > But maybe I imagined that. > > Lindsay, I was also impressed with that statement about being given the > opportunity to play extraordinary women and something about people mistaking > her (Meryl) for one. > > Add humility to her list of golden qualities. > > Mark in Seattle > Meryl Streep fan > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "Gerald Notaro" > Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 9:22 AM > To: "Lindsay Moon" > Cc: "joni list" > Subject: Re: Meryl Street njc > > She is her generation's Katherine Hepburn. And each generation gets only >> one! >> >> Jerry >> >> >> On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 11:56 AM, Lindsay Moon wrote: >> >> I very much liked in her acceptance speech she stressed that she is >>> merely >>> a >>> "vessel" for these amazing women's stories, that people confuse her with >>> the >>> characters she's playing. Good for her. Now her daughter Mamie Gummer >>> is >>> getting into the "biz." What a long road she'll have with that mom. I >>> wish >>> her luck. I've always loved Meryl since I first saw her in the '70s in a >>> miniseries called Holocaust. >>> >>> Lindsay ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:01:37 -0800 From: "Mark" Subject: Re: Meryl Street njc I see your point, Jerry. It's just that I think Bette played a broader range of characters, as Meryl has done. In terms of career longevity, you are right about Kate, though. I don't know how much of it was due to luck or good or bad choices or what but, with a few exceptions, good parts seemed to dry up for Bette after 'All About Eve', her first big movie after leaving Warner Brothers. Bette famously took out an ad in Variety, I believe, as an actress looking for work sometime in the 50s. I'm glad you mentioned 'A Delicate Balance'. I got that from Netflix after being curious about it for decades and was blown away by all of the performances in that film. And Kate was phenomenal. Also 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' which might be her most devastating performance. And 'The Lion in Winter' is a personal favorite of mine. But I don't think Hepburn could ever have played Regina Giddons or Baby Jane Hudson or Mildred the slatternly cockney waitress in 'Of Human Bondage' (Hi Jimmy). Mark in Seattle - -------------------------------------------------- From: "Gerald Notaro" Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2010 8:38 PM To: "Mark" Cc: "Lindsay Moon" ; "joni list" Subject: Re: Meryl Street njc > I did think of Bette, Mark, but I am going to have to respectfully > disagree, > as much as I loved her. Bette had a 10 year slump in the 50's with bad > melodrama while KathArine was making such films as Pat and Mike, > Summertime, > Suddenly Last Summer, Desk Set, The Rainmaker, and The Afican Queen, all > great movies. And later Bette did have a resurgence with What Ever > Happened > to Baby Jane, but other than the Whales of August, the rest were poor. And > yet Kate continued on with Lion In Winter, Long Day's Journey Into Night, > Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Glass Menagerie, Delicate Balance, On > Golden Pond, all remarkable performances for an actress over 60. > > Jerry ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2010 #22 **************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe -------