Midnight In The Garden of Good & Evil
Jason Quick
Evil. I watched it.
I'm not sure I entirely understand what happened, though my uncertainty is
amorphous and fuzzy - I don't really have any specific questions, just an
overall "WTF?" going through my head. Has to be one of the stranger movies
I've ever seen.
Discuss.
Jason
Kim
"Jason Quick" <jsq...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:au6m45$4tt7o$1...@ID-57673.news.dfncis.de...
This is one of those movies that it really paid to have read the book
beforehand.
Basically, it's about a millionaire, Jim Williams, who was tried for the
same murder 4 times in Savannah, Georgia.
John Berendt, the author of the book, was on assignment in Savannah for
"Town and Country" magazine to cover one of Williams' elaborate Christmas
parties. While attending the party, he meets a large and varied cast of
eccentric characters - Minerva the Voodoo princess, Mr. Driggers, the
inventor of the flea collar, etc.
He also falls into a much more interesting and controversial story, when
Williams shoots his lover, Billy Hanson, and is subsequently arrested for
the murder. Williams claims the act was a matter of self defense, and is
confident he will be cleared, given that the whole town knows about Hanson's
violent and erratic behavior.
The movie basically chronicles the murder trials and the sides each person
takes through their own experiences with Williams; the ongoing saga of
Williams defense attorney, who is more wrapped up in football than the trial
(he owns the Georgia Bulldogs mascot); Joe Odom, who is the "voice of the
town", and who house-sits for wealthy Savannah residents (and charges money
for tours of their homes in their absence); Mandy Nichols, a part time
resident of Savannah who tries to help Williams unravel all the social "do's
and don'ts"; and the best character of all "Lady Chablis" a transvestite
singer who is the only one who really cuts through all the bullshit and
tells the truth.
I'd really recommend you read the book. FWIW, I loved the book and hated the
movie. There was too much inner dialogue and back-story that the book could
lay out in an interesting and orderly fashion, and that the movie couldn't
really address. The movie ended up being a hodgepodge, and left a lot of
people going "WTF?". The book is much more satisfying.
Kim
*Santa never did bring any presents to our house. Maybe it was because I
was really bad, or maybe it was because we had no chimney. I asked my dad
about it once, but he was too busy drinking Manischewitz with our rabbi to
answer me. (Ilya Portnoy)*
kay w
>So the other night TNT showed the film Midnight In The Garden of Good &
>Evil. I watched it.
One of my favorite movies. Great music, great casting except for Eastwood's
daughter, who he (Clint directed) cast as Mandy; her Southern diction needed
some work, especially as they used a number of local folks in the movie and a
fakey fakey accent sticks out more when surrounded by real ones. Kevin Spacey
was terrific. John Cusack's whole peformance was like he was coming in through
a satellite feed with a delay...I can't explain it, but there was something
wrong with him.
Sonny Seiler, who was Jim Williams' RL defense attorney, played the role of
Judge Oliver in the movie (Seiler owned the Uga dynasty) and Frank Devau
(pronounced Deveaux) played himself as The Lady Chablis (and who else could
have done it?) Many of the bit parts went to local people and I understand
Eastwood did a good job of coordinating with the community in making the movie.
Also Emma Kelly, the older woman who played the piano (remember, in the
sequined hat?), is (or was, she died a year or two ago) a local character and
musician who was a buddy of Johnny Mercer's, whose music was used throught the
movie (and Mercer House is, of course, still in Savannah.)
I can see that someone watching the movie who is unfamiliar with Savannah (or
who hadn't read the book) might be distracted by what seems like a bunch of
seemingly unnecessary stuff (like Emma Kelly and all the business about the
Mercer House, or the guy who invented the No Pest Strip with the bugs) that is
really just local color, and doesn't particularly advance the main storyline.
It does help establish the atmosphere of Savannah, which is an interesting,
beautiful and historical place, despite being populated by the descendants of,
well, sycophants. Sherman "gave" the city to President Lincoln as a present
(Christmas, or maybe birthday, I forget) and it really is lovely.
There's another town southwest of here, a lovely little place with several
beautifully preserved old antebellum homes; they were spared through a ruse the
people cooked up to make the Yankees think there was plague (or pox?) in the
town, so it was bypassed.
Savannah is gorgeous; we've been meaning to take a day trip over there some
spring, before it gets too hot.
Another thing I liked about the movie is that it featured an often overlooked
character type, the genteel Southern "confirmed bachelor", most of whom, of
course, do not kill their lovers but who do have a long and distinguished
history in Southern society.
Do get the book. Lady Chablis also wrote a book about his life, which was ok,
I guess; it would never have made a ripple had there not been the connection
with the movie, and a foreword written by John Berendt, who wrote "MITGoGaE".
--
kay w
Witch hunts erupted in countries such as Germany, England, Scotland, and Salem.
The victim profile was older post-marsupial women unable to bare children.
Non Campus Mentis
Address munged. AOL isn't necessarily comatose.
RM Mentock
> was terrific. John Cusack's whole peformance was like he was coming in through
> a satellite feed with a delay...I can't explain it, but there was something
> wrong with him.
Editting. The whole of the movie sucked that way.
--
RM Mentock
It is not enough to be wrong, you must also be polite - Niels Bohr
Jason Quick
> It does help establish the atmosphere of Savannah, which is an
interesting,
> beautiful and historical place, despite being populated by the descendants
of,
> well, sycophants. Sherman "gave" the city to President Lincoln as a
present
> (Christmas, or maybe birthday, I forget) and it really is lovely.
T'were Christmas. 138 years ago yesterday, in fact.
I thought it amusing that you parenthetically noted that Frank Devau's
surname was pronounced "Deveaux," as opposed to "Devoe." Only on AFCA...
: )
Jason
Al Yellon
news:s_CN9.20645$cR2....@nwrddc04.gnilink.net...
> I'd really recommend you read the book. FWIW, I loved the book and hated
the
> movie. There was too much inner dialogue and back-story that the book
could
> lay out in an interesting and orderly fashion, and that the movie couldn't
> really address. The movie ended up being a hodgepodge, and left a lot of
> people going "WTF?". The book is much more satisfying.
I'm with Kim here. I was really looking forward to the movie, having read
the book, and I pretty much went "WTF" just like that.
I did get to see the outside of the house and some of the other sites in
this scenario, when I was in Savannah a few years back. Savannah's really a
cool place. Well worth visiting.
--
"If you're not part of the future, then get out of the way." -- John
Mellencamp
Bill Van
"Al Yellon" <aye...@REMOVEcolgateTHISalumni.org> wrote:
> "Kim" <ki...@NOSPAMfamily-net.org> wrote in message
> news:s_CN9.20645$cR2....@nwrddc04.gnilink.net...
> > I'd really recommend you read the book. FWIW, I loved the book and hated
> the
> > movie. There was too much inner dialogue and back-story that the book
> could
> > lay out in an interesting and orderly fashion, and that the movie couldn't
> > really address. The movie ended up being a hodgepodge, and left a lot of
> > people going "WTF?". The book is much more satisfying.
>
> I'm with Kim here. I was really looking forward to the movie, having read
> the book, and I pretty much went "WTF" just like that.
>
I hadn't read the book, so didn't have any expectations dashed. The
movie was indeed a hodge-podge. The directing and editing seemed
disjointed, with some bits working and others not.
But the reason I saw it in the first place was to watch Kevin Spacey
work, and he saved the movie for me. I think he has made a number of
films watchable that would have been obvious failures, or at least
forgettable, without him. He's one of the better actors in American film
these days.
bill
Putain d'Enculé
alt.fan.cecil-adams back on Mon, 23 Dec 2002 12:05:44 GMT that ...
> and the best character of all "Lady Chablis" a transvestite
>singer who is the only one who really cuts through all the bullshit and
>tells the truth.
Lady Chablis played herself in the movie. She's a credit to
transvestites everywhere.
Bill
"Yow! Life is a blur of Republicans and meat!"
- Bill Griffith, as quoted by incandescent blue
Jason Quick
> Good old "Kim" <ki...@NOSPAMfamily-net.org> wrote in
> alt.fan.cecil-adams back on Mon, 23 Dec 2002 12:05:44 GMT that ...
> > and the best character of all "Lady Chablis" a transvestite
> >singer who is the only one who really cuts through all the bullshit and
> >tells the truth.
>
> Lady Chablis played herself in the movie. She's a credit to
> transvestites everywhere.
Mayhap she is, but I'll tell you what, if'n she's like the character she
portrayed in the film, she's a 24-karat Froot Loop, and it has nothing to do
with her clothing preference.
Jason
Putain d'Enculé
alt.fan.cecil-adams back on Tue, 31 Dec 2002 22:23:58 -0600 that ...
From what I've read, she's *exactly* like she portrayed herself in the
movie. She's a very unique person, no question.
GrapeApe
>movie. She's a very unique person, no question.
Perhaps, just maybe the MOST uniquest ever! The Penultimate of uniqueness.
Could anyone be more unique?
Jerry Bauer
(in message <20030101120627...@mb-ba.aol.com>):
Not me! I'm the least unique person there is.
Blinky the Shark
> On Wed, 1 Jan 2003 9:06:27 -0800, GrapeApe wrote
>> Could anyone be more unique?
> Not me! I'm the least unique person there is.
That's what they all say.
--
Blinky
Microsoft Linux - http://snurl.com/MSLinux