The Crying Thing

[Merna/Michael Anderson]

Hi! I read an interview with Jeremy Irons this summer while
vacationing in Virginia (lovely state). In this article he talked
about acting technique and said something about the use of tears.
He said he was watching some actress doing a crying scene in a movie
and was thinking: (roughly paraphrased from non-eidetic memory)'That's
a very nice display of your technique. Why can't you make me feel what
you're feeling..?' So I thought, 'Huh!" and stored that thought away
with the other mental foam peanuts. It occurs to me now that it is a
USEFUL TOOL in this good cryer/bad cryer debate.

As one brilliant poster already pointed out, the ability to produce
tears is not a measure of acting ability. Maybe the ability go provoke
emotion is? I dunno. But I can't sit through the scene in Steel
Magnolias (which is such a clunker in so many ways) where Sally Field
is driving from the hospital after her daughter dies to pick up her
grandson without WEEPING LIKE A FOUNTAIN. I mean, even around people I
don't want to see me cry. At other times I watch as the movie builds
to an emotional crises, there is a very effective spattering of tears
by the designated cryer, the violins swellin' in the background, and I
mentally say: "Yeah yeah, you'll have to mourn this one on your own."

So, are you swept up into the story and feeling along with the
characters, or are you embarrassedly watching the wheels turn as some
poor stiff tries to produce the juice?

You know what? This is a dumb post.

[madse004]

In article <56ft7b$c...@sjx-ixn7.ix.netcom.com>, my...@ix.netcom.com
(Merna/Michael Anderson) wrote:

No, no, it is not a dumb post. You are saying something very true.
Perhaps it is because the watcher brings something to the interaction as
well. Part of it is how you are feeling at the time as you watch the
scene, some of it may be because you identify with the character closely
(I can't bear to watch moms die and leave children). I was moved by the
TFWID crying bit, not because it was such a great job or because I
identified but because it was uncomfortable and like watching your best
friend suffering.
Doc Aay

[Coleen Sullivan-Baier]

>In article <56ft7b$c...@sjx-ixn7.ix.netcom.com>, my...@ix.netcom.com
>(Merna/Michael Anderson) wrote:
>
>> So, are you swept up into the story and feeling along with the
>> characters, or are you embarrassedly watching the wheels turn as
>some poor stiff tries to produce the juice?

Especially when the poor stiff is DD or GA....moving to this
community, although the most INTERESTING thing I've done on this
planet, has made me watch the show with a somewhat jaded view...what
are WE going to say about this, oh wait 'till the fanfic writers get a
hold of THIS ( I about went out of the chair laughing at first view of
the elevator door closing in 'Paperclip"...I knew what was "coming")
.....I KNOW everyone is going to be posting about THIS...

Not a bad thing, but it has lessened my enjoyment of the
show for whart it IS ...entertainment. I can innocently watch ER, and
NOT think about who is gonna post what tomorow...by the way, wasn';t
that baby FAKE looking...and how 'bout when the pediatric specialist
JUMPED on Carter?????

(oh, no...it's spreading......)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXgizzieXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[Murielle L. Sey]

On 15 Nov 1996, Coleen Sullivan-Baier wrote:

> that baby FAKE looking...and how 'bout when the pediatric specialist
> JUMPED on Carter?????
>
> (oh, no...it's spreading......)
>
> XXXXXXXXXXXXXXgizzieXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(ROFL!!) I know, I'm going *way* off topic here, but... My 80 year old
mother would *LoVe* to jump Carter!

Hugs
Murielle