BIG and DAVE
Mark Ashley
In BIG Elizabeth Perkins is as you say, up-tight, but she's loosened
up (every which way) by TOM HANKS - his best performance in my
opinion. Billy Crystal loosened up Meg Ryan when she was up-tight in
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.
As for DAVE, Sigourney Weaver's character was already left-wing, and
her emotional state didn't really change (has she ever been anything
other than up-tight anyway).
IMHO both DAVE and BIG are excellent and underrated films.
Mark
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: PLEASANTVILLE: A REVIEW
Author: a...@DOC.MSSM.EDU at PMDF
Date: 28/10/98 20:45
On Wed, 28 Oct 1998, Shari L. Rosenblum wrote:
> Despite its pretense of encouraging and respecting women's sexuality,
> it affirms the fear that that is precisely what leads to the
> dissolution of world order...And if it isn't enough to register that
> desexualization becomes Jennifer's path to salvation, the point
> is driven home with hammerhead sureness when it turns out to be
> the path for her real life mom as well.
Excellent points in an overall kick-ass review. The question now becomes
if Ross demonstrates a similar viewpoint in "Dave" and "Big." I loved
those two movies, even if they were just as much left-wing propaganda
instruments as "Pleasantville." The Elizabeth Perkins character in "Big"
is certainly the same old overworked, uptight, neurotic career woman who
needs to be loosened up by Billy Crystal, Judd Nelson, et al. I don't
remember enough about Sigourney Weaver's character, whether she is just a
plot mechanism or an easy dupe.
Admiringly,
Andy T.
Shari L. Rosenblum
> I apologise in advance for getting pedantic.
Pedantic would be fine, Mark. But it seems to me that you failed to
address the point at hand (which is to say the question Andrew
asked relative to my assertion that Ross presents desexualization
as the path to salvation for women).
> In BIG Elizabeth Perkins is as you say, up-tight, but she's loosened
> up (every which way) by TOM HANKS - his best performance in my
> opinion.
And entirely desexualized. Loosened up by giving up the sexuality of
adult life, the stress and expectation of sexuality that had her so
uptight in the view of BIG. Why would a grown woman want a 13-year old
boy? (Don't get me started on GET OUT YOUR HANDKERCHIEFS either --
a confused misogynistic film about what women really want from a
man).
Shari
ating
> In BIG Elizabeth Perkins is as you say, up-tight, but she's loosened
> up (every which way) by TOM HANKS - his best performance in my
> opinion. Billy Crystal loosened up Meg Ryan when she was up-tight in
> WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.
I apologize for my awkward syntax, but I was indeed referring to Meg Ryan
as another example of "that kind" of woman when I mentioned Tom Hanks.
The Judd Nelson reference was to (gulp) Brooke Shields.
Speaking of sitcoms, the delectable Debra Messing on "Will and Grace" also
seems to fit Shari's description in previous posts. The only guy who can
loosen her up is also conveniently unavailable sexually (like TH in
"Big").
Tongue-tied,
Andy T.