.JPG) |
| "I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!" |
I have jumped to the 80s for my next two films. As it turns out, both
take place in the 1950s and, interesting to those of us of the Tribe, feature
lead characters who are Jewish. Their being Jewish helps define who they are,
but it doesn't limit them. (Three-dimensional Jewish characters in films not directly
about Judaism? Always nice.) Both films are also quite excellent to my newbie
eyes, and I'm ready to throw down some thoughts. First up: My Favorite Year.
My Favorite Year (1982) - How have I
lived this long without having seen this film? Incredibly funny, clever, and
sweet, this comedy has now wedged itself into my list of favorites. The film
tells the story of Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker), a young writer for a variety
show in 1954 during the early days of television. Benjy is tasked with keeping
an eye on a mostly "has been" matinee idol, Alan Swann (Peter
O'Toole), who is an upcoming guest of the show and a known drunk. Thus begins
an adventure that takes Benjy and Alan from New York clubs to Benjy's family's
Brooklyn apartment, with quite a bit of troublemaking and drinking in-between.
Ultimately, each character finds what he needs, but not necessarily where he
expects it.
The variety show at the center of the film is based on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Mel Brooks, an
executive producer of the film, was a writer on Caesar's show when matinee idol
Errol Flynn was booked as a guest. Nothing crazy happened when Flynn came on
the show, but it became the spark for the premise of My Favorite Year. In fact, several of the film's characters are
inspired by actual staff from Your Show
of Shows, including Benjy (a combination of Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, and
Neil Simon) and King Kaiser (representing Sid Caesar). So, why am I over the
moon about this film? The same simple reasons that make any film great: the
writing and the production.
The writing: Fast paced, smart, and hilarious, the script manages to
hit the mark on everything. As I watched, it almost felt play-like (and,
variety show-like, of course) with its quick zingers and overlapping ideas and
dialogue. Some films are meant to be cinematic art masterpieces—bringing you into
a place and time through imagery and expansive scenery. The art direction and
cinematography in My Favorite Year are
not lacking—they immediately put you into the writer's room and clubrooms of
the 50s—but at its core this is writer's film. Even the physical comedy begins
and ends with words. And these words bring us to the biggest element of any
successful comedy: quotability. Any film or TV show, especially a comedy, lives
on through the continued quoting of its dialogue. I have wasted/enjoyed much
time quoting my favorite movies and TV shows with friends. And if a line can
get you laughing again each time you hear it, it is always worth repeating (and
rewatching the film or show). One of the best from My Favorite Year involves a moment when Alan Swann wanders into a
women's restroom. Already in there is crotchety costume mistress Lil (played by
Your Show of Shows alum Selma
Diamond.)
Lil: This is for ladies only!
Alan Swann: [unzipping his fly] So is this, ma'am, but every
now and then I have to run a little water through it.
The production:
From its directing to its acting, from its cinematography to its set design, it
made me believe at every moment that what I watched was authentic. I was
particularly taken with Peter O'Toole, who earned an Oscar nomination for his
portrayal of the charming and troubled Swann. Ultimately, you expect any film to transport you to some time
and place, but the best ones engross you in their world so well that you look
up after the end credits and find yourself momentarily startled that you are no
longer in that world. I guess my adoration of this film can be summed up by a
line from the character Herb Lee (in his only audible line in the film):
"Oh God, this makes me happy!"
Next
up: Diner (1982)
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