So, I saw The Women last night.
Um.
***SPOILER ALERT*** SPOILER ALERT***
Turned away yet?
Yeah, it was horrible. I mean, like unwatchable. It makes The Holiday look like Shakespeare. And I love a movie that happily takes you away for two hours...
But, my advice? Every writer should see this movie. I may even see it again for that reason. Megan and I always talk about trying to find the Gaping, yet seemingly hidden, holes in early drafts. This movie is all about gaping holes. It's as if they didn't watch their own movie or ask themselves - what is this movie about? And I totally understand - you get caught up in the details of your characters or plot or whatever and you don't step back at ask the big questions.
Having just turned in a draft, I'm in that state of mind - and it just hit home. *There were plot points to nowhere,
*bookending plots that never bookended,
*characters going on trips for no apparent reason,
*fantasy worthy plot lines that just seemed forced and ridiculous,
*unanswered plots that were treated importantly one minute and never heard from again,
*cameos by Bette Midler in the middle of nowhere to dole out sage advice and then never heard from again,
*a high-powered woman does anything to keep her job (even betray a best friend) and we see her finally compromise herself completely - the next time we see her, she's walking along and proclaims to said best friend that she had to quit that job. THAT'S NOT A SCENE YOU THINK WE SHOULD SEE???
*Adolescents rebelling for half a second and then the next shot they are back to normal (no questions asked),
*no scene led to the next - it was this bizarre stopping and starting thing that never got the momentum going,
*secondary characters who were supposed to be best friends and yet...simply weren't,
*A creepy socio-economic -us and them- theme, where you just felt there was this class snobbery going on that bordered on offensive, if not totally - I might just have been numb by that time.
Nothing worked.
It was an entire movie of WHAT NOT TO DO.
So tragic, given the cast. I loved seeing Meg Ryan back on screen, but I hated that this was the movie she was on screen in.
The best scene - jesus, not even scene, because the scene is frustratingly horrible, but Meg Ryan gives a great couple of lines in the La Perla fitting room to Eva Mendes...but then it gets all weird and completely drops the ball...as this movie always did.
But, highly recommended viewing for those writers out there....seriously. So educational.
Anyone else see it???
14 comments:
So, what I am hearing is that this isn't even worth a Wed evening escape from the husbands and kids with my friend? Should we skip the movie and act it out instead? It wasn't even worth eating large quantities of popcorn in the dark, where no one judges how much you eat, because they have Twizzlers also? Or, the 2 hours of peace and quiet where no one needs milk, pjs, a pencil, or you to break up a fight over the tv remote? The real question is: was it worse that Marie Antoinette?
Saw it. Hated it. Love Meg Ryan, but couldn't take my eyes off her giant lips the entire time.
Also, what the heck kind of "chick movie" leaves out the eye candy entirely? I'm just sayin'.
Oh, that's too bad. The play itself is a little weird, to be sure, but it was funny and had a lot of insight... I was hoping the movie would too.
Entfan -OHMYGOD...I thought the same about Marie Antoinette! And I wanted to really like it...kinda kept waiting for it to get started...and yeah..it never did. And yes...it was just as bad.
And twizzlers?????? I'm a Red Vine kid myself.
Schlemaggle -
RIGHT?? hated it. And the lips were a little jarring, and I understood what they were trying to do with the whole No Men thing - except until the little baby boy was apparently what the only child Edie would ever love. I mean...really???
When I heard they were going to make a "loose" remake of the classic version, I KNEW it would be really really bad. Then when I heard ( sorry ladies, I can't stand her) Meg Ryan was in it, I lost all hope.
Go rent the original. Classic, campy and wonderful. It's things like this that confirm my belief that classic movies are always in style. :)
Ariane -
Don't get me wrong - I am not a huge Meg Ryan fan, but appreciate a woman of a certain age getting back out there and headlining a movie.
Oh, I had no feeling either way on this movie prior to reading this, but now I think I might need to see it just to see how awful it is! Either that or to get 2 hours of peace where no one needs milk or pjs and where I can gorge my ever expanding pregnant waistline on popcorn drowning in butter :)Thanks for the idea Entfan!
Mojo - I love the pomp and circumstance surrounding movies, too. Love it. Definitely go - if not just to partake of the majesty of Movie Refreshments!
Wow. You're the 2nd blogger today to hate The Women. Bummer. Now I HAVE to see it. Now it's research. Thanks Liza. I was gong to see The Women and saw Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys and loved it. I was shocked that I loved it so much but I did. I say give that a go. You'll be surprised. Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard are great and it was so good to see Robin Givens serve it again.
Saw it. Disappointed by it. Talented group of people to bring together for what appears to be no reason at all. I feel like I just paid a portion of someone's salary when the performance left me asking 'Severance package anyone?'
i have not seen this, but now, am planning not to. I am not wild about Meg Ryan anyway, she's so snooty!
Yes, I saw it and it was definitely not a movie I'd have Meg Ryan in. I'd go see the Dutchess instead! Don't waste your money!
I only went to see it because you said it was horrid. And it was.
$10.75 and two hours of my life wasted.
I think this was a fantastic movie. One of my favorites. =) The whole cast was great.
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