"I would rather have a dead son, than a daffodil."
--Judi Dench in ""J. Edgar"
Darlings, yesterday Monsieur and I took in a screening of Clint Eastwood's film,"J. Edgar," because, frankly, I was curious. I had hoped for a much better movie; Eastwood has demonstrated time and again he is often better behind a camera than in front of it. Only, this is not one of those times.
Two things get in the way of the film--Leonardo DeCrappio, and the script. Leo is unsuited for the role in every conceivable way; even the attempts to make him look old suggest a redux of Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane"!!!! Except Orson could act, but Leo...... As for the script, it tries to have it both ways, and fails--it wants to portray homophobia, yet not insult the Gay community. So it ends up not taking a stand on anything. It is one big BORE that I could not wait to get away from.
But--
There is one moment that is almost a throwaway, but it pricked up my ears, and made me wonder not only how the film might have been better, but an issue that films in general should explore!!!!!!!!
Well into the film comes a scene between Edgar and his mother, played by Judi Dench. From the publicity, I was expecting a hilarious, chilling send up performance, almost like Angela Lansbury in "The Manchurian Candidate.' What I am about to recount is the only time where the viewer gets that!!!!!
The scene follows one where Edgar and Clyde have been club hopping, and whom should they encounter but Ginger Rogers, her mother and Anita Colby (who got around Hollywood, and became the personal confidante of Jennifer Jones!!!!). Mrs. Rogers pushes to dance with Edgar, who is clearly uncomfortable, saying he is not a skilled dancer, and, honey, I am telling you, he and Clyde beat a hasty retreat out of there!!!!!!!!! Uhm Hmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!! You better believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The following scene finds us in what is presumably Edgar's bedroom, with Gorgon Mommy Judi Dench!!!!!!!! Though this is really the only scene with any juice, where she shows off being Gorgon!!!!! (Not to mention a badly edited sequence, later on, that has Dench terminally ill and on her deathbed in one scene, and happpening along with Edgar and Clyde at the movies the next!!!!! What is that all about, darlings??????)
But getting back to the scene at hand.
Edgar confesses to his mother that he does not dance, and is not skilled at it. As the scene goes on, he begins to stutter, and she reprimands him; apparently that was an early childhood handicap. He then tells his mother he does not like dancing--with WOMEN!!!!!!! Bingo!!!!!!!! Mommy responds by recounting a story from their past, and it is this story that peaked my interest, thinking this story would have made for a better movie than the one at hand, and why don't filmmakers, if not here, than elsewhere, explore the nature of stories like these at hand!!!!!!!!!
It seems that during Edgar's school days there was this boy (Dench makes it indistinguishable) named either Martin or Barton Pincus. Apparently he was discovered, by the janitor, presumably in the school, playing "dress up"--in some sort of skirt (a hula, I think! and a bonnet!!! For this, like something out of "Jane Eyre," he was forced to stand in the schoolyard dressed this way, while everyone, of course, persecuted him!!!! He earned for himself the nickname "Daffy,' which was short for "daffodil." Six weeks later, we learn, he shot himself to death!!!!!
This is when Dench delivers that camp line.
Now--some may think laughing during this is homophobic, and I suppose some who would are. But, as the Raving Queen, darlings, I found this moment a camp hoot!!!!! I have no doubt Annie Hoover, Edgar's mother, was rabidly homophobic (Annie Get Your Gun; hey why didn't SHE start the FBI???? She certainly had the balls, and she did NOT suffer from any sexual ambivalence!!!!), but I doubt whether a woman of her background could be capable of being so prosaic at such a time!!!!!!!! Pure Hollywood scriptwriting, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to know how Judi Dench kept a straight face on camera while filming this moment. I mean, come on!!!!! This is on a par when Vivien Leigh, during the filming of 'Streetcar' went to Kazan, just before shooting Blanche's speech, revealing the source of her problems, and said, "I am supposed to say 'You disgust me because you are a POET???" Vivien knew the score, girls, and so does Dame Judith!!!!!! Hey, Judi, hope they paid you enough to say that line. If you get an Oscar nomination for it, it will be for one of screen history's campiest moments.
Nevertheless, the story of Pincus caught me by the throat. The first thing I thought was, "My God; the Tyler Clmeenti of his day." While I did not expect this movie to dramatize Pincus' story further, I thought maybe in another film such matters should be addressed, and of course, I wanted to know more.
According to the screenwriter, Dustin Lance Black (who won as Oscar for "Milk") the story is a true one that he discovered when he was doing research. Well, I would like to know how he discovered this. I have Googled both "Martin" and "Barton" Pincus, and come up empty. I would also like to know--
1. Exactly when and where did this happen?
2. How old was the kid?
3. What about the janitor? Were he and the kid doing something?
4. This poor boy's parents. They should have stood up for the kid,
rather than let it get to that point. Bet they were forced
to move after the kid died.
What is interesting to me, is that, for all our current focus on gay teen
suicides, it is not just a problem of today. It has been around longer than we care
to realize, as this story proves. How many other "deaths' of this period, and beyond were not "accidental" but gay suicides that were covered up. This would be an interesting issue for the filmmakers to explore, and it would be far more interesting than this film was!!!!!!!!
Again, let me say, there is nothing wrong with being a "daffodil"!!!!! And for those who might disagree, to them I say--PICK ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At least there is this moment to stir something up. The rest is Naomi Watts and a company of good actors in nothing roles, sublimating their abilities to make Leo look good, as he does his usual schtick of furrowing his brow to make us think he is acting, but looking like someone who is chronically constipated!!!!!! And all supporting a waffling script that can't take a stand on anything--not pro gay, anti-gay, anything. And Armie Hammer, as Clyde Tolan, gives the film's only real performance, but in the latter parts is encased in enough artificial make-up to suggest a screen test for a horror movie!!!!!!!!!!!
The horror is this could have been a better film. Maybe one of the best.
But the creators do the film and themselves in. Darlings, if anyone out there finds out something about the Barton Pincus story, comment on here! And until a film exploring that kind of issue is made, I will wipe my memory bank free of this film!!!!!!!!!
Power To The Petals, honey!!!!!!!! Daffodils Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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