so I'm sitting here watching Inside The Actors Studio

and I admire actors, I really do. I'd love to be one...and, after extremely limited but somewhat real experience in front of a camera, I do not underestimate what they do for a living.
But.
I'm watching Dustin Hoffman, who is certainly at the top of his craft.
And I appreciate his insights and gift.
But I just cannot bear to listen to people go on and on and on about the making of movies as if it is the work of unsurpassed genius.
He's just told the story of the last line of Kramer Vs. Kramer - of how it was MERYL who asked how she looked just before the elevator doors closed, and not her character, and one would think, from the magnitude of Hoffman's emotions and the way that he has told this story of the 'realness' of the bit, that the two of them HAD CURED CANCER.

And. In. Truth.
Folks, these are movies.

You don't want to be around me whilst watching an HBO special concerning the making of...

oh god, he's just referred to something as 'the cathedral of acting.'

Comments

Lynne@Oberon said…
Argh! I know what you mean. They go on and go about how HARD it is, how emotionally DRAINING, how ARTISTIC they are .. blah blah. Last week I watched Laurence Olivier: A Life and he was soooo fantastically self-depreciating. He talked about how seriously they all took it and what a prat he thinks he was. It's a wonderful tribute to him.
PS. I have am hugely fascinated by Vivien Leigh and he spoke so beautifully about her.
Sarah Louise said…
Cannot. stop. laughing. Thank you!!
MsCellania said…
Think of all the times, every day, that humans 'act'.
Here are some sure-fire academy award winners:
1. Feigning interest while the Boss talks about the same shit, different day.
2. Feigning listening while spouse discusses mind-numbing boring hobby, ad nauseum.
3. Expressing rapt attention while your toddler draws the exact same picture for the 10th time. That hour.
4. Feigning sexual satisfaction (or even interest) while writing holiday food prep and shopping lists in your head during the 3,297th sexual encounter with your spouse.
Anonymous said…
I was watching the same thing and rolling my eyes, though I do love Dustin Hoffman. The host? Must stop dyeing all his hair. Shudder to think of what the hair on the lower half of the body looks like. all he needs is the pointy ears to be The Church Lady's "Satan".
Anonymous said…
acting schmacting. It's the cathedral of blogging that's important. am I right?
Anonymous said…
i'm going to have to stop reading your blog in the morning because my guffawing is going to wake the kids and i have no extra time to clean the coffee off of my computer screen--the coffee i just spit out of my mouth! my sentiments exactly....