This being Thursday, it's time for another edition of Thursday Movie Picks, the blogathon run by Wandering Through the Shelves. This year has been seing the first Thursday of each month being taken up with the Seven Deadly Sins; for May, the sin in question is Envy. I have three movies in mind, one of which I'm very surprised a search of the blog claims I haven't used.
Primrose Path (1940). Ginger Rogers plays a young woman who is the daughter and granddaughter of prostitutes (Marjorie Rambeau and Queenie Vassar respectively). She meets nice Joel McCrea, and decides that she wants to marry him, which is a problem because she knows he'll never agree if he finds out the truth about her family. Her family, meanwhile, envies her, and doesn't want her to marry him, to the point that they'll try to stop it.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). Apparently I haven't really used this one yet, other than briefly mentioning it in the Over a Meal theme last November. Bette Davis plays former child vaudeville star Baby Jane. She lost her fame as an adult, while her sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) became a big movie star, at least until her car accident that left her wheelchair-bound. Jane has been caring for Blanche for the last 25 years, and envies and resents the success that Blanche had.
Hilary and Jackie (1998). Hilary Du Pré-Finzi (Rachel Griffiths) wrote the book A Genius in the Family about her sister, the world-class cellist Jacqueline Du Pré (Emily Watson). Hilary was a good musician, but not nearly as good a Jacqueline, and gave it up to raise a family. Jacquline becomes famous for her music as well as in classical music circles for her relationship with conductor/pianist Daniel Barenboim -- but then she gets struck down by multiple sclerosis, which ultimately killed her at the young age of 42. Each sister envies what the other has in this difficult relationship.
Take a Girl Like You (1970)
12 hours ago
3 comments:
Of the three I like Baby Jane the best. It kept a consistent tone throughout and Bette and Joan really punched their characters across. Primrose Path started promisingly, and Marjorie Rambeau was terrific, but for me it went flat by the end. Hilary & Jackie is the kind of film I feel like must be endured since it was an award magnet and the performances were good but I didn't like the characters and ultimately the movie either.
Here's my three:
Purple Noon (1960)-Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) travels to Europe to visit his friend, wealthy layabout Phillipe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) and his fiancée Marge (Marie Lafort). What Phillipe doesn’t know is that Tom is being paid by Phillipe’s father to persuade his son to return home. Arriving in Italy he insinuates himself into their lives but when he is unsuccessful in his mission the father cuts him off. Seeing the lifestyle the pair lead Tom becomes consumed with envy as well as lust for Phillipe which he’s willing to acquire by any means he deems necessary. The basis for Matt Damon’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Amadeus (1984)-Child prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) is a vastly talented composer with the ability to create masterworks with little to no effort but also an immature undisciplined hedonist. He incurs the enmity of Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham) who though he is the Viennese court composer is a middling talent. Consumed with envy Salieri becomes obsessed with Mozart's downfall but his schemes lead to dire consequences for both men. Loaded with great music, set design and performances both men were Oscar nominated with Abraham winning the statue.
Single White Female (1992)-Having just broken her engagement from fiancé Sam (Steven Weber) Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda) advertises for a new roommate when Sam moves out. Mousy Hedra “Hedy” Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) answers the ad, moves in and the young women quickly form a bond. But Allison doesn’t realize that Hedy is unstable and envious of her life which she slowly starts to imitate. When Allison begins to reconsider her engagement Hedy’s grip on reality slips away and Allison has the fight of her life on her hands.
I'd like to see Primrose Path. Missed the last one and it sounds heavy. Love Whatever Happened to Baby Jane which is so great with those 2 old broads
Whatever happened to Baby Jane is just about the most perfect pick for this.
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