An Elton John tribute
Do people know the correct words to Elton John songs? As I was sitting in the audience of his farewell tour concert last week, I began to think about the prominence of Elton John in our pop culture universe and how it's ironic that someone so well-known has songs that are still constantly misheard. From the iconic scene in Almost Famous to role in Laser Cats 6: The Musical from SNL to his guest stint on Will & Grace, Elton John has paid his dues when it comes to pop culture appearances. Two other iconic Elton moments involve misunderstanding the singer's lyrics. There's the rendition of Bennie & The Jets in 27 Dresses, where Katherine Heigl and James Marsden argue over the correct words to the song, which was one of the main reasons it was picked for the film. And then there's the iconic mishearing of one of his most famous songs, as Phoebe on Friends and many others belt the lyrics, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza" to his famous Tiny Dancer hit. I was reminded of this moment when he played the song last week (the fifth in his set). The words we knew? The tune we hummed.
Elton John's farewell tour might actually be a real goodbye, and if it is, the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour is a fitting finale. The singer played for nearly three hours and covered a comprehensive 24-song set list, including all of the hits you'd want and expect. From the opening notes of Bennie and the Jets, which kick-started a dynamic visual display on the giant screens behind him that continued throughout the show, to the closing note of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John entertained with nonstop singing and piano playing. His band proved to be entertaining themselves; several of its members are Elton John touring veterans, but the standout was one of the percussionists, who treasured every tambourine hit, each of which was often accompanied by a dramatic hand flourish and dance move. Other standouts included performances of Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and of course Crocodile Rock. While the crowd was a bit lackluster at times, they all sang enthusiastically along to the nah--nah-nah-nah-nah-nahs. Elton John peppered the song with different anecdotes and thanked the crowd profusely throughout the show, while explaining that there were other things he wanted to do with his life, which is why this would be his last tour. The New York Times put together a sneak peek into Elton John's tour wardrobe, which featured a handful of costume changes, each more memorable than the last. After he concluded the final song of the show, he triumphantly took off his kimono to reveal a fancy tracksuit with Elton John inscribed on the back, climbed on to a piece of stage machinery and floated away, disappearing into the screen, which showed a yellow brick road that stretched into the distance.
As Seen on Screen
Juliet, Naked was yet another romantic comedy that made it to the big screen this year. While the title is an unfortunate choice, the movie itself is funny, British and proved that you can still be labeled a romcom without falling into romcom tropes. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, the movie tells the story of Annie (Rose Byrne), who is stuck in a stalled relationship with Duncan (Chris O'Dowd), who pays more attention to his obsession with the elusive musician Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke) than he does to his girlfriend. When an early, stripped down version of Tucker Crowe's only album is discovered (it's titled Juliet, Naked), Annie writes a scathing review and posts it on Duncan's fan site. Duncan is not amused, but Tucker Crowe reaches out and begins emailing with Annie. From there, we're introduced to a cast of supporting characters in the film, including Annie's sister and Tucker's estranged children. Earlier this summer I read a Nick Hornby novel called Funny Girl (no relation to Babs), and my biggest complaint about the book was that characters made decisions with very little plot momentum building up to these choices and that the female characters were seemingly the center of the story but were then underwritten. I found myself echoing those same thoughts after watching this movie. I wanted to know more about Annie, but all we got throughout the movie were glimpses of her and her past, which were never fully explored. Instead, she spends most of the movie reacting to the men in her life. In the end, Annie does come into her own, after lamenting in the beginning of the movie that she feels stuck in her life, but the audience is left without much exposition or action to connect the dots. Tucker's story concluded in a similar way. It meandered a bit at the end and could have landed more powerfully. I think Rose Byrne is often underutilized in movies, so I wish she had been able to show even more of her range in the role. Essentially, I really enjoyed the movie and just wanted more! The cast was wonderful and had so much chemistry, and they looked like they really enjoyed making the movie. The film's soundtrack is mostly filled with Ethan Hawke singing, and I truly enjoyed the tone it sets for the entire movie. I've been listening to it in the DC rain all week, and it's been very fitting for a chill, but rock-infused, vibe. The movie also has a beautiful thesis about the role of music plays in our lives, delivered by the goofy Chris O'Dowd. The monologue frames the Duncan character in a friendly light, instead of taking what I expected was going to be a cheap shot and another laugh line. The film shows a lot of love for each of its characters, which is why I found myself wanting to spend more time with them and with their choices when the credits abruptly rolled.
Haven't You Heard?
As if seeing the above movie wasn't enough, I watched a second movie about estranged fathers this week. Netflix's Like Father stars Kelsey Grammer (Harry) and Kristen Bell (Rachel) as the father-daughter pair. We open with workaholic Rachel, who is finishing calls on her wedding day. When her fiancé realizes what's happening, he leaves her at the alter. As Rachel rushes out in embarrassment, she sees her estranged father in the wedding crowd. The two go out for drinks and wind up on Rachel's honeymoon cruise together, forcing them to confront their pasts. As always, Kristen Bell is a delight and moves from funny to tears in the blink of an eye. She has an excellent sparring partner in Kelsey Grammer, who is a relatively toned down, but charming, father figure in the film. The non-honeymooners meet a group of enthusiastic cruisers along the way, and they all form an adorable supportive bond that would only happen when you're on a cruise and forced to socialize. Along the way, Harry and Rachel confront their emotional baggage, which is ironic as they've brought no actual baggage on the journey. I was happy that the movie avoided turning Rachel's workaholic tendencies into a choice she has to make between love or work, but rather, it's a way to examine her priorities in life and her fear of making real connections with the people around her. It's a sweet Netflix movie that is perfect to enjoy on a weekend afternoon, but be emotionally prepared, because it certainly tugs on your heartstrings.
Required Reading
It's been a really difficult week if you're keeping up with the news cycle. So in this Required Reading section, I'm going to point out a couple of things that made me smile this week (some are items to read and others are items to watch). It's important to stay informed about what's going on in politics, but it's also important to take care of yourself and give yourself a break when needed! Hopefully these suggestions help!
Now that they're no longer producing a weekly podcast, the Gilmore Guys have been busy churning out hilarious content on Twitter. Kevin T. Porter re-cut the infamous A Star is Born trailer that I won't stop talking about and changed it to footage of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. It's cinematic genius. His former cohost Demi Adejuyigbe continued his annual September 21 video tradition by posting a third installment, which features him dancing to an edited version of Earth, Wind & Fire's September. Watch all three in chronological order to get the full effect; it made me giggle nonstop for about an hour.
For those of you counting down the days until you can talk about the holiday season without being judged, Entertainment Weekly compiled a list of the release dates and details for the new Hallmark movies coming out in December. Mark your calendars, because some of these sound especially adorable.
If you're looking for something to read, check out this delightful interview with Taffy Brodesser-Akner of The New York Times and the Times Magazine. In it she dishes about her daily habits, working at Mediabistro when it first began and most importantly, being the "mystery brunette" spotted with Tom Hiddleston after his devastating breakup with Taylor Swift.
If these distractions aren't working for you, you can pair them with a more productive approach -- call your congressional representatives, go register to vote (or confirm that you're registered in your current state!) and make sure your friends are registered too!
