The magic of Nancy Meyers
When I was in kindergarten, I watched The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan for the first time. I became obsessed with the story and its many tiny details. I painted my nails the same sparkly blue, bought a yellow duffel bag and fell in love with jean jackets. It's one of those rare movies I saw as a child that withstood the test of time, from the soundtrack to the Oreos to the handshake to horseback riding through Napa Valley. It wasn't until I was older that I realized this film was part of a larger library of work created by Nancy Meyers. Born in Philadelphia, Nancy studied journalism at American University and moved to Los Angeles when she was 22. She was inspired to start writing after watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show and eventually started working as a story editor at Ray Stark's Rastar. While trying to make money as a writer, Nancy started her own cheesecake business (the women in her family love to bake). Tiny details like this would later work their way into her scripts. Gorgeous kitchens (her mother was an interior designer), a love of cooking and cream colored interior designs that scream comfort are hallmarks in Nancy films. But beyond these personal touches, her movies tell coming-of-age stories about adult women, something that is pretty rare in big-screen flicks. In Something's Gotta Give, Diane Keaton struggles to write her next play in a gorgeous beach house and rendezvous with Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves.
In The Holiday, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap lives and find gumption (for Kate), the ability to cry (for Cameron) and romance with Jack Black (for Kate) and Jude Law (for Cameron). In It's Complicated, Meryl Streep finally comes to terms with her divorce after having an affair with her ex-husband, Alec Baldwin. And in The Intern Anne Hathaway strikes up a friendship with her intern, Robert De Niro. These movies were all written, directed and produced by Nancy, and they invert the de facto movie set-up by taking a powerhouse woman and giving her a male sidekick with little of his own story. Nancy has a knack for creating strong and complicated female characters, which is why her movies appeal so much to me and women everywhere. She's not afraid to show their flaws, have them make mistakes and put them in hilarious situations. Big budget films led by a woman are still not easy to find. Before Wonder Woman came out last summer, Nancy's What Women Want was the highest grossing movie directed by a female director. And that film, in my opinion, is far from her best. We need more. More female filmmakers, more female writers and more stories about women of all ages on our screens. We also need to stop dismissing stories about women that do make it to the big screen, by calling them "chick flicks" or "romantic comedies." Nancy is well-versed on these topics. Fortunately, the next generation is here help. Nancy's daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, made her first foray into screenwriting and directing with Home Again, a charming story about Reese Witherspoon finding her footing post-divorce and finding a home with a funny cast of characters along the way. It has a similar Nancy Meyers vibe to it, as she was one of the movie's producers. It's always a family affair in a Meyers film. No matter what happens to Meryl Streep or Reese Witherspoon or Diane Keaton, they're going to figure it out and land gracefully, among the loving support of their families.
Bonus Pick: This New York Times profile, written just before It's Complicated came out, gives a lot of insight into Nancy Meyers' directing style and her Hollywood experience. Daphne Merkin writes: "Given her apparent lack of hubris, it’s easy to forget just how important a player Meyers actually is within the Hollywood system; aside from Nora Ephron, it is hard to think of another female director with as recognizable a cinematic imprint as hers, a certain look and feel that you can point to and credit, for better or worse, as uniquely hers."
As Seen on TV
I've been anticipating the premiere of NBC's Rise since I heard that Parenthood creator Jason Katims was behind the new show. The 10-episode first season premiered last Tuesday and as many of others have pointed out, it's Friday Night Lights (Katims was an executive producer), meets High School Musical meets a grittier, subdued Glee. The show is based on the book Drama High, which tells the true story of Lou Volpe, who transformed the theater program at Truman High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania. I really enjoyed parts of the first episode, but I did have some issues with the show's premise. One of the biggest problems with the TV show is that the real Lou Volpe is gay but the show has said that his TV counterpart, Lou Mazzuchelli, will be straight. In an effort to put their own stamp on the story, there are many ways the show differs from the book, but it's unfortunate that one of the biggest changes is the decision to re-write a gay character as straight. Another misstep is the way in which Lou (played by Josh Radnor) takes over the theater department. Despite being unqualified, he walks into the principal's office and just asks to be the new director. Because Lou will do this job for a less than Tracey Wolfe (played by Rosie Perez), who has theater experience and has been doing the job for years, he gets to be in charge. An unqualified man taking over for a woman who's put in the work does not sit well and tarnishes much of the first episode. In real-life the woman in charge of the theater department retired, leaving a vacancy. To top if off, Lou made these decisions without consulting his wife, who is visibly upset that this will derail the piano lessons she teaches in the afternoons. And sure enough, the next day Lou gets stuck late at work and his wife misses her piano lessons. Despite these problems, there are high points throughout the pilot. Putting together a musical is and always will be magical to me, so it's exciting to see Lou and Tracey assemble the cast, encourage new people to join the program and watch students find their voices on-stage. The show does do a great job of putting together a diverse student body, and the actors portraying the high schoolers are stand-outs so far, as they begin to stage their production of Spring Awakening. It's got football vs. theater, the popular jock falling for the quiet girl, school budget problems and a host of other theater story clichés, but there's still an undeniable magic to staging a musical.
Haven't You Heard?
All that talk about musicals made me want to revisit some classics, so I've put together a little guide for you. May I present...
The Perfect Musical Tune to Accompany Any Situation:
When you move to the big city by yourself: Not for the Life of Me and Thoroughly Modern Millie from Thoroughly Modern Millie. These two songs follow each other at the top of this musical and will fill you with the excitement of discovering a new place. I definitely did not listen to this on repeat when I briefly lived in NYC...
When you're practicing your power pose before a job interview: So Much Better from Legally Blonde. Regardless of your hair color, this anthem will do wonders to boost your confidence before life's big moments.
When you're daydreaming about vacationing in New Mexico: It's a toss-up! Sante Fe from Rent vs. Sante Fe from Newsies. Are you in an angsty mood? Then the latter is definitely the one for you. Dreaming about escaping with your love? Then listen to the Rent version.
When you're keeping your fingers crossed for a hefty tax refund: 96,000 from In the Heights. Listen and plan what you'll do if you get some money back.
When you forgot it was supposed to rain but have an umbrella stashed in your purse: Singin' in the Rain from... you guessed it!
When the temperature reaches 50 degrees in March: What Time is It from High School Musical 2. When it gets hot outside for the first time and you bust out your shorts, even though it's not technically weather appropriate, it's time to start thinking about summer and playing this song.
When someone tells you to be quiet in the library: Marian the Librarian from The Music Man. I'm a relatively quiet person, but weirdly enough, I've been shushed in libraries on several occasions. If you've had the same thing happen to you, this song can be your catharsis.
Required Reading
Women are often left out of historical narratives, but earlier this month The New York Times took steps to re-write history in their obituaries. In the mission statement for the new Overlooked section they write: "Since 1851, The New York Times has published thousands of obituaries: of heads of state, opera singers, the inventor of Stove Top stuffing and the namer of the Slinky. The vast majority chronicled the lives of men, mostly white ones; even in the last two years, just over one in five of our subjects were female. Charlotte Brontë wrote 'Jane Eyre'; Emily Warren Roebling oversaw construction of the Brooklyn Bridge when her husband fell ill; Madhubala transfixed Bollywood; Ida B. Wells campaigned against lynching. Yet all of their deaths went unremarked in our pages, until now." I encourage you to work your way through these newly added obituaries, not only to learn more about the incredible lives of some special women, but also to see how seemingly tiny decisions can shape history. When we don't have a record of women's achievements in the nation's top news outlet, we're doomed to undervalue their contributions.
