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April 24, 2021,
Cravings in the film universe not only depends upon what mood you are in, it can also depend upon who you are with.
Is it a mindless Action and Adventure blockbuster (blockhead buster) that you seek where you can say the actor’s lines before they do since you’ve seen one clone of this genre after another?
If that keeps happening in your film going life, whose fault is that?
How about a Romantic Comedy that you dread and will hold your breath through as you try and please your Chick Flick date with a tight smile plastered on your frozen face?
Maybe it’s another film where nobody knows that they are already dead, including the audience, who feels dead.
No? You want more choices?
How about a thriller where the Serial Killer involved has creative names like “The Alphabet Killer” or “The Cough Drop Murderer” who left hand prints on the back of his victims where he slapped them hard on the back, or “The Panty Squeezer”, the latter who looks like Mr. Whipple who used to squeeze the Charmin only he squeezes and smells women’s panties after he’s done his dastardly deeds.
Oh yeah, there were these two that hunted in pairs.
The authorities dubbed them the Ramen Romeo and the Hamburger Hustler, who met their prey behind fast food restaurants and stuffed their mouths with noodles and raw hamburger meat until they exploded.
Look, if none of these qualify, you can always settle back and watch an Indie because they don’t wade in endless clichés, right?
Well, when they first came out at the Sundance Film Festival, especially under the influence of the legendary actor Robert Redford, they didn’t deal in clichés. The whole purpose of writing and producing an Independent film back in the early days was because you could get a poignant story out that the Hollywood machine would never green light.
Oddly enough, due to their incredible success crossing over to a broader audience, they too started to try and hit home runs by falling back on tried and true clichés that the Indie industry was supposed to completely avoid.
The newer Indie’s now often feature “Road Trips” of “Self-Discovery” that will “Change Their Lives or the World…..forever.”
Typically the main character leaves the big city and moves to a small country town and unexpectedly (to them, not to us) falls in love with the person that they least expected (but you did suspect it since the love interest is a big star who has to earn that pay check) or the main character leaves a small country town and moves to the big city and guess what happens?
Enough of that. Bring on the Indie clichés.
“You need cliches. Cliches are what people respond to.”… Matthew Vaughn
Let’s try a few promo trailers (background voice similar to James Earl Jones).
“She wasn’t what he wanted, but she was exactly what he needed.”
“She went off to discover the world and along the way she discovered herself.”
“Cathy thought she had it all; wonderful children, a loving successful husband and a great career, until she came along (yes she) and showed Cathy something special, that she was always missing down below (What? In her subconscious. What did you think we we’re referring to?)”
Should I go on?
Yes? Okay fine.
A few more then (continuing in the James Earl Jones voice).
“She went on a journey to change the world, but instead the world changed her.”
“He went on a journey to change the world, but instead changed himself.”
“He went on a journey to change himself, but instead he changed the world.”
“He went on a journey to change the world and discovered a world that he never knew.”
“He went on journey to change the world and found out the world he once knew, no longer exists.”
“He went on a journey to change the world but instead discovered the other side of the moon.”
“He went on a journey to change the world but instead fell in love with Venus and they flew away to Mars.”
“Astronomer Idaho Indie went on a journey to change the world, but along the way he slipped on some potatoes, lay on his back and watched the stars.”
“He went on a journey to change the world, but like Peter and Gordon, sadly found out that everyone’s gone to the moon.”
Now I made a decision to leave out the following Indie trailer cliché because whoever thought of this one is clearly sick.
So I won’t include it on the list even though surprisingly it was attached to a number of Indies.
No civilized society should ever allow this to happen.
Do you want to hear about it anyway? It’s pretty disgusting. You’re nodding yes?
Okay, here goes.
“He went a journey to change the world but instead went to his gym, named The World, and drilled a hole into the women’s locker room to watch them change.”
“He went on a journey to change the world and along the way, he found change on the floor.”
Okay. Enough.
Very important.
Listen carefully.
Please, please, please, if you don’t remember anything from this story, which I believe was initially supposed to be about Holly Hunter, always remember, according to Indie statute 8.53, the word world has to be in at least one of every five Indie journey clichés.
(Sigh) I think we’ve only covered about 5 percent of the journey clichés, but I think that should do it for now.
We’ll finish the rest in our next article with our own dream journey trailer; Sundance, Film Movement and IFC went on a journey to change the world but instead stopped in Coeur d’Alene and played croquet with Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas, Christopher Plummer, Gene Hackman (yes he is still alive), Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern and Michael Caine.
Got it. You’re starting to look drowsy. And angry.
So look, the other day I needed a spiritual enlightenment break and I knew I wasn’t going to have that urge satisfied by a Hollywood formulaic tale so I searched the Indie category.
After viewing one trailer after another and yawning, I came across another title that seemed intriguing and then I became far more interested when I found out that Holly Hunter would be starring in it.
Sold.
You see, Holly Hunter has publicly admitted herself that she has starred in some clunkers once expressing, “Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great.” Which is fine with me. Virtually all actresses who have an extensive film career similar to Holly’s have done that.
Holly first caught our attention as the young, super-hot, brilliant ego driven news producer in the 1987 classic, Broadcast News.
She seems to have found balance in her comprehensive portfolio complete with blockbusters and Indies alike.
We all have our Holly Hunter favorites.
We personally love her as the completely unstable single mom who thinks she’s cutting edge and cool but is about two steps away from family oblivion.
Such was the case in the emotionally penetrating 2003 film simply titled “Thirteen” where the young Evan Rachel Wood had her coming out party that helped propel her to super stardom.
The promo at IMDb reads, “A thirteen-year-old girl’s relationship with her mother is put to the test as she discovers drugs, sex, and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend.”
It was an Indie but not a lot of clichés there. Instead it provided us with a unique bird’s eye view into a family on the brink and teenage dysfunctional meltdown.
Masterfully done.
So, other major actresses have starred in Indies too.
The difference is, Holly’s acting elevates any film that she is in. Truly. The film may be a cliché but not Holly’s acting. As you watch the film you can sift through the clichés as Holly will always take you on an insightful ride.
The film “Strange Weather” is such an example.
In terms of Holly’s ability to elevate, the reviewer Jeffrey M. Anderson from Common Sense Media agrees, “This slight drama doesn’t have very much to it, but any movie about a middle-aged woman is a welcome rarity, and in it, Hunter proves she can still bring life and spirit to any kind of material.”
Now for the Strange Weather promo trailer.
Okay are you ready for the Indie cliché?
Drum roll please.
Here it goes. “Make War With The Past, Find Peace With Yourself.”
Alright, foundation first, clichés later.
At the always informative industry review site imdb.com they share, “A poignant, lyrical drama about a mother (Hunter), who, in an effort to deal with the grief over the death of her son, travels the back roads of the deep south to settle a score. A story of grief and forgiveness, of looking inward to find a way to move forward.”
The essence of the story is a middle aged woman named Darcy Baylor, who in another film would have been named Bubba Baylor, goes on a road trip to confront the unsavory businessman who she feels stole her deceased son’s idea, with a girlfriend and a gun.
Look, taking the girlfriend along, I can understand that. We all need emotional support when we’re thinking about blowing someone’s brains out all over the greens, grits, neck bones, goat balls and spicy fried chicken counter.
Now hold on. Don’t look at us like that.
Let me try and explain. She’s not a girlfriend in the girlfriend kinda way, though Darcy would be okay with that and I get that. You know what I mean? Even though Darcy’s girlfriend does have a girlfriend in the girlfriend kind of way, complete with the girlfriend experience, she and Darcy are just friends.
She’s just riding shotgun, that’s all.
Does that make sense?
But it’s the gun that I just don’t get.
I mean, don’t they have lawyers in the South?
It is still part of the United States isn’t it? Couldn’t she just sue the guy?
And you know what?
The gun thing seems like a Southern cliché.
I should know.
Like Darcy, sometimes when I have had that urge, I pride myself that I exercise self-control, put the shotgun back under the bench seat, tell myself I’m a better person than that and to cool my jets, go to the Piggly Wiggly, buy some smoked BBQ, potato salad, Rocky Road ice cream and an ice cold bottle of beer and just chill.
You know what I mean?
You’ve done that in Manhattan, Hollywood and San Francisco right?
Oh come on. Please don’t look at us in that self-righteous way. You know full well you’ve had days just like that too where you’ve done the same exact thing. Right?
Look, I’m not here to judge Darcy. Okay?
Now that all heads are clear, let’s think for a minute and analyze this thing.
The more I think about, the more the clouds part.
I’ve always wondered why these Head Coaches in the South Eastern Conference (SEC) football divisions command so many millions of dollars.
I used to think it was because of the savvy lawyers and agents that they brought into those meetings with the University brass.
Now, after watching Darcy go on her journey in her pickup truck to her negotiation meeting, loaded pistol in her purse, I think understand their bargaining tactics better.
So let’s pile some more on.
In the film there is Darcy’s boyfriend who wants to marry her and take her on the go everywhere, go nowhere tour. He’s the classic Beta Male with the crappy job, who looks like he hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep in 20 days, is on a continual high and dispenses endless morsels of advice that will fix her life, even though he can’t seem to fix his own.
Then there is one of her deceased son’s friends, who as Darcy approaches his home, not recognizing who she is, in a loud menacing voice, basically warns her from a distance to stay off of his property.
Question for all of you?
If a petite woman, that you don’t recognize, approaches your home, how many of you have screamed through the window, “Get off of my property! Now!!!!!!!”?
I know I have. Always in my robe and Deputy Dawg slippers with some Jack Daniels in my hand. Always.
But then again, I was born in Texas.
In this movie, there are also a lot of people with plenty of time on their hands…..in the daytime….during the week.
Before sheltering in was the norm.
Then it was called permanent, unemployed hibernation.
Having said all of that, the movie truly does have some thought provoking moments.
As Darcy meets and interviews some of her son’s friends along the way, Darcy seems to have this viewpoint that she was this really cool mom where all of the kids loved to hang out at her house but not everyone agrees.
In fact most don’t.
One friend relates that Holly’s home life was unstable and her son wanted stability and a normal life as opposed to the cool quirky single mom scenario. He then adds that as far as the business idea being stolen, maybe some people (meaning her son), even if they do come up with a brilliant idea, they don’t have the vision, drive and self-sacrificing spirit to carry it off.
Maybe the successful business man turned the idea into a million dollar empire because of who he was internally and in the hands of someone else (again, meaning her son), it wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans.
Ouch. Don’t hold back. Please tell me what you really think.
I think you can guess how that one went over.
When Darcy finally does meet the scoundrel and financial super star, the moment where they are alone in his office does deliver the goods. It’s a priceless and emotionally distressing scene.
It’s very revealing and sad from both barrels of the gun and points of views. It halted my sarcasm and brought real tears to my eyes. No matter the short comings of the script, Holly Hunter will grab you by the heart and emotionally caress it.
You should watch the film.
Despite the clichés.
Because of Holly.
She truly has the ability to change the pedestrian movie world into an incredible one.
~ ~ ~
OPENING PHOTO Femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com, fciwomenswrestling.com, fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com Editorial-credit-s_bukley-Shutterstock.com_-scaled.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5205210/
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/strange-weather
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328538/
https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/cliches
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
