Sometimes you see a movie, and depending on your age and life perspective at the time, you may feel one way about it. Sometimes in order to challenge your original perspective, a re-watch is required.
I remember going to the theatre when I was about 13 or 14 and seeing She-Devil with my parents. Mom, a huge Meryl Streep fan saw everything she was in. From my 'just barely a teen' perspective She-Devil sucked the big one. I thought the story was weak, Roseanne truly horrible and wondered what Meryl Streep could have been possibly thinking. The only consolation in the 98 minutes of film I watched was the few glimpses of actor A Martinez as Streep's houseboy Garcia. Even Martinez in a speedo however was a little sad as I knew from seeing him elsewhere he is an incredible actor, but here regulated to a sexy, but none the less cultural stereotyped.
Although I did not watch last week's Roseanne Roast, I have thankfully avoided all of them, the constant commercials for Roseanne's roast had me seeking out a copy of She-Devil to re-watch. I was really surprised how quickly during this version that I was sucked into the story. I don't think I had really connected, at 13, the reversal of roles between Roseanne's Ruth and Streep's Mary. Roseanne's performance was far better than I remember, and Streep's about the same. I love Meryl as well, but even re-watching, I question many of Streep's role choices in the late 80's and early 90's. It was if she was some how trying to remove the Oscar winning drama queen coat placed on her by taking on lighter, yet also weaker, moives and roles.
There is a lesson in She-Devil and maybe not the one the movie intended. Mary of course pays dearly for ruining Ruth's marriage but with each of the characters they also learn that no matter whey they go, they also unfortunately follow themselves. Ed Begely's bob is simply a douchebag no matter where he lives or works.
Now, despite a second viewing, a much more enjoyable one, the movie didn't exactly turn into a masterpiece, yet I appreciated so much more about it than I first remembered. Sadly Linda Hunt seemed to be dropped as a character mid-way through the movie, and Sylvia Miles was far too over the top in each and every frame she was in. Most notably this time, I noticed how Roseanne's Ruth, though written as the victim, did some really horrid things, especially to her kids. Yet, in the context of this film was shown as the hero. She-Devil really had no heroes, except maybe Hunt's Hooper. Although Begley, Roseanne and Streep were all written to show huge character transformations, it was Hooper, in her a brief scenes, who actually showed a capacity for change beyond any of the others.
A Martinez
Roseanne
2 comments:
Never saw the movie but your review has sparked my interest. I loved Roseanne back in the 80s and 90s but the Roseanne we have now is just obnoxious. Sort of like Rosie O'Donnel.
-Chris
She-Devil is what is called a guilty pleasure. Not the greatest movie in the world, but enough of something to make it someone's personal classic. For me it was a combination of tacky, funny, and some good messages thrown in. This was a first for a few people: After the success of her show, this was Roseanne's first movie role (and supposed to be her star vehicle). It was also the first comedic roles for both Linda Hunt and Meryl Streep. Linda Hunt is an acting powerhouse who can do anything (I mean that). Meryl, on the other hand gives a somewhat caricature-ish performance, though it is passable here because that's the character (and part of the tacky that makes me love this movie. If you watch Death Becomes Her, it's almost the same rendering (for a real Meryl comedy, watch Postcards from the Edge; much better role). Anyway, point is, She-Devil has enough cheese factor and good actor to qualify it for multiple watches when feeling silly, but not brain-dead. For a smart comedy, check out Murder by Death! (Peter Sellers, Elsa Lanchester, Maggie Smith, James Coco, James Cromwell, Peter Falk, Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, Nancy Walker, Estelle Winwood, Alec Guinness & David Niven).
Sorry if I bored you, but I am a movie nut(job)!
Post a Comment