This scene from China Syndrome lasts 20 seconds – if that – and is the only scene that takes place in her house. She moves through the space, turns on her answering machine, and then flops down in bed. That’s it. But look at the DETAIL in the bit of her house that we see! We don’t know anything about this woman outside of her job and her ambitions for herself. This isn’t meant to be a full-blown three-dimensional character study, that’s not how the role is designed. We get glimpses of other things, but what’s important is her putting together this story as a journalist.
But here … in the 15 seconds we get a glimpse of this room … we get so much information and yet … what information do we exactly get? Production designer George Jenkins has done superb and subtle work putting that room together, with maybe some input from Fonda herself. It’s so personal, it’s no NON-generic.
Here’s what I see:
1. Jane Fonda
2. A turtle
3. A white goose
4. Three Marilyns
It’s such a great shot! How do we put these things together to have meaning? But maybe the meaning is: these are things she loves. She loves her goose lamp. She loves her Marilyn on the wall (reflected in the grandfather clock). And so she has them in her house. Just like if you walked into my kitchen you’d see, as you panned along the walls – a Dogfight poster, a framed Irish declaration of independence, my Elvis doll on a shelf, and a framed photograph of Diocletian’s palace in Split, Croatia, taken by yours truly. How would you even make sense of all these completely-unrelated objects occupying the same space? Well, you couldn’t, except to say: “Sheila clearly loves these things.”
And that’s what production designer George Jenkins pulls off in this brief scene.
We started discussing this on Facebook and we went and looked him up on IMDB and what a career! He started in Art Direction on The Best Years of Our Lives – !! – and then became a production designer: he designed some of the great Paranoid movies of the 70s, including China Syndrome.
God, I love competence. It’s such a huge turn-on.
She talked about that set in her autobiography! She had quite a bit of input, I believe. I’m not in a position to type out what she said, but I’ll try and grab my copy and do so later. I think she’d be delighted that you noticed.
One if my favourite autobiographies ever. I mean, what a life. It’s one of those I check out every few years, and it always resonates with me in a different way. Different things speak to me in different years. It covers such a breadth of the female experience. Also, in this era with its version of ageism, it was great for me to read- as a teenager- that her life got better as she got older, basically. That the things she learned and the way she grew made things so much better. Yeah, her joints her and she got a hip replacement, etc. That part of aging sucks. But she made me feel like there were some really nice parts to getting older and older. And I don’t know that I’ve seen that narrative anywhere els. There are “We’re still here and we can still have fun/ have sex/ have adventure”, etc. I haven’t seen Grace & Frankie yet, but I bet that thread runs through it.
Myrtle!! wow! I’m so excited!! Thank you for letting me know!
okay, so I was wondering if she had decorated that room herself because it really is just so specific – especially since we really only see it in passing and it’s the only scene in her house. I can totally see her being like “I don’t care that we see it in passing, it has to be just right.” I am so intrigued! I haven’t read her memoir yet – obviously – but I will, I’ve heard amazing things. I love her. And she’s still out there, doing Jane, being Jane.
// But she made me feel like there were some really nice parts to getting older and older. And I don’t know that I’ve seen that narrative anywhere els. There are “We’re still here and we can still have fun/ have sex/ have adventure”, etc. //
Interesting, yeah. The ageism is off the charts now, huh? Social media probably makes it worse but it’s such a convenient way to shut down conversation.
One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older is just how much I don’t give af about certain things anymore. Especially when it comes to whether or not people like me. I care if my FRIENDS like me. But randos on the internet? Or some person at a party who ignores me because I’m not perceived as important or pretty or whatever? Oh God I don’t care. It’s quite freeing.
I hate other aspects of aging, but it’s nice to hear she’s found some positive aspects. I love her. It’s interesting because you think of her early career – and how she really started out as a “sex kitten” type – not to mention having a famous dad AND a famous brother. I still think that her performance in They Shoot Horses Don’t They is one of the best things she ever did. As well as one of the best film performances ever. It astonishes me.
I decided to re-watch China Syndrome because I’m currently reading Midnight in Chernobyl (comforting), and realized it has been probably 20 years since I saw the movie.
Anyway – thank you so much for telling me she wrote about the decor in her book. I had no idea but I am not surprised!