The new movie starring Sarah Jessica Parker – called Family Stone has been getting a HUGE advertisement push. It’s all been featuring Sarah Jessica as well – with a couple of interesting shots of the wonderful Rachel McAdams (gotta keep an eye on that girl – she’s very very good). As a matter of fact, the commercials I’ve seen have all ENDED with a line from the Rachel McAdams character – instead of Sarah Jessica. All of this MEANS something: nothing is accidental in these advertisements. Sarah Jessica, because of Sex and the City probably has more clout than McAdams does – it’s just the way it goes. That is changing – as we speak – but this is where we are at now. It’s a Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle and so the first draft of the commercials have focused all on her. It’s not about making a star out of Rachel McAdams, it’s about getting the Sarah Jessica Parker fans into the theatre. But obviously, things don’t always work out the way they’re supposed to. Girl Interrupted is the perfect example. Winona Ryder was a way bigger star than Angelina Jolie at that time – which is hard to believe now – but it was true then. Ryder produced that movie. Unfortunately for Winona but luckily for all of us – Angelina Jolie WAS cast – and who got the Oscar? Who does everyone remember from that film? It didn’t MATTER that Winona had more “power”, in terms of star power and negotiating power. Jolie was better. Period. She acted Winona Ryder off the screen.
It’s obvious, to me, from the amount of time she is given in the commercial that Rachel McAdams is pretty great in this film – and the powers-that-be want to make sure that we GET that before going in. They assume that Sarah Jessica has huge brand-name recognition – so there’s lots of shots of her – but the commercial is cluttered with cameos of other people. A big “ensemble” drama.
I immediately thought: Well, I like Rachel McAdams – but … I’ll probably pass on this one.
The commercial – that first version of it – just didn’t appeal to me. It looked kind of dumb and while I am a mild fan of Sarah Jessica (When I was a kid – I saw her as Little Orphan Annie on Broadway – she was 12 years old – so she has my love and loyalty forever!! Not to mention Square Pegs) – but it looked like a dumb conventional premise with a lot of shots of Sarah Jessica running around being awkward, clumsy, and over-eager. Now she does all of that stuff REALLY well – but it can get tiresome. The commercials seemed to be all about her – with a tiny smidgeon of the wonderful McAdams – so I thought: Whatever. No thanks.
But, in the last couple of days, they have released a new batch of trailers.
I I saw the commercial and felt a bolt of excitement: “Diane Keaton has a new movie out?”
Diane Keaton was barely in the first run of the commercials for the film and now – it is all about her – with a voiceover saying stuff like: “Critics agree: Diane Keaton is God’s gift to acting” or whatever it says. Like – her NAME is mentioned. This is a huge shift.
Sarah Jessica has now almost completely disappeared from the commercials and Rachel McAdams is still there, slightly, but now the commercials are ALL ABOUT Diane Keaton. Obviously the test audiences raved about Keaton. So they cut out Sarah Jessica – and pushed Diane to the foreground. And we get articles like this. I’ve seen a couple of them. NOTHING on Sarah Jessica. Or – nothing good anyway.
When you get right down to it: the whole thing is Darwinian. May the best actor win. It’s not “fair”. What would be “fair” (in the world of the people who make such decisions – and the army of publicists hired by Sarah Jessica Parker) is that Parker would have a huge triumph with her first post-Sex and the City job. That she would be embraced by a larger audience. Now – I loved Sex and the City and watched it religiously – but do I think that means she can be a movie star? Actually, no – I think her talent is pretty much a small-screen talent. This is in NO WAY an insult. I could see her doing fabulous work on sit-coms until she was an old lady. That, to me, is her sensibility. But what would be “fair” – would be her having a huge hit in this film. But audiences, in their infinite wisdom, know best. They don’t do what advertising execs tell them to do. They don’t say, “Sarah Jessica was the best” just because advertising execs WANT them to. They say, “Diane Keaton was so good!!!” Now audiences are stupid a lot of the time as well – but for the most part? When it comes to truth onscreen? They know. Audiences know when they are being lied to, pandered, manipulated. They LOVE it when a movie (or an actor) doesn’t do that. This seems to be one of those cases.
As a massive Diane Keaton fan from … the dawn of time … I am really happy she’s getting such accolades. She deserves it. But then again – if she sat down and read the phone book to me in a monotone voice, I would give her a standing ovation.
So now actually I am thinking of going to see it. All because they re-cut the commercial, to let me know who was REALLY doing well in the film. I would never gone to see it just for Parker. But now? With the reviews Keaton is getting? One of my favorite actresses? (Ahem.) A national treasure? Sure. I want to see it now.
I find the whole preview-audience and test-run commercial thing SO fascinating – especially when I catch the changes. It’s really interesting.
I don’t disagree, but did you notice Sarah Jessica Parker has received a golden globe nomination for the film? She is the only nod the film received.
I, of course, am a huge SJP fan and often find Rachel McAdams annoying. But to each his own.
Abe
I like Sarah Jessica too – I think she’s a wonderful comedienne. But something is UP with the advertising – they are no longer pushing her. I forgot about the Golden Globe nomination! But it’s weird – why wouldn’t they mention that in the commercials then??
Maybe they’ll do yet another version of the commercial where the voiceover says: “Starring Golden Globe nominee Sarah Jessica …”
Seems odd that they wouldn’t play that up!
I saw the ads for this in the theater and thought two things that have absolutely nothing to do with your post otherwise:
1) oh gawd, not another “meet the in-laws” movie
and
2) comedy writing and movie making people, for goodness’ sake, falling down, tripping, or leaning back in a chair just far enough to tip over is NOT FUNNY. Stop it. STOP IT PLEASE.
Yeah – the premise seems reaaaaallllllly tired to me!! You have to be really inventive to come up with stuff that hasn’t been done a thousand times!
My guess is that they are trying to sell the film without giving it away. Its my understanding that a major part of the plot is the romance that arises when SJP’s sister(Claire Danes) shows up and falls in love with one of the brothers. These days it is so hard to sell a movie without giving the whole damn thing away. So I am hoping there is a lot more to the film than meets the eye and that the marketing folks have taken a very forceful angle in an attempt to get middle america into the seats. You could even read in a little bit of blue state/red state hate into those ads…obvious attempt to appeal to middle america? Who knows.
Yeah – so maybe they’re trying to shield some of the big moments to keep the element of surprise. That makes sense.
But literally in the last 2 days – all ads are now about: “DIANE KEATON IS AWESOME”. hmmmmmm
An ad like THAT gets me curious and makes me want to see it.
Square Pegs is SO the best show ever, and maddeningly NOT out on DVD … at least not at last checking. If I had tons of money, I would pay for whoever to put that entire series on DVD. That, and all of Whit Stillman’s movies. I would be so happy to underwrite those two projects. I would really feel as if I’d contributed something important to society.
As a huge fan of SJP, since before Sex and the City even, I have to say I think she can be a movie star. What makes me think that? Her performance in LA Story. You have to admit it’s pretty great.
Sheila –
I believe I signed some kind of petition (hahaha) to get Square Pegs out on DVD – it seems so odd that such a cult thing wouldn’t have made it out yet – but it hasn’t!
The other one is (and I know many people despised this show, but I loved it) – 30something. I have battered VHS tapes of as many episodes as I could get – from when it was on originally – but they are now falling apart. I think it was only on for 2 seasons – but I would LOVE to have them all on DVD.
Erik – well, like I said – I saw her sing and dance on Broadway when she was a little girl (and so was I – I think we’re about the same age) and thought she was AMAZING. She was! Beautiful singing voice, good actress.
And Square Pegs has to be one of my favorite shows ever, as we have discussed.
LA Story was SUCH a good movie.
I still think her future will be in sit-coms, or maybe a West Wing-esque show – but only time will tell!
I’d just like to chime in with an “I heart Rachel McAdams”.
Bill –
I just love her already – and I’ve only seen her do Mean Girls!!
Do you remember the 30-something episode – I was trying to piece it together in my mind the other day — where Hope’s old boyfriend, maybe from high school, is in their front yard at night, crying for her, and she’s inside with Michael, and she’s crying? (Had he committed suicide, or was he actually there?) Whoa. I don’t know how or why, at whatever young age I was, I got the pain and poignancy and loss and the wonderfulness that Michael understood and everything of that whole scene, but I DID, and it has stayed with me.
I wasn’t a fan of that show at the time — or not a fan, I just didn’t watch it. But I’m wondering if now that I am a 30-something, it would resonate. Too bad that I can’t find out because it’s NOT ON DVD!!!!!!! Powers That Be, I’m looking at you with DAGGERS!
Sheila –
Yes!! That was the New Year’s episode that was based on James Joyce’s “The Dead”. The guy outside in the snow, etc. etc. Her high school boyfriend – who her husband never really heard of, except that he knew that his wife lost her virginity to this guy – and at the party they are throwing, Hope’s mother calls to tell her that her old high school boyfriend has died. This brings up all the “what ifs” in her life, etc. The entire thing is a nod to “The Dead” – even down to the snow at the end. So poignant!!
That show drove some people NUTS – hahaha – Like: Shut up, you whiny yuppies and all that – but I really enjoyed it.
See, I figured you’d have a love/hate relationship with SJP, you know, since she married your boyfriend and all.
hahahahaha
I do find that a wee bit unforgivable.
Funny, Sheila, when I first saw the ad, I was drawn to the pic because of Rachel McAdams — loved her in Mean Girls and Red Eye, actually — AND because of my unreasoning, undying attraction to Dermott Mulroney’s sleepy, sexy, brown eyes. All that, PLUS Diane Keaton?! I barely noticed SJP. The actors on the fringes in those ads seem more interesting to me.
Uh oh. I just knew thirtysomething would come up on this site some day. The loss of self-respect I have felt, and the derision I have been subjected to, when driven to admit my affection for that show has been demoralizing at times. I thought all that was behind me–and now this. I just know you will post some 12-part retrospective dissecting the themes, the overly emotional nature of the characters, the acting, what it means to identify with the show, etc., and I will be compelled to respond like Pavlov’s dogs–baring my shallowness for all to see. Damn you, internet!
DBW –
You crack me up. I am laughing out loud.
// I just know you will post some 12-part retrospective dissecting the themes, the overly emotional nature of the characters, the acting, what it means to identify with the show, etc., and I will be compelled to respond like Pavlov’s dogs//
You know I will! Just for you!!!
You are so right about how much derision people feel for that show – but i Never felt that way. It didn’t even depict my life AT ALL – I was in my early 20s when I got hooked on the show – but I just thought the acting was superb (and to this day pretty much unmatched on television. Patricia Wettig?? Fuggedaboutit.)
Oh boy. I can already feel the post bubbling up in me.
It’s gonna be huge.
But don’t worry, DBW – 30something is BELOVED by my group of friends – they were rabid fans as well – so we can all be shallow together!!
Still laughing about your comment – I SO know what you mean!! People get VICIOUS about that show.
Shit, Claire Danes is in this movie? Might watch it now.
Hell yeah, checking IMDb, she’s first billed on the cast listing. SJP is billed #6.
I am glad that I could amuse you. The funny thing about thirtysomething is that it was chock-full of the kind of angst-ridden, self-absorbed characters that drive me to drink heavily in real life, but I COULDN’T TURN AWAY. OH, the Humanity!
I don’t know – they seemed like me and all my friends – except that we’re all poor artists. We sit around and talk about our lives. Is that self-absorbed? I guess it depends.
30something pretty much had no other point than to sit and listen to other people talk about their problems (with their cushy lives on the banks of the Schuykill). Could be annoying – but I just got right into the emotions of it all.
It reminded me of a lot of my grop of friends. We We struggle with things openly. By that I mean – we talk to each other about what’s really going on. All the time. It’s never small talk. This is male and female, by the way.
Okay, so back to the show:
I loved Melissa especially. I loved her journey. I AM Melissa. I have that intensity – that deep well of feeling – I have all of that (much to the chagrin of the jag-off I just banned from my blog).
Actually – I can see myself in Ellen as well. I don’t really see myself in Hope at all.
I have to do a HUGE POST ABOUT THIS NOW.
my #1 favorite person on that show was Eliot. He was so HUMAN. That guy is a kick-ass actor – and that second season was his shining moment. He killed me, for some reason. I thought he was great. Nice to see him on The West Wing. He will always be “Eliot” to me.
I still remember some of the expressions that crossed his face in that 2nd season when Nancy was sick – He is fanTASTIC.
Major post … percolating …
Oh my God, it’s all coming back to me now – what was the name of that awesomely evil and manipulative boss that Eliot and Michael had?
It’s on the tip of my tongue ….
Miles?
It was a tour de force!!
Cullen –
Yeah – I don’t think Claire Danes was even IN that first round of comemrcials I saw!!
Oh lord, here we go. Hope was really the one that drove me crazy. She seemed determined to be unhappy about something all the time. She reminded my of my best friend’s wife. She was the kind of person who would win a $32 million dollar lottery and complain incessantly because she had to split it with another winner. She was constantly whining about something. That is different than discussing your life, and thinking about its meaning. I almost mentioned Miles in my first comment–that guy was incredible in that part. He created a complete and unique persona that was very believable in the framework of the advertising world. I have several friends in advertising, and they all say they know people like Miles, only not quite that ruthlessly manipulative–not quite. I feel the shame creeping back, BTW. I liked Melissa and Ellen–I can see why you saw some of yourself in them. I am going to stop for now, before it gets worse.
One more—even the pets and children were filled with angst. The place dripped with it.
“I feel the shame creeping back, BTW.”
HAHAHAHA
I am so happy to be able to discuss this with you! I have no shame, by the way.
I cannot WAIT to write this post. I couldn’t agree more on the Hope issue. Yup. She was one of those wives who probably was cool before she got married and then became a passive-aggressive bitch when she got the ring on her finger. I would watch her behavior and think: Okay. I don’t want marriage if it’s like THAT!
Yup. Miles. BRILLIANT performance.
Oh man. There is so much to discuss and I am just going to keep torturing you because you obviously remember as much about this show as I do.
DBW –
Yes, with the children as well. Ethan – poor Ethan! Caught in the middle of his parents divorce!! Having his rocket blow up in his hand in the back yard!
etc. etc.
DBW –
I can’t stop. And another thing about Hope: she didn’t like it when her husband felt free. She wanted him to feel as beleagured and put-upon as she did.
And when you do that with a hot husband like Michael – you are ASKING for trouble!
Patricia Wettig as Nancy was also a bit bitchy and passive-aggressive – but then when she started going through all those changes and not giving a crap anymore – she got MUCH more interesting. I loved her as well.
Okay.
Now I’m feeling shame. It’s catching.
These people are STILL real to me.
You are right on the money with Hope. It wasn’t enough for her to be miserable, she wanted Michael to be miserable. Not to beat up on my friend’s ex, but she was like that. She got more and more angry if my friend and I had a good time when I visited. She really resented it if everyone wasn’t miserable 24/7.
As for Nancy, I liked her better when she lightened up a little. Remember how all of Hope’s friends, while still supportive, began to question her pervasive discontent?
I have good friend’s who would disown me, or possibly flog me, if they heard me talk about a television show like this. I told you–Down the thirtysomething road lies madness.
Now I will have to stay away for a couple of months. Otherwise, I will find myself commenting to embarrassing lengths about this show. Who’d a thunkit.
sheil..remember when Kenny said he was convinced that Hope had bad breath???? Haaaa! Also i seem to remember u and Jeremy dancing to the theme song on Wayne street? Was that a fever dream? I love Melissa soo much…remember when Sylvia Sydney played her grandmother and Phylllis Newman..her mother??? Good times!
here is a perfect example of how trailers are cut to give the impression desired by the editor…these are from http://www.shutupiknow.blogspot.com/ and are trailers for well known films using the actual footage, but cut to advertise completely different films…
Titanic (The Horror Film)
http://www.ps260.com/elfollador/Scary%20Titanic.mov
The Shining (A Romantic Comedy)
http://www.ps260.com/molly/SHINING%20FINAL.mov
West Side Story (The Suspense Thriller)
http://www.ps260.com/Trailer/westsidestorytrailer_small.mov
Each one takes a few secs to load…enjoy!