A couple of weeks back, I attended a QA with Gena Rowlands at the New School.
I wrote up the experience for Rogerebert.com. Tons of quotes, from her, from others, as well as from Tennessee Williams, who had a lot to say about Gena Rowlands. (I used some of his quotes in my video-essay on Rowlands for Criterion’s release of Love Streams.)
Here is the piece on Rogerebert.com: Witness to a Legend: The Career of Gena Rowlands.
Just wonderful Sheila! I love all you say about Rowlands. “Uncanny gifts of expression and honesty, her unblinking courage, her complete lack of interest in anything this is dishonest or forced” Yes! I can’t wait to see ‘Six dance lessons in six weeks’.
I mean, it’s enough just to SEE her again.
And honestly: what other 84-year-old actress is STARRING in a movie?
How old was Jessica Tandy when she did Driving Miss Daisy? I’ll look it up.
But Rowlands is in rare rare company, I know that much for sure!
Lovely. I love the integration of the Williams quotes – very fitting.
“Just relax,” couldn’t be truer and yet, you can only relax when you actually have the ability to be available to the flow of yourself in public. You don’t have to think that you can, you only have to do it. So true. So true and so hard.
Ted – ha, funnily enough – after Gena said that, Arthur interjected with: “That’s easy to do if you’re Gena Rowlands.”
One of the things that really struck me, Ted – and I think it’s perfect – is that she doesn’t know how she does what she does. Or – she can’t explain it. She works HARD, and she works SMART, but like she said – “It’s all a mystery!” I really believe she’s basically on some other level of sensitivity and commitment.
and yes, aren’t those Tennessee quotes great?? I used that last one in my Love Streams piece, too – I was so happy to trip over them in my research. To think of Gena as Blanche??
Soooo much fun with you yesterday. Have a wonderful holiday.