This scene could (and should) be studied from every angle possible (the directorial choices – that final shot! the closeups, the slow moving-in – the way the scene is written – its tempo and flow, as well as the four performances) because it works so well, looks so effortless and provides such an enormous emotional impact (understatement).
This scene is as good as it gets.
Wow. That was something else. I forgot how good Rob Reiner was on the show.
Glad you pointed out the writing because everyone was still completely in character at all times.
But what really got me was the pacing, as you mentioned, because the scene was allowed to breathe, and so were the actors. That really long pause that Carroll O’Connor takes before delivering the line “well go ahead” when Reiner says ” I want to thank you Arch”, man, I don’t see too many actors today having that kind of patience.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
Todd – yes ! The pacing !! The allowance for those long silences … the huge closeups of people thinking/feeling/considering what they will say next …
SO bold, and SO truthful. My heart explodes watching the damn thing!
I think one of the amazing things about this scene is that you can feel EVERYTHING about this characters and their relationships in these 10 minutes, even if you’ve never watched it before. Today might well be the Golden Age of television but clearly yesterday was as well.
Also I had trouble watching it because something got in my eye and then in my other eye and then up my nose and it just turned into a raging weeping/snot fest.
// hat you can feel EVERYTHING about this characters and their relationships in these 10 minutes, even if you’ve never watched it before. //
So true!!
How about Edith in the kitchen, holding back, pausing – to give him a chance to get himself together? Making her voice bright and cheerful, despite her own breaking heart?
The way Meathead KNOWS that Archie will never in a million years submit to a sentimental soft good-bye – and he KNOWS that HE will have to take care of it. He will have to say what needs to be said … and Archie will be uncomfortable … but he will hear it anyway.
Soooo good.
Initially it’s like a dance. Everyone is moving. Move in, try to get close, feel the… Well feelings, back away. Till finally the hug. Then everything seems to be a “middle shot” like maybe they found the middle. Then no one is moving. Not even the beer.
Phil – Goosebumps at your comment. Yes. That stillness at the end … I ached for someone to break it up, for her to reach out to him, something …
But no. Nothing. Just that slow pull-back.
Devastating.
Wow, thank you. I don’t know the show, but it’s so well written I can guess a lot. Just like Helena, allergies made me cry in my breakfast.
You’re welcome!
I went on a Little All in the Family walk down memory lane yesterday and came across this clip – which I remember well, seeing the episode in real-time, a million years ago.
The show remains a high watermark in American television. And on for 9 seasons. It honestly doesn’t get better than this – and it was really never to be repeated. It was so its own thing – and looking back on it, watching it now, it is so ahead of its time as to be totally timeless.
You could never do it now – especially since Archie Bunker requires a sense of irony in order to understand the humor. And we have almost no irony now, at least not in cultural commentary. Everything is earnest and outraged, all the time.
The whole thing still feels like a miracle – that it even happened at all.
And Carroll O’Connor. His work just has such enormous stature to me – and a clip like this explains why. A fine fine actor.
I remember this in real time too. Cried then, too. Amazing pacing. Writing. Acting. It’s all there. Genius. Thanks for the reminder. Needed that today.
Sheila
Well that completely destroyed me, thank you! HaHa!
Funny, I was thinking, all the things you were saying, and all the comments, the pacing, the flow, how it’s filmed I don’t notice that when I watch a film that’s real and good, I’m just all in. But then I thought, well I do know something about acting, but I also wasn’t thinking, what great acting! Or she was good there. Or how well everyone works together. I was just in it, and devastated. And the pacing yes, but how many times can you see something where you can almost hear the actor thinking – I’m taking a big pause here for effect! This is probably a cliche, but I remember an acting teacher saying to us – You can drive a truck through that pause, just get on with it! Because it wasn’t true. Here, those long pauses were filled and so real and us watching it, hanging on to every moment and every word.
I also love your take on irony, “everything is earnest and outraged, all the time.” Yes!
Also, though, on another note, why is everyone I love moving or have moved to Los Angeles?! Can everyone just stop that?!
// I was just in it, and devastated. //
That’s it, exactly! It works so profoundly well – and yet not ONCE do you feel the gears moving, or anyone reaching. The form perfectly matches the content – perfect harmony. And so the power of the acting is allowed to shine as brightly as it does. I’m still not quite sure how it all works – but as you know, choices are made along the way, right? Pacing choices, script editing choices, camera placement choices, and then the actors make choices ….
In the end, it all just flows together.
It’s such a high high level of the craft of storytelling. Unbelievable!
And oh boy, been thinking of moving to Los Angeles myself. I’m a cliche!! I hated it when people did that too. And now look at me.
// This is probably a cliche, but I remember an acting teacher saying to us – You can drive a truck through that pause, just get on with it! Because it wasn’t true. Here, those long pauses were filled and so real and us watching it, hanging on to every moment and every word. //
So true. I remember working on a Pinter scene – I think it was The Dumbwaiter – and the teacher said, “Only pause when he tells you to pause. Stop adding pauses. The whole thing dies when you do that.”
Good lesson!!
Pretty much ANYTHING can be improved if actors pick up their cues.
Sheila
I had a feeling you were thinking of moving to LA! Looking at your love of all the old signs there, your great love of acting and films and all. But not cliche at all! I actually think it’s kind of daring and fabulous! I would actually say go for it! I only hope you continue your blog from there!
We shall see! I’ve been here so damn long, it’s hard to picture pulling up stakes. But maybe!