Tag: Julianne Moore

Game Change: HBO’s Sarah Palin Movie

I just sent a former co-worker a note simply saying “Sarah Palin is” then continued with the name of a well known former TV newsie.

I just finished watched the Sarah Palin HBO movie, “Game Change.” Wow. Scary. Palin is portrayed as a woman of strong convictions and weak understanding. Not that she isn’t smart. Running for national office demands things she’d never learned.

I wish I could tell you I never worked with telegenic anchors or reporters who could grab an audience by the force of their charisma, but were really intellectually empty. I have. Even a few are too many.

I just sent a former co-worker a note simply saying “Sarah Palin is” then continued with the name of a well known former TV newsie. Sorry, I’m not talking.

I choose to believe the movie is mainly true, but immediately headed to the extremely conservative Breitbart.com for a differing opinion. Stacy Drake writes their defense of Palin against the movie.

“I’ve seen the entire movie, so don’t mind me while I go ahead and judge this piece of high-dollar propaganda.”

Her “10 Lies” were mainly small or dwelled on inconsequential details. Stacy’s Twitter home page lists “Conservatives 4 Palin” as her link. Sorry. Not persuaded.

As stated in the movie neither Lincoln nor Jefferson couldn’t be elected today. Sad. In the 21st Century you must connect via TV (or whatever comes next). We have to hope there’s substance beneath the charisma.

Julianne Moore is amazing. I believed she was Sarah Palin.

Moore was on with Jon Stewart earlier this week. He asked a softball question about prep and she opened up. It was impressive to hear her explain how she went about ‘learning’ Palin and what nuances she learned.

Ed Harris, someone I dislike on a personal level&#185, was excellent as John McCain. Harris didn’t do as much of a McCain impression as Moore did of Palin, but his personality rang true to the John McCain I’ve watched over time.

Does McCain throw the “F” bomb around that much?

From an entertainment standpoint it held my interest. From a historical standpoint it confirmed my fears.

&#185 – I met Ed Harris at the junket for Apollo 13. There were dozens of reporters passing through for interviews and he acted like a jerk when it was my turn. I hope it was just a bad day. He’s a fine actor. He wasn’t a nice man. Ask Helaine.

The Big Lebowski: One Weird Movie

The movie is quirky, interesting, off the wall and more than a little unfocused. “Imagine a young screenwriter came in with this script?” Helaine asked.

I took tonight off as a trade for working Sunday. It was a day at rest around the house. I asked Helaine if she wanted to see a movie and so began our search through the channels.

HBO – nothing. Actually a handful of nothings. We have multiple HBOs.

Comcast On Demand – not working! Then after a support call, working. Still nothing.

“I can bring the Roku box downstairs,” I said.

I’ll write more about my so-so Roku thoughts later.

I unplugged the tiny Roku box in my office, plugged it in downstairs and turned on the TV. A few minutes later we were searching Netflix.

How can there be so much stuff and nothing you want to see?

We settled on “The Big Lebowski.” It’s a late 90s Coen Brothers movie starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore. That’s a helluva pedigree!

Jeff Bridges is Jeffrey Lebowski, aka The Dude. He drinks White Russians (nine during the film), smokes enough pot to have lived in my freshman dorm, and says “dude,” “man,” and the “f” word in most sentences. He is detached, often nonplussed and always charming.

John Goodman as Walter Sobchak is tightly wound, loud and intense as a presumed Vietnam vet who brought a little too much of the war home with him. Think Fred Willard, but bigger, more boisterous and very macho.

Walter Sobchak: You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don’t wanna know about it, believe me.
The Dude: Yeah, but Walter…
Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon… with nail polish.

I like Goodman as an actor. I’m not saying he’s never been in a hit film, but he has made some ‘interesting’ career choices.

The movie is quirky, interesting, off the wall and more than a little unfocused.

“Imagine a young screenwriter came in with this script?” Helaine asked. The implication was he’d be laughed off the lot… but these were the Coen Brothers and they were hot off Fargo. They were indulged.

I’m glad I saw it, but confused and a little disappointed.