So last night I had the privilege of moderating a Q&A with several cast members of Revolutionary Road at a special SAG screening. (Jeffrey Wells took some pictures of the event, here.) I did what I usually do at such things: ask a few questions up front, most of them pitched to the ensemble—the ensemble here consisting of Kathryn Hahn, David Harbour, Michael Shannon and Kate Winslet—then open it up to the audience and try to stay out of everyone’s way. It seemed to go pretty well, and the actors were very engaging and very frank about the emotional demands of the material. After the panel, as folks milled about, a rather looming and obese youngish fellow approached me. “That was a great Q‑and‑A,” he said. “Thanks,” said I. “Yeah,” he continued. “It was really great to hear you validate yourself over and over again.” At which point the individual turned around and ran up the aisle to the exit.
Now prior to the screening I did notice that the house contained at least two movie writers with whom I’m on distinctly unfriendly terms, and I wondered for a moment if one of them had ducked into the men’s room and put on a fat suit before approaching me to harsh my mellow. But no.
Anyway, the cast members seemed reasonably pleased by how it went. So there’s some validation in that…
Fuck’im!
Sure was gutsy of him to do a hit-and-run without identifying homself to you.
Also, what did he actually mean by that? Although, I will admit, looking at those pictures over at “Hollywood Elsewhere”, you sure are drinking that water like a jerk. Jerk!
This was far and away one of the most consistently engaging Q&As I’ve been to. All four of the actors were articulate, funny and palpably human. (Winslet told an anecdote about shooting in Darien CT that brought down the house.) There was only one blatantly retarded question that I can recall, which you smoothly dismissed, keeping things moving. Obviously the point of these things is not to be confrontational (unless John Simon is in the house) and anyone who doesn’t understand that is addled. Nice work.
(As an aside that belongs in the other thread, during the breakfast scene I flashed not on 2001 but on Stepford, and I’m afraid it didn’t work for me—too overstated. But more than that, I felt like the pre-title sequence encapsulated the film so brilliantly that the rest was almost redundant. Still liked it pretty well, but the sorely underrated Road to Perdition remains my favorite Mendes.)
Think of it this way: That nimrod undoubtedly spent half the evening sitting there, synapses clenched, trying to come up with a really devastating ‘mot juste’ that he could lay on you after the gig … and that’s all he had.
Other wirds, not exactly Oscar Wilde born anew.
That reminds me of a story about an actor who used to be on a hit TV show. Some guy walks up to him, asks him brightly “Were you on so-and-so?” He responds in the affirmative.
The guy instantly comes back with “How does it feel to be a has-been?”
His reply: “How does it feel to be a never-was?”
I didn’t know Kevin Smith hated you, Glenn.
Not to bust your balls too much, but you look as if you should be addressed as Father Kenny.
Actually, I dig the look.
@Aaron: Nah. Pastor Kenny seems more suitable. “No, that’s his LAST name.”
A man as old as you shouldn’t be so senstive. Kind of pathetic. Maybe the guy was crazy. Last week a homeless dude lightly smacked me in the face as he was walking by, mumbling something about Chinese food and striped socks. The fact that you need to run to your blog and whine about such a minor confrontation makes me think that maybe there was a modicum of truth in what the guy said. And for you to be calling anyone out on their weight is kind of silly, no? Other than that, YOU’RE THE SMARTEST, FUNNIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD, GLENN.
Well, I didn’t think any self-validation was necessary – you did a fine job. (Although, I have to admit I was a bit surprised at first to see you up there – thought you weren’t a particularly big Mendes fan.)
Superb film, I thought, with a really smart screenplay (in retrospect, I think any problems anyone had with the snarkiness of “American Beauty” can be laid at Alan Ball’s door). And Winslet – wow.
And thanks for mentioning the terrific and under-read author of the source novel, too – nice to see someone remind folks that no, the violins do not write the concerto.
Wow, didn’t know Michael Shannon is in it. That man is an acting MACHINE.
Glenn, the name of the guy at the Q&A who insulted you is “Thomas DeGrau”.
Damn, Bill… you beat me to it.
You’re just bitter, Bill. Always so bitter.
I get these occasionally when I do Q&As. I once did one with Tobe Hooper where we got into a riff on LIFEFORCE, specifically the much-nude Mathilda May; he joked that there was a long line of people who wanted to help wax her every day. The next day, I was told by the theatre that someone had called to complain about my letting the conversation become “vulgar.” I replied that anyone who had just watched TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE was hardly in a position to complain about waxing!
I know! What’s my deal, anyway!?
Your deal is this: You are suffering from a particularly virulent strain of American Hikikomori. That’s your deal. And you know it. Why are you asking me?
I don’t know why I asked, but thanks for the help anyway!
I have to admit, I had to go look up Hikikomori. Why, I imagine to some people, Hikikomori like Bill are cheap. You know, like politicians and corporations and whatnot. Thanks for enlightening me.
@DVA118: Huh?
Glenn: http://wwwbillblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/have-i-ever-mentioned-that-im-brilliant.html
I’m not sure I understand. On his personal blog, Glenn Kenny writes a brief note on a complete stranger (can we figure out who this is, btw? It’s driving me crazy) who felt, for some reason, secure in the privilege to be ridiculously rude to him. What is the problem, and where are these overcaffeinated trolls coming from?
Oh, DVA, I get it now. Thank for the link (but for it to work, that period at the end needs to be left out…)
Link fixed by blog administrator. Never let it be said that I don’t take care of my commenters.
Mr. Kenny, based on the principle of ‘you can tell a person’s character by the enemies they keep’ I should be giving you more of my blog traffic than certain other sites.
Keep up the good work!
We should examine the photos from the event like the Zapruder film, seeing if we can spot the verbal assassin lurking ever so quietly in the corners somewhere…waiting to strike. Well, actually someone else should do that because I’m not going to, but let me know what you find.
Jeez.…sounds like someone let the Comic Book Guy out of the Simpsons and dropped him off at your Q&A.
jeff-
if you do decide to do hang here, will you continue to yell at phony blog commenters and force us all to see it thus making you the equivalent of a crazy person shouting at a wall? Cuz if so, let me know now so I can skip you here as well.
Glenn, that in-person runaway troll really has your number.
I recall the first time we met: all your constant, flagrant self-validating.
Surely your most notable personality trait. Or wait, did you validate yourself because we went to a movie and you got the parking garage receipt stamped?
Am confused.
For more of Thomas DeGrau’s work, check out the brief comments thread here:
http://www.filmbrain.com/filmbrain/2008/11/ddddd.html