(The title is from an Aimee Mann song. I love her.)
Tonight, as part of our Oscar Extravaganza, we went and saw The Wrestler. When it started, I wasn't sure I could care about the main character, Randy--wrestling is hokey, and Mickey Rourke frankly looks a mess, and how many times do I need to see a stripper/hooker with a heart of gold?
But when it was over, I sat in the car and cried--the woman behind me didn't wait. She was sobbing quietly as the screen went black. Randy was so human--and so broken and fragile and stubbornly strong, just as absurd in his sequined spandex leggings as he was hulking behind the meat counter at the grocery store, serving up potato salad.
I wanted so badly for Pam to love him, and for his daughter to love him, and for him to love himself, and I think something broke inside me, a little, when it was over. I haven't been affected (effected? some English major I am) by a movie like that in a long time. When I saw Revolutionary Road last week, I felt like Leonardo DeCaprio was acting his suspenders off, and that the center of the movie was hollow and hopeless, and yes, Kate Winslet, I know; you are quite good at screaming and crying. Slumdog Millionaire I liked much better, but still--a little slick, not characters I felt for. I was moved by the depiction of crushing poverty and casual cruelty, but the leads and their fate--meh.
But Randy just seemed so real, so aching yet hopeful, so degraded while holding onto his dignity, and the point of this is that it's definitely worth seeing, and I hope Mickey Rourke wins his Oscar.
(Although be forewarned and prepared to flinch--there's some heavy casual wrestling violence in this, involving staple guns and barbed wire.)
Outfit: Dress: Ebay; Tights: Target; Shoes: Naturalizer; Vest: Macy's.
4 comments:
We saw the Wrestler during the Chicago International Film Festival and I like you wasn't going to buy into the hokeyness of the storyline. It took me awhile to appreciate the story and actually think it was good.
I love the starts on your dress, really cute. I've never been able to pull off the white tights, I'm jealous of people that can.
I have never seen the Wrestler, but I've heard good things.
You look lovely! and now i'm hesitant to go see the wrestler, i'm the biggest baby when it comes to movies, i may just wait till it comes out on DVD that way i can cry(the ugly cry) in the privacy of my own home
I'm a huge Aimee Mann fan - I recognized that song title right away (and how appropriate that it's from her boxing album...well, it's not quite wrestling, but anyway, very appropriate).
I'm going to see The Wrestler next week. We saw Gran Torino yesterday and I really loved it. I'm a huge Clint Eastwood fan. I cried, but then I am a big crier.
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