Film 24
24. "Tootsie" (AFI Rank #69)
Hey! A film I know I saw in the theatre in first run! There are few of them here (although "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" was just reviewed, right?). Yes, I saw this film back in the day, because EVERYONE needed to see this film, I was led to believe. I remember watching it with my maternal grandmother at Yorktown in the winter of 1982/1983. Know what that has to do with this? NOTHING! Not a fuck thing. However, I have seen the film before. When I wrap up this quest, I'm going to do a bunch of work to explain some of the statistical stuff involved with the list. Frequency of appearances by actors, frequency of appearance on the list of directors, frequency of gun use or death, etc. One of those things is that the year of 1982 produced four films on the list. This is the second that I've watched thus far, and "Sophie's Choice" is in the next block. Anyway, 1982 tied with 1976 for the most films on the list from a given year.
I was chastised on Facebook for neglecting the score on "E.T.," and that was a serious oversight. I also didn't comment on the soundtrack for "Vertigo," perhaps an equally egregious slight. Not this time. The soundtrack for "Tootsie" is so...bad...that it serves no purpose, in historical context, other than to remind us that film soundtracks with songs written just for the movie based on "pop music" in the 80s...sucked. The song "Tootsie" ("Go, Tootsie, GO!") is such an annoyingly saccharine piece of tripe that it often made me angry while watching the film. And the other signature piece, "It Might Be You," is equally cheesy, and detracts from the film now. So. There. I mentioned the soundtrack this time. This soundtrack can bite me.
Now, on with the rest of the film. I find it somewhat odd that AFI's two greatest comedies on its list of "100 Years...100 Laughs" are films where the main joke is cross-dressing. With all the great conceits and humorous situations that film has presented us...boys dressing like girls is the way the voters decided to go. Hmmmmmph. Not sure what to say about that, except...hummmmmph. ("Mrs. Doubtfire is number 67 on that list, by the way)
All this build-up, how does "Tootsie" hold up? The story of an incredibly skilled actor who has burned all his bridges, our hero, Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman), has decided that if no one will hire him, he's going to seek a part that a friend of his auditioned for...as a woman. Of course, Dorothy Michaels gets the part, and the balance of the film is spent dealing comically with his/her foibles and in genuine, tender moments of intimacy that the elimination of gender differences seem to offer us. Dorothy may be Michael's mask, but he is never more exposed than he is when he's her, yet wearing that mask makes it impossible to be exposed. It's a tremendous juxtaposition, and one that Sydney Pollack explored to great effect. How do we communicate with each other when sex is in the way? Better yet, how do we communicate when that factor is removed? I like to think that I can communicate pretty effectively regardless, but I'm delusional. I absolutely behave differently with women than I do men. What a great opportunity Michael is given, and his ability to recognize how wonderful a gift he created for himself, is at the heart of what makes this a great movie. Like "It's A Wonderful Life," Michael is given the opportunity to see what the world was like...if he wasn't a man. Like George Bailey, he is transformed by it. "I was a better man with you, as a woman, than I ever was with a woman as a man."
There. I said it. It's a great movie. There are no stunning visual images. There's a cheesy 80s-style montage. There's just lots of really great acting performances, lots of great choices, and lots of emotional depth. Michael's arc is quite stunning to watch, as we see him, early in the film, in an apartment full of well-wishers for his birthday, make stunningly brazen and ineffective pick-up lines on every female in the place. We see it exemplified, when, caught in his underwear by his female friend, he does what any man in that situation would do, twist it to get laid. In that case, I think a fair bit of self-preservation was involved, but I admit, I've been there myself a time or two. And it maybe worked out well for me, and maybe lousy for the women, each time. I was a pig. As was Michael. Somehow, living in a woman's skin opens him up to witness all that in a way he never could otherwise. Having him be an actor was another great stroke. Actors, especially the great ones, are sponges by nature, and Michael would be keenly aware of his impact/environment at all times. The arc completes, I think, because of that particular skill.
There. I said it. It's a great movie. There are no stunning visual images. There's a cheesy 80s-style montage. There's just lots of really great acting performances, lots of great choices, and lots of emotional depth. Michael's arc is quite stunning to watch, as we see him, early in the film, in an apartment full of well-wishers for his birthday, make stunningly brazen and ineffective pick-up lines on every female in the place. We see it exemplified, when, caught in his underwear by his female friend, he does what any man in that situation would do, twist it to get laid. In that case, I think a fair bit of self-preservation was involved, but I admit, I've been there myself a time or two. And it maybe worked out well for me, and maybe lousy for the women, each time. I was a pig. As was Michael. Somehow, living in a woman's skin opens him up to witness all that in a way he never could otherwise. Having him be an actor was another great stroke. Actors, especially the great ones, are sponges by nature, and Michael would be keenly aware of his impact/environment at all times. The arc completes, I think, because of that particular skill.
It's a comedy. There are a few laugh out loud moments, the biggest, at this viewing, being when the director of the soap opera Dorothy is in (Dabney Coleman) calls for a close-up, and both he and the producer (Doris Belak) scream, in perfect unison, "NOT TOO CLOSE!" It's a hilarious moment. Beyond that, a great deal of the laughs are generated by the idea that a man might kiss another man, or a man is in a dress, etc. Those laughs are cheap. Comedy doesn't always have to make one laugh to achieve its goal.
What makes this film great are the performances, ultimately. Teri Garr is...well...Teri Garr, full of angst, confusion, flightiness. All those things that we have come to associate with her. Perhaps she's just typecast, but that's what Teri Garr does best. It's all here in this film. Also noteworthy are Sydney Pollack, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, and Bill Murray. All four bring so much to each moment they are on the screen, they help us create a picture of all Michael is doing. Durning's barroom scene, when Michael has been exposed, is particularly distinguished. It's delightfully honest scene, that ends a little too "Hollywood," but gives us a great moment with a tertiary character.
At the centerpiece of the film, and the thing that helps Michael in his journey the most, is his relationship with Julie, played, in an Oscar-winning performance, by Jessica Lange. Captivatingly beautiful, Lange shows quite a range in this relatively small role. We see all facets of Julie, be they hardened television star or scared little girl. She helps drag the knuckle dragging Michael out of his testosterone filled life and helps turn him into an evolved, evolving human. She's wonderful.
Lastly, of course, is Dustin Hoffman's tour de force. 1982 was a tough year to be an actor seeking an Oscar, as the nominees for Best Actor were Peter O'Toole ("My Favorite Year"), Jack Lemmon ("Missing"), Paul Newman ("The Verdict"), Hoffman for this role, and the winner, Ben Kingsley for his amazing "Gandhi." Could Hoffman have won in a lesser field, in a different year? You bet. His performance here is historic. He gets Dorothy right, of course, and that seems like the easy part. No, what Hoffman really does best in this film is show us the struggle that Michael has within himself. He knows he is the best at what he does, yet figures a way to nuke that for himself as often as possible. He does that not only professionally, but in his personal life. Finding Dorothy, and those moments that Hoffman can explore with her, are what redeem Michael. It's breathtaking work.
So. Julie and I tried to watch this together. She slept. I watched the film, expecting to ridicule its inclusion in the top 100. The longer I've contemplated it, however, the better the case I've made for it being on the list. It's a great film Watch it again. I enjoyed doing so.
Ebert's original review (he didn't write about it again) is here.
So. Julie and I tried to watch this together. She slept. I watched the film, expecting to ridicule its inclusion in the top 100. The longer I've contemplated it, however, the better the case I've made for it being on the list. It's a great film Watch it again. I enjoyed doing so.
Ebert's original review (he didn't write about it again) is here.
A FEW laugh out loud moments? I laugh hysterically during this film-- a lot. It's the clearly improvised dialogue throughout the film that gives it its charm and hilarity. George Gaines is pure genius. Two of his lines ("Nice mirror." and "Does Jeff know?") get me every time. Really funny stuff. It's never been about the cross-dressing; it's been about the characters and the way they respond to the various situations they are in-- while in drag or not.
ReplyDeleteHard for me not to hear "New Brian" from "Family Guy" imitating George Gaynes, "Oh, Punkeeh!" when he's on screen. But yes, I glossed over him.
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