Low Resolution: There's a Difference! ...There's a Difference.

Monday, August 16, 2010

There's a Difference! ...There's a Difference.

My pal Jason at MNPP put up a "Five Frames From" challenge this morning on the subject of (SPOILER) a movie I have very recently re-fallen in love with.

I saw Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion for the second time ever the other night, and I realized it needs to go in my Adventures in Babysitting/Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead/Empire Records pantheon of silly movies I should be watching embarrassingly often. There really isn't much to the movie -- I was shocked by how little actually happened between Romy learning about the reunion and the reunion itself -- but the dialogue is super quotable, the performances are really strong, and the cast is full of wonderfully random appearances by, like, Camryn Manheim and Pam from True Blood. And that dance sequence with Romy, Michelle, and Allan Cumming interpreting "Time After Time" is actually a seriously beautiful statement about individualism triumphing over sad conformity! Really!

But much as I loved Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino (and I did), the hands-down best part of the movie is Janeane Garofalo. I love her in general, but she's waaaaay better in this movie than I remember her. In fact, while I adore her in Reality Bites and Wet Hot American Summer, and I'm sure The Truth About Cats and Dogs has its fans, I don't know why Heather Mooney isn't considered THE quintissential Garofalo performance. Every line reading is nicotine-infused sarcastic perfection, and somewhere out there, I hope Heather and that cowboy played by Justin Theroux are angrily making out right this second.

I love you, Heather! Even if you do tell me to go fuck myself!

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3 comments:

The Pretentious Know it All said...: I agree about Garofalo. My absolute favorite moment in the movie is Heather's reaction to the interpretive dance. I love how everyone is just standing around, watching this insanity with awe and rapt attention and Heather gives an incredibly dismissive eyeroll and just walks away. It still makes me laugh out loud to this day.; 4:56 PM, August 16, 2010
Josh said...: Man, I love this so much. To this day, every time I happen to say "there's a difference" I instinctively follow up it up with ". . . there's a difference." Her delivery of that line is classic!; 11:58 AM, August 17, 2010
Michael said...: "Do you have a business women special? We're business women..."; 3:07 PM, August 21, 2010

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The Week in TV:

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Fringe (5/6)
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Parks and Recreation (5/5)
How does this show do it? What for all intents and purposes seemed like a purely goofy, guest-star-driven episode with Parker Posey as Leslie's rich-town nemesis (with a b-story about Ron Swanson desperately trying to avoid a birthday celebration in his honor) managed to arrive at no fewer than three emotional high-points. Not one of them felt like cheap sentiment, either, they were completely earned and true to the characters. That Leslie/Ron birthday scene was set up so slyly, it was like the twist ending of a thriller. This is what a show can do when it's built on such a strong foundation of characters. Well fucking done.

30 Rock (5/5)
What a weird episode, with a random Kenneth moment at the end that I'd almost buy as an actual plot point considering how well it's supported by several seasons of "Kenneth is ageless" jokes. Liz being tormented by Tracy was funny, if honestly sad, and Jenna works best when opposite Will Forte. But really, this was all about Victor Garber, for me. Kudos to the show for nabbing such a great guest star for such a fun role -- I don't know why "wool" is so comedy-friendly a concept, but it just is. It's very wool.

RuPaul's Drag Race (5/2)
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