Displaying items by tag: Simon Helberg

A CINDERELLA STORY

US, 2004, 95 minutes, Colour.

Hillary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Jennifer Coolidge, Dan Byrd, Regina King, Lin Shaye, Mary Pat Gleason, Paul Rodriguez, Whip Hubley, Kevin Kilner, Simon Halberg.

Directed by Mark Rosman.

The Cinderella fairytale is about young adults, popular, well-known, so why not a transferr to the US, 21^st-century, families, schools, dances, Prom King’s and Queens?

This is also a star vehicle for Hillary Duff who had made an impression in the Lizzie Maguire Film, later to be a successful television series, her music videos, Disney appearances, further films… She won awards in 2004 (but also was awarded the Razzie acting).

2004 was actually the year of the release of the very successful Mean Girls. Here is another variation on the theme. Plenty of mean girls in this high school and quite a number of arrogant Jocks.

The film opens in fairytale land but it is the story that Sam is being read by her father (Whip Hubley). He encounters Fiona who has two daughters and marries her. But, an earthquake, Sam’s father dead, then being dominated as we expect, by her wicked stepmother and her obnoxious daughters. Part of the enjoyment of the film is the fact that the stepmother is being played by Jennifer Coolidge who had already established something of a reputation as Stifler’s Mom in the American Pie films. (20 years later she was still making an impression especially in the television series The White Lotus.) Jennifer Coolidge is able to play obnoxious characters and send herself up, plenty of opportunity to be the wicked stepmother.

Sam’s father left a diner which Fiona now manages where with Sam works. On the lookout for the fairy godmother, she is played by Regina King (later to win an Oscar for If Beale Street Could Talk). And there are some veterans like Paul Rodriguez and Mary Pat Gleason also on the staff there.

And Prince Charming? The local football star, Austin, played by Chad Michael Murray, being pressurised by his ambitious father for him to stay as a football star and work for his company.

Social media, Sam and Austin communicate anonymously through a chat room – which leads them to the dance, the possible revelation of identities, a lost mobile phone instead of a shoe, Austin seeking Cinderella, and the humiliation of her being exposed through the evil Mac nations of her stepsisters.

But, romance will out, Fiona concealing Sam’s entry to Princeton, but the true will found in the old fairy tale book and comeuppance for Fiona and her daughters.

Lots of references to contemporary culture, the Fast and the Furious…  enjoyable supporting eccentricity from Dan Byrd as Sam’s close friend and a young Simon Helberg as a very odd space preoccupied student.

1. The popularity of the Cinderella story, transferred to the American high school, 21^st-century?
2. The popularity Hillary Duff, Lizzie McGuire on screen and television?
3. The opening, the suggestions of the fairytale, the book, the transition to the US, the American town, the family, happy father and daughter, the earthquake, his death, the marriage to Fiona, her two daughters? Her inheriting everything? The later discovering of the wheel in the fairytale book? And her comeuppance?
4. Fiona, vanity, the daughters, Sam, growing up in servitude to Fiona and the sisters, their demands, Fiona and her vanity, the salmon diet, the girls in the pool, their behaviour? Time passing?
5. Sam, her age, at school, her friendship with Carter, his eccentricities, Shelby and the mean girls, Austen and his friends on the jocks? Their behaviour? Sam working at the diner, Rhonda and her friendship and support? The other members of the staff? The customers? Shelby and Austin and the rest is customers, their behaviour?
6. Sam, online, texting, the anonymity, the sharing of ideas and ideals?
7. Austin, his demanding father, expectations, football, Austen wanting his life? The domination of his father, at work?
8. The invitation to the dance, the preparations, stepdaughters preparing, Fiona making Sam work? Rhonda, like a fairy godmother, the dress, the mask, Carter as Zorro, at the dance, the infatuation? Her going to the spot at 11 o’clock? The eccentric student and his space preoccupation? Austin, the conversation, the walk, not revealing, the time, dropping the phone, the drive with Carter, Fiona and the daughters, the chase, the erratic driving? Sam behind the counter?
9. Austin, the notices, the search for Cinderella? Shelby, her attitude towards Austin, drinking, the episode with Carter, the next day…? Sam at school, Austen not recognising her?
10. His coming into the diner, Sam not telling him, Fiona intervening?
11. The sisters, spying on the computer, telling the disc jockey, the news around the school? The football match, her going with Carter? Her leaving? The football match, important for Austen, his father’s pressure, his leaving and following Sam? Everybody mocking her at the match?
12. The meeting, the reconciliation? The future? His father coming around?
13. Fiona concealing the letter of acceptance to Princeton? Dominating Sam? The discovery of the will, everybody walking out on Fiona? She and the daughters having to work?
14. 21^st-century happy ever after?

AS THEY MADE US

US, 2022, 100 minutes, Colour.

Dianna Agron, Simon Halberg, Dustin Hoffman, Candice Bergen, Charlie Webber, Justin Chu Carey, Julian Gant.

Directed by Mayim Bialik.

The title comes from the next generation, remembering their parents. This is a story of a Jewish family, written and directed by actress Mayim Bialik (many episodes of The Big Bang Theory). It would be interesting to ask her how much of the film and its screenplay is based on her own family experiences.

The central character is played by Dianna Agron, divorced with children, possibilities for a new relationship, annoyed that her former husband keeps turning up. However, she is also preoccupied with the help or dying father. He is played by Dustin Hoffman nearing his mid-80s (and playing an ailing father in his next film, Sam and Kate). Hoffman gives a bravura performance as a man who is physically ill, trying to cope, remembering his past, to see the son he has not met for 20 years.

His wife is played by Candice Bergen in a fierce and dominating role, intervening all the time, controlling situations, critical of her daughter, wanting the best for her dying husband but forcing him to do what she wants, including a frightening sequence where she forces his birthday cake into his mouth. Simon Halberg appears later in the film as the alienated son.

The film opens with a flashback to the parents bickering in a car, the effect on the children as they grow up, their dependence on each other, the father even being violent, the mother critical – and some indications for “as they made us”.

Audiences may identify with some or many of the characters and the situations.

For a comparison of life within an American Jewish family, the remake of the Israeli film, Shiva, this is Where You Leave Us, is a useful reference.

1. The title, the focus on the children, the impact of the parents?
2. A family story, a Jewish family story? The impact for a Jewish audience? Other audiences? The writer, Jewish, American, drawing on her own experiences?
3. The focus of the present, Eugene and his health, diagnosis, dying, the response of Barbara, Abby and her responsibility, Nathan and his absence?
4. The flashbacks to the past, the opening and the bickering and swearing in the car, the children in the back conversing, the orange shading of the flashbacks? Eugene and his violence towards Abby? The two children relying on each other, Abby not being fed, Nathan combing her hair? Sufficient flashbacks to explain the situation?
5. Dustin Hoffman is Eugene, his character 73, the actor aged 83 at the time? The qualities of his screen presence, age, charm, as husband and his unhappy memories, supported ambitions in art, yet his devotion to Barbara and’s declarations? His sadness at Nathan’s absence? The devotion of Abby, always present, tending to him? His decline in health, her interference, the carers, Aaron and his devotion, Eugene and his falling, Abby help him up, in his chair, then to his bed, the birthday party on the fiasco with the cake, the issue of his smoking pot for many years, the quiet, the sadness and joy in his eyes, Nathan’s visit? The gradual decline and his death?
6. Abby, age, marriage, failure, her sons, Peter and his presence in the house, not removing his goods, the divorce, a year passing? Custody of the children? Her devotion to her father, nagging phone call from her mother, always going to the house, constant in her care, touches, words, journey, the garden, the attraction, talking together, Barbara’s invitation to Jay for the birthday party, his bringing his two mothers and Eugene’s reaction in question? The fiasco of the cake? Contacting Nathan, presented his visit, the photos, showing them to her mother? Her absence for her father’s death? The sadness of the funeral, her mother gossiping and criticising?
7. Barbara, Candice Bergen’s performance, a hard woman, focused on herself, her relationship with her husband, over the years, criticisms, controlling him? Not accepting his illness, interactions with Abby, continually phoning her comments and criticisms, what Abby did, what she wore…? The issue of the drugs, the carers sacked, Eugene smoking pot? Last birthday party, the cake, forcing it into Eugene’s mouth, everybody fleeing the scene? Her presence at Eugene’s confessing his love for her? The funeral, sad, yet criticisms of the family and friends?
8. Nathan, his back story, the impact of his mother, staying away, his career, the arts, persuaded to visit, the impact, the photos? Thanking his father for his influence on his art? Present at the funeral but in the car?
9. The six months later, the impact of the criminal, Abby and her grief, realising that she had been a doormat for everyone, writing the article, on the cover of the Jewish magazine, coping with grief? The invitation to the party, taking the children, Nathan introducing his family? Their walking together – the future?