Post by greyrider on Jun 3, 2008 19:34:47 GMT -4
Response to Ready? OK!
Spoilers Included
Viewed Sunday, June 1, 2008 in Fort Worth, Texas at the Rose Marine Theatre during QCinema’s 10th Annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Before I become too involved in my own review of Ready? OK!, I should note that I’m a writer who has no background in stage or film, so I am not always sure where to properly place credit for the mental and emotional responses I have to different scenes in films. If you have some background or ideas on these areas, please educate me. I have viewed the film once and don’t have a copy to rescreen scene-by-scene, so I’m going off memory and notes for this review.
Story
Screenwriter and director James Vasquez created an entertaining and humorous film about a single mother’s response to her son’s interest in cheerleading and early indications that he may be homosexual, while facing her own issues and fears of abandonment through a chaotic life where she’s always barely hanging on.
I considered doing a scene-by-scene review of Ready? OK!, but I resisted the urge. I did find each scene important and valuable to the film, and I wouldn’t have cut a single part from it. I did comment on several scenes throughout this review, and in this section I gave some detail about the opening and closing of the film.
The opening sets up a nice juxtaposition between the sport of cheering and the sport of wrestling. Josh Dowd’s first scene begins with a sweet smile as he faces off with his opponent on a fourth grade wrestling team, outing him immediately as the boy who doesn’t belong in such a potentially vicious sport.
The film ends on a note of change. Andy Dowd is finally supporting her son as the first major change in her life. The viewer can tell she’s going to move in a more thought-out, positive direction instead of a life based off gut-reactions to unnamed but always present fears. Josh closed his experience with the Catholic school by handing in all his books and being marked clear on Sister’s Vivian’s checklist, possibly a symbolic representation of her own function in life, while exuberant Josh rattles on about his upcoming school. He hugs the sister in the end, noting that she finally said “yes” to him about something, a poignant moment of acceptance and sweetness in the face of repression.
Writing
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing in this film. A few of the lines stuck out for me, but I haven’t seen the film enough times to really comment on the “voice” of each character in any detail. I did find a few scenes too “telling” and thought the same ideas could have been given to the audience without the dialogue, however, I’m a person who would nitpick Shakespeare, so don’t take my thoughts as condemning criticism.
Photography/Filming
I noticed some of the angles of the camera in the film. Most of the time, these didn’t stand out, but in two scenes, I was struck by the way the angles affected the viewing experience.
The first scene was when “Andy Dowd” is getting ready for work and confirming an appointment for an interview for her job. The angle of the camera somehow adds to the disorganization of the character by creating the illusion that the character is cornered in her own kitchen.
The second scene where the camera angles noticeably affected my viewing experience came when “Josh Down” was washing his uncle’s car for cheer camp money. The angles reminded me of a home movie instead of a big screen production, and drove home the point that this story was a story that could happen in any neighborhood, to any family. I felt the angles and cuts helped make a connection with the audience.
Music
Music usually affects me on a subliminal level in films – I don’t tend to notice the music exists until my tenth or more viewing. In Ready? OK!, two pieces of music caught my attention – the first piece in Michael Emerson’s scene with John G. Preston where the two discuss a record that was skipping when Emerson’s character walks in the front door. That song was gorgeous – no idea what it was. The second came during the credits at the end of the film (“I like to play with dolls”?), and I really enjoyed the attitude of that song. The song felt like a perfect closing to such and enjoyable and brave film that forces a mother to face that not all issues are her own.
Acting
Lurie Poston played character “Josh Dowd,” the energetic and forward-thinking young boy who wants to be a cheerleader. James Vasquez gave Poston scripted cheers but let him work out the different moves and scansion of the cheers for the scenes. This kid was terrific. His character was more mature than one I would expect for that age, but Poston pulled it off well. His enthusiasm comes through his character, and he plays Josh as such a sweet, forgiving boy, who a little lost in his own identity but knows what he likes want has the determination to follow his dreams. I’m not sure how much of my reaction to this character came from excellent writing and how much came from the acting, but I enjoyed both.
John G. Preston played character “Alex Dowd,” the transient brother/uncle who has no place or ambition in life. John Preston’s interaction with his real life sister, Carrie Preston, felt very real. He played the out of work, deadbeat who is doing the best he can very well. John Preston shined most in his scene with “Josh” because he managed to play his role as less mature than his character’s nephew. Also, his dance scenes with the sign for his job were lots of fun.
Carrie Preston played character “Andy Dowd,” an over-caffeinated single mother whose life is one of barely functional chaos as she runs from one professional demand to another. Preston shined most in her confessional scene where she breaks down and espouses on the problems in her life. Although the dialogue was too much telling for my taste, Preston did a wonderful job of bringing life to the lines and making me believe her character was having this epiphany. Her facial expressions and physical movements made this scene moving and allowed the viewer to connect with her character’s point of view because the viewer could see the pain her character was experiencing.
Preston did a wonderful job in all her scenes. I found her character believable and didn’t have any moments where I was taken out of the film by anything about the acting. I think one of her greatest assets is her facial expressions – she can say a lot with a look. Also, she’s a terrific hugger. Some people just can’t give good hugs, but she’s not one of those.
Another scene Preston shined in what the interview for a new job. Her tone of voice showed an interesting depiction of a nervous woman who is unsure what she has to offer but is also desperate for the job and badly pretending to be something she is not. All nuances came across through Preston’s skill, and I really felt for her character. The dialogue supported her or she supported it – I’m not sure – but both dialogue and actor worked well together in this scene.
Michael Emerson played character “Charlie New,” the nice guy next door/fairy godfather. As usual, Emerson was fantastic.
Emerson’s first scene is walking in on John G. Preston amid a sea of paper boats in the living room. Emerson plays awkwardly meeting a stranger in his neighbor’s house very well. He moves from surprise, to curiosity, to distraction (by the lovely music on the record player) with ease. Although his lines peg his character as a gay man, he doesn’t play the role in an over-the-top way, and I enjoyed the subtleness of the scene. At the end, he gets pushy about taking “Alex’s” pants to sew up with just enough pauses and looks between the two actors to give the audience time to laugh at the situational humor.
Emerson had only one scene where I felt he was holding back, and that scene was when he’s altering a wedding dress on Carrie Preston. She’s awkwardly coming to some realizations, and he’s telling her not to move and keeps sticking her with a pin. The scene had a lot of comic potential and was also a growing moment for Preston’s character, but it was subdued – very sweet and they were good together, but it just felt like he was holding back something. The end of the scene, where “Charlie” confronts “Andy” about “Josh’s” self-discovery is powerful and moving, but something about the timing of the earlier bits in that scene didn’t work for me.
Emerson had many nice scenes in this film, but I think the cheer was funniest one. Again, I don’t want to reveal all of the good scenes. Just go buy the DVD when it comes out.
The Q&A after the Film
I didn’t ask any questions, although I could easily think of many. Because this forum is specifically for Michael Emerson, I’ll just post the comments about him.
James Vasquez described Emerson as “one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and one of the smartest guys you’ll ever meet.” Vasquez noted that Emerson enjoys reading Greek Anthologies and can quote large parts of them after reading them.
The first scene shot for this film was Emerson’s scene with John G. Preston and the paper boats. Vasquez said that they spent the most time on this scene because the cast and crew were just getting to know each other and find a rhythm and because Emerson kept asking to reshoot the scene because he was still playing “Ben Linus” instead of the film’s fairy godfather.
Meeting Screenwriter and Director James Vasquez
The people who ran the festival herded everyone back to the lobby after the film so they could do sound checks and set up for the next film. I hung around behind some ladies who were speaking with James Vasquez and waited for a chance to meet him. I’m lousy at conversation in person, so I don’t think I said much more than my name, that I’m on the MEFB, and that I enjoyed the film. Vasquez was incredibly nice, and he spoke highly of working with Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson, mentioning that Emerson had to redo his cheer scene several times because he has no rhythm and kept forgetting the lines. That sounded pretty adorable to me – nice to know professionals have some natural awkwardness to them too. My husband requested outtakes from that for the DVD along with any others that were available, and I heartily second that request.
Spoilers Included
Viewed Sunday, June 1, 2008 in Fort Worth, Texas at the Rose Marine Theatre during QCinema’s 10th Annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Before I become too involved in my own review of Ready? OK!, I should note that I’m a writer who has no background in stage or film, so I am not always sure where to properly place credit for the mental and emotional responses I have to different scenes in films. If you have some background or ideas on these areas, please educate me. I have viewed the film once and don’t have a copy to rescreen scene-by-scene, so I’m going off memory and notes for this review.
Story
Screenwriter and director James Vasquez created an entertaining and humorous film about a single mother’s response to her son’s interest in cheerleading and early indications that he may be homosexual, while facing her own issues and fears of abandonment through a chaotic life where she’s always barely hanging on.
I considered doing a scene-by-scene review of Ready? OK!, but I resisted the urge. I did find each scene important and valuable to the film, and I wouldn’t have cut a single part from it. I did comment on several scenes throughout this review, and in this section I gave some detail about the opening and closing of the film.
The opening sets up a nice juxtaposition between the sport of cheering and the sport of wrestling. Josh Dowd’s first scene begins with a sweet smile as he faces off with his opponent on a fourth grade wrestling team, outing him immediately as the boy who doesn’t belong in such a potentially vicious sport.
The film ends on a note of change. Andy Dowd is finally supporting her son as the first major change in her life. The viewer can tell she’s going to move in a more thought-out, positive direction instead of a life based off gut-reactions to unnamed but always present fears. Josh closed his experience with the Catholic school by handing in all his books and being marked clear on Sister’s Vivian’s checklist, possibly a symbolic representation of her own function in life, while exuberant Josh rattles on about his upcoming school. He hugs the sister in the end, noting that she finally said “yes” to him about something, a poignant moment of acceptance and sweetness in the face of repression.
Writing
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing in this film. A few of the lines stuck out for me, but I haven’t seen the film enough times to really comment on the “voice” of each character in any detail. I did find a few scenes too “telling” and thought the same ideas could have been given to the audience without the dialogue, however, I’m a person who would nitpick Shakespeare, so don’t take my thoughts as condemning criticism.
Photography/Filming
I noticed some of the angles of the camera in the film. Most of the time, these didn’t stand out, but in two scenes, I was struck by the way the angles affected the viewing experience.
The first scene was when “Andy Dowd” is getting ready for work and confirming an appointment for an interview for her job. The angle of the camera somehow adds to the disorganization of the character by creating the illusion that the character is cornered in her own kitchen.
The second scene where the camera angles noticeably affected my viewing experience came when “Josh Down” was washing his uncle’s car for cheer camp money. The angles reminded me of a home movie instead of a big screen production, and drove home the point that this story was a story that could happen in any neighborhood, to any family. I felt the angles and cuts helped make a connection with the audience.
Music
Music usually affects me on a subliminal level in films – I don’t tend to notice the music exists until my tenth or more viewing. In Ready? OK!, two pieces of music caught my attention – the first piece in Michael Emerson’s scene with John G. Preston where the two discuss a record that was skipping when Emerson’s character walks in the front door. That song was gorgeous – no idea what it was. The second came during the credits at the end of the film (“I like to play with dolls”?), and I really enjoyed the attitude of that song. The song felt like a perfect closing to such and enjoyable and brave film that forces a mother to face that not all issues are her own.
Acting
Lurie Poston played character “Josh Dowd,” the energetic and forward-thinking young boy who wants to be a cheerleader. James Vasquez gave Poston scripted cheers but let him work out the different moves and scansion of the cheers for the scenes. This kid was terrific. His character was more mature than one I would expect for that age, but Poston pulled it off well. His enthusiasm comes through his character, and he plays Josh as such a sweet, forgiving boy, who a little lost in his own identity but knows what he likes want has the determination to follow his dreams. I’m not sure how much of my reaction to this character came from excellent writing and how much came from the acting, but I enjoyed both.
John G. Preston played character “Alex Dowd,” the transient brother/uncle who has no place or ambition in life. John Preston’s interaction with his real life sister, Carrie Preston, felt very real. He played the out of work, deadbeat who is doing the best he can very well. John Preston shined most in his scene with “Josh” because he managed to play his role as less mature than his character’s nephew. Also, his dance scenes with the sign for his job were lots of fun.
Carrie Preston played character “Andy Dowd,” an over-caffeinated single mother whose life is one of barely functional chaos as she runs from one professional demand to another. Preston shined most in her confessional scene where she breaks down and espouses on the problems in her life. Although the dialogue was too much telling for my taste, Preston did a wonderful job of bringing life to the lines and making me believe her character was having this epiphany. Her facial expressions and physical movements made this scene moving and allowed the viewer to connect with her character’s point of view because the viewer could see the pain her character was experiencing.
Preston did a wonderful job in all her scenes. I found her character believable and didn’t have any moments where I was taken out of the film by anything about the acting. I think one of her greatest assets is her facial expressions – she can say a lot with a look. Also, she’s a terrific hugger. Some people just can’t give good hugs, but she’s not one of those.
Another scene Preston shined in what the interview for a new job. Her tone of voice showed an interesting depiction of a nervous woman who is unsure what she has to offer but is also desperate for the job and badly pretending to be something she is not. All nuances came across through Preston’s skill, and I really felt for her character. The dialogue supported her or she supported it – I’m not sure – but both dialogue and actor worked well together in this scene.
Michael Emerson played character “Charlie New,” the nice guy next door/fairy godfather. As usual, Emerson was fantastic.
Emerson’s first scene is walking in on John G. Preston amid a sea of paper boats in the living room. Emerson plays awkwardly meeting a stranger in his neighbor’s house very well. He moves from surprise, to curiosity, to distraction (by the lovely music on the record player) with ease. Although his lines peg his character as a gay man, he doesn’t play the role in an over-the-top way, and I enjoyed the subtleness of the scene. At the end, he gets pushy about taking “Alex’s” pants to sew up with just enough pauses and looks between the two actors to give the audience time to laugh at the situational humor.
Emerson had only one scene where I felt he was holding back, and that scene was when he’s altering a wedding dress on Carrie Preston. She’s awkwardly coming to some realizations, and he’s telling her not to move and keeps sticking her with a pin. The scene had a lot of comic potential and was also a growing moment for Preston’s character, but it was subdued – very sweet and they were good together, but it just felt like he was holding back something. The end of the scene, where “Charlie” confronts “Andy” about “Josh’s” self-discovery is powerful and moving, but something about the timing of the earlier bits in that scene didn’t work for me.
Emerson had many nice scenes in this film, but I think the cheer was funniest one. Again, I don’t want to reveal all of the good scenes. Just go buy the DVD when it comes out.
The Q&A after the Film
I didn’t ask any questions, although I could easily think of many. Because this forum is specifically for Michael Emerson, I’ll just post the comments about him.
James Vasquez described Emerson as “one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and one of the smartest guys you’ll ever meet.” Vasquez noted that Emerson enjoys reading Greek Anthologies and can quote large parts of them after reading them.
The first scene shot for this film was Emerson’s scene with John G. Preston and the paper boats. Vasquez said that they spent the most time on this scene because the cast and crew were just getting to know each other and find a rhythm and because Emerson kept asking to reshoot the scene because he was still playing “Ben Linus” instead of the film’s fairy godfather.
Meeting Screenwriter and Director James Vasquez
The people who ran the festival herded everyone back to the lobby after the film so they could do sound checks and set up for the next film. I hung around behind some ladies who were speaking with James Vasquez and waited for a chance to meet him. I’m lousy at conversation in person, so I don’t think I said much more than my name, that I’m on the MEFB, and that I enjoyed the film. Vasquez was incredibly nice, and he spoke highly of working with Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson, mentioning that Emerson had to redo his cheer scene several times because he has no rhythm and kept forgetting the lines. That sounded pretty adorable to me – nice to know professionals have some natural awkwardness to them too. My husband requested outtakes from that for the DVD along with any others that were available, and I heartily second that request.
