YNMS: Ricki & The Flash
Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 7:00AM Before we get to the trailer, quick uncensored thoughts as they come to me regarding the poster and some new images so it's several posts in one after the jump...
Oh, girl. I'm ready! I've been ready.
"why is no one rehd-dee"?
I love women of a certain age in braids. It's so hippie chic.
...actually I love women of all ages in braids. And select men, too.
or at least Cary Fukunaga
For some reason I don't think Miranda Priestley would like this outfit but Andie would. Didn't Andie wear something dark and chainy in The Devil Wears Prada? With smokey eye.
Always Meryl singing. Always The Hours. Always the smokey eye.
Every time that Jonathan Demme makes a movie with a great starring female role, I feel bad that his working relationship with Michelle Pfeiffer -- who he raved and raved about after working with her for Married to the Mob -- didn't extend beyond 1988. He clearly wanted to work with her immediately again but she said "no" to Silence of the Lambs and it appears he never asked again. A part of me can see her in this role.
One thing that's great about Meryl Streep is you get the sense that she doesn't care about "acting her age" so she's kind of perfect casting for this aging female rocker role. The media and public doesn't mind Streep doing crazy "young" things either which is weird because they're so vicious to every other aging female celebrity who risks doing anything youthful. (sigh)
I rode an elevator with Rick Springfield two years ago and I stupidly asked him if he was Rick Springfield even though I knew he was. He was super polite about it but afterwards I felt like such a jerk. I did not ask him about this movie because at the time I didn't know he was making it which was probably for the best.
Is he making obscene dirty dancing moves here or pretending to play guitar for Ricki? Is he "The Flash"? No, not that one.
Do younger readers know who he is? Those of us who lived through the 80s do but I can't keep track of which 80s stars prompt "who?" from millenials and younger. I really can't. Sometimes it totally surprises me who people know and who they don't. Show of hands in the comments please.
[quick IMDb check] Rick Springfield has never been nominated for an Oscar but I wonder if he writes any song for this movie? I think he wrote something for a movie in the 80s once. "Hard to Hold" maybe?
Mamie Gummer was at this party I went to recently and she was tiny, like the skinniest thing. I did not speak with her but I immediately flashed to that awful lizard girl tattoo torture she went through in American Horror Story: Freakshow.
One thing that's weird about casting either of Meryl's actual actress daughters as her daughters in any film is that they look so much like her that it will suddenly be really weird to see anybody else playing her daughters in other films.
Do you think Henry Wolfe, Meryl's musician son, will be weirded out watching her play a rocker? Do you think her kids see her films? (P.S. his music is good.)
This photo. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
OKAY. That trailer. Let's watch!
The way Yes No Maybe So works is self-explanatory. BUT in this case since I'm a big "yes" it's more of a... well, it's a tradition that must be honored.
Yes
• It's great that Meryl sounds a little hoarse and low in these scenes... She's always had a very expressive voice but sometimes its less so when doing contemporary American parts.
• The cast Demme has assembled here is pretty compelling. Audra McDonald - hello!?! Yes please. Though it'll be weird to see her in a music picture and not hear her sing.
• "Mom, you're here. It's like the 80s all over again."
• That leg kick. Oh, Meryl. Never stop being a ham.
No
• Visually it looks kinda blah from these images? Which is... I was hoping for a little more pep from Demme
• If this is going to be all about shaming a career woman and creative personality for not being more traditionally stay-at-home maternal, it's going to be unfortunate and possibly even tremendously obnoxious.
Maybe So
• The trailer is probably trying to be sentimental and crowd-pleasing and heteronormative as possible for maximum box office appeal... but Diablo Cody can deliver a sharp bite with her screenplays and Demme is usually a little more off center. Are they weirdly negating each other? Or is the trailer sanding off their edges that are still in play in the actual movie?
• We're not hearing enough of the music to tell us whether that'll be stirring and a bonus for the movie though Meryl singing usually is.
Mom you're here. It's like the 80s all over again."
If I didn't love Meryl and Audra and Jonathan Demme I might not be excited but I do x 3 so I am. YES.
How about you?
P.S. if you haven't seen it, check out the new Best Actress chart and the first big Best Actress 2015 discussion
Reader Comments (82)
Still the comments magnet.
Not bad for a 65 years old.
Sonja -- yup. she's the #1 comment magnet of anything ever with the exception of the Oscars in general. And since they're kind of the same topic... ;)
I've been cool to this since I first heard about it. I have no issues with her age, or the remainder of the cast (I still have remaits of a crush on Rick (left over from his days on General Hospital). I just hope it has some bite (Cody can be so talented and acutely aware of society.). I find Demme a bit dull.
I feel like it's a sucky trailer, but still YES. It's Meryl as a rocker. It's Meryl and Jonathan Demme. It's Meryl singing. It's a lot of things I love.
I love Mamie Gummer too. Her episodes in The Good Wife are some of my favourites, she's great.
And I like the poster. I just hope it does't mean a lot of women of a certain age trying to pull off leggings and high heeled booties. Mu boss would look at that and say "My body is as good as hers, and we will have to put up with a winter of unfortunate legs.
"Mamie Gummer was at this party I went to recently and she was tiny, like the skinniest thing. I did not speak with her but I immediately flashed to that awful lizard girl tattoo torture she went through in American Horror Story: Freakshow."
HUM, wrong daughter.
Also, NO.
Trailer looks really generic and blah. That's sad since all involved (Cody, Demme, Streep) have done such dynamic work in the past vehicles. All that's impressive here is Mamie Gummer. Could she be looking at a supporting actress nomination? Or rare mother/daughter nominations in the same year? I don't think that's happened since "Rambling Rose" for Laura Dern and Diane Ladd? That would be all sorts of amazeballs! Love that Audra McDonald is playing the stepmother. How progressive just like "Rachel Getting Married" was (Anna Deveare Smith was the stepmother there). I didn't see any of the radiance of that film in this stock trailer that gave far too much material away. But my interest is piqued regardless.
I think this looks pretty good. I can totally buy Meryl Streep as a rocker. Having Rick Springfield and Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic in her band is fucking awesome.
Now where is that Meryl Streep action movie? I've been waiting for that for years man.
It is laughable for anyone to say Streep has no charisma. She is the very definition of charisma.
Movie looks predicable but I will see it because of Streep.
@Steven, watch The River Wild. By 1994 standards, the movie's box office would be considered successful.
Wat!!! M Pfeiffer turned down Silence of the Lambs???!!! Is this tru?? I can totally see her in that role...damn if its true its a shame as she wld have won her long due oscar b4 her semi retirement
She was nom for Love Field the following yr, but we all know that her break-out role is Catwoman that yr...she shld've nom & won for tt iconic role!!
I can u/stand all the resentment towards Meryl having all the (limited) juicy parts for women over 50, but hey she's Queen Meryl, of cos she will alws be the 1st choice of the studio....only when she turns it down, then they will approach the 2nd tier mature actresses: Lange/Weaver/Sarandon/Close/Spacek etc
The trailer doesn't strike me as a Cody/Demme collaboration but more of a popcorn flick. I guess I'll still watch it just to see Meryl rock it out. I think people need to lighten up - she's having fun and not every movie of hers is worth an Oscar nomination. Let's enjoy cheesiness for what it is.
That trailer was awful. Cliche after cliche throughout. Ridiculous. I'm only watching this if the critics come through for Meryl. Otherwise, no sir.
I am a definite yes. You have Demme, Streep and Diablo Cody. Every Streep hater is invariably proven wrong. Can't you be happy that a talented over 40 female gets to headline a movie written by a woman, and they get to have fun? This looks golden and the audience tests are already through the roof. Audra McDonald yes. Mamie throwing Meryl shade yes. $10 million and more for Streep to headline yes.
Claran - the issue is not that the actresses you mention only get the movies Meryl turns down; its more the issue that if Meryl turns a movie down it never gets made.
Interesting that "Academy Award Winning" is attached to the front of Demme's, Cody's and Streep's name, but poor old Kevin Kline isn't even mentioned. Has his name-recognition really sunk that low in the past 25 years?
@Travis C.: I think the only time an old Oscar winner can guarantee that label on a current project is if they're a big or relevant star. Case in point, not once has "American Crime" alluded to the fact that Timothy Hutton is an Oscar winner. The initial promotion was centered in bold letters "FROM THE OSCAR-WINNING WRITER OF 12 YEARS A SLAVE!!!" I don't think they've even mentioned Emmy winner Felicity Huffman. Compare that to major names that are still in the conversation like Streep, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, etc. who always have the title above their name b/c they're constantly in Oscar bait. But one place where they all can be assured that their title will appear though, and that's their obituary. So hold out hope yet, Kevin Kline*! ;-) *great actor, no shade intended*
YES!!!
f**k off people who don't love MERYL STREEP.
Ya'll.... this looks really messy.
Always here for Audra.
Never here for Diablo.
Claran -- it's very true. Demme pursued her for SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. She turned it down because she felt it was too gruesome, the material was just not for her. I don't know if it went out to other stars between her and Foster but she definitely had first dibs.
(which is one reason I wrote that piece on the perpetual rumors that she'd one day star in AHS ... i can't see that happening and I hope it doesn't)
I think people often forget that during the late 80s and early 90s she was hugely in demand. She turned a lot of famous things down like Pretty Woman, Basic Instinct, Bugsy. and dropped out just as often after accepting (she's notoriously skittish about actually taking something and making it).
I worship THELMA & LOUISE and wouldn't change a thing but sometimes it's fun to imagine what it might have been like with Jodie Foster & Michelle Pfeiffer headlining (they were both cast but then dropped out during pre-production). And I didn't know this until just recently and don't know how true it its but some people say she was originally going to be in the Marcia Gay Harden part in Mystic River and changed her mind.
the other thing she turned down that makes me weep inside is DOOR IN THE FLOOR. Not because it was a good movie but because it was an interesting movie and because it would have reunited her with Jeff Bridges and they clearly love each other's company.
I love the title of this picture. It's so reminiscent of trashy seventies and eighties flicks with titles like Mother, Jugs, and Speed; or Chu Chu and the Philly Flash. I imagine that Demme might have made some kind of highly literate post-modern version of the sub-genre.
I'm picturing Streep tapping into Janet McTeer from Tumbleweeds. Streep is so good that I'm positive this movie is going to charm yet another generation..."Huh?! I didn't know she could do that!" She'll gain a new legion of admirers.
The Golden Globes will be important. Is it a comedy with music, or a drama with music? The Fabulous Baker Boys was in the drama category, so who knows about this one. Actresses have a far better chance of getting an Oscar nomination if they had a Golden Globe drama nomination.
I never get the point of wishing so and so had made a film. Pfeiffer has been her own worse enemy career-wise, also Jessica Lange before AHS, so you can't look backwards. I also think people take it for granted that Streep is a great performer. There is no way that Pfeiffer or Lange would learn to play a guitar and be comfortable or convincing on stage singing live and playing a rock star. They are great in their own ways, but Streep is the unique one who has the most talent (comedy, drama, musical) and shockingly has outlasted them all as the one huge female movie star from the last century.
I read somewhere that Jodie Foster lobbied hard to get the Clarice Starling role.
MN -- (sigh) other actresses besides Streep surprise people with 'i didn't know she could do that' all the time. The only actors whose range we know are the ones who get lots of rangey opportunities like Streep and Blanchett and maybe Chastain already.
I love Streep but she is *not* the only actor who goes above and beyond at learning about her role and training to be convincing, nor the only female celebrity of a certain age to keep pushing herself (Madonna took voice lessons and learned guitar long after superstardom hit when you can coast if you want to). Jane Fonda said as earlier as two years ago that she was planning to go back to acting class (don't know if she did).
The point is there is no need to denigrate other actresses just because you love Streep. A lot of celebrities work just as hard as Streep at doing their best work. And I'm guessing there are several stars Streep's age that could convince as a rock star if they were given the studio's blessing to headline.
To nat
Who? To your last comment
Nathaniel: I meant in no way to denigrate those women, because as I mentioned, I think they are great. I just don't believe that there are many women (or men) who can do what Streep does. If other actors were as luminous, popular or talented, they would also have vehicles created for them, or casting agents or directors would regularly seek them out and cast them, because they would bring money into the studios. Show business success is half good fortune and half hard work, but I don't buy the theory that casting Streep means that other actors suffer, or that X would have done as great a job and would have become a bigger star. Usually actors have a good 5 year run, run out of steam, and when they try to come back, the magic is gone. That is the nature of show biz for most. I am all for Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock becoming bigger stars in their 50's, because it would be positive and refreshing.
Nat, I also don't think Meryl is THE absolut best actress ever. There's no such thing as that.
Meryl always said once she was getting 40, she should retire, because no one would give her work anymore. That was 25 years ago and she's still on top. Simply admirable.
Meryl's not dumb, she knows about her status, she even herself calls her overrated. Nevertheless she is happy she still gets good roles and has supported a foundation for female screenwriters over 40. Her name simply is attatched to 3 Oscars and 19 noms. Deserved or not, that's just the fact. Studios hire her for exactly that, because she is mostly getting awards attention, if even more or less the sole nomination, but all in all in more than 35 years it only happened 4 times out of 19. Yes, even Music of the Heart had an Original Song nomination.
And while I don't think she's getting nominated for Ricki and the Flash.... to dismiss a WHOLE movie just because of a TRAILER is simply.... foolish. No, it's simply f*cking stupid. Not just in this case, but in general. I mean really? REALLY???
^^^ People dismiss movies every day based over shitty trailers like this one. Useless Streep trolls such as yourself wouldn't understand that, but it is a reality judging by the overall reaction to the trailer here and in other outlets. Such is life.
there seems to be this weird thread developing in this comment thread suggesting I have dismissed the trailer. If people actually read the post they would know that I said mostly positive things and am Ivery excited about the movie, since i love all three talents involved (Streep, Demme, and Cody)
Nat, I know you did.
It was dedicated for people like the poster above you.
A lot of good movies have not so good trailers. A lot of bad movies have good trailers.
Gone Girl had a good trailer, but for me it simply was a not good movie. My personal opinion.
And for a 65 years old actress I'm quite proud to be a "troll".
Oh my word. I'm so excited. I'm not usually a fan of Meryl's singing but this sounded great. And with Audra, I'm a million percent "yes."
One thing: they pretty much spoiled the movie, yes?
To Nat ..
you don't have an answer to my question just above here???
I felt your article was actually very positive on the movie!!!!