Monday, February 28, 2005

“And what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palookaville.”

The Movie: On the Waterfront, 1954 (Budd Schulberg, screenwriter, based on articles by Malcolm Johnson; Elia Kazan, dir.)
Who says it: Marlon Brando as dockworker and ex-boxer Terry Malloy
The context: Terry reproaches his brother for persuading him to take a dive against a fighter who went on to success.
How to use it: To regret the road not taken, or whine about a missed opportunity.

This isn't the most famous line from the movie, but I'll get to that one between now and the end of July, I'm sure.

Yeah, I watched the Oscars last night. And I thought Chris Rock was pretty funny. I felt homesick for Los Angeles for the first time since I've left; the usual suspects were gathering at my cousins Sheila and Greg's, and I miss them.

I still haven't seen Million Dollar Baby -- I know, but it's showing in Waterville and I haven't had a car. But I was glad to see the screenwriting awards for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and especially for Sideways, which ought to be taught in classes from now on as an example of how you turn a hateful book into a loving movie. (Short answer: Virginia Madsen's monologue about pinot noir, which appears nowhere in the book.)

This afternoon I'm flying back to Maine, hoping to beat the snow. Then I'll be homesick for Mom and Dad, but that's another post for another day.

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