Wednesday, June 15, 2005

“I said those things, I did those things. I can live with that.”

The Movie: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, 2004 (Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, screenwriters; Wes Anderson, dir.)
Who says it: Bill Murray as oceanographer Steve Zissou
The context: Steve has just read the first draft of a cover story about him by Jane Winslett-Richardson that portrayed him as “a bit of a blowhard, a bit of a prick,” but he’s not angry.
How to use it: To accept your shadow and move on.

Thanks to Chris Bea for this line -- he did not recommend it specifically, but his strong endorsement of the movie made me boost it to the top of my Netflix list, and I'm glad I did. This movie got some vicious reviews, but all I can say is that those critics obviously did not get it.

A startling sight on this morning's walk: a single white dove, among a bunch of gray ones. It sent a chill down my spine, though I couldn't say why. Aren't white doves supposed to be good omens?

This morning I'm headed back down to Portland, for a breakfast meeting and then for John Connolly's luncheon talk at the Portland Public Library. The weather is so bizarre here that I figure a 50% chance of an ice storm along the way.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I went to see it with some trepidation as the magazines seemed to be in full fledged Wes Anderson backlash mode but ended up enjoying it tremendously.

The thing is, Anderson isn't afraid of a long pause which I think makes modern movie critics a little nervous.

I don't know if you take suggestions from the ether, but if you're ever at a loss for a quote, might I suggest:

Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.

One of my favorite lines from Donnie Darko.

Ellen Clair Lamb said...

That is a great quote, and I've been looking for one from "Donnie Darko" -- thanks!