Thursday, July 07, 2005

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

The Movie: Poltergeist, 1982 (Steven Spielberg, Mark Grais, and Mark Victor, screenwriters; Tobe Hooper, dir.)
Who says it: Dominique Dunne, as Dana, oldest daughter of the Freeling family
The context: Dana comes home from a date to find her house under siege by forces from another world. This line is a shriek of pure anguish.
How to use it: When you can’t absorb something terrible.

I was going to use "They're heeere..." today, but this line feels more appropriate this morning -- because Ed McBain has died, and terrorists have shut London down.

The sky over Gardiner is a dark, heavy gray, and that feels like more than a pathetic fallacy. I feel sick and sad, and can't think of anything to say.

1 comment:

Anna said...

I never realized that Dana was played by Dominick Dunne's daughter. Her life had its own tragic ending. Bad day all around.