The scourge of Shannen Doherty (9/1/99)
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The Muse. [Albert Brooks, 1999.]
Energized by baffled desperation after receiving the cryptic intelligence from his producer, his agent, etc. that he has somehow Lost His Edge, screenwriter Brooks lurches wildly about Hollywood seeking the appropriate whetstone; finding it, finally, through the offices of his friend and fellow writer Jeff Bridges, who confesses the font of his own inspiration to be the mysterious dingbat Sharon Stone — a woman who, indeed, between midnight phone calls for takeout and randomly targeted shopping expeditions does seem to dispense advice to an impressive lineup of insiders, including Rob Reiner, Martin Scorsese, and James Cameron. Gaining access to her mythic presence, Brooks does in due course succeed in bringing his project [a Carrey vehicle simultaneously derivative of
Fierce Creatures and
Free Willy] home to conclusion and resuscitating his career, though not without unforeseen consequence and a variety of comic incident. — It would be unfair to suggest that Brooks’ own wit stands in need of honing, though this story doesn’t seem his best: there are moments of startling hilarity — Cameron’s cameo in particular is priceless — and the casting of Stone, who exhibits a vivid comic presence, was certainly inspired. — And is the moral, finally, a deliberate echo of Freud’s observation about the paradox of the artist? — Perhaps Brooks might have done better, but you could certainly do much worse. — With Andie McDowell as the Cookie Maven.
____________A romance of Semi-Happy Valley (8/27/99)
