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Post by Andrea Doria on Dec 17, 2023 23:32:13 GMT
I agree, Topbilled, that Donna Reed, 22 at the time, seemed older than she did three years later in, "It's a Wonderful Life." I had already noticed that her face looked thinner and her cheekbones more prominent that usual. I wonder if she was ill at the time, or just getting over something.
Loved Fading Fast's review.
I had a few really sad moments, like when the newly weds drove by the International Festival and had nothing but nice things to say about the different cultures. How did we ever get so divided and angry with each other?
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Post by topbilled on Dec 18, 2023 0:16:00 GMT
I agree, Topbilled, that Donna Reed, 22 at the time, seemed older than she did three years later in, "It's a Wonderful Life." I had already noticed that her face looked thinner and her cheekbones more prominent that usual. I wonder if she was ill at the time, or just getting over something.
Loved Fading Fast's review.
I had a few really sad moments, like when the newly weds drove by the International Festival and had nothing but nice things to say about the different cultures. How did we ever get so divided and angry with each other? Yeah...our country now has isolated cultural and political pockets...it's more xenophobic and divided. It is sad to realize there is now a lack of American cohesiveness.
One thing I didn't comment on, with regards to Fading Fast's book review is that I didn't consider Darryl Hickman's character to be mentally handicapped in any way. But maybe that's something the book fleshed out more than the movie. In the movie, I thought he was just a nerdy kid that was unpopular with the "cool" kids and in need of a friend, which is how Ulysses fit into his life.
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Post by topbilled on Dec 18, 2023 15:10:03 GMT
What is Saroyan saying?
When I rewatched this film, it had been a long time since I’d originally seen it, maybe ten years. There is a lot to unpack after viewing THE HUMAN COMEDY…it comes across as a simple ode to small town America. The town in the story, Ithaca, is based on William Saroyan’s hometown of Fresno. Not only did he contribute the outline for the movie script, he adapted it into a bestselling novel.
On the IMDb, film reviews can be sorted by users’ ratings. It’s interesting to see how many people have scored this a 5 or less out of 10 and why. Some of the lower rated reviews have been thoughtfully written…and I do think there are valid criticisms about Saroyan’s writing which is at times overly sentimental. However, maybe what some people are watching, or are perceiving while they look at the film, is different than Saroyan’s intent.
One thing to keep in mind while watching: Mickey Rooney’s character Homer Macauley is a stand-in for Saroyan who had worked as a delivery boy for a telegraph company in his youth. This story is set in 1942-1943…but Saroyan, who was born in 1908, was a teen in the early to mid-1920s, which was not during a time of war. Thus, there are considerable liberties taken with the timeline.
Also, James Craig plays the supervisor of the telegraph office, and Saroyan would hold a similar job as a young adult. But while Craig’s character gets married to Marsha Hunt in the film, Saroyan would not be married until the age of 35, the same year this picture was released in theaters.
Saroyan used parts of his life, in a somewhat anachronistic way, to tell a story about how a small California community maintains peace. But since Saroyan didn’t experience WWI as a teen, and the U.S. had just entered WWII in 1942-43, I would say this is more a thesis about loss and the death of loved ones. That can happen in any year, not just a year the country is plunged into war. Reviewers who have watched the picture and rated it poorly may not realize this.
After THE HUMAN COMEDY finished playing, I reflected on the importance of having a hometown and how we do lose things from our youth. Things like a grandparent who passes away, a beloved cat or dog from childhood we have outlived, old school friends we no longer see anymore, etc. Despite these losses, we are comforted to know they still reside in our memories and carry us forward. That’s what Saroyan is saying.
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Post by NoShear on Dec 19, 2023 16:14:10 GMT
Ooh! I just watched the trailer and it looks really good!
Your alter ego looks radiating here, Andrea Doria.
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