Getting Back Into It
I know, I know...I'm a bad blogger. I'm sure I've lost many faithful readers due to my entry irregularity. But in fairness to me, there has been little to write about (except for my excitement about Justin). It's getting colder here in the T-Dot, and constantly threatening to dump the first fury of snow making this time my least favourite of the year. I really should find out if it's in human nature to hibernate - like bears - because that's all I want to do these days!
Did you know that it took Emilio Estevez 6 years to write the highly anticipated film "Bobby"?
Yes, that's a long time to write a film. Although I've never attempted to write a film, so I'm just assuming that it's a long time.
Because I've been hibernating, I've caught Emilio on some of the American talk shows while he's been doing what Hollywood insiders call, "the circuit". You know, being a guest on a show to shamelessly plug your upcoming cinematic acheivement. Even the actors who do films like "Snow Dogs 3" get to be on talk shows. No wonder everyone's an actor these days! I want to be on Ellen too! Anyway, I pretty much know the whole story of the birth of Emilio Estevez's "Bobby". And now I'm going to pass that story onto you so you too can appear smart while discussing the film with family and friends after seeing it.
Emilio Estevez is the son of acclaimed actor Martin Sheen and the brother of Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen. He took his mothers maiden name when he decided to become an actor because he didn't want to be compared to his father or given special treatment...even though I'm sure that at every failed audition in the beginning of his career he most likely dropped that information like a bomb just to be given a second chance. Hell, if I had a famous film star as a parent I'd put it in bold capital letters at the top of my resume...and even under my headshot. It'd say, "ROBERT REDFORD'S DAUGHTER" right below my smiling, angelic face.
You know you'd do the same.
Okay, so Emilio had some success in the 80's and the early 90's, with hits like "The Breakfast Club", "St. Elmo's Fire", "Young Guns", and my personal favourites, "Men at Work" and "The Mighty Ducks" trilogy. After the success of "D3", he sort of fizzled out and fell under the Hollywood radar for many years. I sometimes expected him to show up on programs like Hollywood Squares or The Surreal Life. Much to my surprise, he managed to stay low. That is, until the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, where he showed up to premiere his master creation, "Bobby".
He told the press how he's always wanted to write a film about the day Bobby Kennedy was shot, because he believed taht the world would be a different place had he not been gunned down that fateful day in 1968. Emilio felt that America can be better than it is today, and had Bobby lived and gone on to become President, who knows how great American could be now. He then went on to say that he just didn't know how he was going to present the story. He had typed up 30 pages, but had no real direction. Emilio had writers block so bad that it was paralyzing.
Emilio's father and brother were starting to get worried about him; they could hear the frustration in his voice when they spoke to him over the phone. So, Martin dispatched Charlie to Emilio's house to check up on him. When Charlie arrived, he asked Emilio to show him what he had done so far. Emilio fetched the 30 pages from his office and handed them to his brother. Without even looking down at the pages in his hand, Charlie proceeded to rip them to shreds. He then turned to his devastated brother and said, "Go and write the story of Bobby Kennedy. And don't come back until you do."
With that, Emilio was off. He drove up to Obispo Beach, California to get some rest before he started again. He was looking for inspiration, something to give him the direction the film needed. But where would he find it? The answer came when he stopped in a diner off the freeway. He was approached by an older woman who recognized him. She innocently asked him what he was doing in Obispo, so far away from Hollywood and the glamorous lifestyle that a former brat-packer was surely used to. Emilio said to her, "I'm writing a film about the day that Senator Bobby Kennedy was shot".
The lady looked Emilio in the eyes and said, "Oh my god...I was there."
And so was the birth of "Bobby".
Emilio was so appreciative of having met this woman that he based a character in his movie on her.
And that character is played by Lindsay Lohan.
Amen.
I'm actually very excited to see "Bobby". Other films I'm excited to see:
"Stranger than Fiction"
"Casino Royale"
"The Holiday"
"Little Children"
"The Queen"
"The Nativity Story"
"Venus"
Those are in no particular order. SOme of you may be wondering why I didn't put "Borat" on that list. This is because I've already seen it. It was very funny.
Another movie I always get excited to see this time of year is "A Christmas Story". It's one of my all time favourite holiday classics! I grew up, year after year, waching Ralphie's heartache as he longed for the Red Rider BB Gun. I've recently met a few people who have never seen this film, which to those who watch it religiously this time of year would be shocked to hear!
But for those of you who know it and love it, please enjoy the picture below.
Happy Impending Holidays, everyone!
