Thursday, November 12, 2009

An actor? No. A writer...

Entertainment Weekly asks if readers have ever felt "betrayed" by an actor (and their choice of role). I don't think I have. Because even the most brilliant actor can only go where the story takes them; they're usually not in control of that (and usually shouldn't be).

For example, that movie with Kevin Kline as Cole Porter sucked, but that wasn't his fault.

I may sometimes have felt saddened to learn that an actor whose work I enjoy believes some things that I think are really fucking stupid, but betrayed? No.

I didn't even feel betrayed by the Tennessee cast of The Girl in the Boat. True, some of them acted liked divas, but...they're actors. The director is another story. And not just a director of my work.

(Although some directors--Brian De Palma--can't betray me because I'll never trust them)

Natalie Portman is annoying, but George Lucas betrayed me with (most of) the Star Wars prequels, she didn't.

Writers is another story. There I think I could say I've felt betrayed, most especially in television.

I've felt betrayed by the Buffy and Angel writers, as I came to believe that for all their nice talk about feminism, they had no idea how to write a strong woman out of the series without killing her. And because of their insensitive handling of fans who were truly upset at the loss of one of those women.

The later, post-Sorkin seasons of The West Wing might've seemed like a betrayal, but that's why I stopped watching after he left.

Last year's season finale of Bones felt like a betrayal (actually, if felt like an hour-long "Fuck you!" to fans); again, that's why I stopped watching.

Jersey Girl and Clerks II are betrayals, not just of me as an audience member but of the promise of Kevin Smith's talent.

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