Not a visual person and all too willing to lose myself in whatever movie I’m watching, at one point in my life having a daughter-as-set-designer changed how I see a film. Sitting in a movie theater I remind myself: “Someone’s daughter made a zillion decisions about what I see right now.” (Yes. I always think daughter. That’s what I do.) “So I better pay attention.” And I do.
So, recently, finding myself completely swept up in “The Post,” I coached myself again. And, oh my! Because what I saw was “The Female Gaze.” Written by Liz Hannah, this movie has women’s fingerprints all over it! Watch the trailer; pay attention to where the camera is, where Meryl Streep is positioned, what colors she wears, the pictures of her family in the background as she argues with Tom Hanks. The camera LOVES her! But, more important, wants us to walk in her pointed-toe pumps as she enters smoke-filled rooms filled with men. Did I love, love, love that the movie’s climax is announced by a women reporter? You betcha!
Sure, it’s a Hollywood movie; sure it’s cornball Capra-esque. Isn’t that why we go to movies? To experience multi-sense entertainment that will provide what we crave: romance, shoot-em-up, fantasy, or in the case of “The Post,” a period piece—oh, to hear Walter Cronkite’s voice again!—celebrating what’s best about this currently bedraggled and riven country.
That’s what I needed. That’s what I got—and, thank you, Liz Hannah—the unexpected joy to see what can happen when a gifted, young woman writes a screenplay!
Dear Patricia,
Well, hello, there, Patricia, and greetings and salutations to you and to you AND FOR VERY ESPECIALLY FOR YOU FOR ALWAYS, my awesomely precious and dearly special soul sistahfriend Christian Quaker woman who you’re FOR ALWAYS so, so very much!!!!! Sistah, I wonder what’s wrong? I’ve been trying to add to my comment on the previous blog post article but it won’t go through but I won’t give up and I’ll keep trying, my precious sistah-it won’t let my longer comments go through so hopefully it’ll work at a later date and I hope this comment here goes through. This happened a long time ago when my longer comments wouldn’t go through and then eventually the longer comments started to go through again. Sistahfriend, what a beautiful, brilliantly beautiful and empowering blog post article which you have masterfully composed here with such the very stroke of genius, Patricia!!!!! WOW!!!!! I just so love how you share and declare here how at one point you beloved daughter was a set designer and how that inspired you to pay more attention to the finer details and nuances of films!!!! Wow, this is just awesome, Patricia!!!!! I love how you say daughter whenever you see new movies when you think of the set designers for those movies as someone’s daughter-WOW, I love how you do this here, my sistah and friend, Patricia, and we have to claim Women Power!!!!! Girl Power!!!!! at all times!!!!! 🙂 <3 WOW, I just so love how you've as usual as always once again featured and included some marvelous links with this very powerful blog post article here, my so, so very right on, wondrously wonderful soul sistahfriend white woman, Patricia!!!!! 🙂 <3 WOW, you've made such very salient points here!!!!! Our talented and gifted actress, Meryl Streep, is just amazing!!!!! I love this trailer so much!!!!! She is a woman of keen pulchritude both as an actress and also in real life. In this trailer her bearing and demeanor are awe-inspiring as she does to perfection portrays her character with such dignity. I love how her character stands her ground as a strong white woman with all of those white men which appears to me like the good ol' boys club!!!!!! Sister, I feel such a delicious feeling of satisfaction from all of this as I see our Meryl Streep both in her magnificent acting and in life resisting, persisting, and interrupting and fighting with all of us as her sisters in our vast and strong sisterhood together as women and sisters, Patricia!!!!! 🙂 <3 Patricia, you're brilliantly outstanding blog post article leaves me feeling exhilarated ready to continue suiting up and showing up willing, wanting, and able to show up for duty in continuing to resist, persist, and resist as a woman and sister!!!!!! 🙂 <3 I am just completely empowered here by your very emboldening and encouraging blog post article here!!!!! All of the great points and observations you've made like about our Meryl Streep and her acting and with all of your other sharp observations full of such clarity I can see as well!!!!! Sistahfriend, I'm going to wrap up my comment because I'm afraid it won't go through? Help if you're able?
I thank-YOU and Spirit continually FOR YOU and FOR YOUR VERY PRESENCE IN MY VERY LIFE, Patricia! 🙂 YAY for YOU, Patricia!!!!<3 YAY for our very sisterhood and friendship, Patricia!!!!! WOW!!!!! YAY!!!!! YAY YAY YAYYAY!!!!!! 🙂 <3 Spirit so, so very much loves and cherishes YOU A WHOLE LOT, Patricia, AND SO DO I A WHOLE LOT AND A WHOLE BUNCH, TOO!!!!! 🙂 <3
Very Warmly and Sincerely FOR ALWAYS, my awesomely special and dearly precious soul sistahfriend Christian Quaker white woman who you're FOR ALWAYS so, so very much, Patricia, sisterfriend of mine, with My and Spirit's VERY PEACE AND LOVE FOR YOU FOR ALWAYS, sister of mine, and with SUCH BLESSINGS AND SUCH VERY EVEN MORE BLESSINGS FOR YOU FOR ALWAYS, friend of mine, 🙂 <3
YOURS FOR ALWAYS soul sistahfriend Christian black woman AND FOR ALWAYS IN THE VERY GREAT SPIRIT OF UNITY AND SOLIDARITY, Sherry Gordon in Iowa City, Iowa
Go New England Patriots and may they be onward to victory today in the Super Bowl, my absolutely FANTASTIC, precious sistah and friend, Patricia!!!!!! I’m rooting for them from me here in my beloved Iowa City, Iowa, Patricia, my friend!!!!!! 🙂 <3
I, too, think Liz Hannah is absolutely BRILLIANT with such the very stroke of genius, Patricia, and I think YOU ARE, too, my absolutely OUTSTANDING and ASTOUNDING sistah and friend! 🙂 <3
Title and picture are perfect, my wonderful sistah and friend, Patricia! 🙂 <3
WOW, I love the FEMALE GAZE!!!! Very vitally urgent, important, and necessary for all of us as women and girls, sistahfriend Patricia! 🙂 <3