This was a lovely set of peeks into the relationship between Alexander Scott and the man who means the most to him in the world.
Each scene plays beautifully off its inspiring episode, and each scene is insightful and moving, with a great ear for the Jazz of Culp and Cosby's dialogue.
A truly wonderful achievement.
From: allthinky Date: 06/22/2010
Well, I can't see how to reply to comments other than making a new one.
Sorry about the crying, honestly. I couldn't help feeling the subtext about Culp's death as I wrote Kelly making light of the inevitability of his own ... and, yeah. I won't be getting over that any time soon.
From: Sarah Date: 06/22/2010
Will you stop making me cry, woman!
"Listen, pal, I never claimed to be saving the world or nothing. When I die by the sword, about four people are going to get a little misty about the eyes and say to themselves 'Now then, we have lost one of the all time great globe-trotting, pistol-packing, heavy-drinking playboy spies. Bring on the next guy.' And that'll be that."
Scotty found himself smiling gently as Kelly rolled his eyes, heightening the effect of his self-deprecating tone, but then his eyes narrowed and his gaze turned grimly serious.
"But you, man," and he pointed his cigarette at Scotty as if it were a maestro's baton, "one of these days the absurdity of all of this is going to stop giving you those polite little taps on the shoulder and smack you right in the mouth. Now, I wouldn't flatter myself to think you owe me anything, but I would ask that - when that inevitable day comes -- you won't just head off into the sunset, nattering about stickball and Chinese dialects, or clam up tight the way you do. I would take it as a personal favor, from you to me, if you could just - however it seems appropriate - just give me a little clue when the going gets good."
I mean, this sobbing out loud is getting old in a hurry.
there is so much I want to tell you about this vignette, and I'm too gutted to say it. Things about how their dialogue rings true and...
No actually, I'm going ot go off and have a good cry, and come back later.
From: Sarah Date: 06/21/2010
"It was just as well that they weren't looking each other in the eye. Listening to Kelly's self-loathing was hard enough; he had no desire to see that look in his eye - the excruciating doubt that anyone else could find value in a man who saw his own failings so clearly."
I was a little embarrassed to say this in public, but you ought to know - this line - I was just watching 'Home to Judgment' and your image, that evoked that expression - your Scotty is right, that look is the most painful thing ever - anyway, I'm just reading this line and literally sobbing out loud. You put it so well: "the excruciating doubt that anyone else could find value in a man who saw his own failings so clearly." There's a little bit of Kelly in me, and so I feel you really hit the nail on the head with that line - he sees himself as terribly flawed, unworthy of affection, so how can Scotty, how can anyone else ever have affection for him that isn't based on pity or self-interest?
"Scotty reckoned he had about one chance to head off the evening of drinking, brawling, and other self-destructive behaviors that even now Kelly was no doubt envisioning."
And bless him, Scotty is wonderful, and practical, and you have his PoV so tight and well-done, and the 'no doubt' is perfect here.
I will comment more, I promise: their banter, their turn of phrase, is TO DIE FOR AND THEN BE RESURRECTED AND DIE AGAIN. Truth.
You're AMAZING. I mean, WOW.
From: Sarah Date: 06/21/2010
"It was just as well that they weren't looking each other in the eye. Listening to Kelly's self-loathing was hard enough; he had no desire to see that look in his eye - the excruciating doubt that anyone else could find value in a man who saw his own failings so clearly."
I was a little embarrassed to say this in public, but you ought to know - this line - I was just watching 'Home to Judgment' and your image, that evoked that expression - your Scotty is right, that look is the most painful thing ever - anyway, I'm just reading this line and literally sobbing out loud. You put it so well: "the excruciating doubt that anyone else could find value in a man who saw his own failings so clearly." There's a little bit of Kelly in me, and so I feel you really hit the nail on the head with that line - he sees himself as terribly flawed, unworthy of affection, so how can Scotty, how can anyone else ever have affection for him that isn't based on pity or self-interest?
"Scotty reckoned he had about one chance to head off the evening of drinking, brawling, and other self-destructive behaviors that even now Kelly was no doubt envisioning."
And bless him, Scotty is wonderful, and practical, and you have his PoV so tight and well-done, and the 'no doubt' is perfect here.
I will comment more, I promise: their banter, their turn of phrase, is TO DIE FOR AND THEN BE RESURRECTED AND DIE AGAIN. Truth.
