Foul Play (MQW).

On Monday Alex J. Cavanaugh gave me, and a few others, an award.  I think that I thanked him adequately enough, but maybe not.  If not, I just want to take a moment to say that I truly do appreciate his thinking of me when he was passing out the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.  Quite frankly, I am not sure what he found so inspiring in this little arena of the blogosphere, but I am NOT going to quibble.  I am simply thankful that there is something to find!

As many of you know, Alex also hosts Movie Quote Wednesday.  Last week I did a big ol' spread on When Harry Met Sally for Romantic Comedies.  It turns out that Alex wasn't ready for the event, but I was, and so I just went with it.  Well... Alex caught up to me this week, so everyone else is posting movie quotes from their favorite Romantic Comedy today.  Turns out I can go again.

"I'm sorry. You're right. That was a stupid, glib, chauvinist remark and I apologize. It *is* your ass they're after, and it's my job to see to it that... I get there first."  ~Tony Carlson, Foul Play 

Foul Play: the first Goldie Hawn/Chevy Chase pairing in a romantic comedy with suspense served up on the side.  The supporting cast was outstanding.  It included Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy, and Dudley Moore.  Foul Play marked Dudley Moore's transition from television to movies.  Even though his role was very "supporting," he was outstanding in every way.  I think this movie really launched his career.  This film also solidified Goldie and Chevy as the acting goldmines that they are.  They are just funny people.  The same is true for Burgess Meredith.  Of course, by this time his place as an acting icon was already assured.

Naturally I trolled YouTube in an attempt to put on this blog "the best" scene from the movie.  And my problem lies in the fact that the entire movie is FANTASTIC.  All of the scenes are great.

This scene with Dudley Moore is hilarious.  If you haven't seen the movie (you really need to get it on Netflix, buy it somewhere, or just watch it on YouTube), Goldie has just foiled some potential kidnappers, and is on the run.  She picks up Stanley (Moore) in a bar.  She is just looking for a safe haven.  But they are totally on different pages about what will happen after they leave the bar.  Hilarious.  Whenever I hear the song Stayin' Alive I think of this scene.


This scene with Burgess Meredith is another favorite.  Honestly, I don't know who is my favorite person to watch: the fighters or Goldie and Chevy watching the fighters.  And that, my peeps, is great acting.  If you are more interesting sitting there doing nothing but WATCHING and still stealing the scene... you are freakin' awesome.  Although, Burgess Meredith rocks, too.  But no one is boring in this one!!!


This might be my favorite scene of the entire movie. Some call it the Infamous San Francisco Car Ride in Foul Play.  My favorite thing is Goldie's expressions...  That and the various passengers, particularly the Japanese couple.  *Kojak.  Bang. Bang.*  Whenever I need a good laugh, I just watch this movie.  By the time I am done with this scene, my sides hurt.


The great thing about Foul Play is that even with all of these "extras," I know I missed tons of great scenes from this movie.  What is your favorite scene in Foul Play?  Do you have a favorite quote from this movie?  Or maybe another movie?  What is your all-time favorite Romantic Comedy Movie Quote?  


image found on www.weheartit.com

Hooked On A Feeling (MQW).

Normally, Alex J. Cavanaugh hosts Movie Quote Wednesday today.  In fact, the designated theme for this week: Romantic Comedy.  This was supposed to go off last week (I think it was intended to coincide with V-Day), but Alex was so log-jammed that it didn't happen.  Ironically, the poor guy had so many things on his plate this week that Movie Quote Wednesday came and went and totally missed his blog.  However, I have been putting in BRAIN TIME trying to come up with something for this event, so I am still playing.

"All I'm saying is that somewhere out there is the man you are supposed to marry. And if you don't get him first, somebody else will, and you'll have to spend the rest of your life knowing that somebody else is married to your husband."            ~Marie, When Harry Met Sally 

This Rob Reiner movie is funny, but it also taps into every single person's greatest fear: staying single forever.  In fact, this line is coming directly from that place of fear.  Isn't that every person's nightmare?  Meeting someone, thinking he might be the one, and then having him marry someone else because you didn't act quickly enough?  Or be good enough, right enough, or just enough?  Whatever that is?  

I honestly had a difficult time choosing a Best Line from this movie.  The writers Spread the Dialogue Love around.  Oftentimes, the writers fall in love with one character and give that character all the Best Lines.  Not in this film.  Everyone got The Love.  Here's another Beauty:

"Right now everything is great, everyone is happy, everyone is in love and that is wonderful. But you gotta know that sooner or later you're gonna be screaming at each other about who's gonna get this dish. This eight dollar dish will cost you a thousand dollars in phone calls to the legal firm of That's Mine, This Is Yours."                                   ~Harry, When Harry Met Sally 

Billy Crystal is fabulous in this, if for no other reason than he is an unlikely leading man in a Romantic Comedy.  He is not particularly good looking.  But, he is funny as all get out.  He is horribly un-PC in this movie.  And he has just stated out loud THE PROBLEM in most relationships that no one wants to say out loud.  People get married because they are hooked on a feeling, and when the feeling goes away, they end up in Divorce Court.  So, you better label your stuff and be prepared to spend thousands over an eight dollar dish.  Why?  Because you RUSHED INTO MARRIAGE YOU IDIOTS.  But, you're my friends so I can't call you an idiot, per se, so I am telling you to label your books, so you will know how to divvy them up later...


One of the best things about this movie is that these two characters, Harry and Sally, actually become good friends in this movie.  Ironically, they do this in spite of the fact that Harry states at the beginning of the movie that "men and women can't be friends."  It turns out that he is wrong about that.  They continue to meet up over the years, and after Harry goes through a very painful divorce and Sally is dumped by her long-time boyfriend, they do, in fact, become friends.  At that point, they have no interest in a relationship.  They just want to put themselves back together, and they discover that they genuinely like one another.  Of course, the best "relationships" are grounded in friendship, as they will ultimately discover.  But, then anyone who sees the movie knows this... and anyone who hasn't should know it is coming.  It is a Romantic Comedy.

I think this is one of the Best Dialogues of the Movie:

Harry Burns: There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance.   
Sally Albright: Which one am I?
Harry Burns: You're the worst kind; you're high maintenance but you think you're low maintenance.  
Sally Albright: I don't see that.  
Harry Burns: You don't see that? Waiter, I'll begin with a house salad, but I don't want the regular dressing. I'll have the balsamic vinegar and oil, but on the side. And then the salmon with the mustard sauce, but I want the mustard sauce on the side. "On the side" is a very big thing for you. 
Sally Albright: Well, I just want it the way I want it.  
Harry Burns: I know; high maintenance.

I think that this conversation might have been the invention of the High Maintenance-Low Maintenance "thing."  In fact, it is terminology that I don't hear much anymore.  Frankly, I don't think that there is anything wrong with being High Maintenance.  Sally is right: she wants it the way she wants it.  However, Harry is right, too.  She is the worst kind for not recognizing that she is High Maintenance.  The great thing is that he feels perfectly free to call her out on it.  That is being a good friend.

Another sign that they are moving into the best friend zone, which is the perfect place to launch a relationship from if both people are so inclined... You feel free to show true, genuine emotion in front of that person.  In other words, you can "ugly cry" in front of them.   Let's take a look:







"Yeah, but he was too old to pick them up."  Hahahahaha.  This scene reminds me of why I like this movie so much.  Loving someone is about more than falling in love with them.  It is actually loving them.  Those are two very different things.  Good to know.

image found at www.weheartit.com