"Prada" -- a "Best of Everything" for today?

[Auggie27]

Posted: 7/1/06 at 7:49pm

Yeah, there's another thread of positive reactions to the movie, but by younger fans. I'm just curious if anyone else felt transported back to another time, when this subgenre -- the single girl in the big tough city job -- was a staple. The classic, iconic prototypical one of the 50's: THE BEST OF EVERYTHING.

At a key point in the Hathaway/Streep friction, I couldn't help but feel the influential presence of archetypes played by Diane Baker and Joan Crawford. In fact, the Wintour homage that Streep delivers has a great deal of Joan's office monstre sacre about her. It was great to see what used to be called "a woman's picture." They aren't really made anymore.

The audience -- mostly over 50 -- was clearly delighted to be in the company of such glamour pusses. And curiously, the movie is very tame about matters of sex and even language. It's not very naughty by today's standards, which makes it oddly retro.

Updated On: 7/1/06 at 07:49 PM

[javajuly]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 3:28am

I'm looking forward to the film; it sounds good! Thanks for posting
your take on it.

[DG]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 3:31am

Thanks Auggie - I needed a different 'eye' on this.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 8:38am

Streep's performance takes the woman-in-a-man's-job archetype and brings it into the 21st century. In an interview, she said that she based her performance on several male executives she knew, except that she was wearing women's couture.

It's a far cry from Roz Russell and Joan Crawford...

She makes it into an almost-GREAT movie. Definitely one to buy the DVD and watch multiple times.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 8:46am

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING did actually have a screenplay that worked for the length of the film. PRADA, does not.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 10:09am

I love the best of Everything, great movie...haven't seen Prada yet. Steve has the book for the plane