Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#1
Posted: 5/9/11 at 12:30pm
From Playbill:
"I’ve endured Larry Kramer’s outbursts in the past, not wishing to dignify them with a response. But at a time when we are all pulling together to achieve such giant steps toward gay equality, it is anguishing to me to have my devotion to this cause so distorted. I think my efforts for the gay community and my immersion in securing its constitutional entitlement and other equitable rights is quite evident and a matter of record.
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"When I saw the play in 1985 I was very moved and immediately contacted Larry to acquire the rights. I worked for ten years, without pay, trying to get it made. After going through several drafts with Larry, I hired a writer to develop a screenplay that was faithful to Larry’s play, adapting it to make it more cinematic. But Larry refused to accept any revisions and insisted we use his screenplay. I couldn’t get any studio to commit to his version. Many fine actors were ready to commit to our version, but Larry would not allow it.
"When Larry now says I rewrote the script in order to make the woman doctor the star, marginalizing the gay characters, he is rewriting history. My objective was not to be in this movie. I only wanted to direct it and I was willing to play the doctor only if that would help get it made.
"Eventually, when it became clear that we couldn’t raise the money to do it as a film, I thought, all right, we’ll do it on TV. At least it would reach a wide audience. But even HBO would only pay Larry $250,000 for the rights, and he would not let it go forward for anything less than $1,000,000. No studio was willing to move on it, considering the controversial subject matter and the burden of that cost.
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As my producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron can confirm, I thought that if we could get a great cast together, maybe a studio would finally finance it and we could persuade Larry to let us do it. I offered the part of the doctor to Julia Roberts because I thought she would be terrific, and when she turned us down, we approached another actress. I also asked Mark Ruffalo and Bradley Cooper to be in it, and Bradley Cooper immediately said yes to my version of the screenplay.
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"I think it’s unfair to blame me for the movie not getting made. After all, Larry has had the rights for the last 15 years and he couldn’t get it made, either. Those are the facts, and none of this is news to Larry.
"More recently, he sent me a note before giving the project to another director, asking me again if I wanted to direct it—but only with his screenplay. As a filmmaker, I couldn’t have my hands tied like that. What if I needed to make changes? What if I needed to have something rewritten? Sadly, I turned his offer down and wished him well."
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150640-Barbra-Streisand-Issues-Statement-Regarding-Normal-Heart-Film
Joined: 12/31/69
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#2
Posted: 5/9/11 at 1:19pmAre you kidding? Imagine working on a set that would contain both Larry Kramer and Barbra Streisand? She could volunteer on the bomb squad to get a break from the tension.
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#3
Posted: 5/9/11 at 1:42pm
I haven't followed Kramer closely but he seems to be a very intense person. I am not the biggest Streisand fan, especially after her announcement from CA to boycott Colorado after the Amendment 2 vote. She had no clue what was going in Colorado at that time and the Denver gay community was exteremely upset with her.
I would also think that the movie version may not have the impact that the play has because they are looking for a wider audience and may "water it down" a bit. But on the other hand, that's what happens in Hollywood. It seems that if he couldn't get it made when he had the rights, he would try to come to some middle ground to work with Streisand. I believe that her heart was in it to make this movie, especially after her son became positive. Seems like a clash of two very strong personalities that can't work together. That's a shame. Just my random thoughts on the subject.
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#4
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:16pm
Barbra has artistic integrity and I think she is very good at directing stories about complex people, keeping their humanity very well intact. She has standards and likes to advocate for what she believes, so of course she is labeled a bitch.
Larry Kramer seems like a total nightmare from everything I've read and seen about him. Totally stuck and rigid.
Broadway Star Joined: 10/23/04
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#5
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:19pm
Larry Kramer is also an asshole. He may have written a good play and certainly moved the AIDS movement forward by sheer force of will, but he directs his venom at anyone who's standing still long enough to be a target--Elton John, Ryan White's mom...you name it.
I can't IMAGINE these two working together long-term, though I can understand why they connected with each other in the first place.
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#6
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:21pmOk, so that confirms what I thought I heard about Kramer. I didn't "know" enough about him to include it in my post but it seems that from what I read he was a bit of a jerk.
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#7
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:25pm
Cat fight!
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#8
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:28pmtaz, I don't think they would be cuddly kittens! More like tigers!
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#9
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:28pmI can't stand her at all, that is all
Barbra offers a formal response to Larry Kramer#10
Posted: 5/9/11 at 2:43pmHe seems like a nightmare indeed!
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