Monday, February 9, 2009

I Think John Cusack is Filming My Life

I know it's because he chooses interesting projects, but the last couple films I've seen him in, he's portrayed widowed men dealing with fatherhood.

I had Martian Child on in the background while I ate lunch and did some work today. I intend to sit down and watch again with TFMD and/or the kids. It's a good film, and a character I identify with -- even more so than the character he played in Grace Is Gone. In this case, he plays a widower who was once an outcast child and now makes his living in escapist entertainment, trying to raise a child who is "different" while trying to maintain a career and beginning to find a romantic connection again.

Sound familiar?

I'm going to check my office for any hidden cameras.

9 comments:

Sandi said...

I like John Cusack. I do not however think I saw those movies. I don't know if I'd want to...quite yet.

TD said...

They are not always easy to watch. I kind of have to brace myself anytime I watch a film with themes of spouse/partner loss.

Both Grace Is Gone and Martian Child are worth seeing. Martian Child is very uplifting overall.

Anonymous said...

I loved martian child. I could totally relate. If my son was interested in the fact that he is from mars, which he is not. :)

Anonymous said...

OH! And I love John Cusack and his movies. Except the record store one..don't know why, but couldn't get into it.

TD said...

The "record store one" was High Fidelity. I liked it as a romantic comedy vehicle for Cusack, but it wasn't a good adaptation of the book.

Anonymous said...

I loved The Martian Child. My son Trevor has Asperger's Syndrome and when he was small...yeah, we dealt with our own set of "oddities".
Overall, I don't think there's much out there that involves John Cusack that I DON'T like. He's one of my favorites.
---Nix

Hanineal said...

I too loved the Martian Child.

My only problem with it is that they changed the father in the original autobiographical book from a gay man to a widower.

It made the film more commercially viable but changed the focus from that of two "alien" members of society finding happiness & love with each other.

TD said...

Interesting that they changed the character from gay to a widower, and *that* made it commercially viable.

From my perspective as a widower, aside from the general sympathy vote, I think the line in the movie is right on, about how widowers aren't even on the totem pole - they're in the dirt *under* the totem pole. We're seen as damaged goods. Heck, we even have our own actuary tables for insurance.

Not that I would trade places with any of my gay friends, seeing the discrimination they face on a daily basis. I guess it's pretty much an apples to oranges comparison.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, I had forgotten the name of the movie and was too lazy too google it, apparently. :)

That just frustrates me, no end, that they changed the character from a gay dad. Because as EVERYONE knows, gay men cannot be good dads. *goes to email hers*