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Who thought this was a good idea? Gwyneth needs to stick with comedy-light (i.e. Shallow Hal, Tannenbaums, etc.) She can’t act for crap. And could they at least have lessened the insult by dying her hair something OTHER than blond?
ADDED BY SUZERO: Here are some photos of the real Plath.
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marisa (44 posts)Lives happily in upstate Manhattan with a small dog and an amazing woman who weirdly doesn't watch movies very often. (I guess you can't have perfection.)
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Which film is she playing (Sylvia?) Plath in? A camera-operator friend of mine told me that she is absolute hell on the set to work with.
Comment by suzero — Tue August 19, 2003 @ 21:37She should stick with costume-drama
Comment by reisneus — Tue August 19, 2003 @ 22:23Erm while the name does ring a bell… can anyone fill me in on Sylvia Plath? Who is she?
Comment by punkmachine — Wed August 20, 2003 @ 11:46Same here, and what movie are we talking about?
Comment by weefselkweekje — Wed August 20, 2003 @ 13:33based on what I know, so correct me if I’m wrong:
Sylvia Plath is a wonderful and very talented poet and writer who dies from suicide in 1963. She is also known for her (in)famous marriage to British Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes. Their emotionally-abusive marriage (and Ted’s affair with Assia Wevill) said to be the cause of her suicide, although Sylvia herself has experienced numerous breakdowns and depressions thas was captured perfectly, hauntingly, and beautifully in ‘The Bell Jar’, her only novel and a semi-autobiography.
For years, she has had some fascination with death and suicide but that she really end her life in that way really surprise me. Only 2 weeks after the publication of ‘The Bell Jar’ she killed herself. It’s just so tragic, because reading the last part of the book, the main character turns into something she is not in the whole book, someone who’s finally able to hope again. It is written so convincingly that when I read it, I believe there is hope for Sylvia too. Sadly, that is not the reality. Other works by Sylvia Plath includes: ‘Ariel’, ‘Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams’, ‘Collected Poems’, and ‘The Journals of Sylvia Plath’.
The movie itself is called “Sylvia”. And yes, I also think that it is insulting for Sylvia Plath to have Gwyneth play her. Even just looking at the pictures of Sylvia, you can tell that she has talent and intelligence, while Gwyneth….
Comment by isyana — Wed August 20, 2003 @ 14:59Yes it is Sylvia Plath I was ranting about and I’m not even sure what the title of the movie will be. I saw “Sylvia” on several web sites … but I also have heard “Sylvia and Ted” being bandied about.
The insulting thing about Gwyneth (besides her total lack of acting ability) is that Sylvia was an strong intelligent woman who felt completely trapped by that 1950’s ideal of what women should be. Mothers, wives, insipid, cookie cutter women with the same hairstyle, lifestyle and limited career options. Everything Gwyneth is, Sylvia was striving NOT to be.
Comment by marisa — Wed August 20, 2003 @ 15:39Plath sound a little like the three main characters in The Hours mixed together…
Thanks for your explanation Isyana, us men are no longer in the dark
Comment by weefselkweekje — Wed August 20, 2003 @ 16:56Huh? I like Gwyneth Paltrow.
Comment by pip — Wed August 20, 2003 @ 23:05Come on Pip are you throwing around some flamebait or what? Liking Gwyneth Paltrow is like saying you appreciate the intellectual efforts of TellSell
Comment by punkmachine — Thu August 21, 2003 @ 10:08No punkmachine. I really do. I particularly liked her in Sliding Doors.
Comment by pip — Thu August 21, 2003 @ 11:59Seriously, she’s good at portraying high-strung victorian types. She did ‘Emma’ pretty well. Looked like she was playing herself.
Comment by reisneus — Thu August 21, 2003 @ 12:22i didn’t see Sliding Doors, but there is nothing i have EVER seen her in that would make me want to try and give her another chance.
I swear she is the blandest blond on the market right now. Just so boring, she fades right into the background for me.
Comment by marisa — Thu August 21, 2003 @ 22:13For me the blandest blond on the market right now is Rene Zellweger…
Comment by pip — Fri August 22, 2003 @ 1:36You’ve got a point there
Comment by reisneus — Fri August 22, 2003 @ 11:26here’s a link to an article in The Guardian written by John Brownlow (the scriptwriter) on making Sylvia:
http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1027004,00.html
very elaborative although I must admit, it gives me a bit of doubt about how the movie would turn out.
Comment by isyana — Fri August 22, 2003 @ 11:51MARISA, MARISA…. GIVE THE GIRL A CHANCE (NOT THAT SHE NEEDS ONE WITH DADDY A HIGH-HANDED PRODUCER); HOWEVER, YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT AN OSCAR (WELL-DESERVED) FOR NICOLE KIDMAN IN THE HOURS. SOMEDAY, IF SHE TAKES ELOCUTION AND RIDS HERSELF OF THE PERPETUAL WHINY, NASAL TONALITY, SHE MIGHT JUST SURPRISE YOU!!!
Comment by TRACY — Mon August 25, 2003 @ 17:48Tracy, thanks for posting comments on Choking on Popcorn, but could you keep your voice down a bit and use lowercase type?
Comment by weefselkweekje — Mon August 25, 2003 @ 18:52i like gwyneth 2. no-one seen great expectations?
Comment by square eyes — Fri September 19, 2003 @ 19:01Yep. I saw Great Expectations.
And she fulfilled them…
Comment by pip — Fri September 19, 2003 @ 22:59The only reason you all despise Gwyneth Paltrow so much is because you are probably all ultra-sensitive, doggy, striving-to-be-artistic types. What actresses DO you like? And way to cut and paste that description of Sylvia Plath and her work and pass it off as your own writing. I’m sick of pseudopoets trying to claim Sylvia as their own; it’s insulting to her legacy. Yeah, she was a tortured genius, but let’s try to remember that the woman was deeply flawed, okay? At any rate, Gwyneth Paltrow is gorgeous. She dresses well. She is blond. Get the hell over it. And given the fact that she has been awarded an Oscar, her skills as a thespian are probably pretty tightly-honed, too. Would you approve of GP more in this writerly role if she uglified herself, a la Nicole Kidman? This is just a case of girls being jealous and catty, if you ask me.
Comment by EAP — Sat September 20, 2003 @ 18:15Gwyneth is a thespian? Cool…
Comment by pip — Sat September 20, 2003 @ 18:45gwyneth will be perfect for this role. i’ve seen all of her films and she is a proven actress. sliding doors, great expectations, the talented mr. ripley and shakespeare in love. she nailed all of them.
i can’t think of anyone else that would be more perfect. she even LOOKS like slyvia plath!!
Comment by helen — Tue September 23, 2003 @ 18:15Because you wrote that, Helen, I went looking for photos of Plath and by golly you are right! They do look quite alike and there are pictures of Plath as both a blonde and brunette. Hmmm…. should we be giving Gwyneth a chance here?
I have added the photos to the original review above as it is not possible to paste pics in comments. Sorry Marisa for butting in
Comment by suzero — Wed September 24, 2003 @ 9:33someone like christina ricci would have been a much better choice. or perhaps winona ryder…just someone with a little bit of darkness or depth to their personality.
Comment by amy — Sat September 27, 2003 @ 18:07NO! I TAKE THAT BACK – maggie gyllenhaal (the girl in Secretary) would have made the PERFECT sylvia plath.
Comment by amy — Sat September 27, 2003 @ 18:18Hey, I like Sylvia Plath! Yeah, I know, she killed herself, so what? Yep, she had electroshock therepy, who cares? She was still a great author and poet. And Gwyneth does NOT look like her!
Comment by bbygurl — Wed October 8, 2003 @ 0:02i say give gwyneth a chance. she’s made some bombs but she has pulled a few roles off quite nicely. and while she may not look exactly like sylvia plath, i agree that she would be equally berated for “uglifying” herself as someone put it, as she was for her comments about wearing a fat suit during the making of shallow hal. cinematic portrayals almost Always employ a far better looking actor than the person being betrayed; it’s just the status quo. i kind of like when otherwise marginally known poets/writers/artists get attention by the mainstream, even if it only because a big hollywood actress plays the role. sure lots of people have heard of plath, but few could name even one poem by her. i say be grateful…
Comment by tlm — Thu October 9, 2003 @ 2:56‘i can’t think of anyone else that would be more perfect. she even LOOKS like slyvia plath!!’
oh well she LOOKS like her so that makes her perfect for the part?!
yeah gwyneth is great at the warm fuzzy romantic comedies, but the thought of her playing someone with as much talent and depth as plath makes me want to vomit.
there is nothing to be grateful for by hollywood making this awful film. who cares if plath gets attention? her poetry will always be remembered with or with out making it to the big screen.
and it’s just disrespectful to continue making this film that plaths family disliked enough to refuse the use of her poems. plath’s daughter even published poems to register her disgust.
this film will not make plath wider known as a poem, it is just gossip about her life.
Comment by amy — Thu October 9, 2003 @ 12:27just to note that i’m the amy who posted above, not the amy who posted earlier about the girl in secretary
Comment by Anonymous — Thu October 9, 2003 @ 19:01just to note that i’m the amy who posted above, not the amy who posted earlier about the girl in secretary
Comment by amy — Thu October 9, 2003 @ 19:01I can’t believe what I’m reading! What a bunch of jealous b**ches!!! All of you who wrote negative comments about GP must know her personally to make such personal comments about her! Grow up! You remind me of Star Trek weirdo’s debating whether or not Leonard Nemoy should play Spock in the next movie!
Comment by MITZI — Tue October 21, 2003 @ 0:46You all act like you knew Sylvia personally!
So, give GP a chance and shut up already!
I saw “Sylvia” for myself just yesterday afternoon. I don’t want to try to sound like I know SP personally or all of her writings (though I have read just about everything including her published journals, various biographies, etc…I do have a pretty good background), but the script for the film seemed to miss or skip over a lot of major events and details. I suppose it would be impossible to make a film with every little bit of her life and marriage included. As far as GP is concerned, I actually thought she did a brilliant job. I was a bit hesitant going in knowing that GP would be playing SP. But she really was good and I wouldn’t be too surprised if she was recognized in the Oscars or Golden Globes. It’s refreshing to see Sylvia portrayed as a regular woman, mother, and wife; instead of as a possessive, jealous lunatic.
Comment by TJ — Mon October 27, 2003 @ 2:24Hey Mitzi, since when do we need to know actors personally to comment on their performances or the miscasting of them in roles?
And for the record, yeah, I’m certainly jealous of Gwyneth’s salary, but not her acting ability or public image.
So, rather than attack me personally as a b*tch, how about mentioning what you think makes her worthy of all your love and admiration?
Comment by marisa — Mon October 27, 2003 @ 15:35What happened to the rumor Paltrow was going to play Camilla in the movie version of The Secret History, with her brother directing?
Comment by Arjan — Thu October 30, 2003 @ 16:41who else could play plath though? i dont exaclty want to see paltrow playing the part, but theres little choice these days of great actresses and just because paltrow has won an oscar doesnt automatically equate her with good acting. id like to see someone who could bring a degree of depth to the part and not just someone who thinks it will be a good move into more “artsitic” films.
Comment by rhianne — Mon December 1, 2003 @ 18:28The girl who played in Secretary? COME ON! That movie blew by the way. Perhaps we should just be happy that a favorite poet of ours is having a movie made about her life. It’s exciting and I, for one, was thrilled when I heard the news. Who gives a shit if GP plays Slyvia or not? I actually like GP and maybe this is a chance to prove herself a worthy actress. What is she pulls it off?
Comment by Meagan — Sat December 6, 2003 @ 6:02Marisa, are you 16, tell me you’re not older than 18 because you’re take on things is familiar. You’ve expressed a viewpoint that I and many of my friends shared when we were first recognizing the voices of women. We tended to oversimplify everything however, and we had a lot of development ahead. You never stop. I would say live your life and fall in and out of love, keep dreaming and testing out your own voice. You’ll understand what I mean in 10 years.
Comment by Jessica — Wed March 10, 2004 @ 7:46Let’s have another blokes comment shall we?
Gwyneth Paltrow – good actress. Shakespeare in Love – great film. Great Expectations – good film. Sliding Doors – entertaining enough.
If you don’t like her as an actress, I suppose that’s fair enough. Personally I think she’s rather good. I’ll reserve my hatred for Freddie Prince Jr or whatever he’s called.
Comment by damian — Wed March 10, 2004 @ 13:25look gweneth is an excellent actress and will do a great job playing the role. i used to be a hater but when i saw her most recent roles, she got my 4 and a half stars!
Comment by Autumn — Fri March 26, 2004 @ 16:26nuff said
Comment by Autumn — Fri March 26, 2004 @ 16:28i think Daniel Craig as Ted is the one to complain about.
Comment by Styra — Sat April 24, 2004 @ 8:10I was also hesitant to watch the film, being a fan of Plath’s work, and I dare say inspired by her haunting personality and life, knowing that Paltrow would be playing Plath. I was astonished when the film not only met my expectations, but surpassed them. Paltrow, despite all her flaws, did a beautiful job in capturing Plath, her virtues, her flaws, her mental state, her haunting presence, and her poetry. The film’s score is absolutely delightful, and lingers with you, well on past the end of the film. It’s a heartbreaking and haunting tale, and while the main focus was on the relationship between Plath and Hughes, leaving several biographical gaps in the development of Plath, it should be looked at as one piece of the puzzle. A chapter, or cornerstone of Plath herself.
Comment by Chloe — Sun April 2, 2006 @ 10:35“Remember, the cornerstone of sci-fi is aliens”
I disagree strongly. The cornerstone of “good” science fiction is how humans respond to aliens. It’s not about them; it’s about *us*.
Comment by Tom in Cala Dor Palma de Mallorca — Sun October 1, 2006 @ 13:08In this, SF has a spiritual affinity with fantasy. Fantasy *can* be about elves and demons and magical artifcats, but at it’s best, it’s about
people and what how they respond to moral, emotional, and physical crises. The Hero’s Journey is not about Grendel or Exacalibur. It’s
about the adminrable qualities that make humans humans.
Gwen who?
Comment by kettle — Fri November 10, 2006 @ 8:00