Score One for Dennis Quaid

[NickNack]

I've always liked Dennis Quaid as an actor and next week he'll be on 'my side of the fence'. Mr. Quaid has taken the role of a closeted gay husband in Far From Heaven, a film directed by Todd Haynes. His wife is being played by Julianne Moore and his love interest is Jonathan Walker. (Uh, Mr. Marky "Hollywood" deFad, who is Jonathan Walker? 8) ) I smiled when I read the following excerpt from a TV Guide interview:

Recalling that same-sex kiss, Quaid says directorial intervention was needed to help the actors balance lusty abandon with tender romance. At first, he laughs, "we both went at each other like a couple of linebackers. Then, Todd had to stop us and say, 'Hey, it's a '50s screen kiss!' He would catch us when we'd go astray."

Sounds like Quaid had no trouble smooching a guy on-camera, unlike other macho actors who let image-consciousness get in the way. "Well, I didn't get [aroused by] it", he jokes, "but after I got over the razor burn in take three, it was just fine. It was just another scene."

It's always nice to find out that an actor you considered pretty damn good, as well as a bit of a hunk :D , also has a brain.

[paul]

I guess after the wife dumped him, Mr Quaid just doesn't give a shit about macho stereotypes.

[SandraDee]

What a pity its Dennis Quaid. There are so many actors who I lust after & would like to see snogging another bloke, but Mr.Quaid's never done anything 4 me I'm afraid. Why cant it be Russell Crowe or Denzil Washington?

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

What a pity its Dennis Quaid.

As Dennis' "wife" said in his last movie, The Rookie, "A girl could do worse." :)

Why cant it be Russell Crowe or Denzil Washington?

Can't speak for Denzel but Russell's already done his bit for gay snogging (love that word!) quite a few years ago. I guess "Once is Never Enough" doesn't apply here. But, we can always hope. :D

[markydefad]

There's great buzz on this "Far From Heaven" film. It is an homage to the 1950's women's pictures directed by Douglas Sirk( "Magnificent Obsession", "Imitation Of Life", "Written On The Wind", etc.) that were lavishly produced by old queen Ross Hunter for Universal. The stills from the new film show all the women coiffed to death and in those tight -waisted full skirts worn by the likes of Lana Turner and Jane Wyman in the 50's flicks. In other words, a delight for the kitsch queens.

Todd Haynes, the director, is openly gay...so it will be interesting to see what he will show that was previously just subtext in the Sirk/Hunter films made in the repressed and sexually up-tight 1950's.

Haynes previously worked with Julianne Moore in "Safe" and wrote this film with her in mind when he moved to Portland, Oregon a while ago. Moore insisted that her character should be blonde in homage to Lana and Doris Day--so she wore blonde wigs.

Quaid is a pretty versatile actor I think. He has or had a killer body in his prime...I'd guess he still looks pretty good. I've always wondered if his brother Randy resented that Dennis got the good looks in that family. I've also wondered how much the Gibb twins Robin & Maurice resented their better looking brothers Barry and Andy. I'm just wondering!!!!

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by markydefad

There's great buzz on this "Far From Heaven" film.

Uh... Yooo-hooo? No info on Mr. Walker? Is he new to the scene?

Quaid is a pretty versatile actor I think. He has or had a killer body in his prime...I'd guess he still looks pretty good.

Hell, yes --- he most definitely does! :D

[sfbeary]

i just saw an advance screening of *far from heaven*.


amazing.


it *R*E*A*L*L*Y* captures the mood of '50s melodramas, particularly the "women's pictures" of douglas sirk, and is in part a remake of his '55 film *all that heaven allows*. if you can see that (the criterion dvd is stunning), you're likely to enjoy *far from heaven* even more.


todd haynes is a knockout director - *safe*, *velvet goldmind* (about the david bowie/glitter era), *poison*, and his legendary *the karen carpenter story*, enacted exclusively by barbie dolls and prohibited from distribution by richard carpenter and a&m records (i'm sure mattel wasn't thrilled either!). plus haynes himself is a really nice guy - i hope someday he'll do a disco film!

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by sfbeary

i just saw an advance screening of *far from heaven*.


amazing.


it *R*E*A*L*L*Y* captures the mood of '50s melodramas, particularly the "women's pictures" of douglas sirk, and is in part a remake of his '55 film *all that heaven allows*. if you can see that (the criterion dvd is stunning), you're likely to enjoy *far from heaven* even more.

I'm glad you're giving a good review. I'm looking forward to seeing it... and not just for Mr. Quaid. Those 50's melodramas were awesome. I remember my lover giving me a strange look when I bought The Women on VHS way back when. I told him --- I like this shit --- these women are deadly! :lol:

A friend turned me on to All That Heaven Allows during a long party weekend. In between work-and-play, he put this on during the afternoon. I was floored. Didn't know or care if Rock was gay or straight. The movie was brilliant.

[markydefad]

The reviews for "Far From Heaven" have been almost uniformly good--some have quibbled that it's just an exercise in style with no real substance. Others claim it is brilliant.

The interesting thing to me is that the leading man in nearly all of the Ross Hunter/Douglas Sirk/ Universal "women's pictures" of the 1950's was closeted gay actor, Rock Hudson playing a hunky, lusty heterosexual, usually romancing leading ladies older than he. Here the leading man, Dennis Quaid is a heterosexual actor playing a closeted gay man, who gets sexually involved with at least one man in the course of the film. I've heard it's a hot & heavy scene in a motel room.

Nicky, I don't know who Jonathan Walker is. I was thinking the guy from "The Fast and the Furious"...but that's Paul Walker....so I guess we better go to imdb.com???!!!

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by markydefad

Nicky, I don't know who Jonathan Walker is. I was thinking the guy from "The Fast and the Furious"...but that's Paul Walker....so I guess we better go to imdb.com???!!!

Thanks. I did take a look on AMG or something. The only other credit I found was a voice-over for one of the recent animations (Monsters, Inc., or something like that). Guess I'll have to wait and see...