Thursday Movie Picks: Movies Starring Real Life Couples
1) A Quiet Place
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt play a couple here when they're together in real life as well. They have a lot of chemistry together, even though Blunt out acts him at every turn.
2) Ruby Sparks
Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan are another couple that are still going strong. She wrote this film, and they've since written other things together, including one of my recent favorites, Wildlife. I love this couple.
3) Edward Scissorhands
Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were together while making this beautifully bizarre film. Now she's got her gig on Stranger Things and he's probably off on a bender somewhere.
We share A Quiet Place! I haven't seen Edward Scissorhands in a while but I like it. I haven't seen the other but I've been meaning to watch it as I am a fan of Dano and I loved Wildlife.
ReplyDeleteRuby Sparks is super cute, i hope you like it!
DeleteBlunt is so lucky you could literally sense how much he loves her in that movie, every shot framed her like some incredible angel
ReplyDeleteOh for sure. You can tell how great their relationship is when they're together.
DeleteI love Edward Sccissorhands! Such a sweet but weird film back when Depp challenged himself. Dianne Weist is perfection as it Vincent Price in his small role.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen A Quiet Place but plan to but I flat out LOATHED Ruby Sparks. I hated everything about it.
When I started I didn't realize how many choices I'd find! I ended up refining mine into a theme within the theme-married couples (at the time) in Shakespeare comedies-and even there ended up with four.
The Boys from Syracuse (1940)-In the town of Ephesus in ancient Asia Minor two boys from Syracuse, Anthipholus (Allan Jones) and his servant Dromio (Joe Penner), search for their long-lost twins who, for reason of plot confusion, are also named Anthipholus and Dromio. Problems arise when the wife of the Ephesians, Adriana (Irene Hervey) and her servant Luce (Martha Raye), mistake the two strangers for their husbands. Complications and comedy ensue. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. Leads Jones and Hervey were married for over 20 years, their son vocalist Jack Jones is most well-known for singing the theme for The Love Boat.
The Taming of the Shrew (1967)-Wealthy Padua merchant, Baptista (Michael Hordern), has two daughters-the fiery Katherina called Kate (Elizabeth Taylor) and younger sister Bianca (Natasha Pyne). Bianca loves Lucentio (Michael York), and wants to marry but can’t until the thorny Kate does which she shows no inclination to do. On the scene comes the raucous and magnetic Petruchio (Richard Burton) who sees Kate as a challenge and when her father forces them to marry the real combat begins. The infamously battling Burtons are perfectly cast as the warring lead couple.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)-After a successful campaign against his rebellious brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves), Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) visits the governor of Messina. With him are Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard). While there, Claudio falls for the governor's daughter, Hero (Kate Beckinsale), while Benedick engages in a war of words with Beatrice (Emma Thompson), the governor's niece. While Don Pedro tries to trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love, Don John tries to tear Claudio and Hero apart. Aside from married (at the time) couple Branagh & Thompson and the aforementioned stars the cast also includes Michael Keaton, Imelda Staunton and Emma’s mother Phyllida Law.
The Taming of the Shrew (1929)-Same basic story as the Liz & Dick version above but with substantial cuts (and additional dialogue by Sam Taylor-???? WHY) served as a wrong-headed early sound vehicle for two of the biggest stars of the silent era, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. who had notoriously left they spouses to marry each other (but whose own marriage was foundering by this point) in an echoing of the whole Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie episode of later years. Static and dated with both stars nearing the ends of their careers (Mary made 3 more films, Doug 4 before retirement) Pickford considered it one of her worst performances (she’s right) but Fairbanks, full of brio is suited to Petruchio and emerges okay. Still you’re missing nothing if you give it the skip.
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY I love Ruby Sparks! lol
DeleteI like your theme within a theme, I've read these plays but have never seen the film versions.
Ahh I had no idea Paul Dano had a partner! You've reminded me that I STILL need to see Wildlife. I'm just gonna go hang my head in shame now.
ReplyDeleteHe does! They've been together for a really long time, and have a child together too. I kind of adore them. It's okay that you haven't seen Wildlife yet, IFC didn't do jack to promote it. But I hope you like it when you finally do watch.
DeleteThree great movies. Sadly, you're probably right about Depp.
ReplyDeleteOh how the mighty have fallen.
DeleteI have not seen your first 2 picks but I love Edward Scissorhands which is a true fairy tale and somewhat scary one at that. You are right about Depp who had a tattoo done when they were dating...Winona Forever but after they broke up he got it changed to say Wino Forever.
ReplyDeleteEdward still holds up, that movie aged so well.
DeleteThe Wino forever tattoo makes me laugh. Nice save lol
BLUNT!!! Yes, 100xs yes! Her Oscar snub stung the most for me...what a marvelous performance. At least she snagged that surprise SAG. I even wrote about her today on my blog, if you care to check it out:
ReplyDeletehttp://manaboutwords.com/crimes-in-oscar-snubbery-emily-blunt-in-a-quiet-place/
I've never seen Ruby Sparks, but the other two are great choices!
Ruby Sparks is wonderful, you should definitely watch it!
DeleteI still haven't seen A Quiet Place though I do hope to see it in October for my annual horror marathon. Edward Scissorhands... I love that film. It's funny now to see that Winona is the one that's gotten her shit together while Johnny is still dealing with his mid-life crisis.
ReplyDeleteRuby Sparks!!!! That film was awesome! How can anyone not love Ruby? I would love to have a girl like that as my girlfriend.
Zoe is so cute! I get it. lol
DeletePaul Dano is so cool and smart, I loved Ruby Sparks.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know Johnny and Winona were together during Edward Scissorhands. I really need to re-watch that movie, it's been ages
I adore Paul Dano. I hate that no one talked about him this year for directing Wildlife.
DeleteLove A Quiet Place (Emily SO deserved that SAG award!) and LOVELOVELOVE Edward Scissorhands. I haven't seen Ruby Sparks yet, but I've heard very mixed things.
ReplyDeleteShe did. She was wonderful in that film. I really adored Ruby Sparks so I'm surprised it was so mixed. I rememeber it being pretty positively received.
DeleteBlunt really is the lifeblood of that movie. No argument there. And bizarrely beautiful is a perfect description of Edward Scissorhands.
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteSeen the last two and like them. The first one is definitely on my to-watch list.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it!
Delete