I'll admit, I've been on a bit of mainstream kick lately, and naming Alexander Payne as director of the month is only fuel to that fire. I didn't pick Payne because I think he's one of the best directors of the 21st century (with people like Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Scorsese and Spike Jonze in the game it can be hard to make the cut) I picked him because he is the master at handling two things that I feel have been missing from a lot of movies lately: the balance between humor and sadness, and the art of subtlety. I've always felt that there is a certain warmness to his films despite their often self-deprecating and serious nature, like they were made for two people to watch in the dark, curled up under a blanket. However, no matter where or who you watch his films with, Payne manages to weave stories made only of beautifully fleshed-out characters that urge audiences to find the humor in their own life.
Election (1999) is the most satirical and biting of Payne's movies, following high school civics teacher Jim McAllister as his life quickly falls to ruin. It all spawns from his decision to get involved in the school's student election, where Minnesota-accented Tracey Flick (Reese Witherspoon) runs unopposed. Jim has a personal vendetta against Tracey, her indecency with a fellow teacher was the cause for his termination, but under the guise of creating a more democratic election, he sets up football player Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to run against her. Election was not Payne's debut film- that title goes to Citizen Ruth, but it is the film that put him on the map. Taking on subjects like teacher-student sex, lesbianism vs. experimentation, marital strain, and the ruthless cruelty of high schoolers sounds like a convoluted recipe for a poorly-received disaster, but somehow he manages to weave them all together to create an insidiously funny movie. Even if you have forgotten the plot, if you've seen Election you remember the characters, and for that reason it's most people's favorite Payne movie. Reese Witherspoon is hell on wheels here, but she's more of the character you love to hate rather than the one you just spitefully hate, and she's unforgettable. Election is really a perfect movie, and the only reason it ranks number two in my heart is because I didn't feel the same shared frustration with life as I did with Sideways.
Watching About Schmidt (2002) for the first time was a wonderful experience for me. The retirement of an average American is portrayed with such love, it's hard not to love the massively flawed Schmidt. Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) is a man placed in unfamiliar circumstances after he retires from his job- something that provided both safety and stability in his life. As he embarks on a journey to drive to his estranged daughter's wedding, he is forced to reevaluate and reflect on his life thus far, especially when it comes to his wife (june Squibb) and his daughter (Hope Davis). About Schmidt is the first of Payne's definitive road movies- which almost all following would be- and it's more of a serious movie with touches of humor than a real comedy. As most "classic" actors age, I feel like they settle down into weird patterns, getting roles based on their former glory, not current skill (Al Pacino, stop yelling instead of acting). But Jack Nicholson is a nuanced revelation in this film. There's not just Warren's complete inability to recognize his human failings encompassed in this role, but also his often funny, usually sad, misinterpreted attempts at showing good intent. About Schmidt is full of the mundane, mid-western routines that dominate a lot of our lives, and at times it's a little disappointing from a moviegoer's perspective, but upon repeat watchings, the annoyance at Payne's accurate presentation of an unfulfilling, unremarkable life turns into empathy and love for a look at life in all its mediocre glory.
Sideways (2004) is undoubtedly my favorite Payne movie. I fully expect to gain a new appreciation when I watch it as a middle-aged woman, but for now I'm fine just adoring its subtle humor and Ashby-esque take on life. The premise is simple: Middle-aged friends Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) leading equally disappointing lives decide to take a road trip through California's wine country, each meeting a remarkable woman as well as discovering their own identities along the way. Of course, there are some complications: Jack is about to be married and Miles is becoming increasingly depressed by his lack of success. There's a strange beauty to the emotional mess of people just past their prime, and Payne captures that well, especially through Miles, who walks the line between wine enthusiast and alcoholic. Unlike Payne's previous work, the satire is reigned in here, and pathos is everywhere. It's all based around a simple enough metaphor of Pinot and Cabernet (one needs nurturing and patience, the other thrives in less than perfect situations), but make no mistake, Sideways is a complex movie. Each situation maintains humor as well as the intricacies of being human, and somehow never feels trivialised.
Although The Descendants (2011) garnered an Oscar, I see it as a flawed movie. There's no denying that it is a good movie, but it just isn't at the same level with the rest of Payne's work. Some of the fault may lay in the basic premise, which is just not inherently interesting. Matt King (George Clooney) is a land baron living in Hawaii, facing four incredibly difficult problems. The first is that his wife (Maria Bello) has been severely injured after a boating accident, landing her in a coma. The second his role in deciding the fate of 25,000 acres of undeveloped land his family owns, and the final two are his daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) who test his patience and parenting skills in their mother's absence. The relative success of this film can give the majority of its thanks to the script (written by Payne, Nat Faxon, and my favorite man Jim Rash), and George Clooney, not the direction. Payne has no trouble finding humor in the serious, or vice-versa, but there's not enough of either to make this a great film. It's warm and easy on one side, painfully real on the other. And that's the range of emotional reactions to a tragedy in real life, but here I just wish there was a little more one-sided-ness. Still, the nuclear King family is yet another example of Payne's ability to craft an okay story populated by strong, three-dimensional characters. Clooney is less charming than his usual self, and manages to pull of the well-intended family man here. At the time, Shailene Woodley was a relative unknown as Alexandra King, but the one scene I just adore from this movie is what really made people sit up and notice her.
Election (1999) is the most satirical and biting of Payne's movies, following high school civics teacher Jim McAllister as his life quickly falls to ruin. It all spawns from his decision to get involved in the school's student election, where Minnesota-accented Tracey Flick (Reese Witherspoon) runs unopposed. Jim has a personal vendetta against Tracey, her indecency with a fellow teacher was the cause for his termination, but under the guise of creating a more democratic election, he sets up football player Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to run against her. Election was not Payne's debut film- that title goes to Citizen Ruth, but it is the film that put him on the map. Taking on subjects like teacher-student sex, lesbianism vs. experimentation, marital strain, and the ruthless cruelty of high schoolers sounds like a convoluted recipe for a poorly-received disaster, but somehow he manages to weave them all together to create an insidiously funny movie. Even if you have forgotten the plot, if you've seen Election you remember the characters, and for that reason it's most people's favorite Payne movie. Reese Witherspoon is hell on wheels here, but she's more of the character you love to hate rather than the one you just spitefully hate, and she's unforgettable. Election is really a perfect movie, and the only reason it ranks number two in my heart is because I didn't feel the same shared frustration with life as I did with Sideways.
Watching About Schmidt (2002) for the first time was a wonderful experience for me. The retirement of an average American is portrayed with such love, it's hard not to love the massively flawed Schmidt. Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) is a man placed in unfamiliar circumstances after he retires from his job- something that provided both safety and stability in his life. As he embarks on a journey to drive to his estranged daughter's wedding, he is forced to reevaluate and reflect on his life thus far, especially when it comes to his wife (june Squibb) and his daughter (Hope Davis). About Schmidt is the first of Payne's definitive road movies- which almost all following would be- and it's more of a serious movie with touches of humor than a real comedy. As most "classic" actors age, I feel like they settle down into weird patterns, getting roles based on their former glory, not current skill (Al Pacino, stop yelling instead of acting). But Jack Nicholson is a nuanced revelation in this film. There's not just Warren's complete inability to recognize his human failings encompassed in this role, but also his often funny, usually sad, misinterpreted attempts at showing good intent. About Schmidt is full of the mundane, mid-western routines that dominate a lot of our lives, and at times it's a little disappointing from a moviegoer's perspective, but upon repeat watchings, the annoyance at Payne's accurate presentation of an unfulfilling, unremarkable life turns into empathy and love for a look at life in all its mediocre glory.
Sideways (2004) is undoubtedly my favorite Payne movie. I fully expect to gain a new appreciation when I watch it as a middle-aged woman, but for now I'm fine just adoring its subtle humor and Ashby-esque take on life. The premise is simple: Middle-aged friends Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) leading equally disappointing lives decide to take a road trip through California's wine country, each meeting a remarkable woman as well as discovering their own identities along the way. Of course, there are some complications: Jack is about to be married and Miles is becoming increasingly depressed by his lack of success. There's a strange beauty to the emotional mess of people just past their prime, and Payne captures that well, especially through Miles, who walks the line between wine enthusiast and alcoholic. Unlike Payne's previous work, the satire is reigned in here, and pathos is everywhere. It's all based around a simple enough metaphor of Pinot and Cabernet (one needs nurturing and patience, the other thrives in less than perfect situations), but make no mistake, Sideways is a complex movie. Each situation maintains humor as well as the intricacies of being human, and somehow never feels trivialised.
Although The Descendants (2011) garnered an Oscar, I see it as a flawed movie. There's no denying that it is a good movie, but it just isn't at the same level with the rest of Payne's work. Some of the fault may lay in the basic premise, which is just not inherently interesting. Matt King (George Clooney) is a land baron living in Hawaii, facing four incredibly difficult problems. The first is that his wife (Maria Bello) has been severely injured after a boating accident, landing her in a coma. The second his role in deciding the fate of 25,000 acres of undeveloped land his family owns, and the final two are his daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) who test his patience and parenting skills in their mother's absence. The relative success of this film can give the majority of its thanks to the script (written by Payne, Nat Faxon, and my favorite man Jim Rash), and George Clooney, not the direction. Payne has no trouble finding humor in the serious, or vice-versa, but there's not enough of either to make this a great film. It's warm and easy on one side, painfully real on the other. And that's the range of emotional reactions to a tragedy in real life, but here I just wish there was a little more one-sided-ness. Still, the nuclear King family is yet another example of Payne's ability to craft an okay story populated by strong, three-dimensional characters. Clooney is less charming than his usual self, and manages to pull of the well-intended family man here. At the time, Shailene Woodley was a relative unknown as Alexandra King, but the one scene I just adore from this movie is what really made people sit up and notice her.
It's a shattering scene where Alexandra realizes that while she can never forgive her mother for the betrayal and hurt she has brought to their family, she has no idea how live without her. After the news that her comatose mother will be taken off of life support, she dives down into the pool, screaming and crying, so that her father won't see the hurt she's going through. |
And finally we come to Payne's most recent film: Nebraska (2013). It's yet another journey with a man well past his prime, but this western odyssey doesn't feel repetitive, it feels like home. Bruce Dern plays Woody Grant, the aging and alcoholic protagonist. His purpose is to trek from Montana to Nebraska to claim his "$1 million sweepstakes", a scam realized by his concerned son David (Will Forte). The choice to shoot it in black and white combined with the long stretches of silence left many people feeling indifferent towards the movie, but if you try less to be an active participant in the film and instead let it wash over you, it can be something kind of wonderful. It's the opposite mindset I would encourage you to go into most movies with, but Payne excels when it comes to capturing bits of humanity, not when it comes to technical elements or an overarching plot. That being said, there are a lot of things that are working in Nebraska. Bruce Dern, June Squibb, and surprisingly Will Forte all give A-plus performances, and aesthetically it's very pleasing. The lack of sound works well in both creating a connection to Woody and his lack of hearing, and shifting all focus to the muted yet often stunning shots. Nebraska is not the best movie of its year, or of Payne's filmography, but when watched with a simpler mindset, it can be a beautiful thing.
Overall, Payne thrives when it comes to creating strong characters worth following, not when it comes to constructing a solid plot. His take on the mediocrity of midwestern life is at times slow, but always touching and undeniably true.
Overall, Payne thrives when it comes to creating strong characters worth following, not when it comes to constructing a solid plot. His take on the mediocrity of midwestern life is at times slow, but always touching and undeniably true.
The Best Scenes from Alexander Payne
Although Sideways is my favorite of his movies, this scene from About Schmidt is my favorite scene. Throughout the movie, Schmidt has been sending letters to a young African boy named Ndugu, telling him about his life and misfortune. His reaction when he receives a letter saying Ndugu is illiterate is one of the most simple yet touching moments, ending the film perfectly.
Is it possible to not love the endearingly hilarious June Squibb after seeing this clip? Nebraska is, at its heart, a film about family, and though at times that relationship is strained- whether by alcoholism, greed, or bitterness- this scene is the perfect comedic foil to all of that, while still maintaining classic Payne humor.
This is a great scene for two reasons: the writing and the acting. I'll admit, though Payne is normally lauded for his realism, the dialogue is a little Hollywood-ed up, but that doesn't take away from the power of the metaphor of wine to life. Talking about the people who have contributed to your current existence and coming to terms with mortality is what makes the scene good, but there is truly nothing more beautiful than watching someone fall in love like Miles does with Maya in this scene.