n o w p l a y i n g - s c r i p t b i n - f a n c l u b - s t u d i o

make love to the camera



March 11, 2002 - 12:22 pm

Cinema Verite and Homeless Corporations

I, feel, the, need, to, apologize, for, this, paragraph, in, advance. I, just, got, word, this, morning, that, there, was, a, surplus, in, the, production, of, commas, this, quarter. I, am, doing, what, I, can, to, help, out.

Well, that was two minutes of my life well spent.

Improv Report, Dateline: Saturday.

First, I was a scientist who cloned people for $20 a pop. Eventually I married one of my clients. Best line: "I can't wait to have sex with you and all those clones!"

Second, I shaved a guy's back after he helpfully shaved my chest. Best line: None. Silent scene.

Third, I was an intern with Homeless Co., a company that provided homeless people. I turned out to be not very good, as people kept giving me money, shelter, and food. As I was making this complaint to my boss, a guy walked onstage and said "Here, pal, have a reuben." This resulted in the best line: "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about!" which tied with "I have a whole Ikea furnished room back at the Y."

Ah, the improv. God bless it. Go do some. It's fun. You'll enjoy.

So, the 9/11 show last night. That really could not have worked out any better as a story if it had been written. I mean, it was just amazing that it turned out to be such a compelling story. I'm not at all suggesting that anything was orchestrated or faked, but, I am still downright blown away by all of the elements that were just...cinematic. I mean, if they were going to make a movie about what happened, (God forbid) this would be the movie. The only thing that was missing was a love interest.

Consider: The film crew decides to follow the training of a rookie firefighter. They want to do a story about a "boy becoming a man." Well, if there ever was a 'trial by fire' story, it's got to be this. It's straight out of Campbell's 'Hero Myth,' a transformation through extraordinary circumstances. It doesn't stop there, though. The rookie, the veterans, and the firefighters all have this great bonding night together and begin to feel really close. The night they did that? September 10th.

Boom. Commercial. Amazing. If this were a screenplay, that was act one.

So, they come back, and they go through everything that happened in the attacks. The two French brothers filming the documentary get seperated. They don't know if the other is alive or dead. The rookie stays behind at the firehouse, and only leaves when a retired fire chief comes out of retirement to help. The two go off together to the scene. An absolute rookie and a hardened vet. Also, the symbol of spirituality, the fire department chaplain, is the first official death after the first tower collapses. They give him the first official death certificate, with the dramatic number 00001. How perfect can this possibly get?

Act two over. Now, the aftermath.

Everyone is safe and accounted for back at the firehouse. The two French brothers reunite. They hug one another emotionally, finally finding out that one another are, indeed, alive after all. It's the only time where I really question this documentary. Did they say who picked up the camera and taped the brother's reunion, or why? If they did, I didn't catch that.

So, the firefighters are relieved to see all of their comrades alive. But, wait a minute...where's the rookie? He's the only one who hasn't returned yet. What's happened to him? Suddenly, he appears out of the smoke to rejoin the rest of the crew. Now, truly, everyone is safe and alive. It's as happy an ending as you can possibly get, considering.

End of act three.

Now, I hope you don't think I'm trying to trivialize 9/11 by talking about it in these terms, because I'm really not. I am just fascinated that life so closely imitated art. As a story, as two hours of cinema verite, it's absolutely perfectly structured. I know, of course, that this is in large part due to editing. The way they cut it was obviously done to heighten tension at the appropriate points. But, no amount of editing in the world gives the firehouse a beautiful September 10th evening, puts the rookie and the retiree together, or makes the rookie the absolutely last firefighter to make it back to the station house.

I just can't help but marvel at the way it turned out. Incredible.

Anyway.

I have my singing class tonight. I feel a bit more comfortable with my singing since last week, but I realize I still have a long way to go. I have seven weeks left to get there, too. You see, at the end of the class, we all do a 'show' where each of us gets up and sings something solo.

I am both excited and horrified.

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