What I thought, what I feel, what I know

[sovay]

spatch just had to tell me that Joan Micklin Silver has died and I never wrote about Crossing Delancey (1988). It was one of the movies I meant to rewatch and write about because I loved it so much that I had trouble putting words around it and then 2020 kept happening and I didn't write about so many things. I didn't write about Between the Lines (1977). I haven't yet seen Hester Street (1975). Everything about this past year feels like unfinished business. I knew at the new year that it wouldn't change like a fingersnap overnight, but I missed a window to tell an artist—even just for the record of history—how much her art meant to me when she was around to hear it and I strongly believe that is the sort of thing a person should do; so many artists don't get the chance to find out.

Comments

[selkie]

When you write it, I'll pass it along to her daughter. I promise. Take your time.

And -- the patience for the phone, the text, and the fax (you and N both insist on crediting me with whatever this patience thing is), the caretaking that can't wait because we do some things at the same pace no matter what year it is -- this time my gift is for your sake.

It certainly isn't for Heshie's, I'm saying.

I'll watch Hester Street with you. Carol Kane!

[gwynnega]

I love Crossing Delancey.

[lauradi7dw]

I haven't seen Between the Lines, but saw Hester Street big screen when it was new. That might be true of Crossing Delancey as well, but there were still second run theaters then (including the Somerville), so it might have been a little later.

[shewhomust]

I loved these three films - oh, so long ago.

[davidgillon]

Did you see this on her by Hadley Freeman in today's Guardian? "The director who dared to suggest Jewish men don't need rescuing by blond women" https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/08/director-who-dared-to-suggest-jewish-men-dont-need-rescuing-by-blond-women

[sovay]

Did you see this on her by Hadley Freeman in today's Guardian?

No! I never thought of Crossing Delancey as the anti-Woody Allen (I know he's a cultural force, but I bounced so badly off my few experiences with his films, I almost never think of him with respect to other movies) and I think I feel a little more complicatedly than Freeman about the question of different worlds in the film (which I will talk about if I ever manage to write about the damn thing), but I absolutely agree about the celebration of Jewish romance. Thank you for the link!

[davidgillon]

Can't say I'm particularly a fan of Woody Allen films either, not that I've watched one in years.

I do like Hadley Freeman's writing, so when I noticed this, and after your piece, I was definitely going to read it, and then flag it to you.

I think her piece is interesting, but I've got entirely the wrong background to form a valid opinion on it.