Tuesday, August 01, 2006

JAKE IS NOT STARRING IN AN UPCOMING CONTRAVERSIAL FILM BUT SOMEONE ELSE WE KNOW IS...

I've just watched the trailer for World Trade Center, Maggie's new film and although for some reason the sound didn't work, I have to say it might as well have been a trailer for Armageddon or Independence Day. People looking up into the sky in bewilderment, mouths open as a shadow passed over them - not what I expected.

Watch it HERE.

What's everyone's feelings on this film? I admire Maggie as an actor and I'd like to know why she chose to be in it. I've searched for articles but all I can find is her comments she made about 9/11 and her response to the backlash of those comments.

EDIT: Well, I knew it wouldn't be too long before my efforts to have a topical debate would be overwhelmed by my need to look at pictures of the ever sexy Gyllenhaals. Luckily I'm perfectly content with and accepting of my shallowness so I feel no guilt.
Sorry the pic is so small - can't find a bigger one. Not even sure what the tagline for Maggie is. Meet Maggie Gyllenhaal: She's All About The Apples?

39 comments:

Becky Heineke said...

Having seen the preview three times (you get to see it before An Inconvenient Truth! alright, I swear that's the last time I'm going to bring that up), I found it to be upsetting and confusing seeing recreated scenes from that day. However, the buzz has been nothing but good. I do want to see this movie but I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just how we deal with things over here, we turn it into a story. I think it's a given that we Americans are going to come out of that movie with a sense of pride and patriotism, but I'm not so sure how the rest of the world will react.

Anonymous said...

I've seen the preview, too. I find it extremely upsetting and I have absolutely no desire to see the movie and relive that day. Of course that's just MHO. I have no problem with the movie itself. I think I heard that they asked the victims' families before making it.

cina said...

I fear it is going to be a little too much "God bless America" and images of the American flag flying in the wind for my taste. We've seen it a thousand times before I'm afraid and as a non-american it gets a little too much sometimes. Now I hope I'm wrong this time, I really do, but the trailer didn't exactly give that impression.

I also feel perhaps it's a little too soon? :-/

Anonymous said...

Not sure if I am ready for it yet, frankly. (I definitely wasn't ready for the earlier film "United 93" about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.) I think I can cope with documentaries, but not with Nicholas Cage widening his eyes & over-emoting all over the place while playing a fireman. But some reviewers are saying good things about the movie, so I'm still debating on whether to see it. Maybe I'd see it later this month while I'm visiting family Upstate -- since I'm not sure about seeing it in Manhattan.

Anonymous said...

I saw the trailer about a month ago on apple.com.. however, I think I was more upset by the United 93 movie than I was by the trailer of WTC. I think it will probably change when and if I go see WTC, which I probably will because I think the movie will be a great portrayal of the heroism (just like United 93) of the people involved.
I think the movie will be depicted with a lot of class, and has more than a few classy people connected to it so I hope it meets expectations.
But I know there has been a lot of accusations coming from family members of the victims, saying the production companies involved are just cashing in.. which I think is kinda harsh to be honest.

Anonymous said...

Coudn't bring myself to see United Flight 93. Just couldn't. But for some odd reason, i think I will see this one. As I understand it, it's a true story about two
cops(?) trapped in the rubble and the attempts to rescue them. So it tells A story about 9/11, tho certainly not THE story. My daughter lived in Brooklyn, attending NYU, was in the subway passing the WTC station when 2nd plane hit. She later stood in the street with so many other people watching them fall. Walked home over the Manhattan Bridge. Still cries and can't talk about it too much. 9/11 makes my heart ache. Since it's become the excuse for all our political excesses, maybe it's time to examine it through this kind of medium. I don't know that I'll feel all patriotic after watching it. But I guess, remembering how NY responded, will make me feel hopeful. I like to cling to the fiction that we are all as good and brave as so many were that day. I remember Rudy saying "I'm afraid the loss is probably more than we can bear." How profound. I think we have lost more than the thousands who died that day. I think basically it's the difference between who we like to think we are, and what we've become. Not the average American, per se, but our leadership. Don't mean to offend anyone. These are just my thoughts.

Linna said...

I just watched to trailer this morning, and I really didn't know what to make of it. It looks just like any other catastrophe movie, it's just that you know that this really happened, and in a quite recent history, most people can probably account for what they did on that exact day. Like someone said previously, maybe it's too soon? It took about 25/30 years before they made the movie JFK, an event that might have been a similar kind of trauma as 9/11.

I'm not sure either what I want/expect from this film, maybe it is a way to deal with things, especially since the events of that day still have such an impact on what goes on in the world today. I hope it's a sincere film, not too patriotic and tear jerking, but honest and, I guess, therapeutic...? If it is, I'm all for Maggie being in it :) I hope she made the right choice and that the families have had an actual impact on the making and can feel respected through the story told.

Linna said...

Sorry for posting again, but I really like your post moonbeams and had to tell you! :)

I also think there might be a big difference between being an American watching it, or being from other parts of the world. I think the experiences of 9/11 differ a great deal.

Now I'm done!

Anonymous said...

I think its much to earlier to relive 911.

Anonymous said...

I remember on 9/11 someone saying it was like being IN a blockbuster film. Then you realize you're not.

Anonymous said...

Got the sound on the trailer, but couldn't see the video. (The ad worked, though.)

Didn't like the music -- too lugubrious, like we need to be cued what to feel. And was that an "amen" sound at the end?

However, oftentimes the actual movie differs greatly from the trailer, including the music! Maybe there's hope.

Anonymous said...

wtbgirl, thanks. Well said.

Anonymous said...

Jake had 41% of this vote yesterday and earlier today, and within the last hour he's dropped to 34%!!!!!!


http://movies.msn.com/movies/hottiespoll

The Real Me said...

Here are a couple of facts for you bout the movie..

Three weeks before its August 9 nationwide release, producer Michael Shamberg and director Oliver Stone held private screenings of the finalized film for Port Authority officers and firefighters who risked their lives at the World Trade Center. The screenings were held in local multiplexes in the New Jersey/New York area.

Due to her infamous quote that "America is responsible in some way" for the 9/11 attacks, Maggie Gyllenhaal personally offered to withdraw from the project to Officer William Jimeno and his wife Allison Jimeno. They both declined and gave their blessing for Gyllenhaal to take the role. (I personally commend Maggie for what she said in regards to 9/11, it takes a gutsy woman to stand up and say what she said, and I back her 100%).

Oliver Stone used many of the East Coast www.PoliceActors.com members to play cops in the film. All members of PoliceActors.com are active or retired members of a Law Enforcement agency who are also Screen Actors Guild members.

Almost everyone shown in the final scene is a family member or friend.



I hope this movie gives some solace to those still grieving, and those who disagree with it see that this movie was not made just to cash in, or to glorify tragedy, but to show the heroism and emotion of those who fought to save -people-, not just americans.. (that wasn't meant to offend anyone).

britpopbaby said...

I can't put myself in the place of a New Yorker or a Londoner but a few years back the IRA exploded a bomb in my town that killed a little boy. There is no way I'd ever want to watch even a documentary about it. I couldn't watch the documentaries that came out after 7/7 either.

I presume this film is focused on the two lives of these cops and is trying to place us in their situation - sorry, not a place I want to be, even if it's through the medium of a two hour film.

Someone on the IMDB boards brought up the point that how long should they have waited to make this film. I'd say about 40 years to be honest.

I also learnt that they're only donating 2% of profits to charity. Where is the rest going?

mrs_dalloway said...

Britpop, you've been busy I see.One day so many posts!I have to find a way to do my work at home!

About the World Trade Center..I've seen the trailer and it gave me some chills,I must say. I also think it is too early for this kind of screening. If I get some intense emotions, I can't imagine how someone involved in it must feel watching this. And I reffer not only to reliving the entire experience by the ones connected to it.I'm thinking how can they watch some actors playing the reactions they've had at that time? I think I would feel weird,and I'd see somehow the fakeness. All these wouldn't have existed that much if they would have made the movie after fiew more years.I think people need some time to blur that day as much as they can..
However, Oliver Stone is one of the best directors ever,IMO, and maybe his vision will make it all a little more bareable..everything depends on how he brings the story to screen.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of Maggie there is a gorgeous photo of her on Pink is the New Blog, scroll down a bit she's cover girl for Marie Claire this month. Damn! Those Gyllenhaal blue eyes!

Link:

http://trent.blogspot.com/

The Real Me said...

Hi BPB, where did you find out it was only 2%?
I've read it's 10%..

Here is a good article about the donations.. sorry I can't hotlink.

http://countingdown.com/movies/3749687/news?item_id=3894849

Anonymous said...

Maggie looks more & more like a vamp or a sweetheart from the silent-film era. (I'm reminded of a famous picture of Gloria Swanson, who also had big blue eyes, staring through a piece of black lace.) What a wonderful picture of her.

She and Jake are going to be like the Shirley Maclaine & Warren Beatty of their own generation.

Anonymous said...

nice anonymous, I hope that doesn't mean Jake will be getting a really bad facelift when he turns 60!!!!LOL!

britpopbaby said...

Hi BPB, where did you find out it was only 2%?
I've read it's 10%..


Newpaper here in the UK. They could have it completely wrong. 10% is still a crap figure - I was thinking more like 99%...

Anonymous said...

britpop, we love the topical debates but let's admit it, we also come here for the sexy gyllenhaal pics :). isn't it fantastic that gyllenhaal-discussions provide both?

anyway, as a former new yorker with relatives and many ties to the city, i have to echo wtbgirl’s sentiments. not sure if it’s a maggie bias (i adore her), but i’m surprised to find myself willing to give this movie a chance too, cheesy trailer music notwithstanding! i’ve seen interviews of the real life people, and from everything i hear, the story seems like a great reminder to everyone of the good that could come out of such a huge tragedy. remember how the world community rallied around the us after 9-11, and bush threw away all our good will by turning the “war on terrorism” into a war for oil? yeah, it’s a shame the wonderful and heroic responses by so many new yorkers on that day have long been overshadowed by the violent ones the administration has chosen... but i digress.

oh, i also read that nic cage doesn’t ruin the movie with his overacting b/c he’s pinned beneath concrete for 2/3 of it (sorry cage fans). i think i will check out this movie...

Nothing Really Matters said...

I don’t think I will see it either. I remember this day very well, I saw sat at home watching the whole thing on TV. Some of my family were in the building just one week before it all happen.

I never watched the 7/7 thing either. One of you cousins was shaken up by that as he was going to get on one of the tubes but went back as he was cold.

Brits is right more money from the film should go to the charity.

Becky Heineke said...

Absolutely. 10% is still a really lame number. There's no reason why it shouldn't be higher. Oh, but you're so right about those damned Gyllenhaals! You try to go and have a deep discussion and then you get a glimpse of them and it's all over. I think the headline is "Meet Maggie Gyllenhaal: Prophecy Girl wishes she looked half that sexy eating an apple."

The Real Me said...

I agree with you all that the percentage should be higher.. I'd love if that happened, unfortunately making movies is still a business and regardless of the cause $100mill is a lot of money to just throw at a group of people and cut your loses before it's even in the can. Call me an industry mofo, but..

WTC cost $63mill to make, Paramount intends to spend a further $30mill on marketing, in all honesty I doubt it's going to make a profit and will be surprised if it does, so I think donating 10% of ticket sales for the first week is pretty cool.. consider this, if we round off the total budget for the film as $100mill and it only makes $70mill (that's a total guesstimation), makes say $25mill in the first five days, donates 2.5mill to charities, Paramount then loses $30mill (the cost of a small budget feature). This will be a huge issue for Paramount because this movie is the first to be completed by the new Chair and President of the company and they risk to lose their investors.

Aside from that movie industry/business whoopdeshit ramble, the people that wrote this movie are not the Josh Friedmans nor the John Augusts of the world, they are John and Donna McLoughlin, and William and Allison Jimeno, (names ring a bell right?), four of the people that lived that day probably more than any of us.. with help from a reasonably unknown bio-pic writer by the name of Andrea Berloff who says "it's really an intimate story and it's not grotesque or exploitive in any way."

I'm hoping I'm not being cold or insensitive to anyone, especially American's, New Yorkers, or people who had family there that tragic day, trust me, I was one of you. I've had to live through the anxiety of not being able to contact my closest family members for two days plus, and all I could do was sit and watch, and pray, and pray some more, twice. I'm not supporting or condoning anyone or anything, but when are we going to stop filtering ourselves from the bad/sad/confrontational/realness of the world..

I apologise to those who are offended by what I have said, I love this site and I love the people..
but I won't apologise for supporting the people who want to have their story heard, their way, rather than some -slightly- numb industry story.

Puts foot in mouth.

Anonymous said...

No, Moonbeams, I certainly don't want to wish a bad face-lift on our Jake at any time in his future... or for Maggie to suddenly recollect all of her previous reincarnations and write a book on it.

Also, I've decided that the silent-era actress whom Maggie most closely resembles is Lillian Gish. Something about her cupid's bow mouth. She's definitely more of the sweetheart archetype. She's just so likable.

I was just reading Mary Gaitskill's "Bad Behavior," which includes the short story that "Secretary" was based on. Now that was a pretty substantial rewrite. The movie has such a happy ending, whereas the story is pretty bleak.

Elena said...

That's what I call a gut speech, Amerika! and don't apoligize when you are being sincere... it's still a polemic (Oliver Stone trademark)issue the film brings out, some people didn't catch Maggie's sensitivity towards reality out there, I've recently read a interview that Paul Auster gave to a Sunday Spanish magazine "El Semanal" from "El PaĆ­s" newspaper (last 23 july)and he complaint about exterior US politics failures and how American people live in one of the most "blinded" moments in their history, unaware of the existence of a world besides US; conspiracy theories apart, it will be a revealing film I want to see.

Anonymous said...

I don't think it's too soon to make films about 9/11 - people who don't wish to see them can chose not to - but for some people, watching the movie may be a positive and cathartic experience. I saw United 93 which made very difficult viewing but was an excellent film.

However, having seen that trailer (thanks for linking, BPB) I'm not sure if I will go see this film - purely on the grounds that it looks absolutely dreadful. The last thing I want to see is the events of that day turned into a Nic Cage Over-Acting Extravaganza with a score from hell.

I hope this isn't the case. New Yorkers/Americans in general could do with a film that addresses their hearts and their heads, rather than ladling on the God Bless America crap. And for wider audiences, a '9/11 Hollywood Disaster Movie' could damage the international perception of ordinary Americans' response to the tragedy (a perception already obscured and misrepresented by the U.S. administration's outrageous response).

Anonymous said...

Ok Mr Peter "I was at the Victoria's Secret Make Up After Party" Sargaard. Did you run this by Maggie? I don't care if she said "Go honey, have a great time"
IT WAS HER HORMONES SPEAKING!

Get thyself home and start rubbing her feet. And Maggie? Make him go on hourly ice cream runs!

Link:
http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=GLS====198461&c4nvi=3&str=5214&styp=clbi&nbc1=1

Anonymous said...

NEWS BULLETIN: This is definitely Off Topic, but I am doing my happy dance and I wanted to share. Apparently, Teddy C has been conspicuously absent from E! and he said something in his Awful Truth column online about "now I know how Star Jones felt." Dare I hope?

Anonymous said...

Maggie probably stayed in New York for the NY premiere of WTC on Aug. 3. Wonder if Jake, Peter, and the rest of the family will be flying in to join her. Since she is always a big support to Jake at his premiere's I would think he would be showing up for her in NY.

britpopbaby said...

No need to apologise Amerika. You made very good points and I respect your opinion. j is also right, we don't have to see it if we don't want to right?

I was just concerned that some havana-smoking exectuive was making a sweet deal out of it. I'd also be curious to know how much money the actors/director/crew took home.

In other news, I'm off to investigate this Sarsy spotting. And Ted C? I guess we'll have to wait it out.

Anonymous said...

So the Holy Prophet Ted C. -- the only media professional who's a purveyor of the absolute, unquestionable truth -- may have a rather tenuous hold on his job? No, sorry, I'm afraid that's just too good to be true. I'm scheduled to have a cruddy day at work, and the Universe doesn't owe me anything wonderful today. (It's all about me, you know ;-) Anyway, if he were canned, he'd probably simply find another job, even if he had to drift further downmarket.

britpopbaby said...

I don't mind Ted C, I just seriously don't think he has access to knowledge about celebrities having sex in underground carparks, elevators, club bathrooms, etc, etc...

Maybe if they fire him he'll write a book in bitter revenge and tell us who all those blind vices are...right, cause he knows...

Anonymous said...

What, BritPopBaby and Wtbgirl, you don't think Ted C. is a prophet with divine insights into the truth? You think that maybe he gets a few details a little bit wrong sometimes or maybe even tweaks a little for dramatic effect? Or that perhaps stories get a little exaggerated in the telling?

According to the photo that I see on Defamer occasionally, he has a charming smile & a nice cleft chin. I don't wish him ill personally.

I'm just not willing to believe that he's infallible. (Never did hold with the Doctrine of Papal Infallibility, so why should I have unquestioning faith in the words of Ted C.?)

britpopbaby said...

I'm sure he's a perfectly nice man who has made more money out of 'The Awful Truth' than most of us will see in a lifetime. Isn't that a heartwarming, life-affirming thought, y'all?

Anonymous said...

Some forms of outing are so maliciously gleeful, they seem suspiciously homophobic to me. So it's even more perplexing when it's done by a gay man, as if it were a manifestation of self-hatred.

I cannot imagine doing that to anyone. I would never serve a friend or acquaintance in that way. Or even an enemy. Some things are just too private -- they're just nobody's business but ours.

britpopbaby said...

Yep, I agree wtbgirl. I still reckon he invents 99% of it. Maybe he latches onto one particular piece of gossip and expands it to suit his own means.

He seems to have a particular problem with Jake - I remember him slamming his performance in BBM when the Oscar nominations were announced. I have a whole bunch of issues with the Toothy Tile item - I could write an essay...

Anonymous said...

The magazine says (And we thought her brother was hot...)