Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Happy Birthday, Claudia Wilson Gator

.

By whom I mean Melora Walters, the actress who played that character in Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia, who turns 40 today. I know PTA's films - and especially Magnolia - can be a divisive bunch, even around these parts, but Walters will forever and always be etched into my brain as Claudia, swooping across the dinner table to kiss John C. Reilly in a fit of coke-fueled abandon and then mere seconds later asking if he'd mind never seeing her again.

Of course, she might be etched into my memory as that character since, looking through the films she's made since then there are only two things she's been in that I've seen - The Butterfly Effect and Cold Mountain - both of which I have taken great efforts to wipe from my memory.

Apparently she's a recurring character on Big Love though? I do wish I watched that show.

Anyway, a very happy 40th birthday to Melora! I would mind it if I never saw you again! Maybe PTA will use some of his regulars again whenever he decides to make another movie and I can look forward to seeing you there.

PS - Happy Birthday, Princess Leia!


13 comments:

TALKING MOVIEzzz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jason Adams said...

She's the topless girlfriend! Ha! Awesome call there.

NATHANIEL R said...

melora is divine in BOOGIE NIGHTS too. i really hope PTA makes one more movie with that troupe!

Cinesnatch said...

Oh Nate . . . you and your disdain of Cold Mountain . . .

Anonymous said...

Yes, she was great in "Magnolia" and I've always wanted to watch her again in another strong good dramatic role.

Anonymous said...

And I think she could be in the Cara Seymour, Jane Adams and Hope Davis knitting club if only she...

NATHANIEL R said...

...worked incessantly instead of hanging out with pTA?

Anonymous said...

what means pTA?

P.D. Sorry... I am from another country and I am not used to that expression.

Anonymous said...

Ooh! PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON...
I got it! (excuse me)

NATHANIEL R said...

right sorry. i didn't mean to not capitalize the Paul ;)

Robert Pattinson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fox said...

Every time my jaw pops, I think of her in Magnolia

Janice said...

What, only the briefest of mentions for Carrie Fisher? I don't know how old the "average" TFE reader is, but when I finally saw the film in 1979 (at age 11 - we were kinda busy in 1977. Either that or my mom thought we were too young for SW) she instantly became my ideal of a movie heroine. (Of course I had no idea either how much she borrowed from the great movie heroines of the past, especially Rosanne Russell in the "tart tongued" department.) I thought I was going to see plenty more of her like but - no one told me that she was going to be an exception to the rule (barring Ripley in Aliens and a few other examples here and there.)