Monday, August 10, 2009

Monologue: "Meerkats. Do you know what they are?"

Monday Monologues is back

Yesterday, I went to the Prospect Park Zoo and I would still be traumatized by the one armed kangaroo (the horror. the horror) had the meerkats not redeemed my visit with their indefatigable cuteness.


Check out the little guy to your right there. He's just hangin', waiting for someone to bring him a cold beer. The guy on the left was more of a people person (er...) and kept watching the crowd watching him. The third member of this meager meerkat exhibit -- out of frame -- was darting back and forth like he had had 18 cups of coffee with his yummy box of insects.

While I watched them "Harmour Love" played in my head (joy!) and I forgot all about how dull Amy Adams was in Julie & Julia and my heart nearly burst again for love of her in Junebug. Oh, that expert conjuring of Ashley, a day-dreaming impressionable small-town chatterbox, her thoughts always darting back and forth. She's a gabby people person living in a house full of silent types. By the time she meets her big city sister-in-law Madeleine (wonderfully played by the underemployed Embeth Davidtz) we understand that Ashley's learned not to even wait for answers to her rapid fire questions.
Are you wearing any makeup? because you could wear more if you wanted to.
You're so tall.

I'm fair. But I like to experiment with a lot of different looks.

Were you born in Chicago? I was born right here...lived here my whole life.


My favorite animal is the meerkat. Do you know what they are? They're so cute, Ohhh! They're --I've got this little charm bracelet with meerkats on it.

Did you have lots of boyfriends? I bet you did.

Did you ever try out for cheerleading or anything? I tried out but I didn't make it.
When an answer does come, her sister-in-law pulling one question from the tumbling batch of them, it looks like Ashley might finally be speechless.
Madeleine: I was born in Japan.

[pause]


Ashley: You were not.
*

11 comments:

Cameron said...

I love Amy in Junebug! That hospital scene kills me every time. And Embeth Davidtz had a great role in the first season of HBO's In Treatment, in case you missed it. Her character is very complex and difficult to like, but Embeth somehow always wins over my heart.

Andrew K. said...

Best part of Junebug indeed. The way that Amy says you are not is just hilarious. God...I thought she was going somewhere with Doubt but I've heard nothing good about her in Julie and Julia which in my head is Julie VS JULIA.

NATHANIEL R said...

Julie VS. Julia would be a massacre, poor thing

Mr. Movie Geek said...

Ashley is the (one of the) absolute essence(s) of all female supporting roles in cinema. I can't recall the last time someone so developed and honest was portrayed onscreen.

notanotherblog said...

When I watched the Oscars for 2005, her clip was the only one I remember.

I love you Amy Adams. Don't change.

Anonymous said...

FYI: Taiwan has chosen Leon Dai's "No puedo vivir sin ti" as the official submission for Best Foreign Language Film.

Anonymous said...

South Korea picks Mother.

Anonymous said...

Romania: Police, Adjective

Lara said...

I don't know why, but something about Amy Adams rubs me the wrong way. She was wonderful in Junebug and Enchanted, but in interviews she comes across as an over the top Goody Two-shoes, a bit too boring and bland. She doesn't seem interesting at all.
I know I'm alone with that impression.

Derek said...

The pause and "You were not" alone were worth the Oscar.

Wayne B said...

"She's probably skinner and prettier than me. Now I'll hate her. Oh I can't wait!" is the moment when I fell in love with Ashley. Like Cameron, the hospital scene monologue gets me everytime.