This week:
- The key to life is Meryl and music.
- A million thoughts on Kim Cattrall’s return.
- There’s a lot of crying in baseball (TV).
- Go see Bottoms!
- My new favorite quote.
I Couldn’t Help But Wonder…
We have now experienced the cultural event of the century: Kim Cattrall’s 70-second phone call cameo on And Just Like That. (Listen, if Donald Trump is allowed to be 215 pounds, that scene is allowed to be called historic.)
If you haven’t watched this major moment, here’s a quick recap: After several years of a so-called “feud,” Cattrall returned to the Sex and the City follow-up for one scene as Samantha Jones, her iconic character. She calls Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) to explain that she had planned to fly to New York from London to toast Carrie’s last night in her old apartment, but her flight was delayed. Then she surfaced an old inside joke from a classic SATC episode. (My fingers never flew faster than they took to the group text when the words “Annabelle Bronstein” came out of Kim Cattrall’s lips.)
It’s for the best, as the baggage surrounding Cattrall’s appearance was so heavy it likely would have grounded Samantha’s plan anyway. So that raises the question: Was the scene worth it?
For the love of God and Jimmy Choo, yes.
To me, nothing is more relatable than two former close friends, as they get older, falling slightly out of touch, feeling guilty about it, reconciling over sporadic texts, and then one feeling intense emotion over a moment that harkens back to history, like Carrie moving out of her apartment. People are so attached to the characters of Sex and the City that they forget reality: Relationships change as time moves on.
There are plenty of reasons to criticize And Just Like That, but my least favorite is “[Insert main character] would never behave that way.” That’s ludicrous. At any moment of the day, Kevin Fallon from 20 years ago would be astonished by his behavior now, let alone who he is and isn’t still in close contact with. It’s called getting older. (And the truth is that people’s most annoying and alienating tendencies intensify with time.) “Miranda would never act like that… Carrie wouldn’t stand for such a thing...” Nonsense! The smartest thing that And Just Like That did was acknowledge that these characters have changed; it’s the fans who are stuck in the past.
I’ve found And Just Like That to be a sort of Rorschach test for how people feel about aging, or what they think constitutes a happy ending. Their indignance over certain plot lines typically, I feel, is rooted in their own denial. Or fear. It’s a harsh truth for a series that we hold so dear because it’s always been a fantasy. Anyway, “two Cosmopolitans”—stat!
There’s No Crying in Television
People ask me all the time, “What’s a good show to binge right now?” I have one perfect answer: It’s A League of Their Own.
The Prime Video series is exciting because it so intrinsically feels like the Penny Marshall film starring Tom Hanks and Geena Davis that it’s based on, but also thrillingly digs deeper into the characters and the fascinating aspects of the time period it’s set in. The series is both a testament to how wonderful this period of countless streaming services and the opportunity for endless content is—the fact that the show exists—and how this time is utterly maddening.
That’s why I was devastated when Prime Videeo announced this week that a previously planned second season for A League of Their Own was canceled. In its statement, Prime Video blamed the decision on the concurrent strikes happening in Hollywood. It needs to be said that such a statement is HORSESHIT, a hollow attempt at villainizing workers who are owed the rights and compensation that greedy executives are denying them.
Nothing needs to be canceled because of the strikes; a fair agreement needs to happen because of the strikes. As A League of Their Own co-creator Abbi Jacobson said in her own response to the statement, “To blame this cancellation on the strike (which is an essential fight for fair wages, protections, and working conditions, etc…) is bullshit and cowardly.”
The point is that, like the movie it was based on, this is a fantastic, nearly flawless series. You should watch it. I’m really sad it’s not coming back. It’s a show that matters. And I encourage you to read this thread from co-creator Will Graham, which elucidates exactly why.
Get Thee to a Theater
The movies are back, y’all! It was reported this week that Barbie is going to overtake The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest grossing release in the U.S. this year, with both crossing the $1 billion box-office marker. I don’t want to brag, but clearly 7-year-old Kevin is Hollywood’s greatest tastemaker. All we need is a billion-dollar movie inspired by my Captain Planet lunch box to confirm it.
But this shouldn’t stop at Barbie. The new raunchy and surprising teen comedy Bottoms is out this weekend. As I learned while watching its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, it’s a film that demands a raucous audience who guffaws, gasps, and claps at its jokes and twists. (Don’t let what happened to Booksmart, another genius film from the genre that died on the vine in cinemas, happen to Bottoms too.)
While you’re at it, go see Passages, to support independent cinema. Or Talk to Me, one of the most fun horror movies of the year. Go buy movie tickets. Make theaters crowded again. You won’t regret it.
A Mantra
My new therapist is just this quote from Patricia Clarkson from a recent interview.
"My mother said, ‘Patty, I just don't want you to wake up at 50 and be unhappy.’ I woke up at 50 in stilettos and a thong,’ “ she said, laughing. “I’ve had a great sexy-ass life.”
What to watch this week:
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Adam Sandler remembered that he could be funny! (Now on Netflix)
Star Wars: Ahsoka: Just make sure you have a Star Wars Wikipedia page up while you’re watching. (Now on Disney+)
Bottoms: Don’t overthink it. Sometimes, fun movies are just fun. (Now in theaters)
What to skip this week:
Gran Turismo: You’d think a movie based on a popular video game would be more exciting. (Now in theaters)
