Going back to the Capote them for a few weeks. Before I jump back into full movies, here are two things I couldn’t find anywhere (not streaming or in the used media store . . . at least not without signing up for subscriptions I can’t afford).

Life on Mars (A Simple Secret of the Note in Us All):

Life on Mars was a British crime drama about a 2006 cop who ends up in 1973. If you never saw it, it had an excellent soundtrack. Since it was successful, the U.S. of course had to copy it. Episode 12 was about, “While investigating the murder of a newspaper columnist, Sam crosses paths with a dangerous killer from one of his cases in the future and is convinced that he is guilty of this crime.” according to imdb.com. I don’t know how Truman Capote fits into this, but I can imagine he was thrown into the episode just to make a witty, biting remark.

Other Voices, Other Rooms:

Couldn’t find this movie, but I’ve seen the trailer and read the novella. The trailer was not well edited and I kept getting bored in the 2 minutes and 40 second span. The book is a coming-of-age story loosely based on Capote’s childhood including a strained relationship with an ill father, an older gay relative who influences the young main character’s views, and a tomboy best friend who is obviously based on Harper Lee. The book had things I did not enjoy (the part at the fair), so I probably would not have enjoyed seeing that part played out on screen.

Trilogy:

According to rarefilmm.com, “Three Truman Capote stories are presented in this anthology: In “Miriam,” a heartbroken nanny is told she isn’t needed to care for a new child. In “Among the Paths to Eden,” a lonely old woman visits a cemetery and meets a widower placing flowers on his late wife’s grave. In “A Christmas Memory,” a boy and his aunt prepare for Christmas by making fruitcakes for their family in small-town, pre–World War II Alabama.” Apparently, this has been on TCM, but I’ve never seen it. This suggests they play it very rarely. Of course, now that I say that it’ll probably be on tomorrow.

One Christmas:

This is another story based on Capote’s childhood with his beloved Aunt Sook and his estranged father. Apparently Henry Winkler and Katherine Hepburn are in it. Honestly, I did find it. I didn’t want to pay money for it. And who watches a Christmas movie in June?

1942 was a time of high ideals in the midst of war. This is a film about truth versus ideals which may be why it’s somewhat forgotten now. Keeper of the Flame stars Spencer Tracey as Steven O’Malley, a war correspondent back in the United States in time for the public funeral of beloved civic leader whom he wants to write biography of. However, the man’s grieving widow, Christine Forrest (Katherine Hepburn), is so determined to keep her husband’s memory pristine that she objects to reporters writing anything beyond his heroism and tragic death in a car accident.

In his pleas to convince Christine Forrest, Steven meets several people wrapped up in the end of a public figure. Even before encountering Christine, he is verbally accosted by her cousin Geoffrey (hey! it’s the Sargent from FTroop!) who has taken the death particularly hard. The house has a gatekeeper who was once Mr. Forrest’s superior officer and claimed to have been rescued by his now deceased boss. His son is Jeb, a distraught little boy who blames himself for Mr. Forrest’s death and missus his older sister who used to work for Mr. Forrest.. There is an elderly Mrs. Forrest, Christine’s mother-in-law who rambles in code. Dr. Fielding provides a more human version of Mr. Forrest, critical of the hero-worship the man inspired in others and blames him for institutionalizing Jeb’s sister. And lastly, there is Clive Kerndon, the family’s private secretary who is on Steven’s side (and I’m pretty sure had a crush on Mr. Forrest despite everything).

Despite the politically inspired youth groups, the pride of everyone in town, and the liberal and lofty idea Forrest left behind, Steven has difficulty writing the biography. He discovers that so much of the “great man’s” life is shadowed. He never expected perfection, yet he starts to suspect more sinister secrets about everyone involved. Christine and Kerndon are guarded about Mr. Forrest’s past and personality except the same rehearsed lines of his greatness and devotion to causes. I won’t give away the ending.

As far as writers go, I like the imagery in this movie of reporters all rushing with their little suitcase typewriters, fighting for a place at a hotel table and typing like mad to reach a deadline. My favorite is Jane, a secondary character who is slightly more fleshed out than the typical “lady reporter”. Tracey’s character represents what trying to print truth can do to a person over time. He’s a man with conviction and empathy who saw World War II first hand and comes home with a broader view of heroes and villains. He wanted to write the biography for other people so they could have more home in something good, hope he knew he was losing throughout the war. I like the idea of a writer wanting to give something to others even if he no longer had it himself. Christine states that she wondered if Steven “spoke as he wrote” and responded, “I speak as I feel and I feel very deeply about this”. Despite everything, he still thought truth was most important.

Megan's Blogs