Friday, December 19, 2014

Christmas Dinner Redux

The one that never was.


How to top saying that it was John Huston's career-topping last movie?  The best of better films? A labor of love for a beloved writer?

My revision of that scene would be a metaphor for the old Althouse crowd. One by one they self-identify like guests at a dinner party that never really happened in real life.

The context was Irish -- as certain as Joyce was constrained to what he knew best. But, the theme is universal and cuts across literary media.

10 comments:

XRay said...

I can't watch all that though made it to five minutes. And what the hell did Joyce know anyway. A drunken philandering Irishman, who knew how to write, what a surprise.

XRay said...

Sorry, the above penned by a similar half drunken half Irishman. Though I may have a point nonetheless.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

I very much like that short story and Houston did a fine job with the film.

Mumpsimus said...

I agree, ELB. A masterpiece of a story, and a gem of a movie.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I loved that movie. Often thought about the speech towards the end.

chickelit said...

This scene, Lem?

ricpic said...

Where are the children?! But maybe that's the secret to the scene's being so civilized like -- no children!

chickelit said...

The children were all with Mary Poppins, ricpic. Who was going to invite her?

Lydia said...

I think the dinner party actually takes place on the Feast of the Epiphany, and so a perfect setting for a whole bunch of little epiphanies.

chickelit said...

Thanks Lydia. I knew that once but forgot.