Conflict of Interest Hilary Swank Is Homely, White People Are Awesome, and Other Ideas from Lindy West
posted by on January 4 at 0:15 AM
There’s been a lot of giddy talk at the office lately about freelance film reviewer Lindy West. People in the office think she’s a great find. (Lindy, we’ve never met, but you’re doing nice work, man.)
West’s incorrigible sense of humor fits perfectly with (fellow freelance reviewer) Andrew Wright’s guy-movie common sense and Stranger film editor Annie Wagner’s film-studies geometry.
Yesterday, however, standing by the fax machine, Charles Mudede (also a contributor to the film section) was fretting, telling Wagner he couldn’t follow West’s ideas.
Charles, I direct you to West’s latest write up in today’s Stranger, where she reviews a new movie called Freedom Writers.
She begins plainly:
Aren’t white people awesome? And brave? Isn’t it cool how we’re always, like, going to the inner city and teaching minorities about tolerance and feelings and how to read? And when those crazy minos won’t stop gangbangin’, we’re all, “Who here likes Too-Pack?” and then they’re all, “I hate white people,” but we’re all, “What—are you trippin’?” and then we all have a good laugh. God, it’s so great being white and hilarious. “My badness!”Holy shit. This movie has got to be joking.
After giving a plot summary, West continues. And again, she states her point clearly:
Hilary Swank sucks. She is homely and her teeth are enormous. Everything she says is embarrassing (“When you’re dead, do you think it’s going to matter that you were an Original Gangster?”).
After that straightforward, churlish thesis , West lands with one last idea:
Obviously the real Erin Gruwell (Freedom Writers is a true story) is a great teacher and a great lady, and America’s public schools are dying for want of people like her. But STILL—couldn’t it have been a documentary?
Not only is West’s writing clear, it is funny.
The funniest line ever, I think, being: “Freedom Writers is a true story.”
Anyway, I read this week’s movie section after work, and I was reminded how much I like Lindy West’s reviews. And I wanted to call attention to her writing.
Not to detract from this praise, but I am just curious what happened to the little old lady who wrote movie reviews way back when? I really liked her reviews.
Her writing is funny to white people who think they are hip and with it. Kinda like the staff at the Stranger. Otherwise no groundbreaking literature here. Nope, pretty dull and limited of wit.
Teehee! She writes the way sarcastic hipster people talk!
Oh to be young again and so cool.
Hey, that's not what churl means!
I love Lindy West's reviews; they always make me laugh. The kid's got moxie!
I dont know guys, Im no hipster. I dont even know what it means, except something underemployed white people call themselves. I use to think it was gothic old people who couldnt handle their liquor and tried to look like Lou Reed. I am mos def not white, and I am no longer concerned with being cool, but I really, really like this reviewer's writing, I think she is original, funny and witty. And Ive seen that dude Feit at hearings and no offense, but he certainly does not look young and cool. Whatever cool means.
Where did Lindy West come from? How is it that you haven't met her yet?
Hilary Swank is homely? Jeez, I thought we were supposed to be upset about Hollywood beauty standards... guess not.
Lindy is a fool's name!
#9, word up. Hilary Swank was probably miscast, but she's not homely. She's just not glamorous. And she could kick all of our asses, so I'm just backing away now...
It's weird that she can be such a good actress and such a terrible actress sometimes.
Josh is young and cool, in a grizzled Jewish newsguy kind of way...
This is precisely why The Stranger needs to have author-specific RSS feeds.
Josh: Thanks!
Charles: Sorry!
Hilary Swank: UGGO!!!
I admire any writer who can perplex Charles Mudede.
Hilary Swank: Double UGGO!!!
And there's nobody doing it better at the Stranger than Lindy. Her reviews are one of the first things I go to in the paper.
As a writer who cares something about that notion, I almost puked when I saw the movie title on a billboard. (And I am not under the mistaken impression that screenwriting is writing.) That is really the worst movie title of ALL TIME. Look, I'm a freedom writer!
But shit - are MY teeth too big?
a smarter review, from a real newspaper (from a real city):
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/movies/197803,WKP-News-freedom05.article
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