Last night Mitch and I watched A New Leaf (1971). Written, directed, and starring Elaine May, the movie depicts a wealthy man, Henry, who's informed that he's spent all his money. He's grown up rich, and he has very expensive tastes. He's "keeping alive traditions that died long before you were born." And he has no skills, and no one likes him. His butler encourages him to ask for a loan from his uncle, to cover expenses and save face in the meantime, and then to find a rich woman to marry. The uncle agrees as long as Henry pays back the loan within six weeks. Henry has to scramble to find a wife, and when he finds one, -- a wealthy klutz with no manners who has even fewer skills than Henry (except for that she works as a Botanist) -- he schemes on how to kill her.
A plot summary! Marvelous.
The movie was great, quotable laugh-out-loud lines. Wonderful acting. Stupid bits. It's the kind of film I'd watch again just to be able to get the lines exactly right. I had rented it because it popped up on a list of the best movies directed by women. I hadn't put together that Elaine May also wrote The Birdcage. If I work remotely from Colorado again this year, I want to make sure to show it to my parents.
I've been surprised by how good movies from the 60s and 70s are. I have a bias that says, If I haven't heard of it already, then it's probably not very good. Being able to watch movies from different eras, different countries, and different traditions is hopefully helping me explode that misconception.
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