Friday, November 03, 2006

Adrienne Shelly, 1966 - 2006

I just read on Green Cine Daily that writer/director/actress Adrienne Shelley passed away.

Everyone is unique and special, and during times like these, the struggle is to find unique and special words for this person. The frustration is, of course, that the only words that come to mind are well-worn and trite.

I'm in shock. We are truly at a loss. She was a wonderful person.

My first experience watching her work was in the Hal Hartley film, Trust. The first shot of the film is an extreme close-up of her face. She is petulent and bratty, spending the first scene treating her parents with contempt and anger. Through the course of the film, she grows and eventually becomes a force of giving instead a force of taking. (Plus, she proved beyonda a shadow of a doubt that you can be more attractive in a long dress and glasses than you can be in flashy tops that expose your mid drift.)

I had the pleasure of meeting her once at the USA Film Festival when she screened her film, I'll Take You There. And, like what happens every time I meet an attractive woman, I totally froze up. I think all I ever said to her was, "Buh buh buh... sign please?" She was gracious and kind to me when she didn't have to.

And that's how I'll always remember her... gracious and kind. She was a force of giving, and I will truly miss what she gave to us.

4 comments:

TomKessler said...

When I read first read this announcement on the Mobius board, it gave me a cold chill. It's the type of death announcement where you blink once or twice and ask yourself, "Wait, did I read that right?"

Moments after computing the information I, of course, thought of you. Your influence in my life has been a legacy that's kept on giving.

Hell, I even liked NO SUCH THING (take that, Roger Ebert)!

I also nod in sad agreement with Terry Moore that it's better to wrap up "Strangers In Paradise" while it still has some vitality than to wait until after it has worn out its welcome.

Plus, I still have one or two of your cds and your "Cerebus" book. 10 years seems like too long to borrow something.**

I'd send you some Hallmark hopes, but I find that opening an active dialogue is always preferrable to generic well wishes.

Hope to chat with you soon.

--t.

**I still hold out hope that the marine dude I met in California will one day return my dubbed versions of TANK GIRL and TWISTER. If he does, he can have back his Red Curtain Cartoons.

TomKessler said...

P.S.-- tomat_k@yahoo.com or you can drop in on my Rupert Murdoch sponsored MyFox page: http://www.myspace.com/annathomasexperience

M. Robert Turnage said...

Hey! Tom! Good to hear from you. What has it been? 10 years? Sorry it took something like this to happen to get you to post a comment. So far, the best blog entry I've read about Adrienne Shelley came from her once co-star James Urbaniak.

http://urbaniak.livejournal.com/74019.html

M. Robert Turnage said...

Ugh. It looks like she was murdered. What a waste. The guy confessed, though, so it seems like some good came out of it.