Moral Milk for Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn
by Jaden
Portraying a 1970s lipstick lesbian political activist, smoking to kill, I paid a little set visit to “Milk” directed by legendary Gus Van Sant.
Gus is the antithesis to Hollywood, and for that, he is beautiful. Humble, patient, quirky, and subtle, director Gus Van Sant is admirably everything that Hollywood is not.
In the spirit of the nouvelle vague (“new wave” of French films by filmmakers such as Godard and Truffaut), Gus is a whisper of the breath that challenged classic Hollywood in the 1950s and 60s. Gus is a master at recreating the natural world into fiction minus all the contrived fluff.
Seeing the 1970s vintage cars in a movie theatre is not half as exciting as running my finger along the side of the long waves of green metal and throwing myself nude on the hood for a candid glam shot. I didn’t do this of course; I only fantasized about it. Suffice to say, the vehicles were awesome!
With a ragamuffin mat on his head and loitering around was rugged actor Sean Penn who plays Harvey Milk, a gay politician who was assassinated by his co-worker. It’s commendable to see Sean take this role. Unfortunately, I am surprised to find put-downs on the Internet already before any footage of Sean has even been released. Gosh, give the guy a chance, you rancors!
My friend related a story to me about Sean Penn recently. One friend asked the other, “What’s so hot about Sean Penn?” And the other answered, “He was with Madonna!” Ooooooh. That’s how the whole Sean Penn thing started, didn’t it? Since then, Sean has picked up the ball and ran many touchdowns without the notorious virgin cheerleading on the side.
Also on the set was the real Cleve Jones who will be played by Emile Hirsch. The real Cleve plays the role of a political activist in Los Angeles.
Others in the cast are James Franco and Josh Brolin.
What a great screenplay idea that writer Dustin Lance Black brings to life! Historical. Relevant. Moral messages. Educational. Heartfelt.
One important topic in “Milk” is Proposition 6: The Briggs Initiative on the California State ballot in 1978 that would have banned gays and lesbians from teaching in California public schools.
Harvey Milk made a public cry that all gay and lesbians come out of the closet and introduce themselves to their neighbors so that people would say: Hey, these gay people aren’t all bad, they’re actually pretty nice and normal, some of them happen to even be my friends! Who knew? A massive wave of homosexuality reared its head and changed everything.
Former Screen Actors Guild president and president of the USA Ronald Reagan, along with President Jimmy Carter, and many Republican groups all opposed Prop.6 which was overwhelmingly defeated.
Not a lesbian or a smoker, though sometimes I pretend to be, I support the long forgotten 332-year old Declaration of Independence: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness! Not just for some, but for all.
“Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” — Benjamin Franklin
Tipping my hat to all those involved with the film “Milk” due out November 26, 2008.
Some notable films Gus Van Sant directed:
Elephant (2003) story similar to Columbine Shootings
Psycho (1998) remake
Good Will Hunting (1997) award winning
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993) from great Tom Robbins novel
My Own Private Idaho (1991) classic
Drugstore Cowboy (1989) excellent!
To learn more about Gus Van Sant or Sean Penn or anything else in the movie industry, you can go to imdb.com, the Internet Movie Data Base.
Also, I highly recommend reading the Declaration of Independence; it is an amazing piece of literature.
Milk related links:
And The Nominees Are… And the Oscar Goes to… Milk! Movies to See Before You Vote for President Milk Drops Keep Falling on My HeadComments
8 Responses to “Moral Milk for Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn”
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Heheh, I know who made that Madonna comment! How could I forget. Hey, it wasn’t me! I saw Sean Penn at the movies once. I kept thinking, hey that guy looks really familiar. Did he go to my high school or something? Then, I hit myself on the head, uh yeah, that’s a famous and talented actor! Silly me.
Already there’s buzz about this film and Sean Penn in this role, and is even being mentioned for the 2009 Oscars by some. It’s really great to see actors like Sean Penn and others show versatility by taking on a gay role like this….so many actors wouldn’t.
I (and our movie site) have been following Gus Van Sant’s film Milk, and hope that it will show worldwide in theatres in 2009. This was an interesting post, and especially neat that you got to visit the set of Milk!
Hi Jan, it seems we’re now addicted to Jaden’s fab blog!
I would also like to add that Gerry, another of van Sant’s movie is quite fascinating. Many don’t like it simply because it’s different. I love the way the camera worked its way on the two characters. I watched this after seeing Goodwill Hunting, its so different and so stylishly done, I thought just how could van Sant’s think of doing such a unique movie?
Gus is one of my fave directors. Anyone who effectively utilizes a long take dolly shot throughout the entire movie is great in my book. They’re not exactly easy to pull off.
Another stellar film of his is the Kurt Cobain-like film Last Days with Michael Pitt (who melted me in Dreamers).
Van Sant’s movies are the ones you sit down with a glass of merlot and a lot of psychoanalysis and you truly get lost, in every sense of the word, in the story.
So beautiful.
Shane — I didn’t see that Cobain film, but have you seen the documentary about how Courtney gave it to him — as in killed him? That’s pretty intense.
Kurt & Courtney:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_&_Courtney
Yeah, Gus films are great. Definitely good to watch with a glass of red.
Yeah, the long dolly shot is not easy and those who pull it off without drawing attention to it are quality. There is a music video, song called “Closing Time” by Semisonic that I love, directed by Chris Applebaum. The entire video is in split screen with only one take that intersects and crosses each other, the 2 people switch and go into the other person’s camera! It’s amazing! Goes through the city with action and everything, switching locations. It’s truly a filmic feat! (Not sure if they cheated at all and actually cut.)
Closing Time:
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=23397&vid=9912
[...] Many months ago, I wrote about my set visit and about the movie. At that time, people were doubting Sean Penn’s ability to play California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. If you watch the movie trailer, I think all doubt shall be removed from your mind. The movie looks amazing. [...]
Malibu born and bred -Uncle’s in the movie biz-
‘renegade outsider’ fraud Sean Penn turning in
still another clever and sustained impersonation
in his latest ‘daring’ 70’s show –MILK.
Meanwhile circle-jerk America is now officially
the junk-credit opium addict of some of the
most genocidal monsters of all time right
across the Pacific. -You-know-where
-that ‘people’s paradise’ that murdered
70 million in ‘peacetime’ in the name of
’social progress’.
-But you’ll never hear a word about it from
Sean Penn or any of the other decades stale
hacks in Hollywood.
$$$trange -don’t you think?
nano X — Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts.
As much as I would love to pin all the world’s problems onto a single actor, it just would not be right.
A person can only cover so many issues. Each individual has their own belief system that is neither here nor there, it is just based on the life they have known. You can’t expect one person in the world to care about everything about which you care or to act upon it, when perhaps even you yourself are not acting upon it.
No one is stopping you nano X from writing, producing, acting, and directing a movie about those issues that move you most. If you are angered by something, tell your tale! Don’t seek to blame others for not telling it. Start a positive movement. Make a beneficial difference.
The world you want to live in starts with the world you create in your mind and what you bring forth into the physical realm.