Musical Mondays - Week 18 - Gigi

[taylor anne photo 11311]

You mean you're not going to study this movie in prep for your trip?

Oh I really should. That's a good idea. Good thing I'll have a week in between moving and traveling (srsly lol @ my life) to really study up on French culture lol.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

I did see it as more of an Old Money vs. New Money type of conflict. Gigi's family maybe was part of the old aristocracy, raised to believe in their own superior status, but now have no actual money to spend and have to rely on their traditional status. That's why they put so much stock in manners and etiquette and why they center their plot to land Gigi a husband around "educating" her on social niceties. Gaston, being the product of New Money (being a sugar magnate) is rich as hell, and frequently sings about being bored with the minutia of social performance.

 

But they weren't trying to get her a husband, were they? I thought the whole point of her classes was so she could be a successful courtesan like her Aunt. I also got the vibe that the Aunt was supplementing their income which is why her Grandmother kept insisting that she keep going to those classes. It was a way of keeping them on her good side.

 

Basically, without a father, Gigi was going to have to support herself one day. The best way, at that time, for a woman to live both comfortably and independently, would have been for her to be a courtesan. Fortunately (?), she had an Aunt who was already successful in that field and was willing to apprentice her. But neither Gigi nor her grandmother really wanted that for her. It's just the best they could do given the situation.

[kateacola 2440]

Just wanted to point out... Gigi was directed by Vincente Minnelli (Liza's dad).

He also directed An American in Paris (noting since we've made comparisons to).

 

 

And he also directed The Pirate (which I watched recently, I'd recommend if you like Gene Kelly and/or Judy Garland)

 

or Gene Kelly in pirate shorts, lol

 

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

Guys, let's just say what we are all thinking.

 

1. Shared universe where Gigi and Gaston's son grew up in Paris to be the Emcee in Cabaret.

2. Jacob's Ladder Scenario: Honore starts singing 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls', dies of disgustingness halfway through, the whole movie is his death rattle, only to have him finish the song at the end and then head straight to hell.

 

Sorry to point out the obvious guys.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I know this was briefly brought up before by I found Gaston's first girlfriend's cheating on him to be handled very oddly. So he's on to the fact that the skating instructor and her are very close. She overplays her hand a little by making him tip the skater and going off about how awful he is. In reality, she knows she's got no real future with Gaston right? If she was trying to marry him for the money you think she'd wait until after the marriage to start seeing people behind his back. She's actually just playing the same game he is, yet she's seen as the villain. Gaston dumping her and her loving being payed off to runaway result her being suicidal and everybody is happy about it? It's just so crazy.

[tomspanks 9039]

I know this was briefly brought up before by I found Gaston's first girlfriend's cheating on him to be handled very oddly. So he's on to the fact that the skating instructor and her are very close. She overplays her hand a little by making him tip the skater and going off about how awful he is. In reality, she knows she's got no real future with Gaston right? If she was trying to marry him for the money you think she'd wait until after the marriage to start seeing people behind his back. She's actually just playing the same game he is, yet she's seen as the villain. Gaston dumping her and her loving being payed off to runaway result her being suicidal and everybody is happy about it? It's just so crazy.

 

I think it was a case of "if I can't have her, no one can". He's a vindictive prick.

It was so weird how her suicide was never brought up again. I wonder how many women were driven to suicide by Gaston's crazy antics.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

 

But they weren't trying to get her a husband, were they? I thought the whole point of her classes was so she could be a successful courtesan like her Aunt. I also got the vibe that the Aunt was supplementing their income which is why her Grandmother kept insisting that she keep going to those classes. It was a way of keeping them on her good side.

 

Basically, without a father, Gigi was going to have to support herself one day. The best way, at that time, for a woman to live both comfortably and independently, would have been for her to be a courtesan. Fortunately (?), she had an Aunt who was already successful in that field and was willing to apprentice her. But neither Gigi nor her grandmother really wanted that for her. It's just the best they could do given the situation.

 

That's basically what I mean. Gigi and her family are cash poor so Gigi needs to marry to make them solvent. In order to marry, she has to make herself appear both as presentable and desirable as possible. This definitely has the appearance of wealth attached to it, as well as the respectability of being part of the Old Aristocracy. The sort of class conflict, at least in my head, comes into play because both sides (Gaston and Gigi) know they are each playing each other, and each side knows the other side knows the game is being played. When there is so much dishonesty and adversarial gamesmanship going on in a courtship, no fucking wonder every marriage is basically a torrent of infidelity and distrust. They start on a stack of lies and die on a stack of affairs.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

 

I think it was a case of "if I can't have her, no one can". He's a vindictive prick.

It was so weird how her suicide was never brought up again. I wonder how many women were driven to suicide by Gaston's crazy antics.

 

No, I think his problem is one of status. He's only with her because she's the most famous courtesan. Being with her is prestigious. He doesn't really care about her, nor she him, but her fooling around behind his back doesn't look good, not to mention, she's probably breaking her contract.

 

I think it's important to note, the women are entering into a formal agreement. There's no coercion. This isn't just picking someone up off the street. The man offers what he's going to offer and Eva (or Gigi) are under no obligation to sign. They're (ostensibly) adults capable of making their own decisions and are able to negotiate for better terms. The problem is that Gigi actually loves him, so of course, she feels diminished by the arrangement.

 

The suicide was never brought up again because it never happened. They say she "committed suicide - again." They then say she took just enough pills to NOT die. This is a status thing for her, too. Her "suicide" is just a bit of drama. It's just pretend. She's just doing it to get attention and so she doesn't appear to be in breach of contract- which would be bad for business. The joke is, everyone knows it's pretend.

[tomspanks 9039]

No, I think his problem is one of status. He's only with her because she's the most famous courtesan. Being with her is prestigious. He doesn't really care about her, nor she him, but her fooling around behind his back doesn't look good, not to mention, she's probably breaking her contract.

 

I think it's important to note, the women are entering into a formal agreement. There's no coercion. This isn't just picking someone up off the street. The man offers what he's going to offer and Eva (or Gigi) are under no obligation to sign. They're (ostensibly) adults capable of making their own decisions and are able to negotiate for better terms. The problem is that Gigi actually loves him, so of course, she feels diminished by the arrangement.

 

The suicide was never brought up again because it never happened. They say she "committed suicide - again." They then say she took just enough pills to NOT die. This is a status thing for her, too. Her "suicide" is just a bit of drama. It's just pretend. She's just doing it to get attention and so she doesn't appear to be in breach of contract- which would be bad for business. The joke is, everyone knows it's pretend.

 

But why not just let her go instead of tracking her down and making a spectacle out of pranking her? He couldn't wait until she got back into town to confront her or void the contract? French high society was weird. FWIW I thought Gabor was actually enamored with that other guy - not that it mattered, since he was a jerk too. Now that I think of it, was there any male character that came off as a decent guy?

 

I definitely missed the joke about her suicide attempt. I seriously thought people in the movie were being insensitive.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

 

But why not just let her go instead of tracking her down and making a spectacle out of pranking her? He couldn't wait until she got back into town to confront her or void the contract? French high society was weird. FWIW I thought Gabor was actually enamored with that other guy - not that it mattered, since he was a jerk too. Now that I think of it, was there any male character that came off as a decent guy?

 

I definitely missed the joke about her suicide attempt. I seriously thought people in the movie were being insensitive.

 

You're not wrong. Eva was enamored her skating instructor- which is the only reason she would have pursued it. I'm not saying Gaston was being mature, but he felt humiliated and wanted to humiliate her back. Not very admirable, but very human.

 

Re: male characters. Not really, but Gaston does do the "decent" thing in the end when he rebels against societal norms and follows his heart. As we touched on before, this is really a redemption movie for Gaston. He's not supposed to be likable - not really. Gigi makes him a better person.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I got the part about the suicide attempts but I found it shocking how dismissive and cruel everyone was about her attempts: diminishing the actions of a clearly mentally ill person isn't cool. A cry for help like that is more than just being dramatic!

[Cameron H. 23786]

I got the part about the suicide attempts but I found it shocking how dismissive and cruel everyone was about her attempts: diminishing the actions of a clearly mentally ill person isn't cool. A cry for help like that is more than just being dramatic!

 

The difference is she never had any suicidal thoughts, nor any intention of going through with it. She didn't love Gaston, nor did she need him.

 

Honestly, it wasn't a cry for help, it was a cry for attention. By our standards, she's still sick - but more in a Kim Kardashian way.

 

"There is only one thing worse in life than being talked about, and that is not being talked about."

 

Oscar Wilde

[tomspanks 9039]

Do we know why Guga liked Gigi so much?

[Cameron H. 23786]

Do we know why Guga liked Gigi so much?

 

I have no idea! I wish I could ask her. All I can say is, it was obviously popular at the time. While it seems super shitty to us now, people in 1958 ate this shit up.

[tomspanks 9039]

I have no idea! I wish I could ask her. All I can say is, it was obviously popular at the time. While it seems super shitty to us now, people in 1958 ate this shit up.

 

I thought this comparison was interesting.

 

Gigi

Release date: May 15, 1958

Budget $3,3 mil

Box office $13,2 mil

 

South Pacific

Release date: March 19, 1958

Budget $5.61 mil

Box office $36,8 mil

 

South Pacific was the top grossing film in 1958 and Gigi was at a respectable #5.

 

Another random factoid: Leslie Caron gave birth to her son on 30 March 1957 and Gigi started filming in September 1957!

[Cameron H. 23786]

I asked my father about his mother's fondness of Gigi, but no luck. "She must have liked it, I guess." The Mystery of Guga continues...

[Cam Bert 8145]

This is a little off topic but in honor of Cameron's guga, does anybody her know what any of their relatives favourite movies are? Addition, if so have you seen it and what did you think of it?

[Cameron H. 23786]

This is a little off topic but in honor of Cameron's guga, does anybody her know what any of their relatives favourite movies are? Addition, if so have you seen it and what did you think of it?

 

I want to say my mother's favorite movie is Gone With the Wind, at least, it was at some point. I'm not sure what my father's favorite movie is. Neither of them ever really watched movies with me growing up. The only movie I have any memory of watching with my father is Last Crusade - which I know he loved.

[DanEngler 5249]

If y'all get bored over the weekend, you can watch my "alternate universe where I participate in Musical Mondays" pick: the

to Rags to Riches. It's sort of a 60s jukebox musical about a bunch of orphan girls getting adopted by a rich guy, starring post-Little Shop of Horrors pre-Martin Tisha Campbell, Bill Maher, and Joseph Bologna (who sadly just died this week.)

 

My sisters recorded this during its initial broadcast in 1987 and played it on repeat until the VHS tape wore out, so it's been seared into my brain. This experience is perfectly replicated by watching the ghastly VHS rip on YouTube. If you want more of the show in pristine DVD quality, you can find the complete boxed set on Amazon (using HDTGM's affiliate code to give the gang a cut.)

 

Enjoy/I'm sorry.

[Cameron H. 23786]

If y'all get bored over the weekend, you can watch my "alternate universe where I participate in Musical Mondays" pick: the

to Rags to Riches. It's sort of a 60s jukebox musical about a bunch of orphan girls getting adopted by a rich guy, starring post-Little Shop of Horrors pre-Martin Tisha Campbell, Bill Maher, and Joseph Bologna (who sadly just died this week.)

 

My sisters recorded this during its initial broadcast in 1987 and played it on repeat until the VHS tape wore out, so it's been seared into my brain. This experience is perfectly replicated by watching the ghastly VHS rip on YouTube. If you want more of the show in pristine DVD quality, you can find the complete boxed set on Amazon (using HDTGM's affiliate code to give the gang a cut.)

 

Enjoy/I'm sorry.

 

I definitely will! Thanks, Dan!

[tomspanks 9039]

This is a little off topic but in honor of Cameron's guga, does anybody her know what any of their relatives favourite movies are? Addition, if so have you seen it and what did you think of it?

 

Sorry, it took me a couple of days to gather the data: The King and I, Silver Linings Playbook, and The Bridges of Madison County.

 

I like The King and I a lot, as I usually do with any Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. I'm lukewarm about the other two movies.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Sorry, it took me a couple of days to gather the data: The King and I, Silver Linings Playbook, and The Bridges of Madison County.

 

I like The King and I a lot, as I usually do with any Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. I'm lukewarm about the other two movies.

 

...and I forgot to answer the rest of the question.

 

First of all, confirmed, my mother's favorite movie is Gone With the Wind. I'm not sure if I like it. I've only seen it beginning to end once, and I remember thinking it was okay, but it's been awhile so I'm not sure.

 

I asked my father what his favorite movie was and he couldn't give me one. Eventually, I cajoled a "maybe" with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation out of him - although not with too much conviction. As for that one, I like it more for the memories of hearing my dad crack up to it and as a Christmas tradition than an actual movie.

 

What about you, Cam?

[Cam Bert 8145]

Sorry I got busy watching all of The Defenders today. Still one more to go but need a bit of a breather.

 

My Mom's favourite movie will vary but you will always get one of two answers. It's going to be Pollyanna or Shenandoah. I've seen Pollyanna a few times as a kid and I want to say I liked it however it always got mixed up with Ann of Green Gables in my mind. Never seen Shenandoah all I know about it is that it's a Jimmy Stewart western. It's also hard to find.

 

My father I can't ask anymore and much like Cameron's father when I did I never got a straight answer. I know he had mentioned he'd seen Jeremiah Johnson more than any other movie. However, I know that if ever a Monty Python movie was on he'd seek it out and stop on it. He made me watch Holy Grail and Life of Brian when I was way too young to appreciate them. He also made me watch George Carlin specials way too young as well.

 

My sister's favourite movie is Dirty Dancing and I have seen it and as much as I'd like to crap on it and its weird love story I kinda liked it as a kid.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

My mom's favorite movie would probably be Laura, a downright classic film noir that I love, starring the tragically luminescent Gene Tierney, the just-the-right-balance-of-masculine-and-naive Dana Andrews, and the epitome of devious intellectual (read: gay) Clifton Webb. AND VINCENT PRINCE in a supporting role. This is a movie that takes the Femme Fatale trope and inverts it and least one-and-a-half times. Did I mention I love this movie?

 

I don't think my father would ever admit it, but one of his favorite movies is Top Gun. We had that on VHS when I was a kid and he would always jump at the chance to watch it if I wanted to, with my mother rolling her eyes in the background. I'm sure an ever-so-slight (read: HUGE) part of my dad's and my own attraction to this movie is that my dad is a very handsome, 5'6", Navy pilot with dark hair and, when he was flying, also had an affinity for aviator sunglasses. In his Navy days, he even had a similar build to Tom Cruise. So yeah, Top Gun is imprinted in my brain.

 

Funny that Cam Bert mentioned Monty Python and the Holy Grail, because both of my parents love that movie as well AND showed it to me when I was very young. I think part of it is that my dad is very Catholic while my mom... manages to not rage at the Catholic church's stance on birth control if she only has to go to mass for holidays and weddings, so I think they both wanted to show me that there are different ways of looking at religion. And shit, I still love that movie as well. Blessed are the cheesemakers.

 

God damn, my parents introduced me to the above films, as well as The Twilight Zone and Star Trek. My parents are... really cool?

[Cameron H. 23786]

My parents are... really cool?

 

I'd hang out with your parents...