William ArnottHollywoodland - 2 Clocks
November 15th 2006 00:37
In its 126 minutes Hollywoodland presents its audience with three scenarios to explain the death of George Reeves. All three are equally plausible and each alone could be the plot of a good movie but none provide the driving force behind Hollywoodland. Instead this movie gets its appeal from the fact that in all likelihood none of the three scenarios accurately depict the death of Reeves.
Hollywoodland allows its audience to step into the shoes of its main character, Louis Simo [Adrien Brody], and play detective. As Simo’s lust for publicity unveils clues to the mystery surrounding the death of George Reeves, we are shown another side of the man who will forever be known as the original Superman. A man who strived to be famous but died unfulfilled because he never learned to appreciate the celebrity he had achieved.
The final scene of the movie shows an exchange between Simo and his son, who, like many boys his age, was crushed by the death of his superhero idol. When it was over my father questioned why the movie would end with such a scene. At the time I had no answer, but later I began to realize its significance and oddly enough my insight was inspired by another comment made by my father. I remembered that it was during that very scene that he turned to me and said “that little boy reminds me of myself.” I can only imagine that he won’t be the only moviegoer walking out of the theater feeling that way. Because, my father, like many of those who will go see Hollywoodland this weekend, grew up watching George Reeves play Superman. So whether that scene was thrown in by the studio as a last attempt to make the movie more relatable or as a way to show the impact that a character can have despite the actor’s obvious discontent with his own career, the next time I see my father I’m going to tell him that perhaps that scene, and the movie as a whole had more to offer than we first thought.
Hollywoodland allows its audience to step into the shoes of its main character, Louis Simo [Adrien Brody], and play detective. As Simo’s lust for publicity unveils clues to the mystery surrounding the death of George Reeves, we are shown another side of the man who will forever be known as the original Superman. A man who strived to be famous but died unfulfilled because he never learned to appreciate the celebrity he had achieved.
The final scene of the movie shows an exchange between Simo and his son, who, like many boys his age, was crushed by the death of his superhero idol. When it was over my father questioned why the movie would end with such a scene. At the time I had no answer, but later I began to realize its significance and oddly enough my insight was inspired by another comment made by my father. I remembered that it was during that very scene that he turned to me and said “that little boy reminds me of myself.” I can only imagine that he won’t be the only moviegoer walking out of the theater feeling that way. Because, my father, like many of those who will go see Hollywoodland this weekend, grew up watching George Reeves play Superman. So whether that scene was thrown in by the studio as a last attempt to make the movie more relatable or as a way to show the impact that a character can have despite the actor’s obvious discontent with his own career, the next time I see my father I’m going to tell him that perhaps that scene, and the movie as a whole had more to offer than we first thought.
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