The Occasional Solipsist

I guess I'm just a sucker for a good love story.

I have considered Quentin Tarantino's first movie, True Romance to be my second favourite movie since I first watched it over ten years ago. My first favourite movie will be the subject of another post if I get around to watching it again anytime soon. I'll give you a hint: klaatu barata nikto.

I first got turned on to True Romance by Dave Cooley, one of two brothers who were both very good friends of mine. Dave knew I'd like the movie, a modern day Romeo and Juliet full of violence, drugs and sex, because he knew the kind of guy I was. He even called me a softie all the time when no one else was around. It took one to know one pal.

Every time I watch the movie, and I’ve seen it a lot, I marvel over the brilliant performances by the likes of Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Michael Rapaport, Val Kilmer, and of course Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. And Brad Pitt’s turn as the pothead Floyd is the best you’ll ever see him. The scene where he offers the gangsters a ‘bowl’ while they ask for directions is priceless.

But it is the unusual love story between Slater’s Clarence and Arquette’s Alabama that makes the movie so great. As a short, comic reading geek myself, it’s easy to see why I root for Clarence from the beginning. I may not shoot pimps or talk to the ghost of Elvis, but I’m at least as fucked up for other reasons.

And who doesn’t want to see the real prostitute with the heart of gold make it? Beautiful, sweet, smart, deadly dangerous when backed into a fight. She reminds me a lot of my wife.

Except for the prostitute part.

And if you listen real close during the scene outside Clarence’s place after they have sex, you find out that Alabama likes Star Trek. Can't beat that.

I’ve read that the movie follows Tarantino’s script identically, except for two major changes: The original script called for shooting the movie in the standard non-linear Tarantino format we have all come to know and get tired of, and one change to the ending that would have completely ruined the movie.

I for one am glad that he only wrote and didn’t direct this movie. It's okay for there to be a happy ending Quentin, even if for nothing other than a change of pace.

Better reviewers than I am (though I am still working on that book – watch out Dan Brown) have written reviews worth reading. The wikipedia article is a good one.

So if for some reason you haven’t seen True Romance, go rent/add to your zip.ca queue/buy it. When it's over, you'll be glad you did. Elvis and all.