Meg Ryan Came Out on Top After the Parkinson Disaster
I’m currently watching Jane Campion’s In the Cut (2003), an erotic thriller about a woman who has an affair with a detective (Mark Ruffalo) investigating a horrendous murder. I’m not sure yet what to make of this film, but it does have intriguing elements for an adult audience. In October, 2003 Ryan appeared as a guest on Sir Michael Parkinson’s talkshow in Britain and the interview became one of Parky’s most memorable.. and sadly, unprofessional. It is unbelievably uncomfortable. When I first saw it, I sympathized with Parkinson but now I’m beginning to understand Ryan’s position better. Parkinson interprets the film one way, but Ryan disagrees with him and tries to tell him how she views the film and its sexuality; it’s not easy when the interviewer has made up his mind and wants to force his views down the other person’s throat. Parkinson then goes on to talk about her divorce and how she’s perceived by the general public; no wonder then when he asks her what she would do in his position, she tells him to “wrap it up”.
Both of them make mistakes. Parkinson tries too hard to force his views on Ryan and then expects her to open up to him after antagonizing her. Ryan’s mistake is assuming that Parkinson will ask the usual servile questions expected from hosts of Entertainment Tonight and similar American shows; she immediately reacts with hostility to any question that is outside of the box.
Still, I have to say that Ryan is the one who tries to maintain some kind of intellectual level in the interview, trying to explain her character to Parkinson. TVSA has interesting quotes from both parties after the interview that help explain the antagonism:
- Parkinson: “I should have closed it. But listen, it happens. She was an unhappy woman. I felt sorry for her. What I couldn’t forgive her for was that she was rude to the other guests.”
- Ryan: “I don’t even know the man. That guy was like some disapproving father! It’s crazy. I don’t know what he is to you guys, but he’s a nut. I felt like he was berating me for being naked in the movie. He said something like: ‘You should go back to doing what you were doing’. And I thought, are you like a disapproving dad right now? I’m not even related to you. Back off, buddy. I was so offended by him.”
Published by Stefan Hedmark 2009-04-24 15:19
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djb writes:
Watching his 70s interview with young Helen Mirren on youtube and one can see the exact same problem he has with female actors and nudity. It’s a very similar interview with a very similar outcome. He tries to inflict his world-view of women onto women who have a strong sense of themselves as intelligent beings who just happen to do the odd nude scene. He’s of a generational thought which, thank God, is long gone.