Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a re-watch.
The Closest So Far: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Why is it so hard for us to get a great version of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece Cat on a Hot Tin Roof? The original film version from 1958 starred screen icons Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman and scored a host of Oscar nominations. That still makes us laugh: Williams despised the film adaptation, which does not make a lick of sense (more on that in a moment). Thankfully, the 1984 remake of the play, which stars Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones, does make a lot more sense. Unfortunately, it suffers elsewhere.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof tells the story of the Pollitt family. Brick (Jones) and his wife Maggie (Lange) return to the southern estate of Brick’s parents, Big Daddy (Rip Torn) and Big Mamma (Kim Stanley). Brick is nursing a broken leg and grieving over the suicide of his childhood friend Skipper, and hitting the booze hard to dull his pain. The family has come to celebrate a clean bill of health for Big Daddy–or so they say. In reality, Big Daddy has terminal cancer, and the family has conspired to keep him from learning his own diagnosis. As Brick descends further into depression and drink, his brother Gooper (David Dukes) plots to take control of the family fortune from Big Daddy, squeezing out Brick in the process.
Williams uses Cat to meditate on the poison of lies–even the well-meaning kind. The 1958 adaptation of the play completely missed that point by excising one of the text’s central revelations: Brick’s friend Skipper was gay, and a confrontation between the two prompted his suicide. By removing that plot point, Brick’s motivation–and the entire climax of the story–collapses. Fortunately, the 1984 version retains the references to Skipper’s sexuality, and the possible gay affair between him and Brick. That version retains the power of the play’s statements on guilt, shame, lies and mendacity.
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On the other hand, Lange and Jones both give oddly wooden performances, and the cinematography feels stuffy and claustrophobic–we never feel like we’re watching a movie, so much as a camera turned on a stage. Thank goodness then that the ’84 version contains all of Williams’ poetic dialogue, as well as a magnificent performance by Kim Stanley, who seems to have sprung out of a different (and much better) movie.
We realize this all sounds like a wacky and self-defeating recommendation. That leads us back to our central thesis: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is one of the greatest works of American drama, but there has yet to be a film version that captures all that power. Word has it director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) has planned a new adaptation of the play with an all-black cast. Here’s hoping he finally seizes on the ripe opportunity to make a truly great version.
For the moment though, we recommend the 1984 version as the adaptation to watch. While it has its obvious flaws, it also has a plot that actually makes sense, and retains all the homoerotic power of the original. It also hints at the truly great movie waiting in the wings.
Streams on YouTube.
Man About Town
Actually there is a superb version, done in 1976 for BBC & can be found on youtube, with Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, Laurence Olivier and Maureen Stapleton, directed by Robert Moore (“Boys in the Band,” “Promises Promises”, and he played Phyllis’ gay brother on an episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show)
Walking the Dog
That YouTube video only runs 1:38, so I assume it’s heavily edited. A standard production of Cat normally takes about three hours.
I’d recommend the National Theatre production from 2018 if it’s available. It is very good, although not without its critics or problems. (The set and the blocking were occasionally very distracting.)
Fahd
All I can say is, you’ve got to be kidding.
The ’58 movie starred Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Burl Ives, Jack Carson, Judith Anderson, Madeleine Sherwood (what a cast!) and you’re recommending the 1984 made-for-tv version? [head shake]
There’s plenty of innuendo in the ’58 movie and anyone familiar with Williams’ play knows what’s going on anyway.
I’ll just say it: I disagree with this “analysis” and recommendation. Bring back Pauline Kael,
jcool
i understand what you’re saying, Fahd, but i think the point behind the review and Tennessee William’s disdain was the “straight washing” of his story by hollywood. Mr Williams lived his life as an openly gay man when that was not easy, or safe. I have read that he felt if hollywood wouldn’t tell his stories the way they were written, then don’t tell them.
Fahd
Williams was a diva (not to mention addict) who didn’t like a lot of things, but I’ve read a lot by and about him – I don’t recall seeing anywhere that he didn’t like the 1958 version because the gay plot element was not overt enough – maybe, but since he was the master of veiled innuendo, I doubt it.
Also, since he died in 1983, I guess he didn’t see the 1984 made-for-tv version, but I doubt he would have preferred it. Just based on the ’58 cast alone, it’s a disservice to dismiss the 1958 version in the way this review does-get a clue, really.
jcool
“get a clue, really”?
just because i present a different point of view you feel the need to get nasty?
my clue is that you’re a nasty, unhappy old troll who thinks she’s always right.
jsmu
@jcool–My clue is that having been mortified by your stupidity and lack of any decent rebuttal or argument to Fahd, you immediately resort to ugly, cliche-ridden little ‘Mean Girls’ knockoff attempts at insult. Especially love your completely self-loathing and homophobic attempts at ‘feminizing’, troll; you want OLD? calling other gay men ‘she’ and ‘Mary’ went out forty years ago. LOL!
jcool
@jsmu
mind your own business, mary
MrMichaelJ
Yes, let’s please see another movie where the gay guys kills hinself
KyleMichelSullivan
On this, I have to agree. Even in the 40s and 50s there were gay men and women living their lives openly and dealing head on with the pressures of being gay in a hateful world, as Williams knew full well. Even Horton Foote fell into that trap and was awarded a Pulitzer for it! That infuriated me. The old cliche of “the gay one commits suicide” needs to be killed and buried.
Walking the Dog
Try to watch the National Theatre production from 2018 if it’s available. It is very good, although not without its critics or problems. (The set and the blocking were occasionally very distracting, but that’s live theater, I guess.)
MikeD
I agree. I saw that through Fathom Events and thought it was a very powerful production.
BoomerMyles
An all Black version would certainly heighten the homophobia of the characters and plot.
Kangol2
Don’t be racist. Please.
Cam
It has to be all black, all gay, all naked, and all hot. Obviously.
BoomerMyles
What Black’s aren’t homophobic
Looks whos living with his head in the sand – DaBaby!
kdhain12
I’d much rather watch Newman and Taylor in their gorgeous prime, regardless how much sense the movie makes.
Vovette
As would i
Joe Dalmas
Tommy Lee Jones… blech. Did anyone see the Kathleen Turner Broadway version?
Thad
Oh, yeah.
But I think “Cat” is made for live theater. Even college and community theaters can turn out very good productions. It’s hard to f*ck up.
EddieB
Elizabeth Ashley was mesmerizing as Maggie in the 1974 Broadway production. As has been stated already, Williams does not always translate to the screen.