Julianne Moore Loves to Cry

September 24, 2010 6:08 AM

Julianne Moore Loves to Cry (SLYT)
posted by fearfulsymmetry (72 comments total)

Huh. I prefer drinking.
posted by Decani at 6:14 AM on September 24, 2010

Hey, she's making the same face I made when I heard her "Boston accent" on 30 Rock.
posted by Greg Nog at 6:15 AM on September 24, 2010 [15 favorites]

maybe she just loves to slice onions.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 6:15 AM on September 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

She's good at it. Everybody's good at something. Not everyone can be Tony Jaa, good at kicking people in the face.
posted by selfnoise at 6:16 AM on September 24, 2010 [4 favorites]

She cries after sex too.

Oops, I've said too much.
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:16 AM on September 24, 2010 [11 favorites]

The soundtrack complements her crying so well. Sometimes a good sob (even if vicariously) is a good thing.
posted by h00py at 6:19 AM on September 24, 2010

This made me wonder if it's more a matter of her being ABLE to cry and hence being suitable for roles which call for weeping. I doubt very much that she "loves" to cry. Not all actors can pull this off with any degree of verisimilitude. Maybe she's the go-to actress when a part needs waterworks.

(BTW Far From Heaven although little-known was a powerful and beautifully-made film, and I think Moore is generally a damned fine actress who has deftly handled some unusual roles. Uh, Boston accent notwithstanding.)
posted by kinnakeet at 6:20 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

She's a good actress, I like her, particularly in Freedomland.
posted by nomadicink at 6:23 AM on September 24, 2010

Julianne Moore is one of the single most beautiful human beings alive right now. We are lucky she was not born during the Renaissance; the old masters would take one look at her, throw beat their brushes into crosses and spend the rest of their days as monks, praising the lord and his infinite capacity to create beauty.
posted by griphus at 6:25 AM on September 24, 2010 [12 favorites]

throw
posted by griphus at 6:25 AM on September 24, 2010

Julianne Moore is one of my favourite redheads.

She's also great at not crying:

"Yes, they don't like hearing it and find it difficult to say whereas without batting an eye a man will refer to his dick or his rod or his Johnson. "
posted by bwg at 6:26 AM on September 24, 2010

the pharmacy scene in magnolia made me love her forever
posted by fallacy of the beard at 6:27 AM on September 24, 2010 [7 favorites]

I knew Julianne Moore's brother in grad school. I never saw him cry though.
posted by JanetLand at 6:29 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

I need a hug after that...
posted by schmod at 6:30 AM on September 24, 2010

I love Julianne Moore to death but I'm glad Jack chose Avery.

Go Team Avery!
posted by bondcliff at 6:36 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Bah.
posted by PuppyCat at 6:37 AM on September 24, 2010

the pharmacy scene in magnolia made me love her forever

Seriously. Any actress who can, in a movie, say 'Suck my dick' without it coming across Juno-y or hilarious or bizarre, but just raw and jagged and painful, deserves all my love.
posted by shakespeherian at 6:46 AM on September 24, 2010

Safe was one of the most harrowing experiences I've ever had in a movie theatre.
posted by Shepherd at 6:55 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

She really is amazing at it. It never comes across as forced or fake, and it's always in character.

Also, I don't care what anyone says, Magnolia is one of the best movies ever made.
posted by empath at 7:02 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

This is moderately amusing, but if Youtubey stuff had been around in the 1940s, the world would have been awash with clips of Greer Garson, Joan Crawford, Mary Astor, Bette Davis, Ann Sheridan, Ginger Rogers, Joan Fontaine, and other actresses weeping and bawling their eyes out.

The only reason this seems striking now is that what used to be called women's movies almost never get made anymore, and when they do, the scripts don't often call for actresses to cry in them.
posted by blucevalo at 7:03 AM on September 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

Magnolia is one of the best movies ever made.

Agreed, I love watching it.
posted by nomadicink at 7:05 AM on September 24, 2010

I think the Holy Grail of screenwriting might be creating a role Julianne Moore would feel scared to take on. My wife says it's impossible.
posted by putzface_dickman at 7:06 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

Some pretty powerful misogyny in the YT comments there (color me surprised).
posted by Nabubrush at 7:07 AM on September 24, 2010

She was wonderful in Children of Men too, though it didn't have her crying much.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 7:12 AM on September 24, 2010

Okay, so she cries. Maybe all the time. Does she LOVE to cry? I've got a grandma who cried a lot, and I honestly never got that she was just into it.

Also, I clean toilets more often than Julianne Moore cries, so now I'm worried.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 7:14 AM on September 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

Agreed, I love watching it.

I think one of the reasons people have a problem watching it is that it's a little bit too emotionally raw. It's the kind of movie only a young man can make when he's convinced that he finally understands something important about the world and life and that he needs to share it with everyone. Older artists tend to be more restrained. It's a rare movie that makes me leave with a stronger emotional connection with the director/screenwriter than the actors. Only PTA and Charlie Kaufman manage that with me.
posted by empath at 7:15 AM on September 24, 2010

Safe was one of the most harrowing experiences I've ever had in a movie theatre.

I saw Safe back to back with Superstar at a College film festival once. I went and took a shower and then got really drunk afterwards.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:19 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Who was it said when an actor cries they're pulling a pube out? Is that a Friends quote?
posted by londonmark at 7:43 AM on September 24, 2010

I think one of the reasons people have a problem watching it is that it's a little bit too emotionally raw.

Not only that, but it's a three hour long movie of emotional rawness across a lot of characters. It's also filled with a lot tension, which the linked scene above reminded and waiting hours to get to that conclusion can be nerve wracking and draining.

It took me a while to figure out, but most people don't go to movies for those sort of experiences. They go to escape reality, not be reminded of it, especially in such a raw manner.
posted by nomadicink at 7:43 AM on September 24, 2010

Oh wait, no: my dog is dead, my dog is dead...
posted by londonmark at 7:48 AM on September 24, 2010

Are we talking about how awesome Julianne Moore is? Because I'll tell you what makes her great: Evolution. Seriously, if you listen to the commentary, you find out that the whole bit about her character being unbelievably clumsy was all her idea.

She looked at that character and thought "I know I'm here to be a beautiful genius scientist, but really, I should be walking into doors and looking like an idiot for the sake of the funny..."

And I've absolutely loved her ever since that. Her dramatic work is obviously brilliant, but a willingness to look like a fool for the sake of making something better is a tough thing, and she did it spectacularly.
posted by quin at 7:49 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Julianne Moore's a great actor and she can make a film I might otherwise pass on (like Freedomland) enjoyable.

My problem with Magnolia had nothing to do with it as a film. I had to pee about an hour and a half into it. I spent the next hour and a half thinking "It's almost over, just hold it." Now it's forever associated in my mind with increasing physical discomfort. I try to check the length of a film before I walk in now.

Some pretty powerful misogyny in the YT comments there

"But I repeat myself."

Julianne Moore is one of my favourite redheads.

You categorize people by hair colour and then sort them by preference?
posted by ODiV at 7:54 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

It took me a while to figure out, but most people don't go to movies for those sort of experiences. They go to escape reality, not be reminded of it, especially in such a raw manner.

I may have told this story on mefi before, but the first time I saw Magnolia was when I was in the middle of my 'year of raves and debauchery' and I was completely serotonin depleted from MDMA abuse.

I saw the movie with about 5 of my friends. And about 2 hours into it, one of my friends started sighing loudly every few minutes and getting fidgety. At that point, I was more or less spellbound and in the process of being emotionally destroyed by the movie, and I said something like "Either SHUT THE FUCK UP or GET OUT." Way too loudly. My friend kind of elbowed me, then I elbowed back harder, but he lifted his arm up slightly as I did it and I ended up hitting him in the face.

He swung at me, hit me in the nose, and from there it turned into a full-on fistfight, my nose was bleeding, and I ended up standing over him pounding on his head while these 3 teenage girls started screaming behind us going "OMG STOP IT PLEASE STOP IT" while blood was spraying everywhere.

So instead of watching the end of the movie I'm in the bathroom with blood all over my shirt trying to get my nose to stop bleeding. And the girls were standing outside in the lobby crying.

I ended up cleaning up as best I could and driving down to a theater in the next town to see the movie again, with dried blood still all over the front of the shirt, because I needed to see how it ended.
posted by empath at 7:56 AM on September 24, 2010 [11 favorites]

Julianne Moore is terrific, but this video seems like kind of a cheap gimmick. "Hey, this actress known for doing heavy drama happens to cry a lot as required by the script!" Well, sure, but who cares? Can we get a similar reel of Clint Eastwood looking stoic?

(As for Magnolia, I know a lot of people who think it's the tits. I happen to think it's a giant jumbled mess and Tom Cruise nearly drives the whole RV over a cliff. Seriously, his performance is really embarrassing.)
posted by Skot at 8:07 AM on September 24, 2010

Empath, your story sounds fairly sane to me. Wrecking my movie experience is one of those things can breed murderous thoughts in me.
posted by nomadicink at 8:10 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

You categorize people by hair colour and then sort them by preference?

Wait until you find out who my favorite black person is!
posted by shakespeherian at 8:11 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Can we get a similar reel of Clint Eastwood looking stoic?

Yes please.
posted by ODiV at 8:16 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

Can we get a similar reel of Clint Eastwood looking stoic?

Do we really need a reel where an animated GIF would do?
posted by griphus at 8:18 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

My god what a crybaby.
posted by stormpooper at 8:33 AM on September 24, 2010

Wait until you find out who my favorite black person is!

Dude, we know. Why are you so obsessed with George Washington Carver?
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:36 AM on September 24, 2010

BECAUSE PEANUTS ARE FUCKING AWESOME
posted by shakespeherian at 8:40 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

Almonds are my joy.
posted by nomadicink at 8:49 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Shipping News is a tremendously underrated film. That is all.
posted by cronholio at 8:55 AM on September 24, 2010

Who was it said when an actor cries they're pulling a pube out? Is that a Friends quote?

If I recall correctly, there was an episode where Joey's teaching an acting class, and he advises the students to cut a little hole in the pocket of their pants, and use tweezers to pull out a leg hair or two. I believe this was also the episode where he tried to make one of his students audition for the part of a boxer by making him "super gay".

I can't believe that information is still in my head! Middling episode of Friends, you have more staying power than a full year of calculus!
posted by Greg Nog at 9:27 AM on September 24, 2010

Middling episode of Friends, you have more staying power than a full year of calculus!

Did you miss the mid season 11 episode "The One With Integration by Parts"?
posted by kmz at 9:42 AM on September 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

I can't even articulate how Julianne Moore makes me feel when I see her in a movie. Spellbound and attracted at the same time is the closest I can manage, beyond her physical beauty, there's something about the way she uses her eyes.
posted by BrotherCaine at 9:55 AM on September 24, 2010

I happened to open this link while "Rosetta Stoned" was already playing on my computer. Works a lot better, IMHO.
posted by googly at 10:06 AM on September 24, 2010

You categorize people by hair colour and then sort them by preference?

Seriously? This is a surprise to you?

Ask anyone who has a favourite feature (red/brown/blonde hair, big/small/fake breasts, nice legs, big/small bum, whatever) and they will tell you who their favourite XYZ is. And here's the shocker, it's not just physical features either. People have a favourite writer /sportstar / physicist too.

People judge other people. People have opinions of people based on things other than their personalities...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 10:25 AM on September 24, 2010

The older Harvey Keitel version is better. Is that on 'Tube yet?
posted by clvrmnky at 10:31 AM on September 24, 2010

Seriously? This is a surprise to you?

Yeah, pretty much. It just seemed oddly specific having a ranking of actors (or maybe just people? It's not clear.) categorized into different hair colours.

Sure, I can tell you who I find attractive, but I couldn't say off the top of my head who are amongst my favourite C-cups, brunettes, or size 8s.

Then again, I guess Liam Neeson is one of my favourite actors over six feet tall.
posted by ODiV at 10:43 AM on September 24, 2010

I thought it sounded kinda creepy, myself.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:45 AM on September 24, 2010

She's an amazing actress, and has that quality we've seen come back into vogue after what seemed like a generation of vapid movie stars: she can express and inhabit a vulnerability, frailty, and flawed nature in a way that connects us. Philip Seymour Hoffman is like that too. Compare to, well, everything Tom Cruise does where all I think is "Why are you whining? You're still attractive and you've lived a charmed life".

And yeah, she's pretty pre-Raphaelite gorgeous too.

kinnakeet: (BTW Far From Heaven although little-known was a powerful and beautifully-made film, and I think Moore is generally a damned fine actress who has deftly handled some unusual roles. Uh, Boston accent notwithstanding.)

I really liked Far From Heaven, and it was beautiful shot and acted... but I'd hardly call it "little-known":

Far From Heaven was nominated for 4 Academy Awards. The film was nominated for over 100 other awards and won approximately 30 of them. In the Fourth Annual Village Voice Film Critics' Poll, Far From Heaven was voted the best picture of 2002.

posted by hincandenza at 10:55 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

she looks like a komodo dragon
posted by nathancaswell at 10:58 AM on September 24, 2010

yeah, but a HAWT komodo dragon that can act!
posted by nomadicink at 11:00 AM on September 24, 2010

Needs moar Yakkety Sax.
posted by Cookiebastard at 11:46 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm really confused right now. Because of my feelings about Julianne Moore, I thought I was unusually attracted to redheads. But now I realize it might be crying women that turn me on. Looks like my therapist can go ahead and buy that new car.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:52 AM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

One highlight unmentioned highlight so far in this thread: that scene at the end of The Hours where she is made up to be seventy (?) years old and the evilest bad person in any chick flick that has ever been made. Between that and Nicole Kidman's huge fake nose and Meryl Streep playing a lesbian that movie was like a critical mass of Hollywood anti-matter.

But my favorite Julianne Moore scene may be the one in Short Cuts where she is fighting with her husband and screaming about "he didn't come in me".
posted by bukvich at 12:13 PM on September 24, 2010

> Julianne Moore is terrific, but this video seems like kind of a cheap gimmick.

You think? This epitomizes the mindlessness of the early twenty-first century. Presented with one of the great actors of our time, the only thing some schmuck can think to do is to assemble a bunch of clips of her doing one of the things she is called on, as an actor, to do by screenwriters and directors. And some of the comments here aren't much better than the YouTube ones.

> she looks like a komodo dragon
posted by nathancaswell at 1:58 PM on September 24 [+] [!]

yeah, but a HAWT komodo dragon that can act!
posted by nomadicink at 2:00 PM on September 24 [+] [!]

You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
posted by languagehat at 12:15 PM on September 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

that scene at the end of The Hours

That movie ended!?
posted by ODiV at 12:20 PM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

hat scene at the end of The Hours where she is made up to be seventy (?) years old and the evilest bad person in any chick flick that has ever been made

Why is The Hours a chick flick? I also hear people say this about Friends with Money. These are awesome movies. Why are they chick flicks? Because the main characters are women, so men have no reason to watch them?
posted by shakespeherian at 12:23 PM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh please, like YouTube commenters would know what a komodo dragon is.
posted by nomadicink at 12:25 PM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

I also hear people say this about Friends with Money.

I often tell people that Poltergeist is my favorite "chick flick."
posted by mrgrimm at 12:54 PM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

If I recall correctly, there was an episode where Joey's teaching an acting class, and he advises the students to cut a little hole in the pocket of their pants, and use tweezers to pull out a leg hair or two. I believe this was also the episode where he tried to make one of his students audition for the part of a boxer by making him "super gay".

Joey, er, I mean Matt apparently ripped a Daily Mirror "reporter" in Mayfair a new one the other day for calling him "Joey."

This is apropos of nothing but I thought I bore mentioning nonetheless.
posted by blucevalo at 1:25 PM on September 24, 2010

It's funny because usually it's the other way around.

"Remember in that movie where Bruce Willis shot that guy?"
posted by ODiV at 1:31 PM on September 24, 2010

I tried so hard to like Magnolia. I should like Magnolia, because it's not only the kind of movies I like (Altman-esque, big, ensemble cast, intertwining stories), but also the kind I actually make. I thought it was teetering on the edge of greatness when the Aimee Man sing-a-long happened. It stops the movie dead and then pulls the viewer out of the spell it has worked so hard to create. In my view, it's got a bunch of great elements, but the souffle doesn't rise.

In conclusion, "Vagina."
posted by vibrotronica at 1:31 PM on September 24, 2010

She is my favorite redheaded hawt weepy komodo dragon (non-Swinton division).
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:44 PM on September 24, 2010

I often tell people that Poltergeist is my favorite "chick flick."

I have done the same thing with "The Ten Commandments."
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 1:47 PM on September 24, 2010

Oh please, like YouTube commenters would know what a komodo dragon is.

D'uh! It's the dragon they paint on the back of komodos!
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 2:58 PM on September 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Julianne Moore is an excellent actress.

But I cannot think of the movie Magnolia without thinking of one of my friend's wonderfully terrible imterpretation of the line: "I sucked men's caaacks!"
posted by ovvl at 4:00 PM on September 24, 2010

kinnakeet: "(BTW Far From Heaven although little-known was a powerful and beautifully-made film, and I think Moore is generally a damned fine actress who has deftly handled some unusual roles. Uh, Boston accent notwithstanding.)"

Yeah, I caught Far From Heaven on Netflix the other day and I was completely blown away. I was rapt from start to finish.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 4:12 PM on September 24, 2010

ODiV: "Julianne Moore is one of my favourite redheads.

You categorize people by hair colour and then sort them by preference?"

Sure, why not. Ron Howard is somewhere on the list too, let's see ... #235!
posted by bwg at 4:34 PM on September 24, 2010

As for Magnolia, I know a lot of people who think it's the tits.

Actually, it's the cock. Tom Cruise yelled about it a lot so the confusion's a bit surprising.

But my favorite Julianne Moore scene may be the one in Short Cuts where she is fighting with her husband and screaming about 'he didn't come in me'.

She does most of that scene with no pants or underwear. This comment sums it up pretty well: "what is terrifically subversive about this scene is the use of nudity to expose the total lack of sexual attraction in a couple."
posted by kirkaracha at 7:58 PM on September 24, 2010