Do you want an orange?
March 15, 2013 6:29 AM Subscribe
Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody? A short film directed by Miguel Arteta, written by Miranda July, starring John C. Reilly, July, Mike White, and cinematographer Chuy Chávez.
Anyone who isn't the favorite person of anybody, or isn't sure, should get a dog. Or possibly a baby. Dogs are cheaper.
posted by phunniemee at 6:50 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 6:50 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Normally July's neurotic performance piece videos annoy the hell out of me but this? This I liked. I think cause of John C. Reily's ability to shove that amount of pathos and nervous energy into his face.
posted by The Whelk at 7:01 AM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 7:01 AM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Like ...he seems perfect for this cause almost all of July's stuff has adults acting like kids in a way that makes adults uncomfortable cause they are being actually childlike and not how adults want kids to act and Reilly, for whatever reason, can pull off "confused and earnest seven year old" really, really well. It's like a cornerstone of his comic persona.
posted by The Whelk at 7:55 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:55 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
The Orangeposted by maryr at 8:34 AM on March 15, 2013 [38 favorites]
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I got a half.
And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It's new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I'm glad I exist.
— Wendy Cope
Jesus, maryr, that's beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
As for the video, I'm one of 'those people' who's all, "What's with the oranges? Why are they in there? What do they have to do with anything?"
And then it inspires the sharing of an awesome poem, so there's that.
posted by Phreesh at 8:39 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
As for the video, I'm one of 'those people' who's all, "What's with the oranges? Why are they in there? What do they have to do with anything?"
And then it inspires the sharing of an awesome poem, so there's that.
posted by Phreesh at 8:39 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
I liked that. Thank you for linking it.
John C. Reilly falls in an interesting category for me -- my love for him is inversely proportional to the amount of effort he's putting into his acting. The less he seems to be trying, the more charming and engaging I find him.
The other person that falls into this category is Ben Affleck, oddly enough.
posted by Shepherd at 9:28 AM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
John C. Reilly falls in an interesting category for me -- my love for him is inversely proportional to the amount of effort he's putting into his acting. The less he seems to be trying, the more charming and engaging I find him.
The other person that falls into this category is Ben Affleck, oddly enough.
posted by Shepherd at 9:28 AM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
Man, if I absolutely could affirm on the highest level that I was nobody's favorite person, I'd really like it if a kindly surveyor would grant me a few oranges from his garden.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:59 AM on March 15, 2013
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 9:59 AM on March 15, 2013
Did they shoot this in the shadows against the bright LA sunlight on purpose?
posted by humboldt32 at 10:07 AM on March 15, 2013
posted by humboldt32 at 10:07 AM on March 15, 2013
Mr. Rogers likes me, and thinks I'm special. There's only one person exactly like me in the world, and people can love me just the way I am. It's because I make every day a special day just by being me. I don't have to be anything more than what I am for people to like me.
Mr Rogers will always have all of us as equal favourites.
posted by jaduncan at 10:13 AM on March 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
Mr Rogers will always have all of us as equal favourites.
posted by jaduncan at 10:13 AM on March 15, 2013 [3 favorites]
I'm not really sure I get this - it's a few tender moments of miscommunication with a droll (the oranges) twist?
(I'm normally a big fan of Miranda July's humor, I love John C. Reilly & Wendy Cope, fwiw, is one of my favorite modern poets.)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 10:32 AM on March 15, 2013
(I'm normally a big fan of Miranda July's humor, I love John C. Reilly & Wendy Cope, fwiw, is one of my favorite modern poets.)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 10:32 AM on March 15, 2013
I remembered hearing something about this - about the story behind the film - and found it on another website:
What intrigues me here more though is the intimate story around the story. How Miranda July had just finished shooting Me and You and Everyone We Know and had nothing to do until the editor came back with a rough cut – a peculiar waiting. So she wrote these sketches. Showed them to Arteta who she was dating at the time. Arteta rushed them to shoot and cast July, Mike White (the writer of Chuck & Buck, which Arteta directed) and Chuy Chavez (July’s DP on Me and You and Everyone We Know).
Arteta, in an interview in Wholphin confesses what the script meant to him: “When I read it, it hit me hard for the first time: I wasn’t going to be [July’s] favorite person for too much longer. I was having doubts about us and the script felt like a warning . . . I said ‘Let’s shoot this, right away’ – knowing that working together was something I would always cherish”
In her Wholphin interview, July confesses she was excited to just act. It was something she committed herself to so strongly that when she walked away from John C. Reilly, exiting her scene with him, and no one called cut, she just kept on walking. “I walked practically to the next neighborhood before anyone noticed I was gone.” These are the interstitial stories I believe imbue films.
posted by 235w103 at 10:55 AM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
What intrigues me here more though is the intimate story around the story. How Miranda July had just finished shooting Me and You and Everyone We Know and had nothing to do until the editor came back with a rough cut – a peculiar waiting. So she wrote these sketches. Showed them to Arteta who she was dating at the time. Arteta rushed them to shoot and cast July, Mike White (the writer of Chuck & Buck, which Arteta directed) and Chuy Chavez (July’s DP on Me and You and Everyone We Know).
Arteta, in an interview in Wholphin confesses what the script meant to him: “When I read it, it hit me hard for the first time: I wasn’t going to be [July’s] favorite person for too much longer. I was having doubts about us and the script felt like a warning . . . I said ‘Let’s shoot this, right away’ – knowing that working together was something I would always cherish”
In her Wholphin interview, July confesses she was excited to just act. It was something she committed herself to so strongly that when she walked away from John C. Reilly, exiting her scene with him, and no one called cut, she just kept on walking. “I walked practically to the next neighborhood before anyone noticed I was gone.” These are the interstitial stories I believe imbue films.
posted by 235w103 at 10:55 AM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
jaduncan, I don't know how to break this to you, but...
posted by StopMakingSense at 10:57 AM on March 15, 2013
posted by StopMakingSense at 10:57 AM on March 15, 2013
Speaking of oranges, I've always thought the Cope above paired well with this French poem:
Alicanteposted by maryr at 11:15 AM on March 15, 2013 [2 favorites]
Une orange sur la table
Ta robe sur le tapis
Et toi dans mon lit
Doux présent du présent
Fraîcheur de la nuit
Chaleur de ma vie.
— Jacques Prévert
oh yay I can't wait to watch this later.
posted by Theta States at 12:27 PM on March 15, 2013
posted by Theta States at 12:27 PM on March 15, 2013
One of the great things about the days when everyone shot on film was that filmstock was precious so short films were often really short. And almost any sort of visual effect cost money.
Somehow I can't imagine anyone doing anything as short, sweet and simple as this on video.
Please prove me wrong.
posted by rolo at 1:07 PM on March 15, 2013
Somehow I can't imagine anyone doing anything as short, sweet and simple as this on video.
Please prove me wrong.
posted by rolo at 1:07 PM on March 15, 2013
I suspect maybe a relative or two would say that I am their favorite person, but I know they would be lying. I've done nothing to deserve being anyone's favorite person, and, in fact, I've lived in a way that guarantees I'm not.
That's fine by me, and, yes, I would like three home-grown oranges, please.
posted by dgaicun at 2:49 PM on March 15, 2013
That's fine by me, and, yes, I would like three home-grown oranges, please.
posted by dgaicun at 2:49 PM on March 15, 2013
The third was for the girlfriend's child, whom the boyfriend gives little consideration to.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 3:50 PM on March 15, 2013
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 3:50 PM on March 15, 2013
Wow, maryr, I may have to chalk up the discovery of Wendy Cope as one of the greatest things to happen to me on Metafilter. Thanks!
posted by geneva uswazi at 10:17 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by geneva uswazi at 10:17 PM on March 15, 2013 [1 favorite]
That was whimsical in the right way.
posted by Faintdreams at 2:17 AM on March 18, 2013
posted by Faintdreams at 2:17 AM on March 18, 2013
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