Wednesday, August 03, 2005

On Jodie Foster

jodieart

(image via amybrown)

The Corsair rather likes Jodie Foster. For one, she's ridiculously smart for Tinseltown (Who the fuck majors in Literature nowadays? What does she think she is: An "intellectshual"?). Also, Anna and the King notwithstanding, Jodie Foster has rarely made a cinematic misstep. Third, she's a survivor: Jodie has been high up in the Hollywood firmament since she was a child.

As a survivor of Hollywood from back in the day, she has tales. Until now, she hasn't been open to telling them. Premiere's September 2005 issue changes that. In a remarkably candid interview with Sean Smith, she discusses the Hinkley episode and, more important for our purposes, Bugsy Malone:

6300216888.01.LZZZZZZZ

(image via amazon)

"Premiere: I'm amazed at how sexualized you were in movies as a kid. Not just in Taxi Driver, but also in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane and Bugsy Malone. Did it seem weird to you?

Jodie Foster: "No, it didn't. You know, I lived a good girl life. I went to private school. I didn't wear make-up. I didn't take drugs. But I was exposed to all of it. My mom was very liberal and open about things. We'd get ice cream and drive down Hollywood Boulevard: 'Oh look, there's a teenage boy prostitute.' (laughs) So making a movie about those things was sort of like writing a book about them. It doesn't mean you're that way. The reason I was well cast in those movies is that I was not the Hillary Duff type. I was a tough little ... so, like Bugsy Malone, if you put me in hair and costumes, it has a completely different spin. I love that movie."

"Premiere: Bugsy Malone?

Jodie Foster: "Yeah. I don't know if you could get away with that now, with the guns and the boys wearing mustaches and the girls flirting with them. That was the first movie I did with all kids, and it was treacherous. I was the only actor who had acted before, and most of the kids were English, these tough little dancers that they brought in from Manchester and Leeds. It was like going to prison. And I was the girl who hung out with the cute boys, like Scott Baio, so (those girls) hated me.

"They would pull out the fire extinguishers off the walls, and you'd be going down the corridor, and suddenly there'd be like five of them, and they would be like, 'What's the password?' And if you didn't know it, they would (makes sound like the spraying of a fire extinguisher and laughs)

"Premiere: Are there scenes in your movies that unlock specific memories?

Jodie Foster: "Oh yeah. There's a little pot-of-gold moment on every movie -- somebody I was in love with and trying to impress, or a certain moment with an actor. For a scene in Hotel New Hampshire, Rob Lowe and I got to spend the entire day naked in bed, and when everybody went out to eat lunch we ordered in and talked about our lives and played music and laughed and fell asleep. It was such a great little brother-sister moment. I always think about that when I see that movie. "

Later, on the subject of destiny and Tom Cruise:

" ... It's funny, I think destiny is just a fancy word for psychological pattern. I look at Tom Cruise's career and I have a really good sense of this strange destiny that's pushing him. He aspired to the life he has. He planned it. Maybe not the media scrutiny, but I think he wanted to have his own plane. I think the idea of having a billion dollars, to him, is really attractive, because then he can think of ways that he can give it away. My feeling is, why don't I just have, oh, $100 million and then not have to give any of it away. (laughs)"

23 comments:

The Corsair said...

I absolutely loved the "destiny is a fancy word for psychological pattern" It ties into a lot of what Gurdjieff says about Eternal recurrence, which, as a psychological (compulsion) and not metaphysical idea is intriguing. But I digress ...

Anonymous said...

EVERYONE on the planet -- with the possible exception of Hinckley -- knows that Jodie Foster is gay by now. Anyone who has ever been on location with her knows, including the entire population of Bath County, Virginia. I once got into a letter war with a journalist who interviewed her about why she wouldn't just come out and introduce people to her girlfriend. That was 10 years ago and she's still not out!

If you make millions off of being a professional celebrity or actress/entertainer, and you're as smart as Jody, you should know that in 2005 nobody worth knowing gives a damn. And it would probably be a great relief to many other gay women if she'd stop pretending.

Anonymous said...

love, love, LOVE Jodie Foster. And, I would LOVE to spend the day naked in bed with Rob Lowe, tho I don't think we'd get much sleep!!! And, Bugsy Malone is a lot of fun (one of those guilty pleasures you don't tell your friends about)

Anonymous said...

Totally, if she was straight she wouldn't have any qualms talking about her husband or showing people that she was with him at events. But because she's gay she has to hide it. YEah, everyone is entitled to their personal life. But by being so quiet, she is showing that she is shameful and that is the way everyone sees it.

The Corsair said...

guys ... thank you all for your thoughtful comments.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Corsair said...

The "militant gay people" quote was over the line anonymous and I deleted it. I apologize, NYBiker.

Anonymous said...

,b

Anonymous said...

nbvnm

Anonymous said...

I admire Jodie for her talent and her intellect and her willingness to keep private that which she wishes to keep private. If the rest of the world wants her out and she's not there, or never wants to be there, why should it matter.

Anonymous said...

Maybe her girlfriend doesn't want to come out....?

Anonymous said...

Wow, a whole lot of blah, blah, blah about a great actor. I just saw Jodi on Ellen yestereday, what a hottie! Im game for Jodi. I'd love to spend a day naked in bed laughing and talking about our lives and calling out for delivery. Who cares what gender I am, innocent fun is just that, innocent fun. If Ms. Foster chooses to keep her personal life PERSONAL, more power to her and the rest of us nosey nobodies can wonder and hope and fantasise all we like. Right On Jodi! Who cares if she is straight or not? Spaghetti is straight too, until it hits boiling water...HAHAHA!!

Anonymous said...

Why do we have to put labels on everyone. For all we know Jodie is bisexual- or even A-sexual. Maybe shes an alien.

Anonymous said...

you know what...who cares. either way, she is an incredible woman. her private life is hers. why should it be upon her to please or not please a group of people to make her private life pulic? Look at the mess of a life many celebrities flaunt about or have flaunted about and tinted? She is a mother, a great mother, and I commend her for protecting the privacy and rights of her young child. Should her child fight your fight, or any fight at 4, 5, years old? or any age for that matter? get over it. live Your life the way you want. If you want to be out. GREAT! GOOD for you! I commend You. But do you have papparazzi following you everywhere you go scrutizing your every action? It doesn't matter whether you do or not. that is your business. if you want to break boundaries, then good for you. if she isnt doing it through the media, how do you know she isnt doing it by other routes? get over it and stop demanding that everyone else stand up the way you did, or bc you didnt. you have no idea what their life nor circumstances are like. sheesh.

Unknown said...

Jodie Foster is a very talented, private and extraordinarily wealthy woman. Why on Earth would she want to bang on about her sexuality? It's never been an issue and never should be. She has far too much depth and class to her character than to get involved with something as pathetic, boring and crass as a discussion about her sexual preference.

Anonymous said...

I agree. She is a talented actress and performer...sure I would like to get to know her because she is a celebrity but if she wants to keep it private...I don't care. I respect her more for keeping private and ironically, that is actually more intriguing. She is playing it smart and I would do the same.

Anonymous said...

It is always easy to say what should or should not be done when you are not in the person's shoes... Being gay is something society constantly judges. In all actuality, if it is two consenting adults, it's none of anyone's business unless you personally have a mate involved in the relationship of the two consenting adults.

Not everyone goes around broadcasting their sex life. Face it, this is the big issue with being gay. Who are we to say that a person should live a lie or that God did not create that person the way that they are? Sure, it is a choice, no matter what. But, would you rather live the truth or live a lie?

There are so many other more important issues that we face in life rather than spinning our wheels about a person's sex life.

Anonymous said...

why is she gay...

because every straight person if asked RU gay or straight will say straight...

that's why she is gay...

she is an entertaining actor and it's why I like her, gay or straight would not change my opinion of her movies... but just answer an honest question with an honest answer if she is ashamed to be gay she can get help for that...

a cop stops a suspected bank robber and says “did you rob the bank” and the man says I would rather not say, or that is personal information does it make him a bank robber, no, but it sure brings on much scrutiny!

Anonymous said...

If you do a search for "Jodie Foster's son" on Google you get only 120 results. If you do a search for "Tom Cruise's daughter" you get an astounding 1,570 results. Who wants 1,570 web pages of gossip about one's child out in the public? Jodie Foster may know what is better for her and her loved ones by keeping her private life to herself. You've never seen her going on Oprah jumping on a couch shouting out her love for anyone. In fact you really don't ever see her bringing much of any aspect of her personal life into the media's attention. Some actors want to focus only on their craft and keep the media focused on that instead of their personal life. No one deserves to be criticized for that. Just because an actor is successful at acting does not oblige them to go around making political statements with their perosonal life. Let gay activists worry about being gay activists and let actors worry about being actors.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

In reference to a comment above;

If she were straight and had a husband, a few kids, a white picket fence and an adorable little puppy and the damn sprinklers running everyday on her beautiful green lawn, and she chose to keep it under wraps you'd all be congratulating her for keeping her private life private. It's just a choice. Not to mention the fact that she's now out, by way of accepting an award and thanking her partner. I think that's way more powerful than running to the nearest People reporter and saying "I'M GAY!" like that old backstreet boy or nsync guy did.

The Corsair said...

Above: You are probably right. I thought Foster handled the issue with elan and I hope in some way it strengthens the position of gay people wherever American film has influence (which is most of the world).

Anonymous said...

I'm a straigh guy, who does'nt care who is gay and who is straight. Just remember ... if we meet in a bar... don't try to help me push my stool in.