(Somewhat) Weekly Musings 5/31/25
Or: Let's Talk About Friendship! Plus quick thoughts on recently passed OTH legends
I often see people complain about the lack of originality in movie theaters, something I have mixed feelings about. Is it frustrating to see multiplexes loaded primarily with endless reboots, remakes, and never-ending sequels? I guess- as I’m writing this, the theater I’m working for currently has most of its screenings dedicated to Mission: Impossible- Final Reckoning, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake, Karate Kid Legends and Marvel’s Thunderbolts- but there are still well-made films worth reaching out to today. Some of those can be among those endless reboots, remakes and sequels- I quite like the Mission: Impossible franchise and had a good time with this most recent (very likely final) entry- but we do still get original concept features worth seeing, as well.
The thing is that they’re largely not coming from the major studios. There are certainly exceptions, like how what may very well be the movie event of the year, Sinners, an exciting vampire flick taking place in the Jim Crow-era south. Sinners had the luxury of being made by Ryan Coogler, who has all but confirmed himself to be one of this generation’s biggest names, as he effectively uses his good luck charm and muse, Michael B. Jordan in duel roles as ex-Capone mobster twins Smoke and Stack. Besides honing his craft and earning his reputation in prior works like Fruitvale Station and both Black Panther films, Coogler used his clout to allow both final cut and to reclaim the film’s rights after 25 years, terms Warner agreed to as they wisely deduced that it was worth the investment.
I could easily talk more about Sinners, a highly recommended time, but not only has it been out for a good month now, I feel out of my depth with much of the film. However, I do think that it would be a good use of my blog to discuss exciting, quality films currently released, so let’s focus on Andrew DeYoung’s debut, Friendship, which has recently been released widely after a successful festival run last fall.
Friendship takes us into the world of Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson), a bumbling if efficient marketing executive whose life couldn’t seem more pathetic if he tried. Craig has no friends, at work or outside, his wife Tami (Kate Mara) has beat cancer, but has used the scare to reconnect with an old flame instead of bringing herself closer to Craig, and their teenage son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer) has no respect for him. The only thing that seems to bring Craig around is when he’s connected with his neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd), a local weatherman who quickly forms a bond with Craig. This appears to be a two-way learning experience, as Austin impresses Craig with his foraging skills and punk band, while Austin takes Craig’s advice to “just ask’ to heart as he hopes to switch to his station’s morning team.
The change is good for Craig, who becomes a more attentive lover and tries to fix his bond with his son, while we see other changes, like how Craig goes from not caring about music to blasting Slipknot (a favorite of Austin’s). However, his new friendship reaches an obstacle when Craig is invited to one of Austin’s guy nights and makes everyone uncomfortable. Craig is soon ghosted by Austin, as he tries to put his life back together from here.
I became interested in Friendship the moment I discovered Robinson was in it, as a fan of his Netflix sketch comedy series, I Think You Should Leave. In it, Robinson, with a rotating supporting cast that can include anyone from unknowns to legends like Fred Willard, often plays a weirdo who struggles to read a room, leading into such gold as a ghost tour he can’t interrupting to him teaching a driver’s ed course with the weirdest instructional videos ever made. Sometimes, Robinson plays a straight man for an even weirder turn like an old college professor demanding a bite of his burger or Bob Odenkirk deciding “triples is best”. Frankly, I could go all day, ITYSL is on a near-Simpsons tier of quotability where you could potentially have conversations entirely taken from dialogue of the series.
Friendship often reads like a feature-length ITYSL sketch, taking Robinson’s gift for playing bizarre men unable to maintain any self-reflection as they constantly make everyone’s life around them a little more annoying. There’s a bit during the film’s aforementioned guys night that reads like something a Robinson character would easily do. I don’t want to spoil it for new viewers, but I died laughing even as the men clearly wanted out.
It’s funny, but also honest. There’s genuine pathos in the kind of ignorant losers Robinson plays, with Craig possibly being the definitive response to. I relate way too hard to Craig’s inability to make friends, although not too much that I can’t just as often laugh at him as with. Many of Robinson’s characters read as some sort of neurodivergence, at least to my spectrum-placed ass, and like Nathan Fielder (another modern comedy great as far as I’m concerned), Robinson does a fine job of just missing the line between genuine understanding and appreciation for those on the spectrum and some light ribbing. I don’t ever really feel bad for Craig in the movie, as the vast majority of what happens comes from his own ignorance.
I think Friendship can be read as an autism movie- what isn’t a better example of the spectrum than an inability to read a room?- but it really feels like a movie about the supposed “male loneliness epidemic”. I personally believe that most incels are the way they are because they don’t respect women or their environment, but I do understand and unfortunately relate to feeling lonely sometimes. Not alone, as I enjoy my private space, but lonely, without support or a circle to rely on. Craig is clearly lonely, and while Paul has some advantages Craig doesn’t (a happy marriage from what we see, friends he can rely on), Austin had the potential for something meaningful with Craig and throws it away the moment things get complicated. One notable confrontation later in the film has Austin say that Craig is “Still a child”, which I think would have hurt less if this wasn’t a two-way allegation.
Friendship was never made to earn Titanic-level money at the box office, but I can’t help but wonder if it would have done better 15 years earlier if Judd Apatow had a hand in the production and cast Seth Rogen as Craig (I get the feeling that Rudd would keep his role), but we don’t live in a world where silly comedies generally make big money anymore and something like The Hangover could hold its own against that summer’s big tentpoles.
At least we have Friendship out in theaters at all, thanks to A24, and it’s hilarious. If this sounds at all up your alley and you liked the ITYSL clips I shared, please consider checking it out.
In other news, let’s talk about TV.
Even if you’ve never seen Cheers, you probably recognize this man’s face and shouted out “Norm!” when seeing it. George Wendt had a healthy resume, starting off at the legendary Second City before starting a nearly 45 year run of film, television and stage performances.
There’s plenty of interesting things to look at when checking his IMDB and Wikipedia pages (did you know that he originated Santa Claus in the Broadway production of Elf?), but Wendt will forever be immortalized as the wisecracking Norm Peterson, a loveable loaf whose affinity for a warm seat and cool beer (but you better not warm his seat for him) can only be matched by his apathy towards work and his ability to crack jokes at his wife Vera at the drop of a hat. Norm instantly became a fan favorite and was featured in all 11 seasons and 275 episodes of Cheers, in addition to guest spots on spin-offs The Tortellis and Frasier, studio lot neighbors Wings, and, for some reason, St. Elsewhere. A decent chunk of Wendt’s television appearances played on his turn as Norm, from vocal cameos in The Simpsons and Family Guy to playing a similar bar patron in Hot in Cleveland. Not to mention the time Mickey Mouse showed up in Cheers.
Part of the appeal of Norm is just how likable he is. Norm seems like he could be anyone’s friend, whether you’re as educated as Frasier Crane or a loudmouthed yutz like Cliff Claven. Cheers became an institution because it felt welcome to basically any kind of viewer, even those who don’t drink, and Wendt’s turn as Norm, which netted him 6 Emmy nominations, will always be remembered as a big part of why. Wendt passed away in his sleep on May 20th, 32 years to the day after the final taping of Cheers.
The next face you may not recognize, but if you’re a Simpsons fan, you’ll definitely recognize his contributions. While Danny Elfman is the man responsible for the show’s unforgettable theme song, Alf Clausen is the musical genius behind the rest of the show soundtrack starting with the second season all the way to its 28th, but this is a only a sample of the composer’s legacy, having worked on an array of classics from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Naked Gun to other iconic series like Moonlighting and Simpsons cousin series The Critic.
There are many elements which make The Simpsons what it is, and its soundtrack is one of those key components, which can combine everything from serious orchestral moments to plays on pop music and very deliberate lifts. If you’ve ever had “We Put the Spring in Springfield” or “See My Vest” stuck in your head, thank Alf for it (who did, coincidentally, compose ALF as well). Despite two wins from a record-breaking 30 nominations, Clausen was let go from the series in 2017, a decision he sued Fox for, claiming age discrimination, although the suit was eventually dropped.
Clausen had been suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy (a condition often confused with Parkinson’s) over the past decade, finally losing to the disease on the 29th.
And of course, we can’t forget about Loretta Swit, the once and forever Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan.
Swit had 50 years of experience on stage and screen, but her greatest contribution to her craft has to be M*A*S*H, where she played the show’s one major female character, a dignified, if reactionary army brat and head nurse of the 4077, whose icy personality and adherence to the rules made her tough to love and the butt of many a joke, most notably her ongoing tryst with the married (and inept) Frank Burns. The best description of Swit’s contribution to the show and character I can think of comes from a clip I saw from co-star Mike Farrell, who suggests that she turned the character from Hot Lips into Margaret, a fair distinction, as she does warm up and softens her perspective as the show goes on. Part of this comes from the show itself, which went from a defining program during Nixon’s presidency, still fresh as the Watergate scandal was shaking America, and running well into the Reagan years, sharpening its edges off. Swit and Alan Alda were the only lead actors to make it to all eleven seasons, and while Alda’s Hawkeye didn’t change nearly as much, Margaret’s turn from an example of the cold corporate face the show rallied against to more or less one of the boys, still typically unamused by Hawkeye’s wisecracks but able to share a drink with him and her fellow nurses.
Swit won two Emmys for playing Margaret after being nominated for each of the show’s eleven seasons. While her roles slowed down after M*A*S*H’s impeccable run, she seemed to stick to roles she wanted over the years, focusing primarily on the stage near the end of her life, seemingly retiring in 2019 and just passing away on the 30th at 87.
M*A*S*H, Cheers, and The Simpsons are three of the best television shows of all time, and I’m not just saying this because I intend to cover (or in Simpsons case, have covered a good percentage of) their runs. All three series were sharply written and directed, treated their audiences with respect as they often challenged viewers nearly as much as entertaining them, and found ways to keep themselves fresh for years on end. There are many elements into making a good TV show, but Swit’s nuanced determination, Wendt’s effortless charm and Clausen’s ear for wit and melody are among the many things people will continue to come back to each of these shows for.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this article! I hope to cover other films on here soon- possibly Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck? Wes Anderson’s Phoenician Scheme? Celine Strong’s Materialists?- while still doing movie shelf articles and hopefully will return to OTH proper soon. I didn’t get a chance this month, but I’ll try to go back to Jersey soon. I miss Tony Soprano. Don’t you?
Three Albums I’ve Been Listening To:
Bolt Thrower- Those Once Loyal
New Order- Substance 1987
Deafheaven- Lonely People with Power
Currently Reading:
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry