1) The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005): “Kelly Clarkson!”
Although it’s now hard to imagine a movie-world without Steve Carell, he has only really been on the Hollywood scene since Brick Tamland made his infamously stupid, lamp-loving way through Anchorman ten years ago in 2005 – a mere snip of time in terms of acting careers. The 40-Year-Old Virgin came immediately after Anchorman in the same year, at the suggestion of Anchorman producer Judd Apatow, who believed Carrell to have a certain comedic quality that would make him a leading man. He was not wrong.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin overall is a perfect example of an average movie. It is absolutely watchable, and absolutely forgettable. But there is one particular scene that breaks that mould entirely. Barely (no pun intended) needing any introduction, it is – of course – the chest waxing scene.
If it looks as though Carrell did this for real, that’s because he did. Five cameras were used to ensure that nothing was missed from the only possible take, and although there was a loose framework for the direction of the dialogue, his reactions to each strip being ripped away are completely genuine – as is the clearly-breaking-character-laughter of co-stars Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen and Romany Malco in the background. As the beauty therapist continues with wax on, wax off, the cuts speed up, with Carrell’s yelled ‘curses’ becoming more and more unintelligible until we finally reach the hilariously random scream of “aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhKellyClarkson”.
Brick Tamland’s lines are endlessly quotable, which can’t be said for Andy Stitzer. But just this one line from The 40-Year-Old Virgin would absolutely secure Carrell’s position as one of Hollywood’s finest comedy actors.
The phrase has since made it into the Urban Dictionary – and is one place ahead of the actual Kelly Clarkson herself.
2) Maleficent (2014): Aurora’s Christening
It was understandable that Disney would choose to introduce a new arc into the original Sleeping Beauty story when they made the live action version; it was a perfect opportunity to expand on the material, rather than simply repeat it, and to explore the points of view of other characters – especially surprising ones. It is ironic then that the only scene that carries any real weight is also the only scene that has been taken directly from the original animation.
Maleficent is generally one long succession of the sort of poor judgements only rivalled by the ones we tend to make after eight hours of drinking. Quite whether the horrendously misconceived forest creatures of the Moors, the unfathomable insanity of King Stefan, or the re-rendering of the three fairy godmothers as unbearably irritating pixies is the movie’s worst quality is a profound question, but Maleficent did manage to squeak into the category of acceptable, on two significant points: The visuals, and by wielding ye old trusty weapon of Disney sentimentality. A combination of these elements is demonstrated perfectly by the famous christening scene.
Here, Maleficent is not only loyal to the original material, it is fiercely loyal – and the result is winningly lovely. From Maleficent’s iconic shadow appearing on the wall, to her interaction with her crow, the word-for-word dialogue and the pitch-perfect evocative tone of Angelina Jolie’s voice, it is clear that real attention has been paid to this sequence.
There are, sadly, problems here too: Maleficent making King Stefan beg can only be the result of Maleficent’s determination to fly (or not, as the case may be) in the face of the traditional strong male role, and let’s not forget that this is the first time we are subjected – no, exposed – to the noxious pixies. But whereas this sequence is clearly relying on nostalgia for the original movie, director Robert Stromberg encourages, and achieves, a real joy in what so much of this movie could have been. The live action recreation of a much loved scene.
Then it’s onwards with the fond memory crushing, and upwards with the replacing it with very little else, until the audience finally realizes that the only things to really like about Maleficent’s story are the parts that we had in the first place. This little oasis of a scene is a perfect cinematic example of the importance of the phrase, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
And certainly don’t digitally shrink it and make it an insufferable moron.
