If Hollywood is anything it is consistent in its ability to screw up reality in everything.
The movie "Pushing Tin" was based (VERY loosely it appears) on an article that was written in the a New York paper's Sunday magazine about the air traffic controllers that work in the New York Traffic Control Room (TRACON), specifically the Newark Sector. Having read that article and being an air traffic controller myself, I couldn't wait for the movie to be released. I can tell you that except for a scene in the first 10 minutes or so of the movie, the movie "Airplane" had a more accurate portrayal of the air traffic control world and was much more entertaining. The manner in which controllers were portrayed in "Pushing Tin" was beyond ridiculous, but unfortunately, we often believe what we see on the big screen. For years people came up to me and asked if that was how it really was. Of course, I told them that the way that they showed these controllers playing chicken with thousands of peoples lives every day was exactly how it was in the real world
and how I worked traffic every day of my life.
I'm hoping that they will dig up P. Caspar Biddle (Cox) and Jane Hathaway to play the birders again, at least that stereotype was funny. I'm actually expecting them to make this a silly farce with a lot of slapstick and absurd situational humor. The way that these characters will add species to their lists will border on, or cross over, the ridiculous boundary. People don't want to go to the theater to be 'entertained' by a serious reenactment of how someone sat a the Ocean City inlet all day and got a Dovekie flying into the channel at sundown. Or how someone walked the 8-mile Boot Spring Trail in Big Bend to add Colima Warbler to their list. OOOH! How exciting! If they do show this last bit, the character will have to battle scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes and jumping cholla cactus to tick it off.
If that characterization will bother you, I suspect you'll have to stay out of the theater and keep your hobby a secret or otherwise be embarrassed to be identified with the folks in this movie. Perhaps I'm wrong and they'll find a way to make it both accurate and funny at the same time. I'm betting not, I just hope that they'll have someone to get the birds right. Otherwise, I might just have to go back to sniffing glue. (If you don't understand this last line, do yourself a favor and go rent airplane again).
Edward Boyd
Westminster, MD
________________________________
From: Nancy Martin <>
To:
Sent: Sun, March 14, 2010 10:16:47 AM
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Fwd: The Big Year rumors
Hi All,
This brings great trepidation to my heart. I still have not completely recovered from Wally Cox in "The Beverly Hillbillies" being the media image of bird watching. Given this is not a Christopher Guest parody but instead has all the earmarks of Big Hollywood (director of "Marley & Me", Steve Martin, Jack Black) what are the odds this will establish competitive birders as crazy fools for some time to come? As I recall the tone of the source material was often not very flattering and Hollywood often goes for hyperbole with the parts that tickled the producer's fancy (this being Mr. Cruel Humor: Ben Stiller). You heard it here first. I sure hope this is done in such a way as to make us look human as well as funny, but I feel fear.
Good (wet) birding,
Walter Ellison
23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B. White (in "Stuart Little")
On 3/14/2010 9:57 AM, Rick Sussman wrote:
> If they could make it like that film, it would be an instant classic!
>
> Rick Sussman
> Woodbine,MD
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gail Mackiernan<>
> To:
> Sent: Sat, Mar 13, 2010 9:44 pm
> Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Fwd: The Big Year rumors
>
>
> I hope they make some attempt for accuracy on the birds and on birding --
> ne of the reasons we dog show people LOVE Christopher Guest's "Best in
> how" movie was that it is only a *teeny bit* exaggerated, and all of us
> now folks who match each of the characters!
> Gail Mackiernan
> Colesville, MD
> on 03/13/2010 4:58 PM, Phil Davis at wrote:
> |