Tag: Aaron Sorkin

That’s How I Got to Memphis – Music and the News

Will, Charlie's grandson and Jim sing That's How I Got to Memphis
Will, Charlie’s grandson and Jim sing That’s How I Got to Memphis

Stuck in my head ever since the end of The Newsroom, this song really seems to want to spend today with me, which would be fine if it didn’t make me so sad.

It won’t matter much if you didn’t like the show, or if music doesn’t carry you forward and back or if you don’t mourn the decline of integrity as a core value of journalism, but the use of it at a funeral for Charlie Skinner, (Sam Waterston,) the keeper of the flame, the leader who defended the honor of every journalist and story, is a spectacular metaphor.  YouTube won’t let me embed it, but here it is if you have the patience to link, it’s worth it.

Aaron Sorkin says Charlie represented the loss of decency offered by each of us to the rest of us, but for me, as Newsroom closed down, he stood for the rules that made journalism credible and critical to our country*; rules eroded in surrender to commerce and coarseness and fear.  Even so, The Newsroom closed with the first moment of yet another day’s show.  As Sorkin said, “They’re going to keep doing the news.”  It will, though, be with the loss of just a little more of the combination of honor and power, the Charlie Skinner, that had protected them, and us, for so long.

 

*The Atlantic called it a funeral for “old media” but I’ve lived in “new media” for decades now and the show wasn’t about that change – at least not to me.

 

Sorkin and Sunshine (that ought to get your attention!)

Earned myself a media feast yesterday.  I’d been waiting for weeks for my husband to go with me to see Little Miss Sunshine and he finally admitted that despite rave reviews from both of our sons he just didn’t want to go.  So while he was at class last night I went.  By myself.  And had popcorn for dinner.  Which of course added to the pleasure.  But this film didn’t need any help.  One of our friends told me she was laughing and crying at the same time; NOT laughing THEN crying and not crying from laughter but feeling both emotions at once.  Boy do I get that.

If you live in a family you will love this film.  If you’ve had someone you love drive you nuts with a crazy dream you’ll love it.  AND if you know that, underneath, most families really do love each other and, when it’s really important – actually come through for each other – well – give it a try.  In addition to a lovely story and script it’s so well-acted and directed that it’s effortless.  How a couple of music video directors developed such calm, steady use of a camera I’ll never know.  At the AFI theater, where I saw the film, the two of them offered an on-camera intro.  They’re real grown-ups and pretty no-nonsense and that’s probably part of it. 

BUT that’s far from the end of this happy day — last night got even better.  If you did not see the debut of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip or get a preview DVD from NetFlix find find find someone who TiVo’d it and watch.  Or go here and watch the premiere from the same link.  This is going to be AT LEAST as good as the West Wing.  Really.  The characters are great, the writing is wonderful and the stories don’t go where you think they will.  Whitford and Perry are just lovely, Amanda Peet very cool, ( and don’t we love seeing a woman network president?  Yup, we do)  and Timothy Busfield still playing a sweetheart. Then there’s Steven Weber playing a bad guy.  How cool is that?  From Wings to villainy?

Anyway it was a great night for popular culture and a real brain-feeder.  Try for both.  You’ll be glad.