"THE NANCE" & "THE WAY WAY BACK"

PLAY: 'THE NANCE"

 ONE OF THE BEST PLAYS I'VE EVER SEEN.

NATHAN LANE & THE CAST (ALL GREAT BUT ESP LEWIS J. STRADLEN AS THE THEATER OWNER & JONNY ORSINI IN THE BUFF--HOTT!) WILL HAVE YOU PEEING WITH LAUGHTER WHILE TACKLING ISSUES SET IN 1937  (IT'S THE END OF VAUDEVILLE & ESP. THE NANCE CHARACTER IN ANY SHOW IN NYC).

1937 WAS STILL A TIME WHEN ANY SINGLE MAN CONVERSING WITH ANOTHER SPARKED SUSPICION -AND AT TIMES BRUTALITY-FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT MANDATED BY THE POLITICIANS OF THE DAY-SOUND FAMILIAR?
I AM ALWAYS FASCINATED HOW OLD ISSUES STILL RESONATE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. THEY STILL WANT US TO DISAPPEAR AND DENY OUR RIGHTS, GAY BASHING IS ALIVE & WELL WHILE MANY TIMES LAW ENFORCEMENT LOOK THE OTHER WAY, WHICH HURTS AS MUCH AS A BEATING.

ONE SPOILER ALERT: DID YOU KNOW THE THEN MAYOR WAS BANNING ANYTHING GAY SO "REGULAR" TOURIST WOULDN'T BE SUBJECTED TO "THEM" WHEN VISITING THE 1939 WORLD'S FAIR?
"THE LITTLE FLOWER" ( IN MY OPINION, A THORN ON MY BACKSIDE), MAYOR FIORELLO LA GUARDIA MADE THIS PUBLIC POLICY.
 ASSHOLE!
 I DON'T EVEN WANNA FLY OUTTA LAGUADIA ANYMORE. HE DID SOME GREAT THINGS FOR NYC BUT THE FEAR HE INSTILLED & PROMOTED IS UNFORGIVABLE.

ALTHOUGH I MAY BE COMING OFF THIS REVIEW AS TOO DEEP, "THE NANCE" IS A LAUGH A MINUTE.
I'VE SEEN NATHAN LANE A LOT ON STAGE & SCREEN BUT THIS IS BY FAR HIS MOST TAILORED-MADE ROLE YET. I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD, I'M SURE I MISSED A FEW JOKES & INNUENDOS. (BTW, ONE OF MY ORIGINAL JOKES WAS STOLEN--WTF?--AND IT WORKED BEAUTIFULLY!)
SADLY THIS CLOSES AUGUST 11TH--SO RUN!!!!!! REALLY RUN TO SEE IT !!!!
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MOVIE:  "THE WAY WAY BACK'

ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CUTE & MOST REVIEWS PROMPTED THAT THINKING. I HAD NO IDEA I'D BE LAUGHING FOR 2 HOURS STRAIGHT.

THE CASTING WAS GENIUS. IT'S ONE OF THOSE MOVIES I NEED TO OWN. AS I MENTIONED ABOUT "THE NANCE", I'M SURE I MISSED MANY FUNNY LINES SINCE I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING. THE MOVIE IS FULL OF HEART & WE WILL ALL IDENTIFY WITH NOT FITTING IN SOMEWHERE (THE WHOLE UNDERDOG SYNDROME).

IT'S ABOUT FINDING A FAMILY WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. A COMING-OF-AGE FILM BALANCED PERFECTLY WITH A LOT OF HEART & THOUGHT PROVOKING CHOICES AND  SCENARIOS.

NOT SINCE I SAW ROSALIND RUSELL DESCEND THE STAIRS IN "AUNTIE MAME" HAVE A SEEN AN ENTRANCE BY AN ACTRESS AS ALLISON JANNEY SO BRILLIANTLY DOES HERE--YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF HER!

LIAM JAMES IS REMINISCENT OF ROBBY BENSON--ADORABLE & BEAUTIFULLY UNDERPLAYS HIS ROLE. SAM ROCKWELL AS A QUIRKY/FUN FATHER FIGURE STEALS EVERY SCENE. THE MOMENTS--TOO BAD THERE ARE FEW-WITH ONE OF THE WRITERS OF THE FILM, JIM RASH. ARE TOO HYSTERICAL TO TAKE (HE PLAYS THE "I'M LEAVING THE PARK" CHARACTER. HE ALSO WON AN OSCAR FOR CO-WRITING "THE DESCENDANTS" & GOT LAUGHS AT THE OSCARS FOR IMITATING ANGELINA JOLIE'S LEG STANCE)). WHAT A GREAT, FUNNY & TOUCHING SCREENPLAY (SEXY NAT FAXON, ALSO IN THE MOVIE IS THE CO-WRITER).

RUN TO SEE THIS TOO. IT'S A FAMILY MOVIE WITHOUT 3D OR THE BELLS & WHISTLES NOW EXPECTED WHEN SAYING "FAMILY MOVIE".
 ONE OF THE FUNNIEST MOVIES EVER!