
The other night I had the chance to hear an amazing writer, and storyteller speak. And do what it appears he does best, tell ridiculously funny, well-timed stories. By the end of the night, I was drooling with envy at his charm, mastering of wordplay, and career accomplishments.
To name a small few the speaker, Alan Zweibel, use to carpool to comedy clubs with Billy Crystal, was an original writer on SNL, brought 700 Sundays and Martin Short’s one man show Fame Becomes Me (which I had the awesome pleasure of seeing ) to Broadway. Had an amazing writing partnership with Gilda Radner and was a writer for one of my favorite shows growing up, The Gary Shandling Show. Even as I type this the theme song is resurfacing and looping in my mind.
As he spoke, oohs of acknowledgment rose from the audience when different pop culture firecrackers went off in their brains as they listened in awe to the man who had helped create these golden moments. I found it oddly charming that for me the firecracker that sparkled the brightest was when he spoke of writing the novel and then the screenplay for the movie NORTH.
When I was in high school, I worked at a movie theater. I also had a passionate admiration for the director Rob Reiner. When I discovered that two of what I considered to be the greatest movies of all time, The Princess Bride and A Few Good Men, had come from the same man, I proclaimed Meathead my movie God. I was very excited for the opening weekend of NORTH. I had snagged a copy of the poster when they came in, and fought for the NORTH button to wear proudly on my uniform lapel. This was going to be a great movie.
I worked a twelve hour shift, the highlight being a small child standing in the long concessions’ line chanting incessantly for what seemed like hours
Lion King, Lion King, Lion King, Lion King, lion king mommmy, lion king, Lion King
Until I was almost fired for proclaiming a tad too loudly
Somebody Kill it!
When I was done, I took my grease-splattered, butter-weary bones to see NORTH. I walked out in the same manner as I imagined many Star Wars fans must have after the premier of Episode I. Utterly disappointed and angry as if I had been personally wronged. Cut to – I really don’t want to calculate how many years later – and here I am laughing my ass off listening to this man speak. Lately, I have had similar feelings about how the course of my life has turned out
Disappointed and angry as if I had been personally wronged
Listening to this fascinating man talk and share his life stories, including the beautifully whimsical first meeting of Gilda Radner while hiding behind a plant at his first SNL writer’s meeting, I felt privileged that the course of my life had lead me to this moment.
When the moderator asked Mr. Zweibel if he had any words for a room of aspiring writers, he encouraged us to never give up, never let anyone tell you that you don’t have talent. He then did the most wonderful thing ever. He pulled a well rumpled review of NORTH out of his wallet and then read the first few lines of Roger Ebert’s review that has now become infamous and starts
I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it.
So infamous that it was used as the title for Roger Ebert’s 2000 book which collected up reviews of thumbs way down movies. Why he carries this review around in his wallet, I’m not sure. Then again, wouldn’t you? But the very real idea of not being afraid of Failure and following the beat of your heart, murmurs and all, poured forth. I wanted to jump up and shout to this brilliantly quirky fellow, “You Failed!” and finally celebrate my long ago anticipated movie NORTH.
Alan Zweibel’s take on the now google-able Hated, Hated review was like, I string words together and hope that people will like them. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. Hey, it’s not like I committed a war crime.
As the rejections for my latest script have started rolling in. And I struggle with my weight, and emotional eating to cope, along with finding the courage to start the daunting process of writing a new script, who would have ever thought I’d find so much inspiration in the movie NORTH? Just please don’t ask me to watch it again.
Thank you to Mr. Zweibel, an author who has also written the books Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner – A Sort of Love Story, The Other Shulman, and Clothing Optional: And Other Ways to Read These Stories