"It was never uncomplicated... but it was lovely."

Last night I had a rewatching of The Way We Were (1973), and felt inclined to write about it. Even though the year of production is slightly newer than what I'm accustomed to writing about on here, it truly is one of my favorite films. [Warning: there are spoilers.]

The film's appearance on TCM was as one of their Saturday night Essential selections, as chosen by Robert Osborne and the current celebrity programmer, Drew Barrymore. And it really is just that: an essential film. At first glance, it's the kind of movie that may be dismissed as a chick flick or a tearjerker, but that's an unfair judgement, for this movie has more than that lurking under it's surface. It's a beautiful but blunt and sometimes brutal portrait of love; an education for the viewer on why love can't always be easy, or uncomplicated, or enough. The theory that "sometimes love isn't enough" is, in itself, shocking, because we live in a society that idealizes this emotion. Didn't the Beatles sing to us that "love is all you need"? Isn't Valentine's Day, to so many, the pinnacle holiday of the year? But sometimes real life experiences contradict this idea, and The Way We Were paints this contradiction, with the all the bitterness that comes from such a painful reality, perfectly.

It is the story of Hubbell Gardner, portrayed by Robert Redford, and Katie Morosky, played by Barbra Streisand. He is the carefree rich boy who never had to work hard for anything in his life; and she is the Marxist, self proclaimed loudmouth, Jew girl who is overly passionate. The movie begins when Katie runs into Hubbell at a New York affair, circa 1944. Seeing Hubbell having fallen asleep upright in a bar stool, the particular lock of blond hair having fallen across his face, brings back memories to Katie. In a series of flashbacks, we learn their history together, having attended the same college in the 1930s. Their romance never began but the mutual affection is born; despite their polarities and their entirely different crowds, he is attracted to her headstrong qualities and she to his boyish good looks and innate writing skills. When she awakens him in the bar, their relationship begins - they are now real adults, her hair is ironed, but the attractions are all the same - that quickly blossoms into a romance. The film then continues to depict their struggles to stay together that are driven by their opposite personalities and principles. When Hubbell gets a job as a screenwriter, they move to California, but Katie's political protests against the Hollywood blacklist & House of Unamerican Activities jeopardize his career and their marriage.

The movie may use the classic setup of "opposites attract," but it doesn't condone it. There is really no happy ending for Hubbell and Katie: they are too unalike. It is the very things that initially attracted them to each other that eventually drive them apart. The beginning of the movie shows a curly haired Katie, as president of the Young Communists League, making a desperate plea to the university crowd to hear her cause. They jeer her, but the closeups of Hubbell among his laughing friends reveal his admiration for her passion. Whether or not he agrees or cares about what she is saying, it is the way she is saying it, the fervent insistence in her tone, that draws him to her; but later in the movie, it is one of the things that tears them apart.   "You're unhappy unless you do something. Because of me, you're trying to lay out, but that's wrong... wrong for you. Commitment is part of you. Part of what makes you attractive, part of what attracted me to you," he tells her.

It is the same for Katie. The distinctions of his personality, that are so very different from hers, excite her: his easygoing attitude and boyish outlook on life. While she revels in these qualities he has to offer, it is equally frustrating to her. When he insists that she pushes too much, she basically replies by saying she pushes him because she knows how gifted he truly is - as a writer, as a person. His carefree traits create his charm for her, but all the while, she can't understand him. She is a loud person, and cannot agree with Hubbell's tendency to make a joke out of everything, his lack of seriousness; whereas he can't tolerate her expressiveness. In a scene in which they discuss political advocacy, he tells her, "I don't see how you can do it." To this, she, the natural troublemaker, says, "And I don't see how you can't."

It is unfair and complicated paradox: for the same reasons they love each other, they cannot live together. They are split personalities, oil and water, fire and ice. Both are too stubborn in their own personalities to change for the other. There is this idea that a person can change, but can a person really change? No matter how much one may love a person, there are some things that are inborn: they can be wonderful principles or entirely self destructive, but they are there, and it takes hell to change them. And, oftentimes, as this movie tells us, we don't want to change them.

 "Wouldn't it be lovely if we were old?" Katie muses at the end of the movie, when the not too happy ending is near. "We'd have survived all this. Everything would be easy and uncomplicated; the way it was when we were young." She is picturing them as an elderly couple, having weathered the worst of their obstacles, together and content in their old age. Hubbell reminds her that it was never uncomplicated, and to this she says, "It was never uncomplicated... but it was lovely." That's my favorite line of the movie, because to me it summarizes the movie's major theme. It's a bittersweet remembrance of how their relationship from the start was doomed due to their differences, but when they were happy, it was beautiful. This is what drives the whole movie: they strive so hard to be together because of how wonderful is when things are okay, when there aren't any obstacles in their way. 

In the second half of the film, the additional story line of their involvement in the Hollywood blacklist (and the repercussions this has on their marriage) adds another element of substance to this movie. Katie is now pregnant, but in the nine months leading up to the birth of their child, fueled by political angst, their marriage dissolves. "Could you do me a favor," she asks of him. "Could you stay with me until the baby is born?" They have a daughter, but in the hospital room, they are awkward and silent. Katie sits in the bed, tears welling up in her eyes, knowing that it really is the end. Because she is the determined one, the girl who never gives up unless she is forced to, you can see the pain that is being inflicted upon herself for having lost her fight. "Why can't we both win?" she begs at one point in the movie; but Hubbell states the truth when he says as long as they're with each other, they're both going to lose.

The last shot of the film is a few years later, in the 1950s. Katie is picketing in the New York streets for yet another one of her causes, and she spots Hubbell with his new girlfriend. They greet each other with a hug and she invites him over for a drink; Hubbell's girlfriend reminds him they'd better get going, so Katie rushes away. But he goes after her. She brushes the hair out of his face as she always did; he inquires about their daughter, asks her if her new husband is a good father. "Your girl is lovely," she says of his girlfriend. "Won't you bring her over for a drink when you come?" "I can't," he says, and she replies, "I know." They hug, once more, this time slowly, with deep sentiment and resentment of having to let go. They don't speak now, but the embrace is the perfect note to end the movie: it is clear they still love each other, the love is still there, but they have come to understand that they can't live with each other, and their relationship is best left as a memory; the way they were.

I'm a fan of both Redford & Streisand and loved both of their performances. It's not that Hubbell and Katie are always likable characters. In fact, much of the time, they aren't. Katie is over emotional, high strung and a drama queen - it is to her that the tearjerker lines are given. But Hubbell is sometimes so cardboard that you want to shake him by the shoulders. The negatives of these characters which are so, at the same time, reflective of their positives is another interesting aspect of their movies. They are opposites and opposites at extreme ends: they struggle to find stable ground and are eventually incompetent of finding it.

Besides the great performances of their own, respective characters, the chemistry between the two leads is palpable. If it wasn't there, the movie would have fallen apart: why root for this couple to make it when the love doesn't seem worth it? But it does seem genuine, the depth of feeling is there and it's tangible, therefore making it realistic and the major backbone of the movie. The moments of affection are sometimes simple but just as effectively demonstrative: him tying her shoe at an outdoor cafe during their college days (a few years before their romance really begins), or her constant habit of brushing his hair out of his face. 

This isn't to say that it's a perfect movie, because it isn't. The script, penned by Arthur Laurents, is strong throughout most of the film (though is not totally immune to falling into a couple patches of the typical, teary lines). The editing gets jerky and the last half of the movie leaves a bit to be desired at times, sometimes coming across as a hasty breakup of their marriage. But this can be overlooked, because it is just technical aspects that only leave a few snags in a movie that offers a greater overall picture, one that is in a sense, a little bit surreal because it refuses to offer us the ending we want. The performances, the chemistry, the beautiful backdrops of New York City & Los Angeles, all contribute to this effect. It is visually appealing, both in the cinematography and the star power it drips with. And last but certainly not least, there is that song, probably my all time favorite. It's a gorgeous song, one that completes the movie perfectly.

Overall, I love this movie because of the feeling it leaves me with after seeing it. It's not just the tears (because they're definitely there; who doesn't feel their heart breaking in that final scene?) but something a little bit greater than that. Most people wouldn't try to analyze a 1970s romance to death (and I envy those people, I've been sitting here for the past hour, trying to find the right words, lol), but I wanted to point out that there is substance to this movie. I love it partly because it's an honest to goodness tearjearker, but also because of the way it depicts this heartbreak, and the reasons that drive it. (And, hey, I may also go for it because the theme's main couple and major message remind me of these people, who I kinda happen to adore.)

Also: Happy New Year's! 

PS: I know, I actually can't believe I haven't been here for about a month. Excuses to come in the next post. I'll be doing my end of the year wrap up/what's in store for 2013 post within the next week, promise. Also, look at these two!

Biopics and other disasters

Don't worry, I like you all too much to spend this entire post discussing Liz & Dick (especially as this a post I'm writing to derive my blog from a nearly month long oblivion), but I can't tell a lie. I tuned in to watch the "film", and it not only lived up to my expectations of how horrendous it would be,  it surpassed them. 

I think the main reason for the producers casting Lindsay (Insert Explicative Here) Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor - which, when you really think about it, is so ridiculous it makes you want to hit your head against the wall, but then so do many things about Liz & Dick - was for the attention it would garner. It's a pretty easy hook and sinker premise: Lohan, whose name has become sympathetic with the expression "hot mess", to make her "comeback" role as one of the greatest of Hollywood legends in a Lifetime TV movie none the less. It's not that there was ever a doubt in anyone's mind that Lindsay would not screw herself over, but the sheer possibility of a so-bad-it's-good conceivability drew everyone to their television sets while Lifetime plastered side by side photos of Lindsay (in full Taylor drag, violet contacts 'n' all) and Elizabeth on their website to prove their point.

Whatever acting potential Lindsay showed in Mean Girls (and okay, fine, The Parent Trap) totally flies out the window with this, but is that a surprise to anybody? I haven't seen anything she's made since Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, but it appears that her acting rage hasn't widened at all since then (several times whilst watching her play Elizabeth I felt a case of deja vou coming on). One of my Tumblr friends put it best when she said "Lindsay's acting when she was ten < Lindsay's acting now." But like I said, this shouldn't be of news to even the folks at the Lifetime channel, because whatever dormant acting qualities Lindsay may have had at one point (and I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt here), was murdered by her recent years of self abuse. 

Lindsay was a cute kid and a pretty teenager, but her downfall in the past years are presently painful in her appearance - her face, the random marks on her body - in addition to the Botox I'm certain we all know she's had. To be quite frank, Lindsay pretty much bears no resemblance at all to Elizabeth; even when done up in Elizabeth's makeup she looks like she's playing dress up. Lindsay is now at a point where she is just so out of the league to play E-l-i-z-a-b-e-t-h T-a-y-l-o-r, who so many people (me included) consider to be one of the most beautiful women of all time.

All of the above, and never mind that the ink is barely dry on Elizabeth's death certificate - she only passed away about a year and a half ago, and it was only two months following her March 2011 death that Lifetime announced their plans for this movie. (I could be wrong, but hasn't Lindsay been in jail at least two or three times since then?!) One may argue that Lindsay, who has had more than her fair share of paparazzi and invasion of privacy, would be in the perfect boat to play Elizabeth, who lived all her life in the public eye. After all, shouldn't Lindsay of all people be empathic with the camera's flash and glare? And Lohan's own personal battles, some would insist, are not much different than some that Taylor faced - Elizabeth was, after all, checked into the Betty Ford rehab for a period of time for her alcoholism. 

While those may be true, Lindsay is missing a few major factors that make her pretty much the worst candidate to play Elizabeth. Elizabeth had her struggles, but she lived life with a passion that helped her overcome her obstacles to an extent which, unfortunately, it seems Lindsay will never be able to achieve. She was a diva no doubt, but no where near the bitch the Lifetime movie makes her out to be at times. Elizabeth Taylor was a "drama queen", but also an incredibly warm and passionate woman, a loving mother remembered fondly by her children and a spectacular activist for HIV/AIDS. Plus, Lindsay lacks ever bit of the finess and elegance that Elizabeth eluded all her life; which gave her that special glint in her violet eyes that made her seem likable even at the most terrible times, or down to earth even when she sported the Taylor-Burton diamond on her finger.

And finally -

But if Lindsay couldn't be relied on to make this "biopic" enough of a hot mess, you would have to give the second place Razzie to the teleplay's "script." It was non stop cringeworthy lines, dialogue that I know my ten year old cousin could have written better, laced together with jumpy editing and music that made you feel like you were watching an episode of The Babysitters Club from the 90's. I found it increasingly creepy that in all the lovemaking scenes, "Richard" recites Shakespeare to "Elizabeth" ("More, more!" Lindsay insists, trying to be seductive, "I want more."). At one point, she suggests they go out to the pool. "No," he says. "I've got a whole ocean in you." Among other fantastic quips, we see a sign intended for Elizabeth: "Slut on a Hot Tin Roof", a newspaper headline that reads "Cleo-fat-tra", and Richard referring to Elizabeth as "Miss Pudgy Digits." When she breaks into tears, he takes her in his arms and says, "It's okay, I'd love you even if you were as fat as a hippo." (Because nothing rings more Shakespearean than that.) Sobbing, she looks up at him. "I need a ring. A big ring!"(So to put it bluntly, this movie was basically sold - and pretty well - on the pretext of how scorching of a hot mess it could truly be; starting with that goddamn obnoxious title.) 

Perhaps the strangest part is the sequences that seem to take place in a out of body, post-mortem world: Elizabeth & Richard with cigarettes, sitting on chairs which appear to have been placed on an empty, black stage, reflecting back on their marriages much as reality TV stars do in between clips on their shows. The fact that it's not clear whether this is supposed to be Elizabeth and Richard in 1964 or 2012 or in Heaven is legitimately strange enough to really make one question their decision of watching the movie.

Lohan is only twenty-six, but the movie starts when Elizabeth is twenty-nine, and progresses onwards. In reality, Elizabeth, like many women do as they age, began to gain weight. The film makes constant references to this, which I guess would be okay if Lohan actually appeared chubby - but she didn't put on any weight, or nonetheless padding, at all. There are actually a few unbearable clips of Lohan trying to reenact Elizabeth's Academy Award winning performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (the role in which Taylor actually gained thirty pounds for), where she is just so obviously skinny in contrast to what Elizabeth genuinely looked like at the time. I think they would have been much better off had they just avoided the subject of Elizabeth's weight entirely, but then again, the writers would have lost out on getting to use romantic terms like "Miss Pudgy Fingers."

Maybe the ultimate highlight of the movie is the end, where Elizabeth's mother tells Lindsay (who is now supposed to be portraying Elizabeth at the age of 53 - wrinkle free and skunk inspired 80s wig intact) that Richard is dead. Lindsay falls straight to the floor, in a "faint" that draws hilarity that should not have existed in such a scene. (Hell, it shouldn't have existed throughout the whole movie, but this scene especially.)

I had never heard of the actor who plays Richard Burton; his name is Grant Bowler and apparently he's done work on the television show True Blood. He actually wasn't that bad, and in comparison to Lindsay, could win an Emmy. (...But my favorite cast member was probably the appearance of Mr. Sheffield from The Nanny; I kept crossing my fingers for Fran Fine to come out and steal the show...) He makes a half decent attempt at Burton's Welsh dialect, whereas Lindsay Lohan doesn't even take a stab at Elizabeth's famous, famous voice. Basically, the best way to put it is when you watch Liz & Dick, you get Lindsay Lohan playing... Lindsay Lohan, in Dina Lohan's 60s castoffs.

The best part of the movie was probably the opening credits, which leads me to believe that the most convincing Lindsay Lohan could ever be as Elizabeth Taylor would be in a Vanity Fair photo shoot, with the advantages of Photoshopping and her mouth shut!

I was over the moon to discover that this movie's executive producer is Larry Thompson, the same genius who created the masterpiece (intended sarcasm) that is Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter. Which means he is the same man that is responsible for this: 

Similar to Thompson's latest conquest, Lucy & Desi was made just two years after Lucy passed, and takes a tabloid fodder view of their relationship, filled to the brim with cheap lines ("What's so exclusive about sleeping with YOU?!") and excruciating scenes. Lucie Arnaz was so disturbed by it that she nearly threatened to sue. So it seems apparent that Thompson makes his living off waiting for Hollywood legends to die, and going straight into production of the the only "movies" he seems to know how to make.

... In general, I haven't had very good experiences with biopics, but there are definitely examples of how they can be done right. Just as recently, I saw The Aviator (2004). It's a nearly three hour long tribute to the life of Howard Hughes, the brilliant but disturbed aviator & director, directed by Martion Scorcese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn (Hughes's onetime girlfriend), and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner (another female companion of Hughes's.) Big budget, starring some of today's best actors, and directed by Scorcese (need I say more), I found The Aviator to be excellent.

I didn't have all that much interest in the life of Hughes, but what triggered my interest to watch was the Cate Blanchett portrayal of Kate (and also, Kate Beckinsale's Ava). Blanchett won an Oscar for the role, and it's easy to see why. She makes up for any lack of looking Kate with perfection of Kate's clipped New England tone and better yet, full understanding of Kate's legendary personality. The Aviator is actually my first Cate Blanchett movie, and she totally won me over with her performance as Kate. Playing Katharine Hepburn would probably be just about the most agonizing and painful roles to ever get correctly, and Cate came just as about as close to it as you ever could. Beckinsale was also good as Ava, but Cate stole the show - and also, needless to say, DiCaprio's performance as Hughes was also spectacular... it was just Cate that really stuck out for me.

That's how do you do a biopic. 

It's not that I'm not a fan of biopics. I'd be the first one to go out and buy a ticket for the biopic of Lucy & Desi, Elizabeth & Richard, or any other Old Hollywood star for that matter, so long it was done with the proper respect that these stars really deserve. (And hey, it wouldn't be so bad if you could get Scorcese to direct it and throw in some big name stars - that haven't been in jail or rehab in the past five years - too.) Or, perhaps, Hollywood could just let them all rest in peace.

So, that's what I've been up to lately. This is an admittedly lousy post because none of you actually needed a review of Liz & Dick, but I hadn't updated here in forever! (And I was feel kinda sentimental/missing Elizabeth, even though this movie tarnished Lindsay's reputation - even more - than it barely grazed Elizabeth's.) ...Anyways, anyone else want to give their two cents on Liz & Dick, biopics, or anything in general?

P.S.: I've missed you all!!

"If you're a witch, where's your black hat and broom and why are you out when it isn't even Halloween?"

Happy Halloween!

I haven't been around much lately, so I thought I'd stop by and do a quick post wishing you all a happy Halloween! (That, and Bewitched and Elizabeth Montgomery happen to be a couple of my latest obsessions, so what's a better excuse than Halloween to bring them up?) When I was little and trick or treating, Halloween was my all time favorite holiday. It wasn't so much for the candy (though today I've already gone through my fair share of candy that's supposed to be for the trick or treaters), but I loved dressing up. Unfortunately, Halloween in my neighborhood has always been kind of a bummer. We barely get any trick or treaters because all the kids have grown up, and people don't so much bother to put a pumpkin out. And besides, though my area came out of the hurricane pretty much unscathed, I think all the rain put a damper on everyone's Halloween spirit.

Still, I remember fondly when October 31st was the pinnacle of the year, and there was nothing more fun than racing through the crisp autumn air wearing a costume and boasting a plastic pumpkin full of candy. ;)

Forgive my nostalgia, and I'm sorry that I haven't got anything particularly interesting or old movie related today, but I felt like I hadn't posted in a while and I just wanted to keep you all updated that yes, I am alive. (If you are in the mood to read something spectacular, there is a Halloween meme floating around - that I would have done if I knew more about vintage horror movies - and a blogathon about a horror film actor, I believe.) If you'd like, leave me comments and let me know how you all are, what you've been watching lately, and if you have plans to do NaNoWriMo!!?? (Nat talked me into it, I will probably fail due to the errendous amount of schoolwork I'll be burdening, but anyways, my username is: MissLucyRicardo. Feel free to add me.) 

That's it. And don't forget --

Letter to the Stars Blogathon: Submissions!

I'm back! So soon!

...Just to share with you guys today's links for the blogathon. You can check out yesterday's submissions here. If you don't see yours on that post or mine, worry not: you'll be linked over at Natalie's blog  tomorrow.

Thank you guys so much for participating: I can assure you that Marcela, Nat & I are having a blast reading all your letters! :) Anyway, without further ado, here are the entries being shared today... click the photo to visit the article!

THE HOSTS

THE SUBMISSIONS

Remember... you can still write your posts and send your links in to: alettertothestars@hotmail.com

Thanks again, dahhlings. :)

A Letter to the Stars | Dear Lucy...

Dear Lucy,

Here's a fun fact about myself: every day of my life I try to emulate you. No, really, it's the truth. If I am to be perfectly honest, sometimes I see a bit of yourself in me. Oh, I'm no where near as wonderful, but there are occasions where I feel that I can relate to you or understand you. Times where I can be empathetic with moments of your frustration, your passion, your pain. A lot of the time, however, I see the qualities in you that I have always desired and struggled with myself. Your courage, your this is the way I am, take it or leave it attitude, your drive, your perseverance, your patience. I know if you were to read this, you'd shake your head and wouldn't believe it, because you never knew how truly amazing you were. I'm not kidding, either. Each time you walked onto a talk show, an awards ceremony, a television special, game show, whatever it may be - the audience, whose hearts you'd won long ago, gave you a rousing applause and a standing ovation. Each time, you would get this look in your eyes, this special (and rare among celebrities) glisten that seemed to ask, "Is this really for me?" Genuine modesty was a hat you wore well, a trait that came out of your own naivety; you didn't know how great you really were.

Even your inarguable talent: when you won the Emmy for Best Situation Comedy in '53, you and Desi went up to the podium and profusely thanked your writers. "Would it be wrong to have them come up here and accept the award instead?" you said. Years and years later, when you were interviewed by Barbara Walters with Gary now by your side, you brushed aside your abilities. "I don't think funny," you admitted nonchalantly. "I can do funny things if people write them down for me, but I don't think funny." You would say, forget me.You'd argue that the true Queen of Comedy was Carole Lombard and that the funniest girl at parties could never be you but Judy Garland. ("I'm a mortician compared to Judy," you said.)

You were always quick to compliment other performers. You even once told someone, "If you want to see real comedy, don't look at me, watch Vivian Vance!" You never forgot to remind a reporter that Desi wasn't given enough credit for what he had done for I Love Lucy. You were sure to appreciate all fields of talent, from Julie Andrews to Audrey Hepburn to Lily Tomlin, whose comedy you admittedly did not "get", but enjoyed "studying". Even the stars that hurt you, the ones that you didn't get along with as well, the ones that didn't synchronize with your work ethic; never would you say a bad word. When the Richard Burton diaries were published in the early 80s, you ran out and bought a copy before someone could stop you. When you saw what'd he written about you*, I'm sure you felt awful, but you were above ever publicly badmouthing him. You just had such an immense respect and understanding for those with talent and those that honed this talent.


Self pity and luck were foreign ideas to you. Your morals lay in family, love, generosity, hard work, and loyalty. Perhaps it was loyalty that was one of your very strongest suits, and God, is it one of the things I love most about you, a quality I appreciate most often in people. When you liked someone, you loved them, and you never let them suffer in any sort of way as long as you were there to do something about it. Whenever someone helped you out in the slightest, you never forgot it. You kept the same employees for decades, at home or at the studio. I've read of so many occasions where you were assisted by someone during your movie career in the 40's, and later these people, or even their kin, got a job on I Love Lucy. Even their most minor of merits to you were rewarded; the director Mark Sandrich rearranged the few lines you had as a flower shop clerk in Top Hat so it worked better for you, and his kindness was never forgotten. When Mark's son was fresh out of the army in the 50's, he was given a job as an assistant director on Lucy.*

And if there had been the loyalty to your employees and your friends, there was even greater the one you had your family. They were dependent upon you, and you always took care of them: your mother and your brother and your grandparents and your cousin. I'm always touched by how truly important they were to you - and all that you did for them, which you never even thought twice about, because the fact that they loved you was reason enough. You were the kind of a woman that never let any act of generosity, kindness, or love go unnoticed.

You were one for the centuries, a woman with a drive and a deep passion; passion for the ones you loved, for your work, for your fans. You really were an every woman, and I'm not even kidding. Maybe the role you played best was at work, in your environment. But I know for certain that your favorite was as a domestic - as a wife, and as a mother - "I'd like to be remembered best as a good wife and mother," you once told a newspaper. You were raised with the classic virtues of your generation, values I think you cherished very much, but none the less defied. You grew up in a culture where it was the norm for a woman to depend upon a man, and though I believe that deep down you wanted that sense of protection very much so, there was something about you that couldn't help rebel against it. How could you not? Your own mother, DeDe, was a single mother (and of course, your various relatives, especially your grandparents, played a huge part in your rearing but all the while, when your father died she was left a single mother, a term so rare in those days), strong and independent.

You came from a society that would have expected you to marry an older man and have many children quite young, but both of your husbands were younger than you - and you didn't have Lucie until you were thirty nine (obviously, this wasn't by your choice, but still). If you don't think that's something you necessarily have to be proud about, it is. In the decades since the liberation of women, each generation would like to think they gave birth to women like you who redefined the standard, but let's face it: you were doing it back in the 50's! And to top it off, you were a businesswoman; oh, I know, you didn't take on much of the financial aspects of running Desilu until later, but you did. Don't you see? You were "the every woman" long before the expression had ever been coined; the first woman to appear as pregnant on television and also the first to run her own studio. What was best of it all was you didn't do all of these things to make a particular point or to have a certain distinction; you were just being yourself.

And you mean a lot to me. Really, you do. You don't know how wonderful it is for me to take comfort in the fact that whenever I've had a bad day or am feeling upset for whatever reason, all I have to do is just think of you to feel better. Not just because you make me laugh and smile (which OBVIOUSLY you do), but also because I remember how strong and brave you were. You really had courage and you truly knew how to persevere. You never gave up. You never did. And you inspire me to to the same. There is a quote of yours, "You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world," and whenever I'm feeling sick of myself or disappointed, I try to remember that.

I hope you knew how loved you were, how loved you still are. Entertainers are appreciated, respected, and well liked  - but few have been adored to your extent. In 1986, with your final show not catching on in popularity, I'm sometimes afraid that in the end you didn't realize how much we love you. But you really were the most beloved performer. Hell, you even took the number one spot in a list of deceased stars (according to a poll anyways) that Americans wished were still alive. I Love Lucy is still considered the best show of all time. You gave in an interview to Johnny Carson, in about the late 70s, I guess, and he asked you, "Isn't it incredible to know that fifty years from now people will still be watching you?" You kidded him, you scoffed, you rolled your eyes as you laughed that that wouldn't be true. But it is. The "I" in I Love Lucy was originally intended to be Ricky/Desi, and it was, always, but soon the "I" became each one of us: we all fell in love with Lucy Ricardo, and then with you.

My favorite episode of Lucy, though very nearly impossible to pick, is the one where you told Ricky - Desi - that you were expecting a baby. When you and Desi cried at the end*, and your emotions were real, it is to me (and trust me, many others as well) the most sentimental moment in television history. Each time I watch it I'm moved; even the first time, when I didn't know the history behind that scene, I was touched entirely. And one can't help but become emotional even more so when they know of the miscarriages* you had.

Which brings me to say, your life was never easy; far from it. You prided yourself, I think, as being a tough girl who could handle whatever was thrown at her, and you did - but I know that there was a greater part of you that was deep, sentimental, vulnerable.. and that side of you, to me, is one of your most endearing qualities as an actress and as a human. I say as a actress (and especially as a comedienne) because you brought this vitality to your characters; a warmth, a particular lovable factor that made it impossible not to sympathize with the roles you played. Even when Lucy Ricardo was being absolutely ridiculous or made the biggest of goofs, we always wanted everything to turn out okay for her in the end - and there's that satisfaction in knowing it always did. Lucy, you forever gave us the happy ending, even when you didn't always get to have one yourself...

"I was no beauty, that's for sure," you once said, but don't deny it. You were gorgeous, inside and out. Oh, an incredible cliche for sure, and it sounds cheesy as hell, but it is true. You had eyes and a smile that seemed to make your emotions transparent even when you weren't speaking a word, and I think the best examples of that are times that had to do with Desi. The end of Lucy is Enceinte - Ricky and Lucy disappeared, you and Desi took the stage. Then there was the time you danced to "Cheek to Cheek" in the following episode; you two didn't cry, but the joy, bliss, and happiness shone through so obviously on your faces that even as a little girl I could see it. Fast forwarding years and years to the Kennedy Center Awards in '86; Desi had died just a few days before and you'd come straight to D.C. after his funeral. Robert Stack came onto the stage bearing a letter, written by Desi, expressing the words he had wanted to be there in person to say. As Robert Stack spoke, your eyes began to well up with tears and your lips trembled - so much so you covered your face with your hand. You weren't acting at the time, but your composure was what you struggled to retain, and you fought to do so, but in the end as you quietly cried, stricken with emotion, all your feelings became crystal clear. "I Love Lucy," he finished, "was never just a title."

Your home movies, the ones taken in the 40s and 50s, are some of my favorite footage of you. Because I feel that those clips show the real you, the you that no biography could ever possibly put into the words. The girl in those movies is a total and utter summary of why you're my favorite person. Running up to the camera to say hello, waving and grinning. Showing off your legs in a swimsuit, cuddling with your cats and your dogs, dressing up in crazy costumes. Making your silly 'Lucy' faces, sitting and smiling quietly, playing with and hugging your children. Then there's you and Desi: embracing and kissing, mouthing "I love you, I love you" to one another, licking the frosting off of Lucie's hands on her first birthday, him biting your cheek playfully, standing at the church in your second wedding, and then proudly with your completed family in 1953: Desi, Jr. in your hands and Lucie in his. I've read that even after you had divorced Desi, even after the kids had grown up, and you had settled into your senior years, you still loved to show those old movies in your living room, over and over. You never got sick of them and I know why you loved them best: because those movies showed who you really were, and what made you that way.

Way back at the start of this letter, in the first sentence, I said, "Everyday I try to emulate you." I think all of the above explains why, but there's more: much, much, more, more that I couldn't even possibly put into words, and even if I were to try, this would be, let's face it, a never-ending letter. Just a handful of the things I love about you so much, the things that made you so special and so beloved, the things that fused together to make one incredible woman that will surely, surely never be forgotten. At least as long as I'm around, but let's face it, you in no way need me, or anybody else, for that matter, to keep your memory alive. You were too amazing for that. Your legend lives on, your candle burns on eternally, and Lucy - you did that all by yourself.

Let me finish this letter by thanking you. Thank you for the millions of laughs and smiles you've given us; and to me, personally. Thank you for making this world a just a little brighter. Thank you for giving me a role model. Thank you for always being me there for me. Thank you for cheering me up when nothing else can. Thank you for being the best. Thank you for changing my life.

You are my favorite and always will be.

I didn't have to write so much... I didn't really have to write all of this, because it could have all been summarized in three words: "I love you." I do. I love you.

All the love in the world,

Rianna

FOOTNOTES -

*1: Richard Burton & Lucy (as well as Elizabeth) worked together for an episode of Here's Lucy. Burton and Lucy clashed, and later Burton wrote a disgusting monlogue about her in his diaries, which were published posthomously after his death. An avid reader of celebrity biographies & autobiographies, Lucy was quick to buy a copy.

*2: Jay Sandrich would go on to work on such notable shows as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Cosby Show, & The Golden Girls.

*3: Lucy had three miscarriages before giving birth to Lucie in 1951, just a month short of her fortieth birthday.

*4: Their tears here were unscripted. As they had struggled so much to have children, when they had Lucie they were sure they would have no more, and when taping they became overwhelmed with the emotions of being blessed with not just one, but two children. Embarrassed, they called for a second take, but the audience stood up and protested. The original filming is what aired and continues to air. 

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Okay, there's my overly emotional entry. Now, remember, it's not too late to write your letter and send your links into: alettertothestars@hotmail.com. It doesn't have to be as long as mine. Write even a paragraph if you'd like; the more entries the merrier! ...Also, I want to apologize, to all of you readers & especially Marcela and Nat, because I was supposed to have this letter up yesterday, but thanks to a change in my plans, faulty Internet connection, my own stupidity, this didn't go up until about a day... and a half later then I promised. Thus, I pretty much derailed everything. I'm so sorry, dahhlings.

You can see all of today's submissions here. There will be more to come on Monday & Tuesday. Thanks so much for participating guys!!! xxx