Agnostic.com

1 2

Smooth Talk on DVD. I didn't remember that I had seen it before. I don't know when. It could have been as far back as 1985, when it came out. I only remembered two scenes. First, when the mother, played by Mary Kay Place, tells the daughter (Laura Dern) that when she looks into the daughter's eyes she sees nothing but "trashy daydreams." I'd misremembered that as "shallow daydreams." Second, a little later, when the mother tries to hug the daughter and she says she doesn't like to be hugged, to which the mother replies that maybe that depends on who's doing the hugging. Perhaps oddly, I didn't remember the Treat Williams character at all. Conceived by Joyce Carol Oates pre-Manson, put on film post-Manson, he reads as both an eerie foretelling and a distant echo of old Charlie.

In re the seductive powers of Manson and men like him--I've thought for a long time, and still do, that they serve as proof that the question of a man's character is not a consideration in most women's sexual decisions. I remember discussing this with a colleague when Manson died. She didn't think Manson's example was a good one to follow, but she did not and could not refute what I said about the disconnect between character--not to mention intellect--and a man's success, or possibility of success, with women.

AlanCliffe 6 Dec 12
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

1 comment

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

1

I've pondered this question for a long time! Waylon Jennings' song "Ladies Love Outlaws" says it all.

You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:699921
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.