Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Lily Tomlin - Movie


(C) 2013 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws.


Lily Tomlin -Movie

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist 



Lily Tomlin

The Iconic Actress Is Still In The Driver’s Seat!

Photo Courtesy Focus Features Films



     Icon is a word that is sometimes loosely thrown around. However, in the case of veteran actress Lily Tomlin, the title is as deserving as it is apropos. Tomlin has not just been there, done that; but the awards she has garnered over the years attest to a true and marvelous set of talents. Her trophy mantel houses, a Grammy, six Emmys, a Tony and many more major awards in and out of the biz. In her latest film “Admission,” Tomlin plays the eccentric mom Susannah to Princeton University admissions officer Portia played by Tina Fey. Playing a mom is nothing new to Tomlin and she is pretty darn good at it. Susannah in this film is a little over the top in attitude and her values on life.




Lily Tomlin as Susannah
     In describing her character Susannah, Tomlin says, “Susannah was intellectual and wrote a book and being very brainy while thinking a lot of stuff through, she was wed to that mythology that she created for herself when she has sex with some guy on a train out of sheer attraction or lust, whatever. But she doesn’t want to admit that’s how she got pregnant. She wants to think that she commanded her own destiny and so she’s built this idea or as I said mythology around her and she has imposed it on her life and on her daughter’s life and I understood that.” 


Tomlin as Susannah working on her bike
     The question here is does Susannah not give a damn or is she just super radical? Tomlin laughs, “First of all she’s not 30 anymore she’s 70 and a lot of life has gone under the bridge. Plus she has a grown daughter that she really doesn’t have a relationship with. So we all make these choices in life and many of them we regret.”



Tina Fey as daughter Portia
     In real life Tomlin has no children so where does she draw her mother instinct from? Flashing that famous broad smile, Tomlin explains, “You just have to be a human being. I probably feel as much a mother to my cat as I do to Tina. I mean it’s just human relationships. We’re not all so different. You don’t have to know very much to understand it. You just have to be open to what you’re living and what part of life is.” 

Paul Rudd (John) & Tina Fey (Portia)


     What was Tomlin’s relationship like with her real life late mom? She reflects, “Somewhat more parental. I was that kind of open assertive kind of kid, free in the neighborhood, lived in an old apartment house. My mother and dad were blue collar. My daddy worked in a factory, my mom was a nurse’s aid they’re from Kentucky so every summer I’d go to rural Kentucky and then the rest of my life I’m living in inner city Detroit. It was an explosion of cultures in an old apartment house where all of these different people lived. I was just fortunate because you learn. I saw so many human beings and saw how they acted and they were pretty much all the same no matter if they were real political, radical, conservative, if they were White, Black or Jews; if they were anything, they were so much alike. They did despicable things, beautiful things, they were funny, tragic and I know that is what made me be so accepting of the species. I mean I’m not bragging or slapping myself on the back for it. As my Hungarian dress maker used to say, I lived it in the skin.”



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