MSCL and the Jerry Maguire DVD

[dTheater]

So I'm watching Jerry Maguire on DVD with the director's commentary and Cameron Crowe mentions MSCL several times. First, when Winnie Holzman appears on screen and mentions that she wrote the show, then when the MSCL homage shot comes up, he explains it was "an homage to My So Called Life, one of my favorite TV shows" and says that he met Claire Danes sometime later and told her the shot was an homage to MSCL and she replied, "Uh, yeah." As if to say "No duh" or, as we would say, "Duh squared"

I also noticed the shot before - which has Renee Zelweger running down the sidewalk - looks just like the shot of Angela running across the screen in the credits. God help me, I can't remember what part that is in the episode.

- Jim

Kaytee Bodle: Girl With Guitar
http://girlwithguitar.0catch.com/

[K-man]

DTheater,
I haven't seen J Maguire in a long time and I don't remember the 'MSCL homage shot'. Can you describe this scene to me. Is it only the scene with Renee Z. running? If I am not mistaken the scene with Angela running in the opening credits was from the Pilot outside 'Let's Bolt'.

So my feeling is, whatever happens, happens. K-man

[dTheater]

This is the shot from MSCL:

http://www.mscl.com/pictures/locations/cap0014.jpg

Brian and Angela standing on opposite sides of the street, illuminated by the moon light. It's the quintessential MSCL moment.

In a crucial moment in Jerry Maguire featuring the two main chatacters, this shot from MSCL is re-created as is the "Angela runs" shot. I don't have any screen shots, but it's quite obvious and you'll know it immediately if you see it. It's a pretty cool little reference.

- Jim

Kaytee Bodle: Girl With Guitar
http://girlwithguitar.0catch.com/

[K-man]

Hey Jim,
Last night I watched AFI's 100 most romantic movies of all time and J Maguire was #100 and wouldn't you know it, while showing brief clips of the movie they showed these two scenes. Lucky for me I got to see it and you are right, they totally mooched that off MSCL. The scenes in MSCL were way better though. IMHO

So my feeling is, whatever happens, happens. K-man

[dTheater]

I saw that, too. I was thinking, "They got that sequence from MSCL, but everyone thinks of it as the scene from Jerry Maguire."

- Jim

Kaytee Bodle: Girl With Guitar
http://girlwithguitar.0catch.com/

[danguyf]

Winnie actually talks about that in the interview I conducted with her.

[Guest]

I'd also heard the Crowe shows tapes of MSCL to Rene because he wanted her to have that Angela Chase-ish quality to her character...

[K-man]

Hey DreamTheater,
I was watching J Maguire last night on FOX and if I am not mistaken, wasn't that Winnie Holzman sitting on the couch when T Cruise shows up at (what's her name)'s house to pick her up to have dinner at the Mexican rest.? Ya know, the scene where the kid hugs him and she gets all excited. It sure looked like our Mrs. Krazynowski????...

[Jack]

K-Man,

That is indeed Winnie Holzman sitting on the couch.

[Debs]

Jerry Maguire seems to have been deleted in Britain. I've searched everywhere - even Amazon and everyone's out. I'm thinking this is because they're going to bring out the special two disc that you have in the US. I do hope so because I want to view all of the MSCL refs for myself. I do remember the street shot though and subconsiciously thought of our beloved drama. It's so great that Cameron Crowe is one of us too!

By the way, I'm saving myself for my DVD so I haven't watched an episode for nearly a year now. Please remind me who Mrs Krazynowski is. Is she the psychotherapist or the English teacher???

[K-man]

Debs,
Winnie plays the therapist who counsels RayAnne about her sobriety and also works with Mr. Katimski to help find Ricky a place to live when he gets booted out of his uncle's place.

[Debs]

Thanx K-man.

I must have seen each episode about twenty times - I can't believe I never knew that. Now I can finally put a face to this writing talent.

Ta!

[Debs]

I've started to get my DVDs from the internet because you can get some great deals. The collector's edition of Jerry Maguire came this morning and so I finally watched the refs to MSCL. I loved seeing Cameron, Tom, Rene and Cuba watching the film, they were having so much fun.

Yeah so Mr Crowe loves MSCL too. I adore his stuff... He really knows how to bring out the humanity in his characters; just like his good friend Winnie. I wonder if he's waiting for the box set like us?????!!

[dTheater]

I recently saw Vanilla Sky (which I didn't really like, but that's another story) and it also features an MSCL "homage" if you will. Tom Cruise is chasing some guy down the street - trying to catch up with him really - and the camera dollies down the street for a side view of Tom Cruise as he zips past a row of cars, cutting back and forth between him and the guy's he's running after. Just like the shot in the first episode when Angela is chasing after Rayanne and her shoes. It was lit the same and the street looked the same and everything. Definitely not a coincidence.

[Guest]

By the way, I'm saving myself for my DVD so I haven't watched an episode for nearly a year now.

me too!! I love to wait to watch the series. it makes it that much better after a long hiatus. it seems more vivid and surprising somehow. but sometimes it's hard to be patient!

emmie