Day 76: Tootsie

"Sandy, I'm not having an affair with the woman who went into my apartment earlier, alright? It's impossible."

Yeah that's right! Tootsie! It's a unique film. Easily one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Dustin Hoffman does pull of the look which is surprising. Robin Williams would later do it and make Mrs. Doubtfire look like a living, breathing, functioning woman altogether but Tootsie was made in the '80s. I'm pretty sure the makeup used here was much more minimal than what's used in Mrs. Doubtfire. Plus, this looks way more realistic. It's actually conceivable. But anyways, let's get back to the story which is pretty unique. I mean who would've guess that a film about a man acting as a woman would have been a great way to talk about feminism? That's really what it is.

What's funny though is that most of the remarks outlining its theme about feminism tend to do it in passing. The addition of a girl Hoffman's character (Michael Dorsey), is trying to win over, Julie, is also something a bit intriguing. In a movie like this an element like that would almost be too much. At least at this stage of where filmmaking has been. For example, Marilyn Munroe was the love interest in a story where the two male characters also had to pose as women to conceal their identity (Some Like It Hot). But in Tootsie they bring on an added element of tension. Michael's friend, Sandy, happens to sleep with him. He's not really interested in her but he's got to sleep with her to hide his identity. What makes it even more peculiar is that she's not really interested in him either.

So to the premise. Some Like It Hot included the mafia while Mrs. Doubtfire was much more family-oriented with Williams' quest to be with his kids. Here in Tootsie, Michael Dorsey is a struggling actor. He's a good actor (he's Dustin Hoffman, of course he's a good actor) but no one wants to work with him. He has a certain tendency to be....disobedient. I'm not sure writers like disobedience in their actors. So Michael is an unemployed actor who needs work. Well what are his options? His agent says just the mention of his name sends people hanging up. So of course the natural remedy for a solution would be to audition for a female character on a soap opera and try to be a woman. Who wouldn't think of that?

Movies like this tend to be there because the actors want to do it more than anything. Comedians tend to embrace the 'gender-switch' because they think it'll be funny. Most of the time it isn't. The whole idea that we're supposed to laugh because he thinks he is a she is ridiculous. (Instead what you get is Tyler Perry making a big fool of himself.) Other times it's the complexity of maintaining the facade that's funny but it's generally the likability of the actors that carry it. Tootsie avoids this trap by actually having a good script. Hoffman has a certain way about him that you really can't find from another actor but he's not really a character actor we all really like. He's not that funny by himself either. Instead, all the funny parts in Tootsie come from real dialog. Take for example the exchange with Michael and his agent, George.

Michael Dorsey: You should have seen the look on her face when she thought I was a lesbian.

George Fields: "Lesbian"? You just said gay.

Michael Dorsey: No, no, no - Sandy thinks I'm gay, Julie thinks I'm a lesbian.

George Fields: I thought Dorothy was supposed to be straight?

Michael Dorsey: Dorothy is straight. Tonight Les, the sweetest, nicest man in the world asked me to marry him.

George Fields: A guy named Les wants you to marry him?

Michael Dorsey: No, no, no - he wants to marry Dorothy.

George Fields: Does he know she's a lesbian?

Michael Dorsey: Dorothy's not a lesbian.

George Fields: I know that, does he know that?

Michael Dorsey: Know what?

George Fields: That, uh, I... I don't know.

It's the type of banter you'd get from a really good Seinfeld episode. Not to mention that Bill Murray (as Jeff) is the best deadpan actor I can remember. Just thinking of him staring straight into Hoffman's face saying stuff like, "You slut," or "I think we're getting into a weird area here," makes me wanna laugh right now as I right this.

Tootsie is a one of a kind. I think it can be described as a screwball comedy though I've had trouble understanding what that description really meant anyway. (Another thing hard to describe? Neo-noir. How one could refer to Dark City, After Dark, My Sweet, and Heat as ALL being neo-noir is beyond me. If anything Dark City is straight up noir or tech-noir and Heat isn't anywhere near noir. After Dark, My Sweet? Yeah, that's neo-noir.) You can't really call it a romantic comedy either. So it's just pure comedy but it's out there to try and make some inkling of a point. It's a dramedy, and unlike most films that fit that description, it's not disappointingly light on good drama.