Garry Marshall: Pretty Talented, Pretty Funny, Pretty Amazing
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Garry Marshall
moviekid-2 — 9 years ago(July 20, 2016 08:05 PM)
Whenever I think of Garry Marshall, the first thing that comes to mind is laughter. Garry Marshall was in the ranks of Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Art Linkletter, and Don Rickles as those that had a quick joke and a quick wit. In interview after interview, Garry Marshall had a way of cracking the audience up with amusing anecdotes of his work and life. As a TV producer, he brought some of the greatest shows of all time. As a filmmaker, he brought some of the warmest and sweetest movies of all time.
Now, we have lost this comedic genius, as I write with a heavy heart and lump in my throat upon hearing of his passing at the age of 81. The world is now even less funnier with his absence, but the memories of his good-natured spirit will live on and inspire audiences.
Garry Marshall's claim to fame started in the 1970s. The landmark show Happy Days not only catapulted the careers of Ron Howard and Henry Winkler, but cemented Marshall's footprint in the world of sitcom TV. Fonz was the breakout, what with his leather jacket and swagger. The story goes that network executives did not want Fonz to wear a leather jacket, but a cotton one. Garry Marshall fought vociferously, and ultimately allowed Fonz to wear the leather jacketwhenever he rode a motorcycle.
Of course, there was another character on the show who would go on to have a life of his own: Mork. The story goes that when Garry Marshall and one of his children saw Star Wars, that child that there should be an alien on Happy Days. The rest is history, with a performance immortalized by the late, great, sadly missed Robin Williams.
Marshall came to movies surprisingly late, with the soap opera spoof Young Doctors in Love. He started to get better and better, reaching his breakthrough with Nothing In Common, allowing Marshall to blend two genres that constitute life, comedy and drama. The rapport and bond between Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason are among the most touching and heartfelt shown between a father and son.
Beaches is one of the ultimate tearjerkers, depicting the tumultuous but ultimately unbreakable bond between two women. The last ten minutes of the movie are among the most heartbreaking and cathartic in the history of motion pictures.
Pretty Woman. Marshall's most successful movie. Julia Roberts' breakthrough. Richard Gere's comeback. Speaking of Julia, supposedly, at the start of shooting, Richard Gere played Edward with the intensity and relentless swagger that immortalized him in American Gigolo and Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Marshall stopped Gere in his tracks, giving him the best piece of direction anybody could give to an actor:
"No, no, Richard. In this movie, one of you moves and one of you doesn't, and guess which one you are?!"
That piece of direction allowed Julia Roberts to steal the movie, the audience's heartsand earn an Academy Award nomination.
Over the years, Marshall made movies that ranged from the most memorable to, well, the most forgettable. Particularly noteworthy, The Princess Diaries is the ultimate fairy tale and inspiration to young girls out there, the kind of movie families want to cuddle up to.
His last movie, released only three months ago, Mother's Day, dealt with a theme dear to Marshall's movies and his life: family. Garry Marshall had an extended family beyond his own. He collaborated beautifully and sensitively with his cast and crew, making them feel like it was Disneyland.
Rest in peace Mr. Marshall. May you be blessed with angels appreciating your sense of humorand your good heart.
Navid Sitarian
July 20, 2016