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Romy & Michele's HS Reunion- A Fun, Frisky Use of Color
21 Plays15 hours ago
This movie taught us how to be adults, and maybe we're still chasing that dream. It's a testament to developing your own joyful sense of style and what you can do when you take fashion into your own hands. Sorry this description is short, I cut my foot earlier and my shoe is filling up with blood...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120032/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6_tt_2_nm_6_in_0_q_romy
Music: Cassette Deck by Basketcase
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Hot Set' and Season Theme
00:00:00
Speaker
I'm Melinda. I'm Ariel. This is Hot Set, the movie podcast about costume design.
00:00:21
Speaker
Hello to all of our friends out there. we are here again. we're back with another movie. We are obsessed with clothing. we love it. We can't get enough.
00:00:33
Speaker
We're watching movies this season that are specifically have something to do with clothes. Often that involves fashion. Doesn't have to but it does tend to be going that way
Foundational Impact of 'Romy and Michelle' on Hosts
00:00:46
Speaker
so far. ah But today we're here with ah what I described off mic to Ariel as a foundational text of my life. Such a perfect description. Really, like it could not it it could not be more true. um But yeah, I will ah admit upfront that I have absolutely no objectivity about this movie. um
00:01:10
Speaker
We watched the 1997 absolute cinematic classic masterpiece, Romeo and Michelle's High School Reunion. This movie ah was a frequent video store rental on VHS for me throughout the late 90s and the early 2000s.
00:01:31
Speaker
And it was described, I watched it on Disney Plus and the like tag, the sort of like genre tag on it was buddy comedy, which fantastic.
Plot Summary and Themes of Self-Acceptance
00:01:45
Speaker
true but doesn't feel like what this is even though i think that it might be but because that's how they like that's like a cop movie yeah it's like lethal weapon yes exactly um think buddy comedy so was like okay um but this movie is about two lifelong friends uh romi and michelle who ah grew up in ah Arizona in a small town. They escaped to the glamour of Venice Beach, California. We meet up with them. They've been out of high school for almost exactly 10 years, just living their cool, bohemian, laid-back Gen X life in Southern California. They decide to go to their 10-year high school reunion. we get a lot of really fun, late 80s flashbacks to them in high school and the just delightful group of folks that they went to school with.
00:02:53
Speaker
um But they seem ah they're pretty hellbent on like proving that they that their lives are so much better, more glamorous than their classmates who maybe didn't leave Arizona. And then they have the realization that maybe that's not true. So they decide to try to lie to make their lives seem more impressive than they are to people that they seem determined to impress for some reason. And ultimately the lesson is be who you are embrace who you are
00:03:27
Speaker
Don't let other people define your self-worth um and uh marry the weird kind of creepy millionaire that even no they don't get married but um yeah this movie um i saw it the first time on video i did not see it in the theater but i was probably like 12 when i saw the movie for the first time so this is like well clearly like that's what being an adult is this is the movie that shows you what it is like to be a cool adult woman in the world
00:04:01
Speaker
And it's really weird watching it now being 10 years older than the characters in the movie because I can't let go of that feeling of like these are adults and I am like young watching it You know what I mean? Yeah. And meanwhile, they're supposed to be like 27, 28.
00:04:21
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. easy It's so funny. And it's like, I mean, I just feel like everyone in this era that is an adult looks like more of an adult than I've ever felt in my life. that's every generation
Changing Perceptions of Adulthood and Fashion Influence
00:04:35
Speaker
before us. Yeah. Every single one. like and I'm not trying to do that. Like millennials just like age differently. Like I don't.
00:04:43
Speaker
I'm sure maybe that's the case for some folks, but it's also like we just had less cigarette smoke around and like drinking cultures different. Lead the gasoline. Lead paint in the toys. Yeah. Asbestos. Like there's so many environmental factors that are different. But also like, you know, this is a this one this is a fact that always blows my mind. When we were growing up and Golden Girls was like reruns on TV all the time. yeah ah You know how old those characters are, right? They're like 50, aren't Yes. They are 53.
00:05:20
Speaker
And like 54. And meanwhile Estelle Getty is younger than all them. And like she's like mother. my God. And so it's like – and like I see pictures of like my grandmother, know, when she was like in her 20s, when she was like 17. She looked like she was in her 20s. Like I had that phenomenon as a kid where I always looked older than my age and then I started to look younger than my age to people, I guess. I think that illusion might be gone now. I feel like I just look my age. But like –
00:05:55
Speaker
40 for previous generations looked ah road hard, put away wet. You know what mean? It looked it was like you'd had some time. You've done what you're going to do in your life yeah and that's over now. And like you've you've been a businessman for 30 years and like that cigarette's been attached to your lip for all 30 and like your childhood was a million years ago, like all these different things. And like you know Now with like social media and stuff, people on Instagram and TikTok are always posting stuff about 1970 was to to now. you know like The difference is just like shut the hell up. I'm actually not interested in that information. I don't like it. Yeah.
00:06:39
Speaker
Yeah, my my perspective of this movie is like, you know, came out
Fashion Expression and Personal Stories
00:06:43
Speaker
in 97. We were 10. I didn't see it in theaters. I think I saw it probably on TV at some point or at like a party in VHS. And it made me so like uncomfortable, not because of the content, but because of the clothes, because this is a part of the ninety s that...
00:07:02
Speaker
we did experience, but the child version yes of not just the societal stuff, but like the fashion, specifically the clothing, the color palette yeah in the club the beginning of this movie, like actually me nauseous. Oh my God. It made me so happy.
00:07:23
Speaker
Sent me right back to the mall in like, you know, like... fifth grade when I was still in private school. And so when I was at home, because I didn't have like cable TV, I was, it's like, I grew up in a cult in a way because like, I just didn't really have, you know, ah pop culture knowledge that was like up to date. And it's like, i hung out with my grandma. And so we listened to like golden oldies from like the sixties and seventies. And
00:07:54
Speaker
Like all of her stories were based back then. And like she would let me go through her closets and it was all vintage from the 60s and the 70s. It still had labels on. And she was a grown woman when she bought them and I could fit them when I was 10. And ah like my mom was a little bit older than other people's parents. So it's like my references were a different place. Yeah.
00:08:17
Speaker
So like me trying to navigate – style and stuff was very much people from a slightly different time telling me how to dress and me not wanting to do that once I started to develop my own tastes. And then also transitioning from private school to public school and being like, whoa, there's a lot of rules that I didn't fucking know.
00:08:41
Speaker
And so it's just like it set me back. Yeah. Oh, no. like These are the fashion rules that exist, which, of course, are arbitrary and like don't matter. But Romy and Michelle represented it because their characters have kind of like colors that they're wearing throughout the movie. like They have palettes that are very much for themselves.
00:09:03
Speaker
And so their clothes, more often than not throughout the movie, are very matchy-matchy. And so like as a kid, i you changed that just so much. And so like for a moment I had this like visceral reaction and I was like, I'm having the reaction that I had when i was a kid watching this. For me, it's just pure joy. I'm like the idea of having like all of your like accessories and like shoes and everything that like can put together like the whole outfit and have it be different like every single day is like a dream and to have it be like candy colored so okay i like i know like we always kind of bring in like our designer at like various points but i have to bring her in now Oh, it's very important information. Very important. The costume designer for this movie is Mona May. ah Absolute legend. ah We on the podcast have encountered her previously in Clueless. And I feel like the fingerprints of Clueless are all over movie. All over this. This is a period of time where I feel like she is exactly the designer you want because she has so much joy yes with this. Like yeah just the...
00:10:22
Speaker
the way that people were dressing themselves. like She just has such a skill at making it so
Mona May's Contribution to Film Fashion
00:10:31
Speaker
fun. And it's like that that reaction that I spoke of that I had yeah just lasted for a moment and then it was gone. And I just enjoyed this movie. And I was so glad because it's like I'm seeing it from a different perspective and a different time and all that stuff. And like I just loved it. But it's also like this color palette – Because Clueless is like so iconic when you think of, you know, movie costumes. yeah This color palette and this kind of the way that Romy and Michelle like walk through the world here.
00:10:59
Speaker
Now, speaking of movies that are more modern, i feel like is very aligned with like the Barbie movie. Absolutely. like Absolutely. The the like candy colors that are all over the place. Yes. And like the just like the fun clothing that's happening. And like the background characters are wearing so much fun stuff. like It's not just thrown on. It's actually like just like layers of all these like great things. like So fucking bright, especially when they're in Venice. Oh, my God. Everyone on the boardwalk. And it's so it's so like well done because so much of the movie is about these two characters kind of like existing in their own world and their kind of own reality. So it's important that the contrast between them and everyone else is like always part of it. But it's never like...
00:11:58
Speaker
it's It's always like happy or joyful, if that makes sense. Like even if they're like standing out amongst like everybody else, it's not that everybody else is like drab and sad and boring. It's like these two are just on a different wavelength. Yeah, they're enjoying their clothing yeah in a very different way. Like the the goal for them is not outward, which is like kind of funny to say because like they want validation so bad. But it's like the way that they dress themselves, they're not pursuing validation. They are 100% expressing themselves.
00:12:32
Speaker
And like – I remember when I was younger watching this, that it felt like the way that they dress stood out so much. And then watching it now, I'm like, yeah, there are certain scenes where the way that they dress stands out.
00:12:49
Speaker
But that's not all of the time. Yeah.
00:12:53
Speaker
They're picking and choosing what outfits for what occasion, like, are going to really speak loudly. But it's like, some of the time, it's just like, this is a very matchy-matchy outfit that's based around lemons or cherries, you know? Like... And i'm I'm also so used to being around artists and costume people that I'm like, well, yeah, you're going to have people who like yeah their favorite colors are, you know, these three colors. They're always going to have a combination of these things or somebody always wear stripes. So it's going to be some form of stripes. Like I'm just used to that now. Yeah. Or like, oh, there's that person in their giant, like, fuzzy faux fur green coat that they always wear. and you're like, yeah, they love that coat. That's their coat. Or like, there's the person who always has like hot pink...
00:13:46
Speaker
eyeglasses and you're like, yeah, that's her thing. you're driving through town and there are these like old late older ladies who have this, I'm sure that they exist everywhere, but there are sometimes these older ladies who have this thing where they only wear purple.
00:13:58
Speaker
Where they only wear red. Yes. And it's like, yep, apparently some folks when you turn 70, you're like, everything I'm going to do is just in purple and that's that. And I'm going to be the happiest clam in the ocean.
00:14:10
Speaker
Absolutely. and i But I feel like the... the um Because we see them when they're like 17, when they're still in high school and they're still the kind of like outsider-y, but in like a different way yeah where like the like the world of Tucson is very like preppy and very pastel and very...
00:14:35
Speaker
soft in a lot of ways. And so then they are kind of, because it's the eighties, they're like a little bit more, i mean, they show up to prom both dresses, like different, like Madonna looks and like, you know, or like they're, they're in a lot of like dark colors. So then they become like the contrast to their environment in a different way. And then it's like LA, it's like candy colors and like,
00:15:00
Speaker
earrings made of dice and like platform heels and like all of this stuff. And it's like, yeah. So it's just like, there's, it's, it's so interesting how they're, they're changed throughout the film. Yeah. Cause that's like such a challenge, right. Yeah. Is to, to find different ways of making them stand out instead of just having one note for how they do that and like the one note being the like oh well their outfits are always in these two color schemes or their outfits are always like fruit themed like things that match it or they always have a theme like no there's every version of that like um
00:15:43
Speaker
Towards the end of the movie, I'm skipping ahead because I'm a psychopath. Oh, my Towards the end of the movie when there's a dream sequence about what it's going to be like when they go into the reunion, dream sequence reunion is everybody's in neutrals. Yes. Except for three people. like the three people are. Yeah. One of them is in white. But yeah. Those girls. No. It's Romy and Michelle are in black. Well, yes. And then the mean girls. then the is in black. Yeah. And so in that dream sequence, they stand out like that and everybody else is in neutrals.
Visual Storytelling and Character Development
00:16:21
Speaker
Yeah. But like the mean girls are in their pastel palette, like pink, purple, green. But think one of them is in white.
00:16:29
Speaker
And like they suit that kind of neutral situation because there's also like purples in the neutral. But it's all like the same tone yes in the background. And it's as if everybody in this dream sequence has received an invitation that says wear these colors. Yeah. They're going to like a tent revival. yeah shoulder pads like all the things it's like an easter a weird drained easter palette and like romey and michelle are wearing these black business lady suits and so the business lady suits stand out even more and then like the guy that romey had such a big crush on in high school he's also matching them as if like he really is like he always wanted he was meant to be yeah bla blah, blah, blah. He really was that cool boy. The Billy Christensen of it all. Like I could spend like an hour talking about the problems with that character. Like, yeah but I just like, it really hit me and that's towards the end of the movie. So it's like, I've already seen how Romeo and Michelle have been dressed to stand out from their environment. And then it was like the reverse where it's like, what do you do when you're not using a lot of color?
00:17:38
Speaker
It's just you make all of these people unified and then you unify them in a way that isn't the same. And I was just like, this is just so much great thought happening throughout much the whole movie. and like I was thinking about the dream sequence a lot watching it because I was obviously trying to watch it more critically than yeah i have. Whether I did, I don't know. But just thinking about how you visually like represent uncanniness and in film between like the set and the costumes was really fun to think about when watching this movie. um And like, because obviously at a certain point, it becomes very obvious that you're in a dream sequence. But at the beginning, they're trying to kind of like trick you a little bit into thinking that this is what the real reunion is like.
00:18:25
Speaker
So it's like, thinking about like the sort of like escalating weirdness of it and like the clues that exist before then. And that, that seems really fun to think about like while working. Yeah.
00:18:39
Speaker
And that we get to, you know, first of all, Alan Cumming is here. look Robert England is in this movie for a brief second. ah Freddie Kruger himself. And then we've got, i laughed out loud when Justin Theroux if know cream like I was just like, wait a second. Because I talked to Phil about him because I was like, you know, I feel like he just like exploded one day. But it's like he had a whole career in Hollywood that wasn't even necessarily for us, the audience. It's like he's like an actor's actor. Yeah. comedian's comedian where it's like he just all these people knew him because maybe he was writing or you know doing other stuff and then he just like exploded because he's very good at playing a certain type of character and so I was like ah usually when you get somebody who explodes like that you so you're used to seeing them in like bit parts more so i was like wait a second Justin Theroux here as a silent cowboy who just keeps flicking cigarettes at Janine Graffalo to help her light her cigarettes yeah
00:19:36
Speaker
Have you seen people that at their homes have like this, like plywood cutout silhouette of like a cowboy like leaning up against the wall and it's painted black. He's like the personification of that thing. It's so crazy. And it's just like ridiculous where you don't see like half of his face for the first half of the movie. Yes. And so he has this like air of mystery. And Janine Garofalo is in this movie. I mean, my absolute queen. Absolutely. Thank you. is how we grew up. It's Janine Garofalo. For real.
00:20:09
Speaker
The way that I based my personality around her when I was like 11. Like it's crazy. Janine Garofalo and Daria. Yes. 50-50. Oh, and a little little dash, a sprinkle Phantom Green Gables.
00:20:21
Speaker
Absolutely. Specifically the Canadian version. Yes, for the Canadians. Of course. And then ah for me personally, there was also like – a dash of romeo michelle a dash of share like that stuff was all like i was also in me so it was like imagine like janine garofalo personality if she wanted to dress like romeo michelle that is like what i wanted to be when i was a little kid Man, I just like, it's so nice seeing Jenny Ruffalo on the screen because I go, I'm safe here. Like, she's going to be fun. And in this one, i love how she's just like so angry about everything all the time. I'm like, her Her eyeliner takes a journey. and like dad I was fascinated by her character in the flashbacks because when we see her in the present day, she's like sort of lightly goth, but more like alt. but
00:21:21
Speaker
and so like when you see her in the flashbacks, it's like that is like the seeds of that are like there is kind of continuing. She's almost always wearing brown. Yeah, and she's wearing brown.
00:21:33
Speaker
later too yeah like she's got like i think brown nails at one point brown shoes but it's like this dark palette that's never just flat yes and like she also has this like this hairstyle that made me laugh in the flashback in high school oh my where she's like forced to hold her bangs back like it's like an actual curtain bang she's like get this out of my face the thickness of that so that i can insult you like i need to to see like All of the hairstyles and the flashbacks and all of the wigs for, like, the 80s hair were so funny. that The hair alone in this movie, I feel like, deserves an episode of commentary from somebody who's really good at talking about hair.
90s Fashion Trends and High School Reunions
00:22:17
Speaker
Yeah. Because, like, in almost every single scene, Romaine and Michelle have a different style of hair. Yes.
00:22:24
Speaker
pretty incredible. And they're not, like, simple. Yeah. No, it made me think of Legally Blonde because I think I yeah read that that is the case in that movie that you never see her in the same hairstyle twice in that film. Yeah, it is. It is so much level of detail and like speaks so much about these characters and how intentional they are with how they present themselves exactly how they want to because they're putting so much effort into all of these details. Like those outfits take a while to pick out.
00:22:56
Speaker
Like they've got so many pieces. And then every time the hair is just like going pretty, pretty wild. And I love it. Like there's, there's at one point Romy has this like Mars attacks almost style, like beehive. The big, yeah. It's like the wrapping, the swooping. It's amazing. And she she doesn't, her hair is not very long. So I don't know what was happening in there. i feel like she just has constant pieces because it's like even we see at high school, she in high school, like that's not her hair. She has a wig and she's whipping the Madonna ponytail into Michelle's face. Michelle keeps going, ow, ow. But it looks really good though. which Like that's the kind of that's the kind of friend you want to have. like Absolutely. And I love that the thread through the thread throughout the movie is that they make their own clothes and have since high school. Okay.
00:24:00
Speaker
I want to talk about this. Yeah. This is definitely piling on a real world frustration. Yeah. that is not fresh at all. um But Roby and Michelle are like presented to us and they even think of themselves as basically being like unskilled, right? Like the first part of the movie as they're leading up to the reunion is them trying to accelerate their lives so that they have something to talk about and brag about.
00:24:23
Speaker
And also like really deeply looking at like, where have they gone in 10 years? i feel like we can talk about that experiences. Oh, God. I don't want talk about that. I want to talk about thing from that. But like, that is a really weird thing that happens when you have your 10-year reunion because I feel like sometimes that's when it's like still fresh enough to almost matter, especially if you're like not that far away from your hometown. Yeah. It's like...
00:24:53
Speaker
still present this like not necessarily like competition but just like I want to distance myself from who I was in high school yeah don't we all but it's like maybe I want to realize myself more or whatever it is and I just remember this is quick but like when went to my fucking 10-year reunion I brought my husband and I went with my friend and like I had other friends there but we were all meeting from different places but like the way that it was organized was dumb. It wasn't the full class that was like even invited. like it was so stupid. Yeah, that's bad. And it was so far from like what you see in movie reunions. Like this reunion is pretty badass even though it's like awful. It's massive. Yeah. There's dancing involved. Right.
00:25:41
Speaker
We're in a ballroom. Yeah. Somebody put money into this. yeah and like, ours was upstairs at a bar. And like, not even like, that's not bad. It's just that we had like...
00:25:54
Speaker
Definitely over 175 people in our class. Like it was a lot of people and there were maybe like 50 there. And it was like, this is really weird. And it's even weirder that I was there because I didn't graduate with the class. I got my GED and fucked off. I was just like, no, I want to be here so I can point people out to my husband who's heard some stories. And he was like, yes, please. But like one of the first things that somebody said was like, oh my God, you know, oh, it's so good to see you.
00:26:21
Speaker
what are the three things that you're most proud of over the last 10 years? And I was like, my face, i wasn't even like, oh my God. I was like,
00:26:35
Speaker
I don't really know how to quantify things like that in my life because I think that people are so used to like, well, I got married. I had a kid. I am a lawyer. You know, these different things. And it's like, I was like, well, obviously that's not the, all of that is not the path that I took. But like, was like, I don't know. I'm kicking around. Yeah. I don't know why you're giving me a test about the quality of my life. I'm not here to perform. I learned how to shake hands to receive treat. What do you want me to say? left high school and then I lived my life. That's what I can fucking tell you. Watching that
00:27:15
Speaker
kind of feeling that these characters are like, I have to make my life like be valid. And they're talking about themselves as if they're unskilled. yeah Meanwhile, Romy at one point turns to Michelle and says, okay, well, you can like whip out two business lady suits. And she's talking about like in a day. yeah And then they're wearing these business lady suits that I'm assuming Michelle has made. Yeah. And they're fully tailored blazer looks with like a beautiful dress underneath. And for anybody who does not know the distinction between a tailored piece, the word tailoring usually is referring to something that is like made for you, right? like it It is for your body. And so if you get a piece of clothing from somewhere, you can have it tailored to
00:28:07
Speaker
fit you better. But when we're talking about tailoring in this sense, we're talking about suits, like when you hear men's tailoring, suits. So there's actual architecture in suits, which is why people are very traditional about how they make them. There are people who are very, you know, like we use chalk exactly like this. And we have these amazing shears that are like six feet long and we cut very slowly. Like it's a very traditional field. Yeah. And really specific materials that you need that you don't see. Like that yeah the outside of the garment is like the beautiful suiting fabric. But the inside of the garment is.
00:28:47
Speaker
And it's like multiple different materials that you need that do different things and like are in different places. And there's, i mean, the traditional form of tailoring, there's an intense amount of hand sewing that has to go in to keep all those and all those different in place. And you have to do the hand sewing over this, like you're bonding with yeah like horse hair, basically, um to this fabric that the suit is going to be made out of. But you have to bond it.
00:29:14
Speaker
over a ham or over something that takes the shape of the human body so that you are stitching memory into this thing so that it holds its shape.
00:29:25
Speaker
And I'm just going to say for people that don't know, when you say yeah ham, not a years of meat not not a piece of meat, but it is kind of shaped like one, but it is it is a a pat a stiff like padded form. That gives you the ability to so over curves. Yes. it's a three it creates It gives you the ability to create a three-dimensional shape that doesn't just completely lay flat. And there are different sizes and shapes of these. They look like little pillows. And so it's like are different purposes, but like for the collar that you can have the shape for the lapel. Yeah. All of these things. And tailoring requires its own set of knowledge the same way that corsetry requires its own set of knowledge. These are specialties for a reason.
00:30:08
Speaker
And so that she just like, I'm just like, when did she sleep? because She didn't. She didn't. She would have to do so much hand sewing, which like hand sewing, I personally love hand sewing, but it is time consuming. Even if you are the most...
00:30:28
Speaker
skilled person in the world, it still takes time. It's not a shortcut. Please refer to our episode, The Royal Tailor, to talk about the limitations to how fast a human body can hand sew and what is realistic and what is not. And our shock and awe at what we're being presented with. But there's a little bit of that in this where you're like, it's a move. It's movie magic. a little bit that this could be completed so fast. But like the amount of of skills and materials that they're shown that the characters are presented to us as being able to work with. Like there's tons of these like holographic spandex. Things that that requires like its own kind of set of skills to like understand how to like, even though it's like less labor than like tailoring, but it's a specific material that's hard to work with. Sewing with mitts versus wovens. Yeah.
00:31:20
Speaker
That's a different skill set. Yeah. it's it I don't think it like, I don't know. It's hard to say because I've seen this movie like 50 times. No, not quite. Not quite that many. But absorbing the idea, I think, as a kid of like, you could design and make your own clothes and have whatever you want. That's powerful. And that you could feel the way that they obviously feel yeah in the clothing that they make.
00:31:48
Speaker
Yeah. Is, like you said, incredibly powerful, especially when you are a kid feeling like none of these clothes at the mall suit me or like i can't seem to find stuff that like feels right the way that like they always seem to be perfectly happy in what they're wearing. Yeah. Yeah.
00:32:12
Speaker
And the fit, like, because I'm sure that a large portion of their wardrobe was made for this movie because that is the whole point.
Detailed Costume Design Appreciation
00:32:22
Speaker
um And the the fit and, like, detail and, like, precision of the outfits in this movie is delightful to look at.
00:32:33
Speaker
It's so good. Like we see them at the gym quite a few times yeah and they have specific sets and not just one. They have multiple sets for when they're the gym, including high heels, like pleasers.
00:32:50
Speaker
I think at one point, are they wearing fluvogs? Yeah. I think I was like, I'm not an expert on John Fluvog shoes, but I was like, I think those are Fluvogs. But they also have what something that absolutely blew my mind as a kid is like exercise miniskirt. Yes. Exercise miniskirt and like matching top that like has a specific cut to it. Everything like.
00:33:26
Speaker
all of it, jewelry that matches the workout gear. And they're not like, I mean, sometimes we see them just walking on the treadmill, but like we also see them like busting ass kickboxing. And that kickboxing scene is so funny because there's obviously not like consistent skill being displayed. Absolutely none at all. They're just sort of going for it.
00:33:51
Speaker
But like there's there's just every single thing that they could do. They have a vast wardrobe to cover these opportunities and that they clearly have so much joy in it. Like because we do get to see in their apartment like this open a rack situation that seems to be like – it seems like they have like maybe a loft or something.
00:34:13
Speaker
Yeah, it's very open. yeah and they like their beds are side by side. It's just like a big open space. It's so cute. It's so adorable. They built this like life free to look for themselves that they like really, really enjoy. There's also this scene where...
00:34:28
Speaker
you know they they've been like working out as hard as they can for like two weeks but it hasn't like really done anything and then cut to their apartment it's just candy and junk food all over the place and i i literally said out loud this is like an archaeological like print of candy and junk food from when we were kids that like doesn't exist anymore absolutely including that fucking can of like easy cheese Oh by god My grandmother used to have that.
00:34:57
Speaker
Yeah. And for having it like once or twice, because I was desperate spraying that shit on like a cracker just being like, just right on a Ritz cracker, just salt sprayed out foam salt.
00:35:15
Speaker
But it's just like, Whoa, this is crazy. This is a snapshot. Yeah. And even the stuff that still exists to see like how different the packaging and stuff was. It's like it's so inconsequential, but it's so weird to look at now. yeah It's just like just you're looking back and this stuff isn't made up.
00:35:32
Speaker
Those are things that were at the grocery store. And also just for little kicks, but that they're like, you know, gorging on this stuff. And then behind them on the couch is their cat having a great time with their own snack. I was like, that's adorable. So you guys are like, and you get a treat too. I forgot that they had a cat until that scene because I don't know that you really see them otherwise. no Yeah. I was like, well, they have a cat and then we never see that cat again. no Doesn't even have a name. we don't know much about him. Nope. Just know that they're living a good life. Yeah.
00:36:04
Speaker
But um I also really loved to jump forward again. the There's also like an interesting thing with like the difference between like everyone at like dream reunion and everyone at real
Dream vs. Reality in Reunions and Future Predictions
00:36:21
Speaker
reunion. And the idea of like what you think that the people that you haven't seen in 10 years would look like yeah and what they actually look like was so good. yeah And like that there were two different filmed versions. So there's the other dream sequence so that everybody has those costumes. And then there's the real one where there's way more variety, even though like not necessarily like shapes of clothing and silhouettes, but at least in color. Yeah.
00:36:46
Speaker
And i just love that like. The dream sequence Alan Cumming character. Is it Sandy? that Sandy. Sandy Frank. Sandy Frank. Okay, first of all, Alan Cumming. Come on now. I mean.
00:37:02
Speaker
But that the dream sequence version has has this like plastic surgery. Oh, god Uncanny Valley. It's insane. Yeah. And has this outfit that's like.
00:37:17
Speaker
Just so dramatic. And then real Sandy Frank, who landed in a helicopter, which big move. um But he comes in and he's wearing like little like, you know, three piece situation, but it's not like a like an Armani, if you will, since that's a name that gets thrown around. It's just like these pieces that are very nice, that are tailored, that are layered. And then he's wearing not sneakers like like chucks or something to be like, I'm cool. It's like, no, these are smart like sneakers that are clean and are very structurally sound for your foot.
00:37:54
Speaker
And obviously must include vast amounts of the rubber that he invented that made him like a millionaire. And then it has to be like white so that you really see it. But I feel like that it was – like I don't think they realized how prescient that look is like 20 years later. and the kind of Silicon – like I know the Silicon Valley was like – it was already a thing like in 97. But it was like Steve Jobs and like tired suits or like a lot of plaid. Bill Gates looking like a librarian. Yes. The techie look of being like, I'm kind of in a suit and I'm also wearing my sneakers. I'm like, I don't know how they knew that that was going to be a thing. They told the future.
00:38:38
Speaker
and the concept of of rich people being like i should get all of the plastic surgery on my face they didn't know how prescient that was going to be for the the like non-celebrity rich yeah class either i don't think especially for men yeah so here we are 2026
00:39:00
Speaker
But like I just like I loved that character of Sandy Frank. Yeah. Because he's so nerdy, so goofy, but like always so well intentioned in high school. Yeah.
00:39:12
Speaker
And then he comes in and he is the one character who doesn't have any opinion about them changing at all. Like clearly he held them in high esteem. Like Janine Garofalo, we find out, thought that they had a great experience in high school. Not herself. She thought that they were above her. Yeah. And that everything was easy for them. And she's just finding out through the reunion that they were being bullied by like the most popular kids.
00:39:39
Speaker
And – And so Janine Garofalo's character has this whole opinion of them and like their self-assurance and then finds out that that doesn't really exist. And then Sandy Frank is just like, i don't care. You're just the best.
Symbolism of Dance and Genuine Connections
00:39:53
Speaker
Like the dance that they have together on their unit floor. Yeah.
00:39:58
Speaker
it's just like Because he asks Michelle to dance because Michelle is his dream girl. And she's like, yeah, but Romy has to dance with us too. And he's like, of course, and like doesn't fight it. He's just like, I'm happy to be the meat in this Romy and Michelle sandwich. Yeah. And then they do the most interpretive dance that I – I'm like, I've never understood this scene, but I don't need to. i don't need to. It's just art and is just accept it. it's just obvious that these are two people who've, like, been friends for over 20 years and, like, have danced at, like, sleepovers and just spend time together. And they're like, this is what we do. And finally we get our moment. Yeah.
00:40:40
Speaker
like Who cares what anybody else thinks? And the moment where they kind of like shed the businessy stuff yeah and like show up to the reunion as their authentic selves, those pink and blue dresses are so important to me emotionally. Yeah. There was one time ah several years ago now where um I was working on a show that was a bunch of student actors and um they were doing a bunch of scenes from different plays, but I was not given like the full scene like or the full play, just the scene that was being worked on. So yeah.
00:41:19
Speaker
There was one scene, and I actually don't remember what play it was from because I i hadn't read it, but it was these two like party girls waking up like the morning after partying in their apartment. And i had a director that was the type that was just sort of like, you're the costume designer, you do your thing. so I and so i did make the girls blue and pink mini dresses out of like holographic spandex. Oh, that's awesome. And I didn't ever really tell him that that was, yeah that this movie was the reference because I knew that he didn't really care. and as long as the looks were fine, he was fine with it. But I had to, i felt compelled.
00:42:04
Speaker
I mean, these dresses are halter dresses basically, right? Like there's no sleeves. and like ah i don hold her Not halter. Not halter. But like his spaghetti strap. Yeah, like a tanker spaghetti. But like no sleeves. Yeah. Straight down. Yeah. Very 90s.
00:42:21
Speaker
Maybe little bit of like an A shape. Maybe. yeah And like very – when Melinda says many mini dresses, they are – mini dresses. So when they're doing these interpretive dances, you do get to see that there are matching like dance pants, essentially, like underneath. And so I was like, well, thank God that these characters thought about how short these dresses are, because later, we see the mean girls who are all pregnant and have these like very short like dresses themselves in their like pastels and the meanest of them all when the helicopter takes off it blows her dress up around her pregnant belly and her giant like granny panties oh my god and I was like you know I feel like I learned this lesson in elementary school because I was at a private school that had uniforms. And there was like so many rules. But there was also so many like experience threshold thresholds. Like, you know, you're little, you have a jumper.
00:43:22
Speaker
And those things are just military grade, like old school woven jumpers and plaid.
Fashion Choices and Personal Growth Reflections
00:43:29
Speaker
And then you start to be able to wear skirts. And what you do to like break the rules is that you roll the waistband up.
00:43:35
Speaker
And then you immediately have start wearing bike shorts. Yeah. For so many reasons. Yeah. And – I was like, the fact that any of these women went to like a fancy occasion and didn't have any safeguards or security. What if a strong wind picked up? They're like seven, eight months pregnant as well. Are you insane? was like, oh my God.
00:43:56
Speaker
Take care of yourself, ladies. Like, my God. so when the helicopter helicopter kicked up, I was like, hey. This goes to show that Romy and Michelle really do think about a lot of stuff because they thought about all the environmental things that could happen that they should like plan for with their outfits and that things were coordinated accordingly.
00:44:15
Speaker
Yes. It also to me belies the fact that the movie is written ah by a woman and the idea of like the revenge against the mean girl is like...
00:44:29
Speaker
not caring what she thinks anymore, therefore like taking her power over you away. And then like mildly embarrassing her through like no fault of your own. But like the fact that she's not presenting herself the way that she wants the world to perceive her is like the punishment that she gets in the movie is something that I don't think would happen in a movie. If it was written by a man for a female character, I feel like she'd end up with like her face in a giant cake or something like really stupid. There would be like way more of a humiliation ritual.
00:45:02
Speaker
And like, this is just like, this is a little bit of like, you know, the rules that you wrote. Oh, they don't work for you anymore. Yeah. It's like the, the house that you've like the boundaries and the house that you've constructed for yourself is actually like a prison that you're stuck inside kind of moment. And I think that that kind of revenge, whatever you want to call it, is much more realistic and yeah ah delicious. yeah To be like, your you are still stuck here. like You still have to be you tomorrow. And I get to be me tomorrow. I get to walk away from here, which is a real thing with 10-year reunions or any high school reunions, which is why i I'm certain I'm never going to another reunion. The 20-year came and went, and it was like I heard about it through, like, a group chat. And, like, my friends were commenting on it because they got the invites because they're actually part of the graduating class. And they were like, oh, yeah, there's only, like, 20 people. that are gonna go. And it was like we saw some of the photos and it was just like this is crazy like it's not even about like a returning anymore it's about people still stuck trying to do something but it's all the same people. Yeah. And like other folks have just moved on and it was like weird to kind of like revisit that
00:46:32
Speaker
thinking process and like a emotion like through this movie and like how amazing that they have the opportunity to just like peace out with like a helicopter like they they drove from benice Venice Beach to is it Tempe, Arizona?
00:46:48
Speaker
I don't remember. i think it's Tucson. on It's Tucson. And they're in Tucson. So they did a road trip. Yeah. They borrowed a car. They borrowed a car. Like, that's a great situation.
00:47:00
Speaker
Uh-huh. If that was written by a man, would have gone a different way. Absolutely. And, like, we see that we can make it funny because of how it was written. um But, like...
00:47:11
Speaker
They drive all the way out here, have packed specific clothes, all this stuff, built up this reunion. and like it goes so poorly. And then they're like, fuck this. Come back dressed as themselves, not as these fake business lady personas. And then they like have their big one. and then they're like, well, that's it. We can go now. And then they just decide to stay because they're like, I don't know. Let's dance. We like the songs. think We can stay for that.
00:47:37
Speaker
So it's like – oh, I wish that's that's what we can all take for moments like that in our lives. It's just like, nah, I came here to say what I needed to say if I needed to say it and then I'm just going to dance. Fuck this. Incredible. And like, i have a really hard time um connecting to characters like Romy with their like obsession with like the high school football player guy because I'm like, that guy is fundamentally the worst extremely boring at best yeah and a horrible person at worst. Like, they're like I'm so sorry to...
00:48:14
Speaker
any former high school football players listening. Prove me wrong, gentlemen. Prove me wrong. Generationally, there have been opportunities to have different parts of your personality be more acceptable instead of just being a dick who's one dimensional, which used to be the expectation. Yes. Of like everybody. It was like, you are this thing. You are this thing. You are this thing. You can't be anything else. True. And so, yeah, there's a stereotype of the the guy who peaked in high school for a reason. Yes. Or the person who peaked in high school. I love the the way that they use clothing to show that he's
00:48:58
Speaker
well past his peak and it's something that I've never seen any other movie do which is we so Romy's like oh my god like I gotta find him I gotta like see if he's interested in me and I'm like girl please get over it like this guy is not worth it but when she finally finds him he's puking in the bushes outside He is in like a suit, obviously, that his wife has put him in. and the the shirt is partially unbuttoned from the bottom up so that you have his like beer belly out on full display. I've never seen that in any
Authenticity in Fashion vs. Societal Expectations
00:49:39
Speaker
other movie. And it is the most humiliating thing that you could do in a business suit to make somebody look stupid. yeah And it was also like his top button, I think. Yeah. Loose as well. And it was like, yeah, because they basically reduced his character to like when we first see him, he's running during like the beginning of launch period or something. And he's just like in running shorts. So you see like his abs and stuff. So it's like, obviously, that's what Romy is pulled to. So that's gone. And that's like the first thing that she can see beyond like the still shining like sputum like on his face, which is so gross.
00:50:19
Speaker
And like, he's just so disgusting. And like the suit is so representative of like, he's in a life that doesn't fit him, but he's not going to do anything about it. Correct. And like that suit doesn't fit.
00:50:33
Speaker
And it's like... yeah And it's like presenting him in this way that isn't accurate to who he is because like his, you know, Christy, his wife is like telling everyone that he's a real estate developer, which is a lie. he does drywall. He does drywall, which is like fine. Like, I don't know. It's a fine job. Yeah. don't know how to do that. And every single house, it's like, that's cool that you know how to do something so practical and useful. But like, it's not consistently you're going to do fine financially. Yeah. Right, but it's not good enough for someone like her. they have to put on the front of pretending that he's doing whatever and then pretending that they're happy together all of that, which is like, of course, that's going to be a theme in the movie is who's actually being honest about who they are whatever. But it's handled perfectly with few...
00:51:31
Speaker
Like we don't need to see more than that to understand everything. it's It's a perfect amount where you immediately are like, this guy is an absolute mess nightmare. Here you go. yeah Crush over. Clouds dispersed. though Scales on eyes fallen.
00:51:52
Speaker
It is. There's so much more that we could talk about for sure. And like we're not necessarily isolating individual pieces. Because there are so many, especially in a Mona May movie. like Yeah. outfit, every scene. yeah Yeah. I don't know if it's that she had the backing and the opportunity because there are more than four costumers, like wardrobe team listed in this. Yeah. Not like 500, but there are quite a few people. So there are hands on deck.
00:52:23
Speaker
But like, yeah, I don't know if it's backing or if it's just – that amount of drive and passion. But like you can tell that there's joy being taken in this design and it's not perfunctory. There's like, even with all like the beige shit in the background at at different points in Tucson, there's like deliberation in that there's thought behind it that if you just look, you can see that that all of this is planned. It's not,
00:52:52
Speaker
oh, we just need to put clothes on bodies. right it's there's There's a purpose and a point tying it to a place and a time for a reason. And like you you look and you see that because you're looking for it in our case. But if you're not looking for it, it would just be this like watercolor in the background that everything just kind of like fades out and then the people in the forefront stand forward.
00:53:16
Speaker
And so it's like Mona May has this skill that is like, this is the aspirational stuff, right? Because she has the opportunities to really show you what costume design can do. And like, and in her opportunities make them pretty damn iconic. Cause like, you know, the Roman Michelle reunion dresses, you know, this, you know, enchanted, like there are so many things on her CV that you're like, Oh yeah, I can like picture something yeah from this that is costume based. And, um,
00:53:51
Speaker
This is just like a really fun one. And this yeah really sits with Troop Beverly Hills for me. yeah Because like these characters are so passionate about clothing. Yeah.
00:54:03
Speaker
But and like other people are trying to say that they're vapid for that interest. But like there's kind of a reason that they're doing it. There's like – there's a tool set. There's – in true Beverly Hills, part of it is camouflage for like where you are. Like it is Beverly Hills and those are the rules in Beverly Hills. And then you're taking joy with your camouflage. But like in this, there's there's also this thing that happens that is real and happens in the real world, which is that people like Romy and Michelle –
00:54:36
Speaker
are unique and fashionable loud dressers, but people like that are always presented as a joke when they are in or trying to enter the world of fashion. Yes, it's not serious enough. And to see that with Michelle. She's trying to get a job on Rodeo Drive, so she's going to the high fashion houses, and she doesn't fit because she's not classy, refined, whatever. Yeah, her hair teased. She still has slightly late 80s, early 90s hair influences.
00:55:23
Speaker
she doesn't speak like the way i was thinking about that so much because I'm like, If you work in retail, you're working in retail. Yeah. The job is exactly the same.
00:55:39
Speaker
But you have to put on this front if you're selling luxury items. You're not getting paid luxury prices necessarily. Maybe someplace like the Versace store that she goes to would have like a commission for a salesperson. yeah But like i I highly doubt that you're making enough money to like buy the Versace clothes at the Versace store. for sure.
00:56:00
Speaker
So you have to like put on this front of being this like well-to-do rich person. Your job is to sell clothes to the rich people. yeah Not to be one of them. Yeah. Not really. You have to sell the illusion. you have to sell the illusion that you're one of them and they should buy the clothes from you. And so someone who comes in with like a very specific sense of personal style and like easiness with herself and like casual things. way of like living her life in the world, it's like, well, she's not a real fashion person. Yeah. She's not a serious fashion person. bla i say that stuff is so fucking annoying because it's realistic and it's, it's very much.
00:56:47
Speaker
We come up against that in in our field very often because we are costumers, costume designers, costumer, depending on the job requirement, you know. But it's like our job is in this world and people seem to think that costume designers all need to be Sandy Powell.
00:57:08
Speaker
Yes. Or need to be an Alexander McQueen or wearing. Or conversely, they think that you're going to be like Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. Just like the meanest person on planet Earth. Yeah. But it's like they think that you are going to be this like very specific person.
00:57:29
Speaker
battened down person who is like, go do this, you know? And it's like, no, we could just wear cards. Yeah. We could, we could do, we could present ourselves any ah way we want. Any way, shape or form. We're going to do the work. Does not represent, What's happening upstairs, which is where the design muscle lives. And so it's like, that's kind of a constant battle, right?
00:57:58
Speaker
Because it's like, that's part of our field is understanding that characters are going to be perceived partially by how they express themselves.
Challenges and Growth in Fashion Identity
00:58:04
Speaker
But like, we're constantly looking at like characters are different people. Not all of them are going to be wearing Donna Karan. Yeah. Like, um not all of them are going to be wearing high fashion Some people are going to be shopping at thrift stores. Some people are going to be wearing hand-me-downs because that's just the real world. But then that doesn't translate to how we're seen or how people approach us. And like we we must love high fashion. We must love this or that or the other thing. And it's like, no, I can have respect for that and just recognize that it's not my interest pool.
00:58:34
Speaker
and like i'll do I'll do it when the yeah when the story requires that that is what is part of it. But there's many kinds of yeah stories, hopefully, about many kinds of people, hopefully. And you can do more than one thing. And so seeing characters like this who clearly know fashion and choose their own way of being fashionable...
00:59:01
Speaker
And then have them be the butt of a joke is just so funny because like these characters that are rejecting them ah hold to this like high standard people who supposedly were also people who stood out in fashion and then made a name for themselves. Right.
00:59:22
Speaker
Yes. And I will, to to quote Lisa Luder, I think they've got nice lines, a fun, frisky use of color. All in all, i'd say they're not bad. And she works at Vogue. So take that. I loved that character. She's interesting. She's one of, I think, one of the most interesting characters in the movie in terms of like minor characters, because she's part of this mean girl crowd, but had the emotional intelligence, compassion, wherewithal, whatever, to leave it behind and grow up. But even in that first scene where we see her in that flashback, she's like, I don't know. I don't think that they're that bad.
01:00:11
Speaker
And then she kind of gets like pressured by the friend group to be like, well, obviously they're stupid though. So like we see that even back then she was like appreciating that they were being themselves and that their experience probably informed her seeking out the career path that she chose. Yeah.
01:00:30
Speaker
Because they are an example for her of people who choose to be different and like experiment with fashion. Yeah. And so like, yeah, for her to like kind of stand up for them at the end and not be like this totally virtuous person, but be like, I'm so sick of you guys.
01:00:46
Speaker
That's why I like it so much because it's like she probably would never have said that to them if she wasn't trying to tell the other like mean girls to like fuck off. Yeah.
01:00:59
Speaker
to borrow a phrase from Heather Mooney. And it's like, she's, and, and it's interesting because then when that happens, it gives like permission essentially to all of these other women there to run up to them and be like, Oh my God, I love what you're wearing. But they, none, none of them approached them yeah until they were given permission. Yeah. But it's like, it, it is kind of nice to be like, even if people aren't like rushing up to you to like,
01:01:27
Speaker
heap praise on you people might be you know subtly influenced by what you're doing just by living yeah they might just see you and go that's cool and then just not do anything about it yeah because i know how often i see people wearing stuff that i think is really cool and i don't tell them i know how often i do that so i assume other people do that too i've been trying to make it like a point to say things now yeah And we're also you know in our the later end of our 30s. So I'm like, nah, fuck it. Now I'm just trying to like say that. And some people act like you have broken a social contract. They're like, I'm being perceived. and it's like, yeah, saw you. You looked cool. Have a great day. And then other people are like, yay. And it like you know really opens a door for them to be like, oh, in this moment, we can have this like nice little interaction see each other as people and be like, yeah.
01:02:21
Speaker
I like doing this thing or that thing. yeah It's just like a cool little moment that happens in this movie to show that like they had this whole perception of how they were seen or how they were treated. And then everybody else has their own different feelings.
01:02:40
Speaker
views of how it happened. And like speaking of Heather Mooney, just like we got to talk about Janine Garofalo for a second. because she like Her film career is always being like the alt girl or you know the The outcast or whatever. yeah And movies kept trying to tell us that somehow Janine Garofalo is like undressable or like not pretty or any of these things. And like I'm really happy that they didn't bother doing that in this one. They just like make her this like stressed out like cigarette smoking woman at first. And then she's like, no, I am coming to the reunion. And she looks fucking badass. She looks great. And like –
01:03:22
Speaker
pretty sexy in her black dress. Gorgeous. And then like at the very end, she's at, because at the end, roma and Michelle open their own store Rodeo, funded by Sandy.
01:03:36
Speaker
And, um, she's a customer there, Heather. And she's like, their, their fashion is so not her fashion. Yeah. And she comes out of a dress room cigarette in hand with this like lemon themed like sun dress. Oh, it's so cute. It's so cute. And she's got like a black bra on underneath with like thicker straps and the straps of the dress. And she's like, this is fucking ridiculous. And it's like, she looks so gorgeous. It's just not her style that she likes. That's all. But they don't like make fun of her for it or anything. They're like, no, you look great. She's like, yeah, m really takes all the wind out of her sails. like No, it's good, actually. yeah You don't have to wear it if you don't want to, but it looks good. Right. They're they're like, do do you want to buy it? It's like the question, not like, you know, you have to get it. I don't care what you think. It's just like, you look good if you want it. You can do that. ah
01:04:32
Speaker
I know the The way that that big pile of scarves at the end that they decide to fold also was like very important to me as a child. Like I don't know how to explain why, but I still get really excited when I go into like a vintage store and they have a big bin scarves. I will go through them like I have to. it Yeah, it just hard calls to Yeah, it does. Yeah.
01:04:59
Speaker
There's one scene that I want to call out in this movie that was like a totally, i mean, it wasn't totally unnecessary, but it happens so fast. It's in their pursuit to get boyfriends before going to the reunion.
01:05:12
Speaker
And Romy's at a club by herself wearing this like silver dress and another like holographic seeming dress And um she's got this like little purse that looks kind of now like when you think of like a travel bag. Yes. Like a travel toiletry bag. It's like a tall little bag. And it's see-through with her stuff. This guy walks up.
01:05:37
Speaker
And she's like, ask him a question. And she's like, is that like Armani that you're wearing? And he's like, yeah, it is And she goes, oh, like, what do you do? And he's like, I'm a suit salesman. And she says, will you excuse me? i cut my foot before and my shoe is filling up with blood.
01:05:53
Speaker
And then she obbles. Slimps away. And the camera follows her for way longer than it needs to. was just like...
01:06:06
Speaker
Where was my sense of humor when I was younger? Because this gold. Oh, my God. It's such a dramatic drag limp, too. I would quote that line with my friends when I was younger because it was so funny. And shout out to that guy who played the character because the way that he says, a suit salesman, as if like... I mean, like, there's nothing wrong with selling suits, obviously. But, like, he acts like he's so impressive for selling Armani suits. Like, it's so good. Like, that moment is so funny. And it's just such a little blip. And I'm like, this is a whole outfit that we never see again. And, like, I think even a hairstyle that we don't really see again. Probably. Excuse me.
01:06:56
Speaker
I got my foot before my shoe is filling up with blood. ah I had to pause for a minute because was like, that's just so quick and so good.
01:07:09
Speaker
It's a good excuse if you ever need one in the future. But like, just to go back to your scarf notice. Yes. Like, scarves play in this. like Yeah, there's a lot. There's a lot. And they're very dramatic and like...
01:07:26
Speaker
I mean, if I saw someone on the street who dresses like either Romeo or Michelle, I would be like, damn. Yeah. That's cool. That person is amazing. it. That level of self-expression is just like really cool. Like you know what you like and you wear it and you know how to wear it.
01:07:44
Speaker
That's cool. Yeah. it's yes It's wonderful to imagine I'm sitting here in t-shirt. I know. Just wearing whatever. My wardrobe like really, really flattened out ah through the like double whammy of like COVID and... ah living in New York and taking the subway everywhere and like having to leave my home with all of the possessions that I was going to interact with that day, like carrying them really flattened out my idea of what I should wear. that's the thing is like a lot of people have opinions about, you know, people who dress differently.
01:08:25
Speaker
I'm going to say loudly, but I don't mean that as an insult, just in a way that stands out. But like that takes effort and it takes time. Even if that's your whole wardrobe and it can pair nicely, it still takes effort because you got to think about like, yeah, if you're taking the subway, how how is this going to work with the weather today? You know, like absolutely. All of us put thought into how we dress. There's just like some people who...
01:08:50
Speaker
put more thought into it because it's armor. There's some of us who put more thought into it because we want to be perceived a certain way. There are some who put effort into it because it brings them joy. Like every, everybody puts effort into it. Yeah. Even if the result is to attempt to look like you didn't put effort. hundred percent. Oh, there's so much effort to do that. Like the amount of people who don't understand no makeup look.
01:09:14
Speaker
Yeah. Come on now. That's all makeup, please. Yeah. Like that skill on display. Yeah. The no makeup look I rock is genuinely there's not a damn thing on my face. Same. and you can tell. Same.
01:09:29
Speaker
But I don't like the feeling of wearing makeup. I agree. Oh, the similar worlds we walk. I That's also why I did not pursue makeup because I was like, I don't like it on my face. Yeah. But I recognize the art form.
01:09:42
Speaker
i don't think I should be interfering with this. I think that there are other people who are better suited and better at it. And like that is us that is a field where you can constantly be like experimenting on your own face. Like you you can be your own like and guinea pig and client and canvas. And there's certainly – If you hire someone to come do makeup for an event and they have absolutely no makeup on their face when they arrive, it would be odd. And not like that they wouldn't be good at their job and amazing. And i love everyone who does it. But let's talk about that for a second, because especially in the kind of theater costuming that we do.
01:10:22
Speaker
And I know that this branches out elsewhere sometimes, depending on like kind of the level of like where you're working and the amount of budget that there is Very often in costuming for theater at this level, you get hired on as costume, hair and makeup.
01:10:42
Speaker
yeah without really talking about the hair makeup part you let me tell you that's not my specialty i have to say yes sometimes because that's the gig that's on offer yeah and then i really lean on the actors or i lean on the crew and like i'll design it and i'll train you how to do it in the most basic way. And then I let go and let God, like because it's just not my specialty. And I will turn down jobs that try to link the three together because to me, those are two different fields. Yeah. Yeah.
01:11:21
Speaker
And unless you're passionate about it, you know, then you can bond them together. But like, I'm not passionate. they're obviously like, they're obviously collaborative because you're both working on the same human body together. um so I'm certainly going to have like opinions about things and would want to work with the person who's doing like hair and makeup. hundred um But ah yes, I am not. but it's like just because I do the one does not mean that I automatically do the other. No. And I am a person who, like we said, I don't wear makeup and I don't really do anything exciting with my hair. My hair is so short right now. Like usually it's kind of buzzed, you know? So it's like, I clearly am not doing anything with my hair really. And like people will have that perception. Well, they're steaming and they'll be like huh. And it's like, yeah, I just took the job because that's the only way that I can get this job.
01:12:20
Speaker
Right? And I'm like, I can tell you what to do with your hair. Yeah, I can do that no problem because I'm looking at you as a canvas, as a sculpted figure. you know like We are trying to shape a character. We're not trying to shape you. And like I can do that no problem. But if you're going to balance my ability to do that based off of how I'm wearing makeup, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Yeah, that's going a problem. Yeah.
01:12:47
Speaker
Well, this was a fun movie. enjoyed it. It was so good. I'm so glad that we watched it. um It's, yeah, such a... like top, top, whatever all time list of movies for me. um Definitely inspirational to watch as like a young teen and teenager and be like, this is what being an adult could look like if you wanted it to. Oh man. So colorful. So colorful. And like, it definitely makes me go like, yeah, the way that we were exposed to what adulthood could look like was either like yuppie business people or this this. And then unfortunately, there's so much beige now. like
01:13:34
Speaker
It's nice to look backward and be like, this was this was remember this? It could be this. It could be this again. it might be in the future. We'll see. We'll see.
01:13:45
Speaker
All right. After consulting our our document, um our next movie that we are going to be covering is the movie version of Kinky Boots, which is exciting because I've never seen it. And Ariel, I believe you said you've kind of maybe sort of seen it. Kind of like part of it. Yeah.
01:14:07
Speaker
Yeah, so that'll be exciting to watch something that neither of us is really familiar with. Obviously, it's a highly successful stage show now. um And has i think it's been over 10 years since it premiered. um I did have the pleasure when I was ah in grad school, I did an internship with a designer in New York. It was kind of my first time being there. And it was about a year after Kinky Boots opened on Broadway and he was the costume designer for the movie or the movie for the Broadway production.
01:14:49
Speaker
And they were in the middle of commissioning costumes for the first national tour. so one of the things that I did while I was interning with him was go backstage at the Broadway production of Kinky Boots um on several occasions.
01:15:04
Speaker
And we had fittings with actors that were going to be in the national tour, but we held them in the wardrobe area at the Broadway production because they were determining how to translate the Broadway costumes into the tour costumes and using the Broadway ones as references. Very cool. Yeah. I also got sent on many shopping trips to buy leather for building the shoes yeah for that tour. So it somewhere out there is a pair of boots that my hand, my little grubby little hands have touched the leather while it was still a big rolled up hide in a leather store. um That's my legacy in this field. but Well, that'll be a nice transition moving forward in time.
01:16:02
Speaker
Yeah. and so And I think continuing on this theme of, you know, being being true to yourself and your self-expression, think that's going to be an important theme in this movie, I would as assume. Yeah. Look at us.
01:16:16
Speaker
Well, thank you very much for listening. Join us in our next episode. Yeah. Thanks, everybody. See what Tom Fuller big we get up to then. Oh, boy. but Bye.