Onscreen Authors We Love: Alex Sheldon


Today’s onscreen author is the hapless and lovable Alex Sheldon, as portrayed by Luke Wilson in Alex & Emma.

I really love how his muse changes with the wind. He imagines his main female character—and coincidentally his love interest, Emma—as everything from a Russian school marm to a French nanny.

Emma (Kate Hudson) is also hilarious as the reader/stenographer who is constantly second-guessing Alex’s initial ideas. She makes the story better in the process, and it’s so fun to see their creative process and the “imagined” world of their actual characters.

6 comments:

  1. Wow, I didn't realize that this was a nine year old movie. I was watching the trailer and thought this would be a great movie for my wife and me to go see. Now I guess we can rent it. :)

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  2. Okay. I need to see this movie. Being part of a collaboration at the moment, that trailer hit the process spot on. Nice one! :)

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  3. I missed this movie when it was out, and so I did a little investigating -- according to the reviews at IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes, this is definitely NOT Rob Reiner's best film. (Personally, I lean towards "The Princess Bride", but that's just me).

    Roger Ebert pretty much slams it, especially when it comes to the whole novel-writing thing ("But the thing is, it's a bad novel. Very bad. Every time the author started dictating, I was struck anew by how bad it was").

    Yet -- I still want to see it, just based on the trailer, and the fact that it's a cute love story about an author. I know I won't consider it "Citizen Kane" great, but I'll probably still enjoy it. Maybe I just have a thing for bad novels -- Lord knows I've spent plenty of time writing my own bad novel... ;^)

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  4. I've never seen Alex & Emma. Better make a plan to change that. :-D

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  5. Michael - I think you'd enjoy it. It's good, light entertainment.

    David - Yes, it's quite the collaboration attempt. ;)

    Chris - Haha! Roger Ebert's comments are hilarious, because the "book" is sort of a spin on the Great Gatsby, which is supposed to be an American Classic. I guess I never thought of this movie that seriously, but it sure is fun!

    Alex - True, true. :)

    Misha - Enjoy!

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