Saturday, April 10, 2004 posted by Jen at 4/10/2004 10:09:00 PM
Nanna is IN!
Over the years, my Nanna, who lives in Florida, has always been supportive of, if slightly bewildered by, my writing life.
"You get paid to do this?" I remember her asking on more than one occasion when I tried to explain that yes, indeed, the newspaper that employed me paid for a ticket, and a hotel room in Florida, so that I could interview one starlet or another.
But Nanna was always game. When GOOD IN BED was first published, my mother made tee shirts with the cover on the front that read I GOT GOOD IN BED, DID YOU? Nanna wore hers proudly on the beach.
Whenever she's in the library, Nanna makes a point of recommending my books. Whenever she's in a bookstore, Nanna asks if they've got any copies, and patiently explains to her fellow Century Villagers that GOOD IN BED is not as racy as it sounds.
And whenever I visit her house, she happily offers up her pullout couch and only calls me "stinker" if I really deserve it.
So when Nanna called me up to say that there was a big article in the free weekly talking about how IN HER SHOES and its star (who Nanna identified as Shirley Maclaine and "Carmen Diaz") was coming to her neighborhood, there was only one thing to do.
"Hey, Nanna, do you want to see if you can be an extra?"
Nanna demurred. "Oh, no, I couldn't."
Sure you could!
Nanna worried. "Well, I could drive there in the daytime, but you know I don't drive at night."
No problem! We'll come down and drive you!
Nanna was falsely modest.
"I'm not an actress, you know."
You won't have to say anything!
Nanna was coy.
"Let me get back to you," she said.
Meanwhile, I scored an invite to the Philadelphia Film Office's annual cocktail soiree on Saturday night. Curtis Hanson and his producing partner Carol Fenelon were there.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" I began. "My Nanna lives in Florida, right near Delray Beach where you're filming the senior citizen stuff, and she's a wonderful dancer. Is there any way that she could be an extra?"
Curtis Hanson looked puzzled. "What's a Nanna?"
"A grandmother," Carol said. "How old is she? Can she dance?"
I told her Nanna's age, which I will not be printing here, and said that Nanna is marvelously light on her feet. And just like that -- Nanna was in!
I only hope that the shooting schedule gives me time to go down there and see it. Meanwhile, I'm getting ready -- without Lucy, alas -- for my stint as an extra on Monday. I'll post about it soon as I'm home.
Thursday, April 08, 2004 posted by Jen at 4/08/2004 08:43:00 AM
You know how I said that, in addition to not making a total ass of myself, I didn't want to be a pushy stage mom?
Remember how I said that both goals were totally out the window by day three of IN HER SHOES filming in Philadelphia?
Well, they're even more out the window now. The other day, I got The Call.
"Would you like to be an extra in the Italian Market scene?"
This is problematic. For months, I've been telling everyone I had no desire to be in the film. And that was pretty much true, until it became apparent that this is, you know, an actual movie, and it's shooting right around the corner from me, and...well...there's certainly precedent for authors appearing in the movies made of their books, and...
"And maybe you can bring your daughter and she can be in the scene!"
YES!
See, up to this point I'd figured that Lucy was a no-no, because when I called the Philadelphia agency doing extras casting, they said no babies on the set (damn child labor laws!)
So I'm assuming this is a very short scene, and I'll just be wheeling Lu in the background.
But still. How cool.
Now I just have to figure out what she's going to wear.
And whether I can put the tiniest dab of styling product into her curls to guarantee that she'll have a good hair day.
And whether I'm an awful mother for even thinking to ask that question.
Oh, well.
Meanwhile, it seems that Cami threw a dinner party at Buddakan last night. No, I was not invited. No, I have not met her yet. Which may eventually have some sort of impact on our status as BFF.
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Tuesday, April 06, 2004 posted by Jen at 4/06/2004 12:04:00 PM
Over the years, my mother has been host to many different kinds of Seders.
There was the feminist Seder (no mention of Moses, plenty of Miriam). The politically-correct Seder, with a gender-neutral deity throughout. The ecological Seder, where each of the ten plagues were paired with a modern-day malady (I may be wrong, but I believe genetically-engineered produce earned a mention).
Things usually kick off an hour before sundown. Dinner is usually served around nine or so.
So why was last night different than all other first-night-of-Passover nights?
Shortest. Seder. Ever.
With five children under five at the table -- and three under two years old -- she didn't have much of a choice. But man, that baby flew! Twenty minutes and we were out of mitzrayim and eating Nanna's gefilte fish.
Which was delicious, as always, as was the charoset made with banana.
Anyhow. I'm still in Connecticut, but if I was in Philadelphia, today would be a good day to, oh, I don't know, wander up Walnut Street and see what you can see.
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Monday, April 05, 2004 posted by Jen at 4/05/2004 10:01:00 AM
No film updates today...I'm in Connecticut, preparing to eat the bread of affliction.
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Welcome to A Moment of Jen, author Jennifer Weiner's constantly-updated take on books, baby, and news of the world. Email me at jen (a) jenniferweiner.com.
