Ethan Hawke Embodies Broadway Lyricist In New Film, ‘Blue Moon’
But is it bisexual enough? GO writer Charlotte Smith picks apart the film, which premieres in theaters today.
Featured Image: Blue Moon Director Richard Linklater, Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley, and Ethan Hawke. Photo by STEFANIE LOOS/AFP via Getty Images
Blue Moon, directed by Richard Linklater, is a slow, heartbreaking film. The biographical comedy drama about Lorenz Hart, a Harlem-born Broadway lyricist, stars Ethan Hawke, who completely transforms for this role. Beyond the physical—Hart is about a foot shorter than Hawke’s normal height— Hawke embodies Hart as a witty, sad, drunken, and desperate yearner who covers up his insecurities with anecdotes. Joining Hawke, the film also stars Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, and Andrew Scott.
The entirety of Blue Moon takes place on one very important evening: March 3, 1943. On this night, in Sardi’s bar in New York City, Hart is celebrating his former and most notable collaborator, Richard Rodgers (Scott), as he enjoys the opening night of his new musical, Oklahoma!. For more than 20 years, Rodgers and Hart worked alongside each other, writing the music and lyrics for more than 20 Broadway musicals. Rodgers took a hiatus from this partnership while working on the musical Oklahoma!, which went on to win a multitude of awards, including a Special Pulitzer Prize for Rodgers in 1944.
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While celebrating his collaborator and friend’s success, Hart deals with feelings of inadequacy. Weaving together these juxtaposing emotions, this movie is a depiction of a sad, yet incredibly funny, artistic man. Regarding Harts in real life, The New York Times music critic Stephen Holden says, “many of Hart’s ballad lyrics conveyed a heart-stopping sadness that reflected his conviction that he was physically too unattractive to be lovable.”
The acting in this movie is truly incredible. It is such a difficult feat to have a whole arc in one room, in one night, and tell a truthful story about what it means to be a struggling artist. It is very dialogue-heavy and witty, further showcasing the cast’s skill.
While the acting was breathtaking, it was visually uninteresting. Dedicating the entire film to one scene is not to my personal taste. And, although Hart is mentioned to be bisexual in Blue Moon, that aspect of his life is not explored during the film. That being said, Nick McCarthy, Director of Programming for NewFest, shared a sentiment before the film’s screening that rings true: we need queer media in every corner of this country right now. I completely agree with him, and this film does have queer representation that is incredibly digestible for the masses.
If you like meaningful dialogue that you can pick apart for hours, you are going to love this film. You can watch this movie in theaters on October 24.
