A Postcard from the Edge of Shutter Island.

Thought I'd share a fun little trivia nugget from a recent interview with the actress Robin Bartlett. You may remember Bartlett from her recurring role on TV's Mad About You or as the unusually named "Aretha" from Postcards from the Edge.

"Are you black?"
"...no."

Robin: I loved playing Aretha. That was another good piece of writing. Carrie Fisher is no slouch in that area.

Bartlett has appeared in two Streep movies (she's also in Sophie's Choice) and now she's taking over a role many viewers will automatically associate with the great one herself. She's currently in rehearsals for the mammoth "Mother Pitt" role in Angels in America (it's actually six roles on stage). The classic play is getting a New York revival this fall. Tickets go on sale on August 3rd. (I've just finished a magazine piece on the revival -- yes print still exists.)

During our chat we talked briefly about her big scene in Shutter Island earlier this year. Leo is questioning all the asylum crazies and we see Robin madly scribble something dramatic into his notebook before sliding it his way, all sneaky like.


Nathaniel: Is that your actual handwriting?
Robin: If that was my handwriting, you wouldn't be able to read it.
Nathaniel: [Laughter] The magic of the movies!
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Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking Encore

I saw Carrie Fisher's one woman show Wishful Drinking on its closing weekend so I didn't write about it. I didn't want to recommend something that was unable to be seen. However, if you're in the New York/New Jersey area, you have one last chance to see it live. She's filming it for posterity in June.
Here's the info.

No word yet on exactly what it's for. I suspect some sort of pay cable airing. Maybe short theatrical?

The show is very funny whether you're into self-deprecated celebrity wit, Old Hollywood lore or Star Wars trivia. The highlight of the show for me was an absurd celebrity genealogy chart that springs from one of Hollywood's most legendary scandals: the breakup of Carrie's parents Eddie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds ("America's Sweetheart") once La Liz wanted Eddie for herself.

Fisher also picks at Princess Leia like a scab. I'm sure the Princess Leia / Star Wars bits were the hook for any Broadway tourists who picked up tickets during the show's initial run but for me it's the weakest setpiece of the show. Still funny though, don't get me wrong...

Leia and double get some sun in the Yuma desert on the set of Return of the Jedi

My biggest gripe with the one woman show is that it was too short. I could listen to Fisher yammer on for at least twice the length. I would totally love a sequel or better yet a miniseries wherein Carrie delves deeper into her onscreen Warren Beatty fling in Shampoo, or the making of Postcards From the Edge (but Debbie gets a lot of attention in the show so perhaps she felt she covered that).

There wasn't a peep about that Wizard of Oz riff she starred in called Under the Rainbow that everyone has long since forgotten about. Seriously, mention that one aloud anywhere and people will be like "what? never heard of it"! ...even if they lived through the 1980s. And isn't there anything to say about antics on the set of When Harry Met Sally?

I suppose I should buy Wishful Drinking in book form since I've read all of her other books. Her best, if you ask me, is Surrender the Pink which was the follow up to her bestselling debut Postcards... (which is quite different than the movie version though Carrie wrote both of them).

Have you read any of her books?
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