An Evening With Patty! (Also "Maze Runner," Something Something?)
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 2:00PM 
Patty Clarkson last night in NYCLast night I attended Teen Vogue's Maze Runner screening and though I'll be writing it up for my gig at Towleroad later this week, I must share with you, my devout fellow actressexuals and the only ones who will understand, that I made the night all about Patricia Clarkson.
I didn't even realize she was in the movie until she was there at the reception and I was powerless to stop myself from beelining straight toward her while the other guests of the studio and fans (who presumably won a contest or something?) spent the evening squealing about Dylan O'Brien who plays "Xander" excuse me... "Stiles" on Teen Wolf, the only non-supernatural teen on that very popular show, now officially run by dadaists. (Yes, I still watch it but it doesn't make a lick of sense anymore... not just from episode to episode but within something as easy to manage as a one hour block! It's like they're just making it up as they film. Each scene!).
I've met the great actress twice before at events and she is an absolute delight one-on-one, super funny, gorgeous, and above-all charismatic, kind of like her 1950's social butterfly "Elle" from Far From Heaven (2002) without, you know, the nasty betrayals and the constant subtly racist/anti-semitic/homophobic shade-throwing. She joked about wishing her latest director was 20+ years older so she could date him ("is your father single?" LOL) and was still obviously high off the reception of her starring role in Learning To Drive in which she takes driving lessons from Ben Kingsley. In a surprise turn of events that two-hander nearly nabbed the People's Choice Award from The Imitation Game in Toronto as first runner up. The film hasn't been picked up yet that I'm aware of but given the crowd-pleasing response at the festival (sadly, I was not part of that crowd as it slips through the cracks of my 25 screenings) someone really ought to. I mean, David Poland is smart about these things.
Whoever picks up Learning To Drive has a real chance of making excellent money. It’s the The Visitor of the year to come.
— David Poland (@DavidPoland) September 14, 2014
Is Hollywood listening?
P.S. Can we get Patty back in key supporting roles in prestige pieces where she once regularly cropped up, please? It's a real shame she only has one Oscar nomination to her name, despite deserving at least three (High Art, Far From Heaven, Dogville).
Reader Comments (9)
Can we get Patty back in key supporting roles in prestige pieces where she once regularly cropped up, please?
Clarkson should be leading movies not supporting them.
The most special moment in 2014 in movies was watching Far From heaven on the big screen again at Walter Reade. Left with many magical feelings; one f them is how much I miss Patricia Clarkson.
Nathaniel, have you ever seen David Poland's dp30 with her? He talked to her twice for Cairo time and the second time they barely talked about the film and it was just pure delight. I actually rented/downloaded most of her filmography just to see more if her. My total girl crush.
Ms Clarkson elevates any film she appears in, regardless of quality. She was so good in "Far from Heaven," doing her best Agnes Moorehead. Love her, love her.
High Art was the first time I saw her work. I'm still stunned by her performance. Playing a drug addict is easy, just be dull and flat. But she played a drug addict I couldn't take my eyes off, she was so alive and interesting (while playing dull and flat). I still can't figure out how she did it.
Henry -if my awards were only once a decade i'd probably have her in my shortlist. t'd be all like
best supporting actress of the 90s
patricia clarkson - high art
judy davis - husbands and wives
julianne moore - boogie nights
dianne wiest -bullets over broadway
and...?
and...Siggy Weaver. Ice Storm.
Nathaniel do you consider Patty as lead in 'The Station Agent'? That is my fave Patty performance and I would have preferred the Oscar nod for that than POA. But at least she got double SAG noms!
Ah, love her in everything! Was kind of sad in a fan-girl way that Stanley Tucci married someone else, cuz I always thought he and Patty were fantastic together.