Help, I Can't Stop Watching Tootsie (1982)!!!
if you see the soundtrack in its entirety on my Spotify Wrapped, IDK what to tell you.
A few weeks before I lost my job and the election- they happened within days of each other- I watched two movies: Practical Magic and Tootsie. The former was, of course, because Halloween was coming up. I couldn’t remember anything about it because I’d seen it exactly once, during a period of extremely personal upheaval, so my brain was foggy. The latter, though. I can’t tell you why.
I had seen Tootsie for the first time during the pandemic. Before I got sick with trigeminal neuralgia, I lived with my best friends, and we constantly watched movies during the early months of quarantine. One of my pals is quite the movie buff and he decided to show it to us one night. I remember really enjoying seeing Bill Murray in an early performance. We’d also recently watched The Graduate, and I think we were following it up with Tootsie so myself and our other roomie, (his partner), could see all of Dustin Hoffman’s magic.
I remember getting lost in Hoffman’s comedic genius, literally yelling at the WTF-ness of certain aged aspects of the film, and loving Murray’s “That is one nutty hospital” delivery. Other than that I filed Tootsie away. I thought it was a great film, but I know I never thought I’d be putting it on multiple nights a week, some four years later, to lull me off to sleep and curb my anxiety.
Side note: I love how I’m setting this up to be a really revolutionary and unique situation; can you BELIEVE someone would want to watch the same movie over and over to help them fall asleep??
I’m not sure when I got so into Tootsie. I guess subsequent viewings took place, and it just became a favorite movie as they do?
From its synopsis, it’s surprising that it would be sweet because elements of the movie can catch you off guard. Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) is a struggling actor living in New York City with his actor pals, including his roommate Jeff (Murray). He’s also hanging out with, and casually seeing his other actor friend, Sandy (Teri Garr <3). Michael has developed a reputation in actor circles as a perfectionist, making acquiring work difficult, but his luck suddenly changes when he hears about an audition for a soap opera. Michael and his agent get into it so he decides to barrel into the auditions while dressed up as a woman. She’s a sweet, soft-spoken lady called Dorothy Michaels.
Soon Dorothy becomes the talk of the town- she becomes the most popular actress around. Michael has to grapple with the absolute s**t storm he’s created for himself. Not to mention, he finds himself falling for his co-star, Julie (Jessica Lange). I haven’t even mentioned how he finds out about the audition from Sandy, who goes in for the part eventually played by Dorothy. Like, justice for Sandy!!!
Tootsie captivated viewers upon its release! The film was nominated for a bunch of Oscars; Lange and Garr were both nominated for Best Actress In A Supporting Role,1 with Lange taking the statue home. Every actor in this film is fantastic. When Garr passed away a few weeks ago, I was incredibly excited to go back and watch her acting closely. She’s just so perfect. She absolutely nails Sandy.
I want to say I started revisiting the film after reading Carrie Courogen’s brilliant, beyond brilliant biography of Elaine May earlier this Summer; I mean, I’d honestly read Carrie’s grocery lists if she’d let me. May contributed to the script for the film, but her work later went uncredited.2
I became extremely interested in May’s life and career after reading Miss. May Does Not Exist. I started watching Tootsie over and over after watching multiple May films, including Ishtar (1987). IYKYK!!! Tootsie became an entirely different film after I was able to recognize May’s contributions to the script. Soon after the gazillion rewatches, Tootsie became part of my existence. I’d think about lines and scenes constantly.
Then I bought multiple copies of the film to have on hand just in case, you know. I found a used Criterion Collection DVD, and it soon became the background noise while I worked. It’s so beautiful when you watch a movie while you work because you can just happily go along I don’t know. I also bought a digital copy because what if I’m without the DVD and need to show it to someone for the first time??? Then, somewhere along the line, I started listening to the soundtrack on Spotify. Am I the only girlie to wake up with the Oscar-nominated “It Might Be You” stuck in her head in the last four decades??? Probably!
Tootsie is cozy, honest, and fun as hell. It’s a great capture of a specific era in time if you are desperate to escape anywhere but here, which I imagine you likely are because I am!!! You’ll laugh, and I know you need to do that. <3
Tootsie (dir. Sydney Pollack, who also stars in the film as Michael’s agent) is available to buy or rent wherever you prefer to get your rent on.
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084805/awards/?ref_=tt_awd
Criterion Collection: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3404-tootsie-one-great-dame?srsltid=AfmBOorHmqxpwEiGHflEXviSIKFKZ2PlDKEEN5_Uf5t5I1N6Fm0g2hMH