The scene with Natalie Wood as herself, just about 10 years before she died, was very emotional for me to watch. She is so beautiful and clearly a kind, thoughtful, caring person. What a tragedy that she died so young! But it's nice to see her here in a somewhat "unposed" role. (Yeah, I know she was scripted but the style is rather cinema verite, and she WAS playing herself, after all.)
shareIt's such a gem of a scene in the film, too, with Natalie basically poking fun at herself and really at celebrities who publicly support politicians. The man comes up to her hoping to garner support for a real issue, and she politely tries to ignore him so she can continue her photoshoot with Redford. And what exactly are they talking about? I rewound but couldn't hear it -- something trivial like cooking? She probably figured the best thing she could do for politics was to take photos with a politician, but it was a great moment in the film on multiple levels.
shareI liked the scene because the guy is such a dweeb. He thinks he can just walk over and strike up a conversation with Natalie Wood when she's talking to a stud like Redford. No criticism of her, she's trying to be polite to him, but he might as well be calling in from Pluto. Then someone has to lead him away. It's a great bit.
shareRobert Redford and Natalie Wood had known one another since high school (he was a couple of years ahead of her at Van Nuys High in LA, although she was already a budding star by then). And they had co-starred in a couple of Redford's early movies. So they were good friends when this movie was made.
shareI got out of it that the dweeb saw she was hitting on Redford and didn't want a scandal so he butted in to break it up.
shareI just watched this scene with close captioning -- and they couldn't fully translate the discussion, but yes, yogurt is mentioned and nuts and what's funny is that evidently Redford and Wood were talking too quietly for the sound men to pick it up and the director left it that way. "Documentary-style."
I think the realism of the scene is that "the real Natalie Wood" has decided to offer herself up as a celebrity endorser of Bill McKay, and what they say to each other isn't important -- its important that they stand together long enough for photos to be taken.
But yes, it probably goes that extra distance: "The real Natalie Wood" is all too happy to pose with a Senatorial candidate who looks handsome enough to be a movie star himself. (Ha ha.)
I just can't make the call on the dweeb who intercedes. I see him as one of those people who has to try to "connect" with a celebrity, rather than trying to stop her from flirting with Redford. In any event, this dweeb is an "additive" that feels REAL. No wonder this movie won Best Original Screenplay.
Indeed, Redford and Wood were long-time friends who had appeared in "Inside Daisy Clover" and "This Property is Condemned" together -- when Wood was the bigger star and asked for Redford both times, I think. I think Redford may have been a best man at Wood's wedding...the one not to Robert Wagner.
And this: notice that in 1972, the lovely Natalie Wood is wearing her hair long, straight, and parted down the middle -- just like the female groupie-stalking who finally manages to have sex with Redford. Only the eyeglasses on the groupie are different.