MovieChat Forums > Selfie (2014) Discussion > Character names are a rip-off from My Fa...

Character names are a rip-off from My Fair Lady

posted 10 years ago by jp7570
43 replies | jump to latest

Really? The main characters are Eliza Dooley and Henry? Almost a verbatim rip-off from the classic stage and film musical My Fair Lady, where the leading lady was Eliza Doolittle and the male lead was Henry Higgins.

Based on the George Bernard Shaw play, it involved a bet that Professor Higgins can transform "blue-collar"-type flower girl Eliza into a respectable member of high society London. Sounds like the template for an updated version involving social media, just like this. I like Karen Gillan and John Cho, but this? Sounds like a short run.

TV creativity really has reached the bottom of the barrel.

[–] willohmsford 10 years ago

If it's the same names it's more likely an homage.

[–] sjbang 10 years ago

that's the idea behind the similar names. it is an homage to My Fair Lady

[–] marsattacks64 10 years ago

If you look at the trivia you'll see that this show is based on My Fair Lady. The names were intentional.

[–] jp7570 10 years ago

Yes, but it still doesn't make it creative.

[–] NotButchieInstead 10 years ago

You do know that My Fair Lady was adapted from Pygmalion, right? So you're hating on this show for being a ripoff of an adaptation?

[–] Yorick_Brown 10 years ago

Yes, but it still doesn't make it creative.

What exactly is your complaint now?

The show is a contemporary reimagining of "My Fair Lady" so your initial complaint was shortsighted so you're complaining about what now exactly? What do you mean by not creative?

Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite...

[–] Crigger-654-92274 10 years ago

Just wipe the egg off your face and carry on.

[–] DoctorPotter 10 years ago

Well then I guess West Side Story is just some ripoff too right?

Oh wait, then so is My Fair Lady to Pygmallion

Give me a break.

I am Sharon!!! Allonsy said as she danubed herself into Sharon.

[–] BooBury 10 years ago

My Fair Lady wasn't original. It's based on Pygmalion. Even Pygmalion wasn't original. It's inspired from a Greek mythological story.

[–] sdrudolph 10 years ago

It takes some longer than others to catch on sometimes, Marsattacks64. Lol!

[–] sdrudolph 10 years ago

It takes some longer than others to catch on sometimes, Marsattacks64. Lol!

[–] buchowski 10 years ago

classic stage and film musical My Fair Lady

LOL, the classic based on Pygmalion.

Do your homework before you preach to others.

[–] quetee2 10 years ago

Ya know, now that I think about it... Bridget Jones' Diary seems awfully familiar. Wink.

[–] nephythys 10 years ago

Bridget Jones is loosely based on Jane Austen novels. Pride and Prejudice etc...

[–] quetee2 10 years ago

I know, I was kidding with the OP.

[–] brushfyr 10 years ago

Wow, what's sad is the 'wink' wasn't an indication to someone you were joking. I'm depressed now. Your comment was funny, but that it flew over someone's head.... that's sadder then Honey Boo Boo.

[–] JRichardSingleton 10 years ago

Ya think?

But, hey, she's socially clueless. That's the great connection.

[–] kisses5050 10 years ago

she's socially clueless

and Clueless was an adaption of Emma soooooo is there realllllly anything original?

[–] jberning 10 years ago

When it's a modern adaptation of teh story it makes sense to ahve the names resemble the characters from the original. I think it'd have been stupid if they were completely random names.

Just like the leads being named Patrick, Katarin,a and Bianca instead of Petruchio, Katherina, and Bianca in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You.
Adn the characrters in She's the Man still being Duke, Olivia, and Sebastian.

[–] SerArthurDayne 10 years ago

I'm actually more likely to give it a shot now because of this.

___
How can you tell if someone's a compulsive liar? I mean, assuming their pants aren't on fire?

[–] aprilkepner 10 years ago

LMFAOOOO.

Oh my GOD.

Do you feel like a moron? I hope you feel like a moron.

[–] kendrah66 10 years ago

Obviously, it's intentional. That said, I'm not sure it works. In Pygmalion (which you also kind of give a pass to because most plays and, especially, musicals are a little contrived), the reason Henry helps Eliza with her speech is that he really prides himself on his gifts in that regard, and he wants to prove himself to Colonel Pickering, with whom he makes a bet. Further motivation is later provided in the form of Zoltan Karapathy and, of course, once he starts on the path of his lie (that Eliza is a lady), he can't get off.

Henry here has no similar motives to help Eliza, so it's weird that he does. It's a really contrived premise, and I wish they'd worked harder to make it work.