Bohemian Cinema By Jonathan Pacheco

The Watershed Picture Show: “Boogie Nights”

Tags: Watershed, PT Anderson, Boogie Nights, Filmmaking

Top 100 lists seem to be all the rage these past few weeks. I’m not yet so presumptuous as to post my own, considering how few “important” films I’ve actually seen, but I had a different idea. Every once in a while, I’d like to share my thoughts on movies that are important to me; movies that changed the way I think—for better or worse—about films, about making films, or perhaps about something completely different (like, say, life). These films are not necessarily bad or good nor big or small, they are merely turning points.

Welcome to the Watershed Picture Show.

Now Showing: Boogie Nights

I was thirteen years old, I believe, and had just started high school. It happened very simply, actually: late one night, I channel surfed and came upon an HBO showing of Boogie Nights. And I watched it. That was enough.

What first struck me about the film was the cinematography—I had never seen a movie that looked so cool. I had watched movies just like everyone else to that point, but I realized at that moment that this was how I had always wanted my movies to look like: lots of movement, swish pans, zooms, dollies, slow-motion, mesmerizing split-second close-ups….. To me, it was a revelation. I never thought a close-up of bacon or coffee could make me cheer, but alas….

I’m a sucker for big casts, and this one was full of recognizable names—and if you didn’t recognize their names, at least you recognized their faces. The interaction of such a huge ensemble that was riffing off each other, clearly having a fantastic time, was too much fun to pass up.

The film mixes energy, joy, and heartbreak in such a seamless and matter-of-fact way. I loved how so many of the painful moments weren’t underscored with dramatic music, but were allowed to play themselves out. Two moments, in particular: There’s a scene where Amber (Julianne Moore) is attempting to legally get some sort of custody of her son (or at least not be banned from seeing him), and the situation is clearly not in her favor. Cut to Amber out on the street, leaning against the building, crying her eyes out. No music, just the sound of Amber sobbing, people merely walking by her. Then there’s Dirk’s (Mark Wahlberg) final breakdown, after a wild night of being shot at and chased. He comes to Jack’s (Burt Reynolds) house, pathetic and disheveled, asking Jack to take him in. Cut to Dirk laying on Amber’s lap, crying his eyes out. No sappy music, just a weeping man.

This technique is very specific, and I love it because it doesn’t really manipulate the audience like most films would; it’s actually something that’s been coming up when planning Leaves Will Falter. There are scenes that, if put to dramatic music and shot hand-held to “convey the character’s state of mind,” could run the risk of trying way too hard. Recently I saw an independent film that did this, and I found myself thinking, “Geez, it wasn’t that dramatic….” By simply putting the scene in front of you the way Boogie Nights does, it lets you judge for yourself how dramatic things are.

In 1999, Boogie Nights made me want to make movies, and that’s what I’ve been dreaming of ever since; when I thought of what I wanted to do with my life, I thought about making a movie like Boogie Nights. I went online and read the screenplay for the film, which in turn got me reading screenplays for other films—I purchased the Magnolia screenplay, I read scripts for films my dad wouldn’t let me see, and I read scripts for films that hadn’t been released yet (such as the early draft for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).

Starting a love affair that’s lasted for about 8 years, Boogie Nights cemented P. T. Anderson as my favorite filmmaker. Is he the best? No. But I love him more than the others, and I’m willing to put up with 5 years of silence between his films, because I know that at the end of the day, it’ll be worth it (and you’ll remember how I mentioned that I got my dad to drive 8 hours—each way—so that I could watch Punch-Drunk Love a week early. Props to my Pops).

If you were to ask me my Top Five Desert Island Films, Boogie Nights is the no-brainer. For years, everyone around me has known that it’s my favorite film of all time. Yet I don’t watch Boogie Nights very often. There are dozens of films I watch more, but I like it this way. Seeing the film a couple of times a year refreshes my memory, and consequently rejuvenates my spirit; that’s the effect of such an exciting, stylish, loving film. These viewings are just enough to remind me what a beautiful film Boogie Nights is, and how important it is to me, yet I like to wait long enough so that I get a chance to miss the movie a little.

Just the other day, Israel and I spoke a little about the film. He quoted a line that we both loved, but one that I had completely forgotten about. A familiar feeling filled my body. I laughed, and I remembered how that movie can make me feel, and I said, “Oh, man, I need to see it again….”