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"...our dream house.
It is like a fine painting. You buy it with your heart, not your head.
You don't ask how much was the paint, how much was the canvas. You look at
it and you say 'it is beautiful -- I want it.'"
Attitude & News Home
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Real to ReelA Hollywood View of Real Estate AgentsPat Rioux () and Jennifer Rioux
The film AMERICAN BEAUTY, directed by Sam Mendes in 1999 and winner of 5
Academy Awards, provided an impetus for us to look at the
characterizations of real estate agents in the films of the nineties.
Annette Bening, who gives a powerful performance as Carolyn Burnham, lets
us see the dark and painful side of her life as she strives to be her best,
from the nurturing care she gives to her precious roses to the fanatical
top-to-bottom cleaning she does as she prepares a home for an Open House.
Being like her competitor, Buddy "The King" Kane, was a driving force in
her life.Is the role of Carolyn what we would consider a typical real estate agent ? How does her profile compare with other real estate agent roles in popular modern movies? What characteristics can we expect to see Hollywood promote as they create their movies? A look at these movies of the nineties gave us the impression there is "room for improvement":
And what did Hollywood think of real estate agents way back in 1948? Over fifty years ago, we had the opportunity to meet Mr.Smith, the agent portrayed by Ian Wolfe, who sold the old Hackett farm in MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAMHOUSE. City slickers Cary Grant and Myrna Loy get suckered into buying the ramshackle place and it is one disaster after another as they work to "trade city soot for sylvan charm" in rural Connecticut. THE MONEY PIT was loosely based on this screwball comedy of the 40s.
go to:
Overview | American Beauty | The Brady Bunch | Boys on the Side Glengarry Glen Ross | Leyhal Weapon 3 | The Money Pit | Mr. Blandings...House
Jennifer Rioux, an aspiring filmmaker, has a BA in Communication: Film and Electronic Media from Worcester State College and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Television/Video at Emerson College in Boston. She has recently completed an internship at Brayton/Carlucci Productions at Hearst Entertainment in Los Angeles.
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