Dark Monday • Lady Come Down

Rupert Everett and Colin Firth

In the 2002 retelling of the madcap comedy written by the always brilliant Oscar Wilde, Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Reese Witherspoon, Frances O'Connor and Dame Judi Dench starred in 'The Importance of Being Earnest', a film I find hard to resist when it shows up on cable. While not a musical, if did feature original music by Charlie Mole. That includes the song "Lady Come Down", sung by Rupert and Colin as they woo their ladies. I find it to be charming, a real delight, no matter how off the boys get.

It didn't hurt that both men looked dashing in the costumes. Of course, Rupert Everett has been out and somewhat proud for some time, even though he has at times given voice to some rather off thoughts. And Wilde was a notorious homosexual at a time it was illegal, and, in fact, was the reason he was put on trial and in fact imprisoned for two years. After his release, he left Britain and never returned, living out his years in Paris before dying at 46 years of age, destitute.

Saturday With Rupert & Julia

My Best Friend's Wedding is a movie filled with beautiful, talented people, a charismatic cast to be sure. I just caught some of it again on cable, and tell you, I can't get enough of parts of it. For me, it was openly gay Rupert Everett who steals the movie, with just a limited amount of screen time. Of course, part of that time was spent singing a song by the immortal duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. I Say A Little Prayer, sung by a young Dione Warwick, was a delightful respite from a relatively tired and predictable script. And I have to admit, I've long had a crush on Rupert, from the first time I saw him in a lush film called Another Country.

Movie Moment • I Say A Little Prayer For You

Sometimes you come across moments in movies that are perfect creations, even if the rest of the movie might not hold up to the same scrutiny. My Best Friends Wedding holds up that tradition for me. The movie was inconsistent and filled with some terribly contrived story lines, but when Rupert Everett [and I whole-heartedly admit to have the hots for the pre-surgical Rupert] joins the table as the token gay/fake fiancee, he did light up the screen, especially in the musical number, I Say A Little Prayer For You.



Another glorious moment came later on as the preparations for the reception were in full swing, and some cute boys inhaled the helium before singing the incredibly saccharin Annie's Song, the John Denver classic. Indeed, it had been over-played, but this put a rather nice twist on it. Having the munchkins performing in the background of a pivotal scene added little to the movie, but I remember it more than the silly story.