The mystery surrounding the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa deepens. Much of the information in those Youtube videos seems unreliable but… Whatever happened is tragic. Clearly, they needed help in the last few days or hours of their lives. Despite Hackman’s enormous wealth, they were alone and vulnerable at the end. Although I had never focused on Hackman’s acting career, now I re-watched The French Connection (1971) and other of his movies. I realized what a huge body of work he left behind. And what a truly great actor he was. One weeknight I watched The Birdcage (1996) which was particularly surprising on the second watch. Yes, the over-the-top flamboyant portrayals of the gay men seemed “dated,” but that last scene where Hackman dons a platinum wig and dances out of the club in drag to the theme song of, “We Are Family,” literally brought tears to my eyes. Hackman brilliantly telegraphed his character’s evolution through facial expressions and body language… the last few minutes of that movie blew me away. Weeks later, my Hackman movie marathon continues and I am thinking of re-watching Bonnie and Clyde (1967) tonight. Or Unforgiven (1992) or The Conversation (1974). He gave us so many amazing performances.
An Update on Dolly
Dolly Parton is doing better. Still scary but not as much. I’m worried she is getting too connected to me, as opposed to bonding with Josephine and Zelda. She did try to pick a fight with Josephine once this week and that clearly didn’t go as expected. It was a brief skirmish and no one got hurt. NOISE is what seems to scare Dolly Parton the most. I am learning to be very calm and quiet in my own home so that she doesn’t get upset. Not such a bad thing.
THIS WEEK'S TABLE
I’m feeling pretty good about my Oysters Rockefeller recipe. The secret mix of greens is this: parsley, chives, tarragon, scallions and celery. Cooking the greens down for a long time is crucial. That Wilton piping bag is a necessary tool! I had a wonderful Saturday night dinner with oysters three-ways: Rockefeller, Casino and Char-grilled. With a terrific bottle of crisp bubbly to wash them down. And a screening of The French Connection in the background. What a perfect date night. Later in the week, I grilled a simple pork chop, had stuffed potatoes, experimented with fish cooked in a clay pot (the technique was good and the fish was cooked perfectly but the spices overwhelmed… that particular recipe is a work in progress) and on Friday, a beautifully grilled filet atop a slice of pink pineapple, napped with Bearnaise and a few slivers of smoky bacon. This weekend is off to a good start! And to the man who called me Friday evening to invite me to “grab some sushi,” at the last minute, that’s insulting.
