At the Movies

His wife and new child provide the inspiration and grounding
that spark creativity for this intellectual comedian.

Brooks'
Muse'
Imitates
Life
A

Sharon Stone plays
a real-life muse to
Albert Brooks'
screenwriter
in "The Muse."

and Mother (1996), in which a novelist
as the super-intelligent but sweat-prone
SERENA DONADONI
moves in with mom to try and discover the
reporter, Brooks has recently popped up in
Special to the Jewish News
source of his failure with women.
small but pivotal movie parts: as the
The Muse fits right into Brooks' oeuvre. (/
smarmy white-collar crook in Out of Sight,
lbert Brooks had nothing to
He's
a screenwriter who is told by fatuous `
and with a spectacular tour-de-farce as a
do with the first punchline
studio executives that he's lost his edge.
cynical doctor in Critical Care.
of his life.
Desperate for inspiration (or at least a
But the best onscreen roles Brooks gets
That occurred the day he
marketable idea), he discovers the exis-
are those he creates himself. He began
was born in 1947, and his father named
directing with short films for PBS (Albert tence of a real-life muse, the quirky Sarah
him Albert Einstein. Little did radio
(Sharon Stone), who seems to have her
comedian Harry Einstein (famous for his Brooks' Famous School For Comedians) and
finger
on the pulse of Hollywood.
character Parkyakarkus) know that Albert the first season of Saturday Night Live. Then
Even though he's in the midst of a creme
came Real Life (1979), his first feature as
would become one of the great intellec-
The
writer, director and star. Like all his films, ative crisis, Brooks' character in
tual comedians, a self-aware storyteller
Muse is anchored by his supportive wife
its self-referential storyline (a film crew
who embodies the peculiar angst of the
(Andie MacDowell) and two daughters.
attempts to capture the typical American
baby boomer generation.
This
plotline reflects recent changes in
family) allowed Brooks to mine humor
Brooks began as a stand-up comedian,
Brooks' personal life.
from the foibles of contemporary society.
perfecting his material before live audi-
At 49, he was married for the first
Real Life was followed by Modern
ences and on influential albums like A Star
time, to Web designer Kimberly Shlain,
Romance (1981), about a love-struck neu-
Is Bought. His film career began on a seri-
and they have a 10-month-old son, Jacob
rotic who can't commit; Lost in America
ous note, a small role opposite Cybill
When Albert Brooks meets with the
(1985), a satire of two yuppies dropping
Shepherd in Martin Scorsese's searing
press in his hometown, Los Angeles, he
out of the rat race; Defending Your Life
Taxi Driver (1976).
answers questions thoughtfully, yet never
While he's still best known for his Oscar- (1991), where Brooks must prove his
misses an opportunity for a laugh.
worth before being admitted to heaven;
nominated role in Broadcast News (1987),

8/27
1999

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104 Detroit Jewish News