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22 January 2009

conversational analysis, aka wherein i concern myself with useless things so I was watching Analyze That, a sequel which starts off with a good title but goes downhill from there→[More:]
and Dr. Sobel and his wife are having this exchange in the beginning after he brings home a prisoner released to his custody:

She: Why couldn't he just go home?
He: His wife and his family are in Ohio.
She: Sure, yeah, everybody gets to go to Ohio except me.
He: You wanna go to Ohio?
She: That's not the—Shut up!

I get that she was agitated and hence no necessarily logical but what I'm trying to figure out is, why would she say that? She doesn't want to go to Ohio ("that's not the point"), then what?

Not so much in terms of "why did they write this" but as in if it was a real person talking, which seems plausible to me.

Maybe it's because it's a reflexive reaction to hearing what another family's wife and kids are doing--i.e. if he'd said they're at a picnic, she'd be like, how come we don't go on picnics?

What do you think?

post by: Firas at: 09:07 | 6 comments

hmmm.... well, I had a theory that she meant that if she were in Ohio, she wouldn't have to be putting up with having the prisoner in her home - but it still didn't really make much sense.

So I looked up the script, and the actual scripted dialogue is:

LAURA
Oh, there's a law that says you have to bring a gangster home?

BEN
I told you. He's in my custody. I'm a federal institution.

LAURA
You should be in an institution. Why couldn't he just go home?

BEN
His wife and kids aren't here. They're in Ohio.

LAURA
Ohio! Sure. Everyone gets to be in Ohio except me.

and then there isn't the "you want to go to ohio?" etc. bit.

So in this (apparently original) form it does make sense in the way I thought she might have meant it.

Probably they had a flub (like her saying "go to Ohio" instead of "be in Ohio") plus an improvisation (him, being funny about the flub: "you want to go to Ohio?"), and then they decided to go with the mis-take because they thought it had more pizazz or energy... or other Hollywood words.

posted by taz 22 January | 10:01

Hey, that makes sense--as a bitter comment, how come we get stuck with him, how come we're the only ones not in ohio? followed by running off script.

posted by Firas 22 January | 10:16

Yep, as a director Harold Ramis is known for working with improvisors and keeping flubs for their comic potential or liveliness; "Groundhog Day," "National Lampoon's Vacation," and the Stuart Smalley movie come to mind. Working with guys like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Al Franken, you simply must keep the camera rolling in case something erupts.

With less spontaneous or naturally funny actors, this technique might yield a near-miss or two.

posted by Hugh Janus 22 January | 10:31

Also, did you know that Harold Ramis directed the Christmas episode of "The Office" (USA) where they go to the Benihana's? Funny, funny stuff.

posted by Hugh Janus 22 January | 10:34

My analysis (not having seen the movie in years): He brought the prisoner "home", as in she has to live with him now? Most wives wouldn't be too thrilled about that. Even if it's just for a few hours, it seems the wife isn't comfortable with spending time with a prisoner. When she says "Sure, everybody gets to go to Ohio but me", she's really just expressing a desire to escape the situation. That is why she says "That's not the point".

posted by serena 22 January | 10:39

It's Lisa Kudrow, right? She says "Shut Up." She can't help it. (what Hugh Janus said)

posted by rainbaby 22 January | 10:52

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