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[dame-chastain.livejournal.com]

Proof that Wodehouse and Jeeves have had much too much of an effect on me: I'm watching Gosford Park and cringing at the cockiness of Ryan Phillipe's character. I don't care if the character is only pretending to be a valet; it's making me cringe. There are a lot of little things in this movie that make the little Jeeves in my head howl in pain, and for myself I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Comments

[triedunture.livejournal.com]

Don't worry. Mr Fry will come to do some inspectin' and everything will be much better for it.

Wait, am I even thinking of the right movie?

[bnmc2005.livejournal.com]

yup. He played an inspector, however if I recall correctly the inspector was very un-Jeevesian.

I haven't seen Gosford park in years, but reading J&W made me appreciate the offense the rest of the staff took at the actor. The two fictions inform each other in a way.

[cucumbermoon.livejournal.com]

Yes, he is a decidedly poor inspector, which is so surprising the first time you see it, since Stephen Fry is SUPPOSED to save the day. Kind of like that time I saw Stephen Colbert on an episode of Law and Order. "Hah! That's hilarious! Wait... you mean he's NOT being funny?"

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

That character irked me, trying to play both sides of the baize door. But, as he quickly learned, the servants were on to him.

[woe-in-a-hoodie.livejournal.com]

I had the same reaction! I remember telling my husband the first time we watched the film together, 'I think his giraffe impression would be more believable than his valet one. Why not just admit to being the fellow's pet boy and be done with it?'

I would choose to laugh rather than cry, because if you think about it, all of the other characters could no doubt tell how cringe-worthy a fake valet he was, and just had to play along. The other servants, in scenes not shown in the film (because we fandom people typically embrace the idea that non-plot related events are always going on behind the scenes, just like in real life), were probably guffawing about it over drinks.

'The boy doesn't even wear sleeve garters! Have you seen the state of his cuffs? I swear, he dragged the left one straight through the shoe polish yesterday.'

'Had the audacity to refer to the lady of the house by her Christian name, as well. Even in private that's just not on.'

I find this approach makes my mental Jeeves weep a little less. :D

[niektete.livejournal.com]

Seconded! I rewatched it a little while ago and I kept thinking, "If I had been any of the real servants I would have given him a good smack!" He could quite possibly have pulled off a gentry person's part with that attitude, but Jeeves would have cried out in dismay :P