I Ought to Be in Pictures

     

Dinah brings her Tony winning performance as Libby Tucker to the film version of Neil Simon's play. At the start of the movie, Libby is visiting the grave of her grandmother (whom she still speaks to daily), telling her that she is heading to Hollywood to become an actress. Her real motive, though, is to meet the father who walked out on her 16 years earlier. When she finds him the two don't hit it off at first. Throughout the movie, though, they do build the relationship Libby was secretly hoping for.

On the surface, Libby appears to be confident, determined, and basically relentless in her quest to conquer Hollywood. She doesn't expect any handouts from her father, but she would appreciate a call to his studio friends (if he had any that is). Near the end of the movie we see that Libby is actually frightened and lonely when she breaks down and tells her father she doesn't even want to be an actress, she just came to Hollywood to see him, and maybe find out why she is the way she is. The two actually teach each other about life and love, and in the end, Libby realizes that she found what she came out to find, that somebody actually does love her for who she is. So she decides to head back home to her mother and brother in New York and see what life will bring.

This short summary doesn't do the film justice. There are many sides to Libby. Of her films that I've seen, this one is the best showcase of Dinah's talent, at least in my opinion.

     

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