MovieChat Forums > P.S. (2005) Discussion > sex scenes, movie title

sex scenes, movie title

posted 19 years ago by chessimprov
26 replies | jump to latest

I never like it when I see one person with like all their clothes off and then the significant other with some or all of their clothes on. It seems hard to penetrate through, and makes the sex seem so unrealistic. I'm sure the movie crew would've been able to accept if Laura Linney would take her clothes off in those scenes. She did in that bed scene, but the entire blanket covered her. In other scene(s) she could've left her bra on and nothing else above to make it more appealing and real. Was the clothes staying on a "symbolism" of how Linney's role as the much older adult, Louise Harrington, had enough power that she could seduce young man F. Scott so easily? I think that'd be too much of a stretch and very weak to say.

Now that I think about it, also I think leaving the movie as titled "P.S." was a great support to keep with the author's intentions, but I don't think it helps with the promotion of the movie because it makes you read the book to find out. Many people may be disinterested to find out about the book, but the movie only being subpar or bad for most people makes it even less likely that people will be interested in the book. I did like however how this movie was different from many in that it wasn't the usual lovey dovey drama of something like "A Walk in the Clouds."

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] CarolStarr 19 years ago

Tastefully done, shot in real time, and no nudity...but you guys get a treat of seeing Laura Linney's chest bounce up and down in her low cut dress.
It's all really left to the imagination.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] CarolStarr 19 years ago

No. :(

(and I'd thought we'd at least get a rear shot.) ;)

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] CarolStarr 19 years ago

It's all about camera angles. (Unfortunately) but from the technical aspect in an interview Topher said he was naked while Linney was fully clothed.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] andystockwell 19 years ago

ha! "proud conservative" wants more nudity in a film.

see what you did there, that's comedy.

[–] sincerity 19 years ago

I've taken to calling this movie "Topher Grace puts on a condom". Because, well...He does.

I kind of enjoy how realistic it was. It made it a little awkward to watch (particularly as a first date movie, eesh), but it's a rarity that sex scenes in film aren't this wonderful, rose-petals-on-the-bed kind of thing.

[–] CarolStarr 19 years ago

sincerity~"p.s." was your first date movie? How awesome. I know. Very effective and very awkward. When I saw the second showing you'd think because I already saw it, I'd be more comfortable, but it was even more difficult to sit through.

Some idiot at one of the Florida newspapers gave Topher a BAD review today. And not just a bad review, where I can respect someone having a different opinion, but someone who basically was saying Topher can't act.

Which we know is not true. :)

[–] Carmelina 19 years ago

Some idiot at one of the Florida newspapers gave Topher a BAD review today. And not just a bad review, where I can respect someone having a different opinion, but someone who basically was saying Topher can't act.

Was this guy on crack?! It's no where NEAR true.

I haven't seen this movie (it's not being shown in my theatres), but seeing the trailer, it looks so great. I can't wait for the DVD! *nods head*

The pink pills are for your s a n i t y...

[–] kms4 19 years ago

I wonder why Linney wasn't nude when she's been nude in other movies.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] nezray2001 12 years ago

I think it made sense that she wasn't. It was a power thing.

[–] beautiful_kaos 19 years ago

Ok so i realize that my reply to this thread is a little late but I just saw the movie tonight.

In response to your comment: " never like it when I see one person with like all their clothes off and then the significant other with some or all of their clothes on. It seems hard to penetrate through, and makes the sex seem so unrealistic. I'm sure the movie crew would've been able to accept if Laura Linney would take her clothes off in those scenes. She did in that bed scene, but the entire blanket covered her. In other scene(s) she could've left her bra on and nothing else above to make it more appealing and real. Was the clothes staying on a "symbolism" of how Linney's role as the much older adult, Louise Harrington, had enough power that she could seduce young man F. Scott so easily? I think that'd be too much of a stretch and very weak to say."...

I think that her reason for keeping her clothes on had nothing to do with her prouving she was able to seduce F. Scott but rahter it was a tool to show her urgency and her need to have F. inside her.

"I got an F and C and I got a K too and the only thing that's missing is YOU"

[–] mariawong_99 19 years ago

Have just seen the movie on DVD with commentary. The director explained that mentioned sex scene where Louise keeps her clothes on is ao for audience to keep focusing on the character Louise and not the woman Laura Linley.
The low-cut dress is of course totally out of character for the character Louise being an university admission officer. Before she met F.Scott she already intented to seduce him. Why? She is still hung up about the F.Scott she used to know when young. She hasn't dealt emotionally with the issue nor with the anger she feels for Missey, her friend, for stealing him from her.
After her divorce there is no love/sex in her life (she is stuck/cut off from life) and as a way of coping she relives her experiences with the old F.Scott
(and ceating new fantasies no doubt).
So, the director wanted us to see the actions of the girl Louise via the body of the adult Louise.
The moment of this sex sene Louise is actually unable to see that the student F.Scott might be interested in her as a person. Nor is she able to see who F. Scott is, nor is she really very interested in that at that moment. She is actually having sex with the dead F.Scott. Not very nice of course!!

[–] chessimprov 19 years ago

Ok, that helps a ton!!! Thank you all, especially your comment mariawong_99!! Since I haven't read the book, it's harder to appreciate the movie. Plus maybe I've missed a ton of subtle things, but I don't think it's apparent from the movie that F. Scott could be dead. It's just a big stretch of symbolism in which I think if the symbolism was portrayed more clearly, if I didn't have to conjure up that she could actually be having sex with the dead F. Scott, then maybe this movie would be more suitable for a 3.5 or 4 out of 4. In the movie, she even says somewhere that the young man played by Grace looks like someone she knew that was dead before. So even though this comment could trigger that she was having sex with a dead person because of the clothing scene, what it really does is confuse some viewers instead. So you may think that the former F. Scott just never shows up in the story besides Louise's imagination, and that she is really doing it like what is showing in the movie. The line for symbolism and reality in that part of the movie is too unobvious, and I think it is things like this which may make the movie a bit of a turn off.

[–] mariawong_99 19 years ago

Happy to hear my msg helped shed some light on the movie. The director's intentions were good but the symbolism used was definitly not enough to make the audience understand Louise's behaviour. A real pity because it is actually a very interesting story (written by someone with excellent psychological insight).
When I watched the movie first I thought the young F. Scott might turn out to be a relative or so of the dead one. For one moment I even started to think he did actually come back from the dead or so (that was the director's intention). Mighty confusing! But in the end the only thing that w REAL were Louise's feelings of love and longing for the old F.Scott projected upon a guy who resembles him, has the same name and is also an artist. What an eery (1 in a million) COINCIDENCE huh.

[–] wakeupman 19 years ago

Hey mariawong_99,

You're confusing F.Scott (short for Francis Scott) with the former Scott. The former Scott is JUST Scott. The new guy is F. Scott.

There is no "old F. Scott" (your words).

1. Scott = dead guy
2. F. Scott (aka Fran or Francis) = alive guy

[–] bludragngrrl 19 years ago

I recently read an interview with Topher Grace in a magazine (the title escapes me) and one of the questions was "What was your first on screen sex scene like?" (or something to that effect) and his (Grace's) reply was, along the lines of, I practiced by myself (the scene itself, not like he was 'practicing' with himself) and Laura, the director and I talked about it. When the day came to film the scene, we just went for it. The crew's mouths were open with shock because they didn't realize we were actually going to do it.
Now, when I finished reading this, I didn't really know what to make of it. I even read it for a second and third time? Did Laura Linney and Topher Grace really have sex? This is what it had sounded like, although my reiteration just now doesn't so much. I wish I could remember the name of the magazine so that you guys could check it out, but I can't...sorry!

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] wakeupman 19 years ago

Hey bludragngrrl,

They didn't really have sex. It was Topher's first "onscreen sex scene".

Check out: http://www.blackfilm.com/20041015/features/linneygrace.shtml

Here are some interview excerpts...
"Laura Linney has had a few sex scenes in her films, but it was a first for Topher Grace. The experience was somewhat intimidating and Topher was thankful to lose his "screen virginity" to such an experienced actress.
Topher: It was enough acting opposite Laura Linney in every scene. She's so good and it's not like we had a lot to do. In a lot of the scenes we're just facing each other talking. But then to add in physical intimacy on top of emotional intimacy was really difficult and I was really vulnerable. I wanted to be the gentleman and kind of hold her hand, and instead she was that for me. So I am so glad that I lost my screen virginity to someone as kind and giving. It was much easier once we got it. We must've done forty takes of that scene from different angles, and it played out in real time, so it was really the first two or three times we did it (the scene) that were difficult."

Also check out: http://www.splicedonline.com/04features/dkidd.html

Excerpts from interview questions to the director, Dylan Kidd...
Q: [Even more enthusiastically] The steamy scene on the couch -- when she pulls back from him, she's genuinely flushed! This isn't acting. She's in the moment body and soul.

A: I know, I know! I remember seeing that for the first time in dailies, and I've never seen anyone look so...like she's just been kissed. I love that she's an actress who not only has access to all this stuff that allows her to do this, but she also has this wonderful pale skin, so that every time she blushes or flushes, it's like a rose blooming. It's so sexy. Part of what I love about that scene is that it's shot in real time, so by the time she climbs off (his lap), they're all sweaty, and she's all flushed. You really feel like they just had sex! [Laughs] You try to make it just, you know, a few percent more real than a normal sex scene. But what happened there, it was all the actors. They did such a great job.

Q: Is that something uncomfortable for you? Shooting something like that?

A: Oh, totally. Totally. But the good thing about doing a sex scene is that you can actually judge how well you're doing by how uncomfortable you are watching it happen. So for me, whenever my toes would start to curl, whenever I felt I should look away from the monitor, I'd think, "OK, this is clearly good."

[–] bludragngrrl 19 years ago

Hey wakeupman,
Thanks for clearing that up. I was a little freaked out by what I read...didn't know what to make of it and all! :)

[–] mariawong_99 19 years ago

You are right. My mistake!

[–] tinaorange 19 years ago

did missy and f.scott have sex? i just got lost in the conversation of marcia gay harden and laura linney's argument...too much peanutbutter i guess...

AND more importantly, i didnt notice topher grace remove the condom...it is quite a tricky procedure, so it's not something that would've passed unnoticed if he ever did it..hahaha...so did he?

see i told you they were dumb questions...but questions still...

[–] masterchef3 19 years ago

Too funny... not being a man, I have no idea how difficult it may be to remover a condom (put plenty om others but never took one off.

Anyway, loved your comment