MovieChat Forums > Tiny Furniture (2012) Discussion > Guess she proved her true genius by sayi...

Guess she proved her true genius by saying it in the film 100x over

posted 11 years ago by scarletminded
11 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this because I've seen Lena Durham around winning awards and getting praise.

I think she subluminally put this into her film. Aura is told she is a genius by her friends, as if the screenplay was written to make the creator succeed. I mean, characters keep saying how great she is, but we only get to see one small clip of her stripping down to her bra and underwire to get into a fountain Fellini style. I was sort of lost on how she was such a great artist and would come into greatness....yet she wrote her own fate since the characters in this keep telling her how great she is. (I know her sister says the opposite, but still.)

I am not sure if I would watch Girls based on viewing this film. It sounds like the same sort of plot, well, non-plot. People do seem to like it. I read a interview in Rolling Stone and she came off very self absorbed, but I guess Hollywood loves people who are 40 minutes late to everything because they are "genuises". I knew some friends in college that were coddled by their parents and they didn't get out of the next until 30, which is pointed out in the film by Charolette. But the thing is, those friends of mine tend to think they are entitled to live off their parents and have a ton of superficial mental issues while they eat anti-depressants as candy. It is hard for me like me to imagine, since I had to pay for my own college and was out of the house by the age of 20. I didn't have the luxury of whining about First World Problems. I had bigger issues like how I would pay my rent and how I would feed myself.

The key to Lena's success is the people around her. She would accomplish nothing, if let's say, she was born into an abusive household that didn't hold her hand during her anxiety trips. She got money from her family to make the film and she didn't even have to try to get actors, her family did it too. This means people with ok but not excellent film making skills will succeed if they have parents to pour our money versus those who have more talent, but less support and connections.

Did anyone else get an odd feeling from all the "you are so talented" bit Lena wrote into her own script about the main character who is herself?

[–] ChocolateButt 11 years ago

Aura is told she is a genius by her friends

And therein lies the rub. Friends say all kinds of sh!t to make each other feel better. They are not professionals, they will not advance her career. So no, I do not think Lena was indirectly referring to herself as a genius.

I didn't have the luxury of whining about First World Problems. I had bigger issues like how I would pay my rent and how I would feed myself.

Well, bully for you. Congratulations on struggling like every other productive adult.

She would accomplish nothing, if let's say, she was born into an abusive household that didn't hold her hand during her anxiety trips.

You have absolutely no way of knowing that.

"I hope you like feminist rants because that's kind of my thing."

[–] chas437 9 years ago

You have absolutely no way of knowing that.

Actually, we do. Its obvious Tiny Furniture never gets made with mommy and daddy's $$$ and influence. DO you seriously think TF would get funded, without nepotism? With Dunham's mom and sister acting in it?

Not a chance in hell.

[–] ChocolateButt 9 years ago

Of course I do. What makes you think it wouldn't? What kind of influence do you think her parents have?

Indie films, good and bad, get made all the damn time. Indie directors cast friends and family to cut costs.

"What race are you? If you don't tell me I'll just...assume the worst."

[–] gordonator 11 years ago

Life isn't fair! She's talented and took advantage of her opportunities, launching her career in her early 20s. The worst thing she could have done would be to squander her opportunity. Though if she had, no one would be talking about her.

[–] liutenantsalt 11 years ago

Dunham is as far from "talented" as it gets, and nepotistic connections are hardly "opportunities".

[–] Heavengrey 11 years ago

Financial help from family members is not nepotism.

[–] lulupalooza 10 years ago

He/she was likely referring to Lena's connections; both parents are involved in the film industry.

[–] thenmadewild 10 years ago

both parents are involved in the film industry.

Since when? Her parents are artists (a photographer and a painter). Yes they provided her money with which to make this movie but it's not like they're powers in Hollywood themselves. She got herself noticed by powers in Hollywood by making this movie.

[–] chas437 9 years ago

DO you honestly think there's accountability in Dunham's little world of privilege and hypocrisy?

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] emo_ville2002 8 years ago

Since when? Her parents are artists (a photographer and a painter). Yes they provided her money with which to make this movie but it's not like they're powers in Hollywood themselves. She got herself noticed by powers in Hollywood by making this movie.

I just watched "Tiny Furniture" again, for the third time, the film doesn't get any better. It was pretentious navel gazing about NYC's downtown art elite, nothing more.

Lena Dunham had tons of connections, few of which which the general public knows about.

Her mother, Laurie Simmons, a photographer who takes photos of tiny doll furniture and posed shots of the Real Doll, is close friends with Meryl Streep. IIRC, they are next door neighbors in Connecticut. This is rarely discussed or asked about in interviews. I'm sure there were some sorts of 'connections' which helped Lena get her foot-in-the-door.

Dunham's career is baffling, she's no more talented than an other art or film school graduate with their own vision. She didn't get famous because she's attractive, for a 20-something, she looks middle aged. Her scripts are basically about navel gazing moneyed millennials, a concept which is hardly inventive, especially as far as a TV series subject is concerned.

Surely people out their cannot be so naive to think she's not the product of a coddled moneyed downtown NYC elite bohemian background....with show biz and art world connections? Her parents are millionaires. Compare Dunham's background with a ghetto kid who graduated from art school. As far as all the critical accolades, that's baffling too, must have been some payola going on.

"Girls" has got to be one of then most irritating TV shows on cable TV. That said, Jemima Kirke actually has natural acting talent. I'd enjoy seeing her expand beyond working with her close friend LD.

I cannot imagine Dunham having a career beyond a few years, hope she's investing wisely.