It's obviously not all because of her drive and determination, but we come away from Johnstone's film believing attitude may play a role in the theater of at least one woman's life.
Hats Off (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:14
Fresh:6
Rotten:8
Average Rating:5.1/10
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Education/General Interest
Theatrical Release:Mar 28, 2008 Limited
Synopsis:
With the style and grace of Katharine Hepburn, the smoky wit and wisdom of Dorothy Parker, and her own personal philosophy, “rise above it,” Ms. Weddell is truly an iconic American original, rising...
With the style and grace of Katharine Hepburn, the smoky wit and wisdom of Dorothy Parker, and her own personal philosophy, “rise above it,” Ms. Weddell is truly an iconic American original, rising above the mundane and difficult confines of her own daily life to reach for the stars and fulfill her dreams.
Directed by Jyll Johnstone (Martha & Ethel, Throwing Curves), Hats Off captures the essence of this most unusual woman, named at age 90 by New York Magazine as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in New York,” whose full-time acting career began at age 65 upon the passing of her husband, and whose daily routine mocks the traditional image of old age. From grueling 14-hour days at cattle call auditions to her weekly gymnastics and dance workouts, Ms. Weddell exudes a ‘can-do, will do’ attitude in the face of life’s trials and tribulations, and moves through her challenges with grace, encouraging us all to be more than we are.
When her beloved husband dies, “leaving nothing behind but bills, poor man,” Ms. Weddell does what she has to do to stay afloat; even attending an audition on the way to his memorial and landing the lead role in the cult film Dracula's Last Rites, which marks the beginning of her career. Since that time, 25 years ago, Ms. Weddell has been seen in print ads for Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Juicy Couture and Nike, to name a few; in photo spreads for Vanity Fair and Vogue; on TV series including “Sex and the City,” and “Law and Order;” and in feature films such as Across the Universe, Hitch and The Purple Rose of Cairo. --© Official Site
[More]
Director: Jyll Johnstone
Director: Jyll Johnstone
Studio: Abramorama
Reviews for Hats Off
Hats Off is a documentary tribute to the 93-year-old actress Mimi Weddell, one of those people for whom the word 'individual' seems especially apt.
The face may be vaguely familiar, and if the name 'Mimi Weddell' doesn't ring a bell it will after you've seen Jyll Johnstone's affectionate documentary portrait of this unstoppable nonagenarian model and actress.
Jyll Johnstone's irresistible Hats Off documents Mimi Weddell, a Manhat tanite who, at 93, has pretty much cornered the market playing elegant, very old ladies in movies, TV, commercials and print ads.
A wonderful continuation of Johnstone's previous age-is-but-a-number twilight documentaries Martha & Ethel and Throwing Curves.
If you're not tickled and stirred by the sight of her 95-pound frame kicking off sheets and leaping out of bed to answer a phone -- a gig, maybe! -- then shame on you.
Overall, Hats Off feels like a scripted documentary that avoids the full story.
Sometimes, a story is just not worth telling, and while Mimi's life is definitely an unusual one, it's not iconic.
Johnstone, a friend of the family, maintains too discreet a distance from her subject.
Although it's highly effective at conveying the amusing aspects of its subject's quirky personality, Hats Off is less than meaningful in terms of terms of getting under her skin.
It doesn’t take long for Mimi Weddell’s elegant aura to crumble, disarmingly, in this documentary about the 93-year-old actor who once played Stanford’s grandmother on Sex and the City.
Despite intimate, prolonged access to her subject, director Jyll Johnstone seems to have missed the most interesting wrinkles of Weddell's story in favor of fuzzy life's-a-stage affirmations.
[Actress] Weddell isn't really representative of an older generation of actors; she's one of a kind. But this visually indifferent documentary never explains why that matters.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 90% 90% | The White Ribbon | 12/30 |
| 100% 100% | Daybreakers | 1/8 |
| | Leap Year | 1/8 |
| 83% 83% | Youth in Revolt | 1/8 |
| | The Book of Eli | 1/15 |
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