Living in Oblivion was released on 21 July 1995.
It is an independent film about independent filmmaking. Would-be filmmakers of my generation love this film.
I watched it right around this time at Cinema 21 in Portland, Oregon. At the time, I was trying to make a film. I thought it was so inspiring. When I got home, I got a call from an actor I was working with. He said, “Drop everything! You have to go watch Living in Oblivion!”
The film should not inspire anyone! Parents ought to use it to discourage their film-curious children. But I think it inspires because it is so accurate. It explains why films take so much time to make. Because everything goes wrong. All the time.
The film also has an interesting production history. It started as a short film and was expanded into a feature by creating two variations of the original. Long-term, I think this weakens the film. In particular, the third part negates the second part. And the “happy” ending seems kind of tacked on.
The film really launched two acting careers. Catherine Keener (Get Out) certainly had a career but it was mostly bit parts. After this, she exploded. Peter Dinklage (I Care a Lot) had basically no film credits at the time and, well, now he’s Peter Dinklage!
I revisit Living in Oblivion every couple of years. I especially like the second part and the performance of James LeGros. And you can watch it right now, commercial-free, for free on Archive:
Living in Oblivion (1995) poster via Wikipedia licensed under Fair Use.
Weird coincidences. I was making an indie movie (and failing at it) in 1995, which I’m sure why I avoided this at the time. And living in Portland, and I’d go to Cinema 21 often.
When I worked at a movie theater, our head projectionist knew the one at Cinema 21, and sometimes on weekends, our head projectionist would borrow whatever movie was playing at Cinema 21 and bring it over to run on our theater’s GIANT screen at 1 AM or so for any employees (of either theater) who wanted to see the films on a giant screen.
I promise you that’s the best way to see The Road Warrior for the first time! I dunno about watching Blue Velvet for the first time that way, but that’s the way I saw it. (Definitely 1 AM was the right time to see it.)
I agree about the third segment here, but there’s a bit where Dinklage, annoyed, punches his hat, and it had me HOWLING. I can’t believe he was that confident in his first movie role! It took Bogart years to get that confident. And the more I learn about Steve Buscemi, the more I just absolutely love the guy. It’s a terrific movie.
Tom DiCillo said that he auditioned 3 actors for the role and all of them thanked him for writing the part. The micro-aggressions he endures are amazing. At the same time, DiCillo claimed that he was not attacking David Lynch, who he admired. But whether he knows it or not, I think he was. Lynch did in fact use dwarfs and giants just to be “weird.” As you probably know, I’m fairly critical of Lynch. Here’s my review of Eraserhead. I would, however, like to revisit Blue Velvet.
DiCillo seems like a cool guy. On the copy of Oblivion we watched, there’s a special features Q&A, and an audience member who looks to have a little bit of a speech/developmental disability has an exchange with DiCillo and says he might be kinda full of shit. DiCillo, not being condescending or disrespectful at all, acknowledges the point and says “I’m totally full of shit!”
Which of course makes him LESS full of shit than 99% of movie directors.
If you can get the screenplay, I think you will like his introduction. He provides a complete history of how the film got made. And frankly, it’s kind of a miracle. The guy clearly has a sharp wit. But watching some of his other films (I’m thinking especially of Box of Moonlight), I think he’s kind of a softy.
PS: I knew you lived in Portland but I didn’t know you were there when I was. I was there 1990-1999.
Yeah I was there most of those years. But I never met ANYBODY. A very awkward social being am I. To this day everyone I know is either my brother or a friend I met through my wife!