Fade Out – Mike Nichols

4 responses to “Fade Out – Mike Nichols”

1. Thanks for another informative and entertaining episode!
   Somewhat of a bittersweet coincidence that the episode aired on the day that Alan Arkin’s passing was announced. It made for a nice tribute…

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2. This episode encapsulates why I love this podcast so much. I get to learn about a filmmaker I have a passing interest in and it opens me up to the larger world of their filmography, I get to hear a wonderful interview with a luminary in the industry and I get to share in the memories and experiences Rob relates so well. As a kid, I to would sit and watch Silkwood on PRISM, the local Philadelphia based cable outlet. I too was a nerdy, comic book/sci fi enthusiast who was drawn to a movie like this, and others as well, that told unique stories and introduced us to interesting and diverse characters. We live in a world where the nerds “won”, but sometimes that doesn’t feel like a victory. It was through movies like Silkwood and creators like Nichols that my world was expanded and enriched. I feel like we’re losing that. Thank you Rob, and Joan, and Mike, for keeping that flame lit.

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3. Mike Nichols is a great, fascinating subject for this podcast. Joan Darling is a wonderful guest with so many incredible insights into Nichols. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode, Rob.

   One thing that struck me was your comment that Nichols didn’t have a distinctive style as a director outside of a focus on interpersonal relationships. I agree, but I would say a hallmark of several of his films was a seamless translation of certain theatrical elements into the cinematic format. Whether it was the monologues of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the fourth-wall breaking in Wit, or actors performing multiple roles as in Angels In America, Nichols had a knack for making traditionally theatrical techniques that could seem hokey or over-the-top work on film.

   Finally, a little trivia for you: In Postcards From the Edge, Gene Hackman based his director character on Richard Donner. He revealed that in an interview once.

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4. There’s a lot to praise here, so I’ll get right to it. Joan Darling is always wonderful to listen to — so many stories and so much well-earned wisdom — but you also did a terrific job with her, Rob. Your (plural) analysis on Afghanistan, as someone who’s spent a lot of time in Afghanistan and a lot of time thinking about it, was very insightful. The wisdom the two of you closed out with (and especially Joan) was also outstanding.

   One more comment that is neither praise nor criticism, just my two cents: As another person who’s experienced depressive episodes, I think people have different triggers and different things they dwell on when it comes to depression. It sounds like Mike Nichols didn’t struggle with anxiety, maybe because he had successfully dealt with so many difficult things, and from a very young age. So, I can understand why he didn’t worry over whether the film he was working on would be well-received, or whether he was going to get any work after arguing with the studio. However, given what you and Joan said about him, I would bet that he was much more emotionally invested in the meaning and process of his work — whether he felt the film worked and got his message across, or whether he was creating the atmosphere on the set he wanted, for example. Many of us are own worst critics, anyway.

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