The actor David Fincher once described as a “national treasure”
David Fincher hasn’t quite obtained the title of “national treasure” just yet, but he has certainly proven himself to be a cinematic treasure. The meticulous director first made a name for himself in the late 1990s with the grisly Se7en and cult classic Fight Club, honing a talent for telling dark stories with unparalleled detail on-screen. Since then, he has cemented himself as the master of the modern thriller.
He took on the real life story of the Zodiac Killer in 2007 with the aptly titled Zodiac, delved into the drama of boardrooms and legal battles in The Social Network, and delivered one of the most entertaining thrillers in modern movie-making with Gone Girl. His insistence on endless re-takes may have annoyed some actors, but his perfectionism has spawned some of the most truly atmospheric and affecting movies in contemporary cinema.
Though Fincher works largely within the thriller genre, generally finding himself drawn to projects with dubious characters and jaw-dropping plot twists, his viewing habits aren’t quite as limited. During a chat with Aframe, he spoke about five films that had impacted him in some way or another, with picks ranging from Steven Spielberg blockbusters to John Carpenter classics.
One of the films Fincher decided to include on the list was Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon, which follows a con man, played by Ryan O’Neal, and a young girl, played by his real-life daughter, Tatum O’Neal, as they form an unexpected kinship. Fincher described it as the “most perfect casting of father and daughter thespians ever,” but the central characters weren’t the only element of the film that excited Fincher.
Between the perfect casting and a stunning script contributed by Alvin Sargent, Fincher suggested that Paper Moon may well be Peter Bogdanovich’s “best film — and that is saying something.” He was also particularly excited about the presence of Madeline Kahn in the film, who he described as a “national treasure.”
Khan was a frequent collaborator of Bogdanovich’s – just one year prior to Paper Moon, she had starred in What’s Up, Doc? as her feature film debut. Just a couple of years later, they worked together again on At Last long Love. In Paper Moon, though, she took on the role of Trixie Delight, a dancer and escort who attracts the attention of Ryan O’Neal’s character.
In one scene in particular, Kahn delivers a stellar monologue to Tatum O’Neal’s Addie, promising her that one day she will be just as pretty as her. Over half a century on, it’s a monologue that seems to comment on our treatment of young women and girls, on how society often quantifies them by their looks over anything else.
“You don’t have to worry,” Kahn declares, “One of these days you’re going to be just as pretty as mademoiselle, maybe prettier.” It’s a standout performance in the film, and it’s easy to see why Fincher considers her to be a national treasure. The director isn’t the only one who was particularly taken in by her performance in Paper Moon.
Khan was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her performance. Though she missed out on winning the Oscar to her co-star, Tatum O’Neal, she was just as widely praised for her role in the film. Three decades after her death, she is still considered a national treasure by many, not just by Fincher.
