Greta Gerwig names the greatest character in television history: “Fucking genius”
Before her glittering directorial career, Greta Gerwig was one of the leading figures of the mumblecore movement through endearing performances in films like Baghead, Hannah Takes the Stairs and Frances Ha. As an actor, she became known for her slightly awkward and eccentric characters, working with independent directors like Mike Mills, Pablo Larrain and Noah Baumbach.
Through this, she forged a reputation as an indie darling and fierce advocate for this mode of filmmaking, something that caused later controversy when she seemingly left this for the studio model, with Gerwig signing an eight-picture deal with Netflix. However, despite the questionable choices she made later on in her career, her importance within this movement cannot be understated, and she helped create a new era in which filmmaking was temporarily more accessible. But despite her many iconic roles, there was one film that was met less kindly, even though it was based on a hugely popular cult film.
Arthur was first directed by Steve Gordon in 1981, with the film following a man-child who learns that he will soon inherit $750million if he marries a woman chosen by his family. The original film stars Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli, with Jason Winer then recreating the film in 2011 with Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig and Jennifer Garner.
The script was penned by the creator of Alan Partridge, Peter Baynham, which Gerwig has described as the reason she joined this questionable project. Alan Partridge is one of the most beloved British television characters, a beloved DJ and radio host with an outrageous sense of humour that is profoundly British and awkward. The character has been front and centre of many television shows nd films over the years, with the 2013 film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa perhaps being the most infamous addition to his non-sensical universe.
When describing her intentions for joining Arthur, Gerwig explained her love for Partridge, saying he was one of her favourite television characters ever and “a fucking genius”. While the script for Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa may be pitch-perfect, the remake of Arthur is borderline insulting in how awful it is.
Besides the fact that it stars the now disgraced and disgusting Russell Brand, it also requires Academy Award-winning actors to say inexcusable lines of dialogue. The script is so bad that it becomes offensive, with not even the comedic genius of Gerwig being enough to save the project from disaster. While the original is not necessarily a masterpiece, the remake is unfathomably bad, showing that sometimes the best way to dishonour your favourite film is to try and make it again.
However, Gerwig has starred in many other great projects since, and her role in Arthur remains as a small blip among many successful films, starring in 20th Century Women alongside Annette Bening, Isle of Dogs and recently White Noise, which was Baumbach’s highest-budget film to date. The filmmaker is currently working on her adaptation of Narnia, with many rumoured casting decisions that will perhaps lead the series to the same fate as Arthur.
