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Sunday, July 11, 2004
The Martin Lawrence Problem
The Martin Lawrence problem is the tragedy of all those who in their hearts at some point aspire to be famously talented. Martin Lawrence is famous, but not famously talented so he didn't get it all. His movies just never arrive alive. Looking at little inadvertent riffs of business accidentally burred onto the body of a Martin Lawrence movie, you can see he's a gifted silly fool. Unfortunately he might as well be a tree stump for all his funniness is ever going to add to the body of classic comedy. ALWAYS he is directed, formed, shaped, made to behave in congruence with the script crafted by someone with a 60 IQ. Pottymouth language, moron situations pretty much totally devoid of situational humor...that's your Martin Lawrence movie. Martin Lawrence is the archetypal guy that 'coulda a contender'. He's funny but he isn't, really. He has a rare gift without a nurturing professional environment. Watching one of those films is kind of like when you have to sneeze and can't...it's almost there, almost, almost....and you don't sneeze.
If you sit back and look around, the reverse Martin Lawrences among us,talented but not famous, their name is Legion. Don't you know plenty of people whom everyone urges, "You know, with your talent, you should blahblahblahblahblahblah." The talented one looks a little bit flattered, but unconvinced. Their unique ability is unmatched with whatever else it takes. That's OK. They have an audience, just not ever a big one. The comedians, musicians, story tellers, dancers, the drama queens you meet in the grocery store, the laundromat, waiting at the garage, in line at the bank, in the doctor's waiting room I'm always glad to run into one of those people....now that I don't have to teach them any more.
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