Full-name movie titles
What do Michael Clayton, Dolores Claibourne, Jerry Maguire, Audrey Rose, Susan Slade, Mildred Pierce and King Kong have in common? They’re all titles of movies that are named after their main characters because…well, hard to say. Nothing poetic or allusive in them. Were they so named because a first and last name sounds straight and unpretentious? You tell me.
(l. to r.) George Clooney in Michael Clayton, Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce, Kathy Bates in Dolores Claibourne, King Kong
Using a plain, simple-sounding “name” title that doesn’t imply or suggest anything thematic or tonal or alliterative. All these titles say is, “This is our main character’s name as it appears on his/her driver’s license.” (Except, obviously, in the case of one.)
I’ve heard from a friend of Michael Clayton (Warner Bros., 10.3), said to be a first-rate adult drama with George Clooney in the lead role, and he tells me that one reason for the title was that “the script/film starts with four page monologue voice-over from the Tom Wilkinson character” and so director-writer Tony Gilroy “didn’t want anyone to mistake his focus.”
Once “Michael Clayton” was typed on the cover page, the guy says, “everyone assumed they’d find a better title, and they were all still toying with alternatives until they saw the very first assemblage [of the film]. It’s so George’s movie. Suddenly, it felt dead-on.”
I had a question about this because “Michael Clayton” is just…well, a guy’s name. Nothing ironic or double-layered or smart-assy. And it’s not like the name rings a bell in a history-book sense, which was the justification for Neil Jordan and Liam Neeson calling their Irish rebellion story Michael Collins.
There’s obviously nothing “wrong” with Gilroy calling his film Michael Clayton — it’s fine — although it seems analagous to, say, Sydney Pollack deciding to throw out John Grisham‘s book title The Firm and call his 1993 Tom Cruise-Gene Hackman thriller Mitch McDeere instead.
Or Gregory Hoblit deciding against calling his 1998 Richard Gere-Edward Norton thriller Primal Fear and going instead with Martin Vail (i.e., the name of Gere’s lawyer character).
Or Howard Hawks decided against calling his 1948 western classic Red River and going instead with Matthew Garth (i.e., Montgomery Clift‘s character) or Tom Dunson (i.e., John Wayne‘s).
Or Changing Lanes being thrown out by director Roger Michell in favor of Gavin Banek (i.e., the name of Ben Affleck’s character).
Or Brian DePalma deciding upon Tony Montana instead of Scarface.
Greer Garson‘s Mrs. Miniver isn’t the same kind of deal because of the “Mrs.” — that lends a certain titled distinction. And it’s not like Andrew V. McLaglen‘s McLintock! because that was just the last name of John Wayne’s character, and it used an exclamation point. Napoleon Dynamite was a different deal as well — the weird goofball sound of that name made for a kind of attitude statement.
Otto Maddox
At first I thought Clooney was playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver, and was impressed. Now, not so much.
I honestly am amazed at your ability to come up with subjects.
One of these things is not like the others…
The other titles play because they have literary sources…except for King Kong, but the gorilla’s name was really just “Kong” wasn’t it? (Preparing to get hammered by a King Kong expert). Either way, Michael Clayton is weird. It’s not an especially interesting name nor a character in a novel. It means nothing. A movie like Joe, at least the name carries a kind of connotation.
I’ve always felt the same way about Hamlet. I would have called it Piece of Work.
Well, “Jerry Maguire” didn’t mean all that much either, but that movie did big business. I mean, what can you tell me about the movie from that name.
Maybe when you are going with a character that is so strong that the name is good enough.
Cameron Crowe has to be the king kong of choosing pointless titles. but i think that is the byproduct regarding the texture of his canvases.
I think certain names just work for titles…like ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘Michael Clayton’. They aren’t hard sounding, plus easy to remember. Heck, I’m sure sooner or later a Batman sequel is going to be called ‘Bruce Wayne’.
Besides, “Freaks” was taken, so it HAD to be Napoleon Dynamite
Regina George
Joan Crawford’s ‘Mrs. Miniver’? You mean like Greer Garson’s ‘Mildred Pierce’?
I don’t know which of those would have been worse casting. Sometimes Hollywood gets it right.
“Norma Rae” works beautifully.
Norma Rae is another good example of a name/title that sort of tells you something about the movie. It has a southern working class flavor to it.
A lot of these titles seems to flirt with forgettability when we first hear of them, but the decent-enough ones end up working their way into the vernacular. Julia Roberts seems to be tied to lots of them (ERIN BROCKOVICH, MARY REILLY, MICHAEL COLLINS). And as far as two-word movie titles go, I prefer the proper names to the tried-and-true adjective/noun combo.
CHARLIE BARTLETT, however, deserves to be forgotten for its own special reasons.
Otto Maddox
yeah, ANNIE HALL just doesn’t work either.
One of these things is not like the others…
The other titles play because they have literary sources…except for King Kong, but the gorilla’s name was really just “Kong” wasn’t it? (Preparing to get hammered by a King Kong expert). Either way, Michael Clayton is weird. It’s not an especially interesting name nor a character in a novel. It means nothing. A movie like Joe, at least the name carries a kind of connotation.
I think certain names just work for titles…like ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘Michael Clayton’. They aren’t hard sounding, plus easy to remember. Heck, I’m sure sooner or later a Batman sequel is going to be called ‘Bruce Wayne’.
“I’ve always felt the same way about Hamlet. I would have called it Piece of Work.”
Or how about “There’s Something Rotten In Denmark”?
I remember watching “Charley Varrick” and thinking that the movie’s title should’ve been “The Last of the Independents”. Seriously.
Or how about “There’s Something Rotten In Denmark”?
That’s too long. But maybe shortening it to “Something Rotten” would work.
Or, just call it “Not To Be.”
Norma Rae is another good example of a name/title that sort of tells you something about the movie. It has a southern working class flavor to it.
Welcome to the Dollhouse is always called “Faggots and Retards” around my house.
Mary Reilly – now that was a title!
“Moby Dick” is just…well, a whale’s name. Nothing ironic or double-layered or smart-assy.
Rudy!
Rudy!
Rudy!
Rudy!
Rudy!
Rudy!
Hamlet in my townhouse is called.
“The Verbal Lesbo in Greenwich”
I am kind of surprised they would go with Michael Clayton when Michael Collins is already out there. Sure, it wouldn’t confuse most filmgoers, but it was the first thing I thought of.