Friday, July 31, 2009

My Weekend Crush

In any relationship, there is always the star. The one whose name comes first, whose personality fills the room, whose presence leaves the more lasting impression. But while the quieter partner may be lose out in first impressions, she should never be counted out. For without the yang, the yin cannot make a whole. Without Laurel Holloman, there is no Bette and Tina. There is no center. There is no whole. Bette without Tina to ground her is a one-note character – all power and desire, no heart and consequences. She needs Tina, and we need Laurel.

Of course, Laurel is more than just Tina. She first stole my heart – as I’m sure she did yours – as the adorable Randy Dean. She was the scruffy little butch we all wish we met in high school, or aspired to be. In “The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love,” Laurel was awkward yet determined, goofy yet heroic. Anytime I want a guaranteed giggle, I cue the film up to Randy reading “Leaves of Grass” and replay her delightfully adolescent repeating of the word “crotch.” She so inhabited that role that years later when I encounter her again on my TV, this time in “Angel,” I almost didn’t recognize her.

So then, when we met again in that show about the letter between K and M, I didn’t know what to expect. What we got was strength, smarts, sweetness and, sure, sometimes a neck-bulging screamfest. It’s not easy being the quiet one. But it’s the quiet ones who always surprise you. Happy weekend, all.

35 comments:

Rae said...

Tina was my favorite on the show. I find Laurel Holloman as an actor and person very compelling. She had me the moment she humped Mia Kirshner on stage to get a laugh.

Jennifer Bates said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jennifer Bates said...

I absolutely ADORE Laurel. She is so beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your unexpected reminder of my beloved actress and fav character.
Hope to hear about her more thrilling news very soon.

Anonymous said...

Love love LOVE Laurel!!! And Tina. ITA that without Tina, Bette is a one note character. It's not easy being the quiet one, and Laurel did a sublime job. Loved her as Randy and Justine too. Can't wait to see what role she takes on next.

TLWFan said...

so so true...i'm a tibetter and without Tina/Laurel there would be no TiBette...Laurel doesn't get enough prase for her work and i'm glad you did

Anonymous said...

Awesome post - made me miss that damn show. Loved the love those two wonderful actresses portrayed. But loved Randy Dean even more.

Julie said...

Ew.

Stacy said...

I still love her. What a great way to start the weekend.

reelgal said...

Oh yes!! Love the photo you chose and the words you wrote. Hurray for Laurel!

Anonymous said...

Ihank you so much!! It is awesome because I love Laurel & Jennifer.

Anonymous said...

Tina went through some serious ups and downs... but in the end, she's the character I relate to most, and Laurel portrays her so beautifully and with so much soul. Love. Her.

Anonymous said...

Finally! You're giving Laurel some love. Better late than never :)

Norma Desmond said...

Well chosen. :)

Anonymous said...

For me, Laurel/Tina is the character that took over TLW series. I found her so compelling I researched all her previous works and watched everyone of them. I am still hoping that some day her "Blossom Time" film will be release. The creator and director of "Blossom Time" has told me she was wonderful in it. She is a great actress with wonderful personal qualities. I will watch anything she appears in.

Penny Cillin said...

I adore Laurel Holloman. She is absolutely gorgeous, very funny, and completely accessible. I certainly became a Tina fan late in the game, but as I begin to revisit the series from the beginning, I am more aware of all of the nuances I missed the first time around.

Anonymous said...

i love Jennifer Beals

Anonymous said...

Great choice. Laurel is incredibly beautiful and gracious. She was one of my faves on the show!

Anonymous said...

Love Laurel. I always felt she was under appreciated. I hope now that she's had a long break from Hollywood, she can go back getting on our screens.

MakingSpace said...

I could not adore Randy Dean more. Thanks for this weekend crush!

Anonymous said...

salute to laurel holloman/tina kennard! she's the best! I agree that with out tina, there wud b no beth porter! Love the L word! amazing series!

Tibetter said...

Laurel displays such a vulnerability in her portrayal of Tina that I found very captivating. I agree the nuances of her performance are incredible when rewatching scenes. I think Jennifer Beals is a wonderful actress, and deserved all the accolades she received for her portrayal of Bette, but think Laurel was not given nearly enough praise or credit.

島嶼之下The island said...

Laurel is the best, and Tina was my favorite in TLW.
Maybe she is not the star, but she just had that strength to catch you...and she really deserved more praise and attention about her excellent performance.
Thanks for your article to start a great weekend.

Get Set.Go said...

I never really liked Tina until i realized that she was actually one of the peace keepers on the show- she just went with what her heart said was right.

Mary said...

Even when the scripts gave her little to work with, Laurel delivered such layered performances. Tina sneaks up on you - and in the end I realized in many ways she was the true heart of the show. She did follow her heart and I admired her strength in doing that. She grounded not just Bette, but Jenny too, when Jenny let her. Great choice for weekend crush.

Erica said...

Bette may get the blood pumping but Tina stole my heart. Nice pic, Ms. Snarker.

Nic said...

Bette may be passion, but Tina is love. You can't have one without the other.

I feel like Tina is the grounded one in the show, kinda like the rock, not seeking notoriety and maybe just a little understated. Which can lead to being taken for granted sometimes. Laurel deserves to be appreciated so much more because she is really.good.!

Mia said...

Beautiful, beautiful pic indeed. Laurel's character has always been my fav, i realized why when i read this weekend crush: for beeing the quiet one. She´s lovely.

Mariana said...

Love Laurel ..
So true .. that without Tina/LH there's no Bette/JB..
I love Tibette forever ...

TheWeyrd1 said...

I didn't know who I wanted more...Tina or Alice. Or some kind of combination. Definitely not Shane...heh. Of course, Laurel was incredibly fortunate to be cast opposite of Jennifer Beals and she held her own for sure.

triplestripe said...

I have loved that photo from the first moment i saw it. such beautiful composition. and subject matter.

Lola said...

love her.

Misdirected Email said...

What a great photo! Where did you find it?

Anonymous said...

That's Jennifer Beals behind the camera, right?

Paulien said...

It must be really hard to stand your own with an actess like JB and Laurel just did a wonderful job. I have always loved her as Tina and I love her in her other roles as well. Her husband is one lucky bloke!