My Weekend Crush

It might be easy to dismiss Penny Marshall, who passed away at age 75 this week, as a caricature of herself. Those bangs. Those tinted glasses. And, yeah, that voice like a clench-jawed marionette had taken a handful of Quaaludes. But what Penny Marshall really was was a trailblazer. From the first moment she “Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!”-herself into our living rooms, she had us laughing. And laughter is an underrated revolutionary force.

While “Laverne & Shirley” was a spinoff of “Happy Days,” it was actually a slyly feminist statement. Here were two single women living together, working factory jobs and navigating life’s bumps and pratfalls together. They made us laugh and fall in love with their independent spunk.

When Penny moved on to directing, she chose projects that spoke with humor – so much humor – and heart. From “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” to “Big,” to “Awakenings” to “A League of Their Own” and more, her movies stuck with you in unexpected ways. “Big” was one of my absolute favorite movies as a kid – and I still stop to eat baby corn that way. It perfectly captured the impatience for adulthood you felt as a child, and why it’s always better to take your time instead.

And, of course, there was “A League of Their Own,” which is the all-time greatest sports movie. Period. (Don’t @ me with your “Bull Durham” or “A Field of Dreams” or “Major League” nonsense.) You know what else it is? The highest grossing baseball movie of all time – yeah, more than all those other dude films. In fact, Penny was the first female director to have a movie gross over $100 million. First with “Big” and then with “A League of Their Own.”

The thing about Penny’s movies is they’re instantly iconic in so many ways. They’ve slipped seamlessly into our lexicon. They’re just a part of us now. There’s no crying in baseball! They made us laugh, but they also showed us something special. “A League of Their Own” remains a landmark. It’s about how good it feels to be seen, to be appreciated, to be celebrated for doing something well that no one expects from us. And, really, that’s what we all want. Plus, it was ladies playing baseball. And we all know that is something all queer gals can get behind. Thanks, Penny, for all the laughs and love. Please say hello (and crack some really dirty jokes) with Carrie Fisher for us. Rest in peace, lady. Happy weekend, all.