Wednesday, September 12, 2012

NORA EPHRON

She's gone.

Many wonderful tributes to her have been written.

I wasn't aware of her. I loved the films she wrote -- stories, events, scenes that live on in my mind, which undoubtedly affected, to some extent, my thinking.

I looked up her credits, her successes -- she was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay): for “Silkwood,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle” -- she won the British equivalent to our Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay for “When Harry Met Sally.” Her last film was “Julie & Julia.” She also co-authored the Drama Desk Award-winning theatrical production “Love, Loss, and What I Wore.”


So many characters she created touched me -- not their names but how they reacted, little things they did still seem real --I think that’s amazing --she created moments that you want to see again and again.

It’s sort of like what a mother does -- gives the child so many memories, deeply felt moments that continue to shape him or her for years and years after Mom is gone.

My Mom, sitting at my kitchen table, with a pen and music paper copying stuff -- eighth notes, chords, clefs -- she couldn’t read music. She just did it -- copied music that I desperately needed and couldn't afford to pay a professional to do it.

And my husband, John Cullum’s welcome home gift -- as I returned from a tour (the first time I’d been away from him) -- climbing the stairs. I heard a roar -- a huge thrilling chord from “Thus Spake Zarathustra” -- he’d bought sound equipment for me -- the real me -- what a gift -- that he perceived who I was, who I am.

And that’s what Nora Ephron gave me -- many moments, many visions of things that I cherished -- gestures, words that I’ll never forget.

Each film she created has them -- the something of Nora Ephron -- tenderness, womanliness, love, sex, and so many sweet, funny, awful incongruities that coincide with feelings I’ve had.

Yes, famous actors, producers, writers, all sorts of celebrities have mourned her with wonderful, deeply felt words. And she lives on, in the minds of many, many people, who didn't know her, to whom she gave precious visions of love.

If you were writing this, what moment or moments still ring in your mind?

Golly, I can't think of anything more important to say about someone who's gone -- Nora Ephron, you live on in our minds.

If you have time, here are scenes from some of those favorite movies.












6 comments:

Peggy Bechko said...

Yes, yes, yes, we miss Nora Ephron!

Anonymous said...

A wonderful tribute blog to Nora E. She gave the world so much good and beautiful things as we still see in her films. I watched Sleepless
in Seattle again and cried of course. Thank you
Nora for giving that moment of awe and wonderment in our hearts forever! kam

Carola said...

I love her movies and her books. Most recently I enjoyed her book "I Hate my Neck"

Unknown said...

I was and am a huge fan of Nora Ephron. I read her books and saw all of her movies, my favorite being "When Harry Met Sally".

A few years ago in San Diego, I actually sat next to her while attending a performance of her play with music (by Marvin Hamlish). It was called "Imaginary Friends". It made it to Broadway, but flopped.

Sitting next to her was an amazing experience. She was so full of life and so thrilled with the performance. A smile never left her face.

She left during the curtain call and we never spoke...but still ..what a fantastic experience for me as I could so feel her buoyant enthusiasm for her show.

I was shocked beyond belief when I learned that she had died. We lost one incredible writer and one incredible soul the day Nora left us. May she RIP!

Maureen Jacobs said...

Ms. Ephron better be remembered years to come for her unique take on life. We have lost and incredible person whose words live on. Through her books. If you miss her as well, revisit some of her titles. Ereaders make that all the more easier or that.

Unknown said...

I loved all of her films. A very talented lady. An interesting fact I thought that her parents were screen writers. They wrote the screenplay of Take Her She's mine and Sandra Dee's Character was based on their then 22 year old daughter Nora's letters home from college. Seems she must have always been an entertaining writer.

Great post Em, always nice to remember talented people who in their lives gave so much pleasure.