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Dying of Politeness
‘I adored this book. It’s so Geena and so inspiring and such a wonderful read’ Emma Thompson A Times Film and Theatre Book of the Year 2022From two-time Academy Award winner and screen icon Geena Davis, Dying of Politeness is the candid, surprising tale of her journey from her epically polite childhood to the roles that put her in the spotlight and gave her the strength to become a powerhouse in Hollywood.
At three years old, Geena announced she was going to be in movies. Now, with a slew of iconic roles and awards under her belt, she has surpassed her childhood dream, but her journey has been one of fits and starts, with a pothole or two along the way.
In this hilarious memoir, Geena regales us with tales of a career playing everything from an amnesiac assassin to the parent of a rodent in Stuart Little; a soap star in her underwear to a housewife turned road warrior in Thelma & Louise; a baseball phenomenon in A League of Their Own to the first female President of the United States in Commander in Chief, and more. She is frank about her eccentric childhood; her many relationships, including her spontaneous Las Vegas wedding to Jeff Goldblum; her archery exploits which led her to the Olympic trials; and how she became a tireless advocate for women and girls, founding her own institute which engages film and TV creators to better represent women and actors from diverse backgrounds.
Dying of Politeness is a touching account of one woman’s journey to fight for herself, and ultimately fighting for women all around the globe.
At three years old, Geena announced she was going to be in movies. Now, with a slew of iconic roles and awards under her belt, she has surpassed her childhood dream, but her journey has been one of fits and starts, with a pothole or two along the way.
In this hilarious memoir, Geena regales us with tales of a career playing everything from an amnesiac assassin to the parent of a rodent in Stuart Little; a soap star in her underwear to a housewife turned road warrior in Thelma & Louise; a baseball phenomenon in A League of Their Own to the first female President of the United States in Commander in Chief, and more. She is frank about her eccentric childhood; her many relationships, including her spontaneous Las Vegas wedding to Jeff Goldblum; her archery exploits which led her to the Olympic trials; and how she became a tireless advocate for women and girls, founding her own institute which engages film and TV creators to better represent women and actors from diverse backgrounds.
Dying of Politeness is a touching account of one woman’s journey to fight for herself, and ultimately fighting for women all around the globe.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2022
419 people are currently reading
13855 people want to read
About the author
Geena Davis
11 books101 followersTwo-time Academy Award winner Geena Davis is one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, having appeared in several roles that became cultural landmarks, such as Thelma in Thelma & Louise, Dottie Hinson in A League of Their Own, and Mackenzie Allen in Commander in Chief. She is also a world-class archer and is now recognized for her tireless advocacy of women and girls, as Founder and Chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,132 reviews
October 17, 2022
Being a huge Geena Davis fan, I was DYING OF ANTICIPATION to read her memoir. It’s funny, raw, and honest. The title is perfect! It details her journey to stardom and everything she’s accomplished since then.
Fans will love reading nuggets about her hit films, like “Beetlejuice “, “Thelma and Louise”, and “A League Of Their Own”. I absolutely loved reading about my favorite Geena movie (and one of my favorites in general), “The Long Kiss Goodnight “. It’s an underrated action thriller starring her and Samuel L. Jackson.
She’s a badass, and she has interesting stories to share!
So thankful that my library took my advice and ordered a copy for me. As of now, there are 45 holds on 2 copies. I hope all of her fans enjoy it!
Fans will love reading nuggets about her hit films, like “Beetlejuice “, “Thelma and Louise”, and “A League Of Their Own”. I absolutely loved reading about my favorite Geena movie (and one of my favorites in general), “The Long Kiss Goodnight “. It’s an underrated action thriller starring her and Samuel L. Jackson.
She’s a badass, and she has interesting stories to share!
So thankful that my library took my advice and ordered a copy for me. As of now, there are 45 holds on 2 copies. I hope all of her fans enjoy it!
March 13, 2024
Geena Davis wrote and narrated Dying of Politeness: A Memoir and it's fabulous! My Mom and I listened to the audiobook on a day long road trip. Geena's self-deprecating wit, humor, and storytelling style is terrific!
She wasn't always a badass, as she was described later in her career. Geena takes the reader on a journey on what helped her become an advocate for women and women's representation in movies.
Susan Sarandon helped Geena see and learn what standing up for yourself really looks like while they filmed the iconic Thelma and Louise.
I have been very fortunate to attend the Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) for several years. It was created by Geena Davis and it celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. BFF champions independent voices, nurtures and connects diverse artists, and spotlights work that challenges and entertains audiences.
I highly recommend this book!
She wasn't always a badass, as she was described later in her career. Geena takes the reader on a journey on what helped her become an advocate for women and women's representation in movies.
Susan Sarandon helped Geena see and learn what standing up for yourself really looks like while they filmed the iconic Thelma and Louise.
I have been very fortunate to attend the Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) for several years. It was created by Geena Davis and it celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. BFF champions independent voices, nurtures and connects diverse artists, and spotlights work that challenges and entertains audiences.
I highly recommend this book!
October 14, 2022
While I like Geena Davis as an actress, she glossed over so much of what made her who she is today and how she got such big parts back in the 80s/90s, save for Thelma and Louise. The way I understand is she was just in the right place at the right time and modeling was her foot in the door. The woman has been married 4 times(!) and that, too, was written with little detail. She gave more attention to Jeff Goldblum but again, failed to elaborate why that relationship failed, yet states she regrets it. I was just left with more questions and curiosity and thought it could have been much better. Geena continued to refer to herself as a "bad-ass" but I, personally, never was convinced of this. Yes, she played some strong characters in her career and took up archery, but nothing substantial. Overall, this book is decent but leaves the reader wanting more and have a less idolized view of this Hollywood star.
November 17, 2022
I didn't know anything about Geena Davis before reading this book. I've only seen 3 of her movies:
1. A League of Their Own
2. Beetlejuice
3. The Long Kiss Goodnight
I did once watch 15 minutes of Thelma & Louise but it was boring and I turned it off.
I was excited to read this book. One of the reasons I love reading memoirs is because I'm fascinated by people who are completely different from me and in the last 3 or so years I've really become interested the memoirs of actresses. When I heard Geena Davis was releasing a memoir, I was instantly interested. To be honest I had never given Geena Davis a second thought.
Dying of Politeness may seem like a weird title but once you read this book, the title makes perfect sense. Geena Davis is the nicest person I've probably ever read about. Even when she's telling stories that she thinks don't paint her the best light, I still only saw her kindness....Also Bill Murray really is a terrible person.
Don't pick this book up if you want juicy Hollywood gossip. She does give you some inside stories but this book is mostly about Geena learning to be a more assertive person. Geena Davis spent a lot of her life being a doormat. She was just to polite to stand up for herself. Geena Davis is a vastly interesting person. She's not only an actress, she's an archer( like Katniss Everdeen) and she runs an advocacy group that is dedicated to ensuring that television and movies have more positive images of girls and women.
After reading this memoir I'm planning on watching more of her movies...I'll probably give Thelma & Louise another try as well.
If you love the movies Beetlejuice than maybe pick up this book.
If you enjoy memoirs by fascinating people, than pick up this book.
I highly recommend it!
1. A League of Their Own
2. Beetlejuice
3. The Long Kiss Goodnight
I did once watch 15 minutes of Thelma & Louise but it was boring and I turned it off.
I was excited to read this book. One of the reasons I love reading memoirs is because I'm fascinated by people who are completely different from me and in the last 3 or so years I've really become interested the memoirs of actresses. When I heard Geena Davis was releasing a memoir, I was instantly interested. To be honest I had never given Geena Davis a second thought.
Dying of Politeness may seem like a weird title but once you read this book, the title makes perfect sense. Geena Davis is the nicest person I've probably ever read about. Even when she's telling stories that she thinks don't paint her the best light, I still only saw her kindness....Also Bill Murray really is a terrible person.
Don't pick this book up if you want juicy Hollywood gossip. She does give you some inside stories but this book is mostly about Geena learning to be a more assertive person. Geena Davis spent a lot of her life being a doormat. She was just to polite to stand up for herself. Geena Davis is a vastly interesting person. She's not only an actress, she's an archer( like Katniss Everdeen) and she runs an advocacy group that is dedicated to ensuring that television and movies have more positive images of girls and women.
After reading this memoir I'm planning on watching more of her movies...I'll probably give Thelma & Louise another try as well.
If you love the movies Beetlejuice than maybe pick up this book.
If you enjoy memoirs by fascinating people, than pick up this book.
I highly recommend it!
April 20, 2024
I am a huge admirer of women who use their success to advocate for change and pave the way for others to follow. Geena Davis has always been one of my favourite actors and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir.
I love how she shares her own struggle with authenticity to shine a light on the stories we continue to tell about women. Her unanticipated struggle to get roles post 40 seems to have driven many of her choices in her personal and professional life and I hope that her work through the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media continues, and creates a legacy for other industries to follow.
4 stars.
I love how she shares her own struggle with authenticity to shine a light on the stories we continue to tell about women. Her unanticipated struggle to get roles post 40 seems to have driven many of her choices in her personal and professional life and I hope that her work through the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media continues, and creates a legacy for other industries to follow.
4 stars.
August 22, 2025
Geena Davis writes like she is talking to a friend, and she expresses her thoughts in a matter-of-fact, witty way coupled with a sense of humour. She has definitely traversed through a few decades of a colorful life filled with rich life experiences. This book is a short memoir with cute cartoonish drawings by Davis herself and pictures of her family and life in both black-and-white and color photographs. Overall, an interesting read, and it makes me want to see some of her movies that I never got to watch, such as Thelma and Louise.
November 12, 2022
*4.5 stars*
Smart and sharp and very funny. I enjoyed this memoir a LOT!
Smart and sharp and very funny. I enjoyed this memoir a LOT!
December 28, 2022
I’ve always liked Geena Davis and wished she got more roles after she hit her 40s. I never knew much about her as a person, and this entertaining memoir made me wish I had.
Right off the bat, I learned for the first time that she’s a fellow New Englander. She grew up in Wareham, Massachusetts, the daughter of loving but extremely self-effacing parents. She was taught never to ask for anything, and even to refuse things (like water!) when offered, in case the offerer then felt obliged to offer things in the future. This background led to some crazy episodes, which I won’t spoil. Suffice it to say that in her view, she has spent her life trying to leave that attitude behind and become a badass.
I also didn’t know that Davis speaks Swedish, which she learned when dropped into a Swedish town for a high school exchange student year. Her stories about her adventures in a very different culture are a hoot.
Though Davis wanted to go into film acting since she was three years old, but since she knew nothing about the industry, she made some, um, interesting choices going about it. But obviously it worked out. I enjoyed hearing her stories about each film she made and the people she got to know doing them. She is mostly complimentary about her fellow actors, especially Susan Sarandon (her guru of badassery) and Dustin Hoffman (who told her how to fend off sexual approaches by costars, a ploy she used on Jack Nicholson, to his chagrin). Sadly, she confirms that Bill Murray can be a real jerk.
Davis was in her 40s when she had children; almost as if she finally had time for that when movie roles dried up. When watching children’s programming, she noticed that boy characters were much more plentiful and got more action-oriented roles. She started an organization to study gender roles in media, which worked with the film and TV industry to correct the inequities and help inspire girls to have greater aspirations.
This memoir is funny and heartwarming. Though Davis couldn’t wait to get out of Wareham, she was always close to her parents and brother and tells many great stories about them. Please, movie producers, may we see more of Geena Davis on the screen?
Right off the bat, I learned for the first time that she’s a fellow New Englander. She grew up in Wareham, Massachusetts, the daughter of loving but extremely self-effacing parents. She was taught never to ask for anything, and even to refuse things (like water!) when offered, in case the offerer then felt obliged to offer things in the future. This background led to some crazy episodes, which I won’t spoil. Suffice it to say that in her view, she has spent her life trying to leave that attitude behind and become a badass.
I also didn’t know that Davis speaks Swedish, which she learned when dropped into a Swedish town for a high school exchange student year. Her stories about her adventures in a very different culture are a hoot.
Though Davis wanted to go into film acting since she was three years old, but since she knew nothing about the industry, she made some, um, interesting choices going about it. But obviously it worked out. I enjoyed hearing her stories about each film she made and the people she got to know doing them. She is mostly complimentary about her fellow actors, especially Susan Sarandon (her guru of badassery) and Dustin Hoffman (who told her how to fend off sexual approaches by costars, a ploy she used on Jack Nicholson, to his chagrin). Sadly, she confirms that Bill Murray can be a real jerk.
Davis was in her 40s when she had children; almost as if she finally had time for that when movie roles dried up. When watching children’s programming, she noticed that boy characters were much more plentiful and got more action-oriented roles. She started an organization to study gender roles in media, which worked with the film and TV industry to correct the inequities and help inspire girls to have greater aspirations.
This memoir is funny and heartwarming. Though Davis couldn’t wait to get out of Wareham, she was always close to her parents and brother and tells many great stories about them. Please, movie producers, may we see more of Geena Davis on the screen?
April 1, 2023
Davis is funny, warm, and charming; all things I anticipated before picking this one up. And she’s also tough and strong — which I did anticipate, too. But her growth to becoming this strong and resilient woman was a journey for her, which was unexpected.
I mean…she’s all the funny and delightful as Barbara, April, and Mrs. Little, so that was an easy acknowledgment, though her true wit outshines what is often written for her in scripts. But this woman I grew up watching, and knew as Thelma, Dottie, and Charly, had to work hard at her strength and overcome the meekness that had hidden her own agency from her.
Her work fighting for gender equity is a testament to who she always was inside and how she had to break down the barriers to even begin to level out the field.
With her Massachusettsan frankness and her just-right humility, she detailed her life from beginning to now without ever lingering too long or going into extraneous detail. More importantly, especially for me, she never, ever got gossipy. On the other side of that, she delivered her memoir as a story relayed to an old friend with whom you’re just catching up. I enjoyed this memoir so much and hope she writes again.
Audiobook, as narrated by the author: I mean, clearly Davis was going to read her own memoir…she’s fabulous. It’s her voice in her voice and, quite frankly, she nails it. Her tone was conversational and her tendency towards slight self-effacing humor could really only have been delivered perfectly by her.
I mean…she’s all the funny and delightful as Barbara, April, and Mrs. Little, so that was an easy acknowledgment, though her true wit outshines what is often written for her in scripts. But this woman I grew up watching, and knew as Thelma, Dottie, and Charly, had to work hard at her strength and overcome the meekness that had hidden her own agency from her.
Her work fighting for gender equity is a testament to who she always was inside and how she had to break down the barriers to even begin to level out the field.
With her Massachusettsan frankness and her just-right humility, she detailed her life from beginning to now without ever lingering too long or going into extraneous detail. More importantly, especially for me, she never, ever got gossipy. On the other side of that, she delivered her memoir as a story relayed to an old friend with whom you’re just catching up. I enjoyed this memoir so much and hope she writes again.
Audiobook, as narrated by the author: I mean, clearly Davis was going to read her own memoir…she’s fabulous. It’s her voice in her voice and, quite frankly, she nails it. Her tone was conversational and her tendency towards slight self-effacing humor could really only have been delivered perfectly by her.
February 5, 2023
DYING OF POLITENESS: A MEMOIR
Geena Davis
WELL, I am usually not a big fan of memoirs, yet this one caught my eye and so I started it. Even though I started it with a negative mindset, I have to say that I soon changed my mind. I really, really enjoyed this. Ms. Davis has always been one of my favorite actors, she is just so freakin' cute!
I really loved her sense of humor and her mother is or was JUST LIKE MINE! She even has a voice like my mother's. I wonder if it was a thing with moms of that age? I hope Ms. Davis reads this and can answer it. I even waited for a sign from my dad after he passed, I guess that makes me similar to her at least in that way. We were both close to our parents.
At any rate, I laughed and smiled out loud often while reading this. It was so funny, I got the audio and listened to her read it (that is when I heard her mother's voice).
5 stars
Happy Reading!
Geena Davis
WELL, I am usually not a big fan of memoirs, yet this one caught my eye and so I started it. Even though I started it with a negative mindset, I have to say that I soon changed my mind. I really, really enjoyed this. Ms. Davis has always been one of my favorite actors, she is just so freakin' cute!
I really loved her sense of humor and her mother is or was JUST LIKE MINE! She even has a voice like my mother's. I wonder if it was a thing with moms of that age? I hope Ms. Davis reads this and can answer it. I even waited for a sign from my dad after he passed, I guess that makes me similar to her at least in that way. We were both close to our parents.
At any rate, I laughed and smiled out loud often while reading this. It was so funny, I got the audio and listened to her read it (that is when I heard her mother's voice).
5 stars
Happy Reading!
Want to read
October 11, 2022I don't normally gravitate towards celebrity memoirs, but I love her, I love this cover, I love this title.
December 7, 2022
Insightful and entertaining. While lacking any salacious content, Davis regales us with really tidbits of how projects really came together in Hollywood. Her early years were uncommonly interesting told in a voice totally her own. As she finds her voice and herself, she becomes a champion at archery and goes on to found an organization that monitors gender roles in media. Honest and engaging, I enjoyed reading it much more than I expected.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2022
I love Geena and it was so fun to listen to her read her own memoir, sharing stories about the various movies/shows she's worked on, including Thelma and Louise, A league of their own and Commander in Chief. She also talks about her life growing up a bit and various relationships as well as being diagnosed later in life with ADD/ADHD. Definitely recommend this on audio!
April 1, 2023
3.5 but deserving of only 3 stars because some sections felt like a chore and other sections were like hanging out with a deeply weird friend. Did anyone else not realize Geena Davis is a real nut?? I’ve said this in other reviews but I don’t listen to celebrity memoirs because I care about your craft-tell me more stories about your donkey.
I liked the threads of her discovery of feminist and finding her voice but wish they had been explored further. I feel like she gave more pages to the background of her archery career than she did to the inception of the Geena Davis Institute (but truth, I didn’t know either existed until I read the book!).
I’d also like to take a moment to apologize to Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and women everywhere-I’ve never watched Thelma and Louise, something that I now deeply regret. I promise to repent.
I liked the threads of her discovery of feminist and finding her voice but wish they had been explored further. I feel like she gave more pages to the background of her archery career than she did to the inception of the Geena Davis Institute (but truth, I didn’t know either existed until I read the book!).
I’d also like to take a moment to apologize to Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and women everywhere-I’ve never watched Thelma and Louise, something that I now deeply regret. I promise to repent.
January 26, 2023
If you like Geena Davis (and how could you not? Thelma & Louise, Beetlejuice, A League of Their Own...), this is an entertaining, endearing, and surprisingly relatable memoir! And personally relatable to a tee: I've explicitly worked with my therapist to allow myself to "take up space" and not feel guilt when asking for or simply accepting help. Geena is also full of surprises: who knew she is approaching Olympic-level status in archery, and has actively called attention to and moved the needle on equal representation in media through the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
December 17, 2022
this book was really interesting! for context, geena davis is (among many other badass roles) the mom in stuart little. this memoir didn’t have all the depth and paradigm shifts of others i’ve read, but it really opened my eyes to parts of the acting world i’d never considered before. i thought the title “dying of politeness” was clever as she told so many stories where she chose extreme discomfort over just saying “no thanks” or “please stop”. can’t we all relate???
i found her stories about women in movies/media to be very thought-provoking. i didn’t realize how far we’ve come in how we promote women on the screen, and i also didn’t realize how much media impacts huge life decisions. in 2015, women in archery shot up by 105%, the year that both brave and hunger games came out. one of the few STEM fields that pretty equally represents women is forensic science (they call this the CSI effect). it’s wild media can have this type of impact!!!
any woman who fights for other women to have more opportunities to be badasses is a friend of mine. and geena is hilarious. would recommend.
“i knew in that meeting i was now on another planet, a new powerful exciting planet, and susan sorandon was the queen alien. how had i never been exposed to a woman like this? a woman who very simply and clearly said what she thought. how could she possibly have sat there expressing opinions that didn't start with, "this is probably a stupid idea" or "i don't know what you'll think but"? i was so long conditioned to think it is shameful to be seen and heard, to think it was impolite to sorta, exist?”
i found her stories about women in movies/media to be very thought-provoking. i didn’t realize how far we’ve come in how we promote women on the screen, and i also didn’t realize how much media impacts huge life decisions. in 2015, women in archery shot up by 105%, the year that both brave and hunger games came out. one of the few STEM fields that pretty equally represents women is forensic science (they call this the CSI effect). it’s wild media can have this type of impact!!!
any woman who fights for other women to have more opportunities to be badasses is a friend of mine. and geena is hilarious. would recommend.
“i knew in that meeting i was now on another planet, a new powerful exciting planet, and susan sorandon was the queen alien. how had i never been exposed to a woman like this? a woman who very simply and clearly said what she thought. how could she possibly have sat there expressing opinions that didn't start with, "this is probably a stupid idea" or "i don't know what you'll think but"? i was so long conditioned to think it is shameful to be seen and heard, to think it was impolite to sorta, exist?”
October 25, 2022
I'm a massive fan Geena Davis as an actress and just as the kickass human being she is, so I came into this predisposed to love it. I'm glad to say that not only did it not disappoint, I laughed out loud several times and walked away with an even greater appreciation of her movies.
It's not a celebrity tell-all and there aren't any major truth bombs dropped, and that might just be why I enjoyed it as much as I did and why I continue to look up to Davis as one very classy lady.
It's not a celebrity tell-all and there aren't any major truth bombs dropped, and that might just be why I enjoyed it as much as I did and why I continue to look up to Davis as one very classy lady.
November 27, 2022
i came because i wanted to learn about her time on the set of beetlejuice, little to no avail, and to get to know her better. but, i stayed for the feminist badass that she is!
why i love geena davis so much:
-she has this air around her that is not aggressive, but assertive. (i guess this is where her politeness lies.) she gets the job done!
-she's freaking barbara maitland in BEETLEJUICE—hands down one of my favorite movies of all time.
-she leads in a league of their own
-most notably, stars as lead thelma, in thelma and louise—partly thanks to her, we have that beautiful scene of brad pitt shirtless (one of his first acting roles, if not his first).
-she’s an actor that speaks up on set, a task she give some credit to susan sarandon.
-she’s an LGBTQIA+ and minority ally
-the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media "examines intersectional onscreen representation of six identities: gender, race, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+, and body type.”
-and many more
i love her!
why i love geena davis so much:
-she has this air around her that is not aggressive, but assertive. (i guess this is where her politeness lies.) she gets the job done!
-she's freaking barbara maitland in BEETLEJUICE—hands down one of my favorite movies of all time.
-she leads in a league of their own
-most notably, stars as lead thelma, in thelma and louise—partly thanks to her, we have that beautiful scene of brad pitt shirtless (one of his first acting roles, if not his first).
-she’s an actor that speaks up on set, a task she give some credit to susan sarandon.
-she’s an LGBTQIA+ and minority ally
-the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media "examines intersectional onscreen representation of six identities: gender, race, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+, and body type.”
-and many more
i love her!
January 4, 2023
Sorry to my old best friend, Geena Davis is my best friend now.
July 30, 2023
**½ From someone who came up in the film industry... this memoir's pretty light on Making-of anecdotals or production backstories. Davis more or less touches on most of her studio offerings, but only spotlights a couple.
Really picked this up for her retrospect on working on The Fly (1986) and Thelma & Louise (1991).
What Davis cherishes most comes across as — throwaway anecdotal one might queue up for late-night talk show fodder (the kind frequently co-authored w publicists or by studio press agents), while promoting their latest blockbuster release. i.e. only a facet of contractually obligated public exposure; rather, For-profit confidentiality share.
Regarding body dysmorphic horror The Fly, Davis gushes over director Cronenberg/Goldblum's performance, and divulges her pithy pitch for another The Fly sequel -- it's neither very clever, nor unremarkable, just, terribly episodic ...think WandaVision (2021).
She illuminates a bit more with Thelma & Louise, but primarily highlights her counterpart, Susan Sarandon's,brassy native independence, introspecting her own mousy submissiveness. Just a bit on Christopher McDonald, as well as director Scott, and then Brad Pitt's back and George Clooney's ego.
Not even in the same stratosphere as Becky Aikman's essential, exhaustive Thelma & Louise monograph Off the Cliff, imo.
And then there's her "grassroots" PR strategy...
Bill Murray is absolutely a demonstrative P.O.S. thatought to be should have been cancelled already PERIOD Davis' exploitative, PR-bait regarding her time with Murray, making his
Quick Change
(1990) is petty and self-serving for the sake of pandering to a particular demographic...
...This is the anecdotal most featured (in the week prior of the memoir‘s release) on Info-tainment Top Stories or wherever she might be publicizing it. What isn't mentioned, rather, omitted...
She 'didn't have any lines' means she wasn't essential to the scene; And almost certainly wouldn’t be any place where -- continuity critical -- missing wardrobe (a watch or belt) might register w a viewing audience.
Having worked on location film productions, I (or Geena Davis, and Bill Murray) can attest, The first shot of any production (much less, first of the Day)...
is essentially a staple of, or precursor to, productivity-workflow yield, on any film set; So much so, many Line Producers and Unit Production Managers will swagger how many setups or [script] pages they’ve hurdled prior 9:30am.
First shot of the day is most typically when EVERYONE is keyed up, on-the-starting-blocks, feverently waiting to finally hear those words:
Any director of worth (à la Christopher Nolan, notorious for starting each shooting day at 7:30am), much less familiar, knows just how critical that first shot can be for the rest of your shooting schedule. Considering Quick Change was Murray's first foray behind the camera, I'm almost certain he would've had this in mind -- A veteran of TV/film sets, He'd also be cognizant of how much one pissy actor can drag down everyone else (with them), should they feel wronged or neglected; As well as the importance of attending to, nurturing, or patronizing said actor's fickle needs is just one of many needless on-set duties a proficient director needs to be mindful of, lest they emulate McG (or Bill Murray) …hence Quick Change’s dual-directors credit.
Sorry but this is almost certainly inexperiencedactor talent running afoul an inexperienced filmmaker producer's film set. Davis acknowledges as much having never attended film school or actor's studio; Much less struggled as an aspiring actress while starting out in the industry. She's a model who got cast in a film, performed remarkably well, necessitating she never need transition back to the runaway. Which isn't her fault -- and doesn't mean she should have to eat shit bc of initial successes elsewhere, imo!
Davis only later mentions, fleetingly, Murray apologized for the "screaming performance .. raging at me in full clown getup: the makeup, the shoes, the whole nine yards” [by the way: fcking L O L !] In other words, it was all just bit she couldn’t reflect the humor in: Murray exploiting the screaming, megalomaniac-director -trope, in full clown wardrobe …at her expense.
Absolute dick move. [ but maybe tell your agent or a producer .. maybe act like you're suppose to be there?? ] Don’t let your legacy — first NYC location-filming, or collaborating with Jason Robards, or Tony Shalhoub — be another nominal entry in the Bill-Murray-❤️s-Hating-Women scroll.
Bill Murray should still be cancelled, regardless. But You should feel a little ashamed for trying to capitalize on your inability to return-volley his piggish folly!
- - - - - -
Same goes for the alleged faux-dildo audition...
again, Davis acknowledges later...
She goes on to feign obliviousness to whatever Murray was even trying to elaborate, and just rides out the rest of her Quick Change preparations (without incident).
C'mon lady! Is this your memoir or Damsel’s?
inessential takeaway: probably never considered this previously, but I think I now know why Geena Davis is mostly unfamiliar to fans of independent features (i.e. the filmmaking era — post-classical cinema — she thrived through).
Really picked this up for her retrospect on working on The Fly (1986) and Thelma & Louise (1991).
What Davis cherishes most comes across as — throwaway anecdotal one might queue up for late-night talk show fodder (the kind frequently co-authored w publicists or by studio press agents), while promoting their latest blockbuster release. i.e. only a facet of contractually obligated public exposure; rather, For-profit confidentiality share.
Regarding body dysmorphic horror The Fly, Davis gushes over director Cronenberg/Goldblum's performance, and divulges her pithy pitch for another The Fly sequel -- it's neither very clever, nor unremarkable, just, terribly episodic ...think WandaVision (2021).
She illuminates a bit more with Thelma & Louise, but primarily highlights her counterpart, Susan Sarandon's,
Not even in the same stratosphere as Becky Aikman's essential, exhaustive Thelma & Louise monograph Off the Cliff, imo.
And then there's her "grassroots" PR strategy...
Bill Murray is absolutely a demonstrative P.O.S. that
I was in the makeup trailer parked on a street in Manhattan on the morning of the first day of shooting when the second assistant director came into the trailer to let me know they were ready for me on set. I told him that the wardrobe department had just asked me to wait for a second while they got a belt, and he said, “Okay, then, just come after they bring it.”
Mere seconds went by before affable, everybody-loves-him Bill Murray came raging into the trailer, violently banging the door open.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” he bellowed. “Are you fucking kidding me?! Get the fuck OUT THERE!” And with that, he got behind me and roared in my ears, out of the trailer, onto the street, “Move! Move! Move!” By now we were getting close to where everything was set up: It was a big outdoor scene at an intersection, and between the cast, crew, extras, and spectators, there were easily more than three hundred people there—and Murray was still screaming at me, for all to see and hear.
“STAND THERE,” Murray shouted, pointing at a piece of tape on the asphalt. Then, still shouting: “ROLL IT!”
...This is the anecdotal most featured (in the week prior of the memoir‘s release) on Info-tainment Top Stories or wherever she might be publicizing it. What isn't mentioned, rather, omitted...
“Fortunately, it was a scene where I didn’t have any lines, because I couldn’t have gotten them out anyway. I was shaking all over, dying from shame. We did two or three or four takes, I can’t remember, and at some point, he nudged me with his elbow and said, all innocent and butter-wouldn’t-melt-y, ‘What’s with you, you good?’”
She 'didn't have any lines' means she wasn't essential to the scene; And almost certainly wouldn’t be any place where -- continuity critical -- missing wardrobe (a watch or belt) might register w a viewing audience.
Having worked on location film productions, I (or Geena Davis, and Bill Murray) can attest, The first shot of any production (much less, first of the Day)...
is essentially a staple of, or precursor to, productivity-workflow yield, on any film set; So much so, many Line Producers and Unit Production Managers will swagger how many setups or [script] pages they’ve hurdled prior 9:30am.
First shot of the day is most typically when EVERYONE is keyed up, on-the-starting-blocks, feverently waiting to finally hear those words:
Sound. Rolling. Marker. and.... Action!
Any director of worth (à la Christopher Nolan, notorious for starting each shooting day at 7:30am), much less familiar, knows just how critical that first shot can be for the rest of your shooting schedule. Considering Quick Change was Murray's first foray behind the camera, I'm almost certain he would've had this in mind -- A veteran of TV/film sets, He'd also be cognizant of how much one pissy actor can drag down everyone else (with them), should they feel wronged or neglected; As well as the importance of attending to, nurturing, or patronizing said actor's fickle needs is just one of many needless on-set duties a proficient director needs to be mindful of, lest they emulate McG (or Bill Murray) …hence Quick Change’s dual-directors credit.
Sorry but this is almost certainly inexperienced
Davis only later mentions, fleetingly, Murray apologized for the "screaming performance .. raging at me in full clown getup: the makeup, the shoes, the whole nine yards” [by the way: fcking L O L !] In other words, it was all just bit she couldn’t reflect the humor in: Murray exploiting the screaming, megalomaniac-director -trope, in full clown wardrobe …at her expense.
Absolute dick move. [ but maybe tell your agent or a producer .. maybe act like you're suppose to be there?? ] Don’t let your legacy — first NYC location-filming, or collaborating with Jason Robards, or Tony Shalhoub — be another nominal entry in the Bill-Murray-❤️s-Hating-Women scroll.
Bill Murray should still be cancelled, regardless. But You should feel a little ashamed for trying to capitalize on your inability to return-volley his piggish folly!
- - - - - -
Same goes for the alleged faux-dildo audition...
“It took place in a hotel suite (which wouldn’t be allowed today, not after Me Too), and as soon as I walked in the door—before I could even meet the other people in the room—Bill Murray came up to me excitedly and said, “Have you ever tried the Thumper? It’s amazing, you have to try it!”
..
“I ended up sort of perching across the corner of the bed while Murray placed the thing on my back for a total of about two seconds. Strangely, he never asked anything about if I’d liked it after all that. He just introduced me to everyone and went on with the meeting.”
again, Davis acknowledges later...
“Yes, I got the part. And it turned out that the Thumper was the reason. I later learned it was a test—to find out if I was going to be easy to work with; be compliant. I had just won the Oscar and Murray thought I might have gotten a swelled head from that.”
She goes on to feign obliviousness to whatever Murray was even trying to elaborate, and just rides out the rest of her Quick Change preparations (without incident).
C'mon lady! Is this your memoir or Damsel’s?
a wannabe maniacal director hurt your feelings -- this is clearly someone exploiting contemporary socio-political progress for their own publicity/book sales. And you know this.
October 2, 2023
Geena Davis's memoir, Dying of Politeness: A Memoir, may not change the world, but Geena Davis is still fighting to change her world and become a bit more badass every day.
As a Midwesterner living on the East Coast, I did not realize that Wareham, Massachusetts could so easily be relocated to the Midwest with towns full of easy-going, self-effacing and polite folks. Think Minnesota nice or any of the "I" state's down-home folksiness.
Geena Davis paints such a picture of her hometown, her family and early years. Some of this chronic politeness is likely due to her lowkey parents, who are depicted as throwbacks to the 1940s and 50s. Unlike some actor's memoirs, Davis mentions both parents throughout the book with genuine love, kindness and respect. And unlike some celebrity tell-all memoirs, Davis is circumspect with assigning guilt or blame for the failure of relationships or projects.
While the prose is not always the freshest, Davis' candor and focus on the highlights of her life, her family and her career is solid. The strengths of her book are her consistent focus on becoming more of a feminist, more outspoken, less willing to accept misogyny & the casual-to-systemic disregard of women's voices. More than a few of her personal anecdotes of lechery, objectification of women, and and utter disregard for women's voices are sad, but Davis frequently transforms them into learning opportunities and doesn't simply yell from her perch on a soapbox (even though she could). She relates them as if she were talking to a friend. She's interested in improving roles and representations of women in media, particularly television, film and animation.
Davis' dedication to improving women's representation led her to become Founder and Chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. In addition to her dedication to archery (read the book!), this is truly some next level badassery, not to mention putting her money, power & voice into her passion to improve the lives of actors and creatives who happen to be women.
Davis is honest that she's "still working hard at what I said is my goal in life: closing the gap between when something happens and when I react authentically to it." It's that lowkey candor that she's still working on it that rings true and authentic.
Come because you've enjoyed Geena Davis in Thelma and Louise, The Fly, The Accidental Tourist. Stay for Geena Davis: daughter, mother (who is very protective of her children's privacy), actor, public policy wonk, data geek, feminist, athlete, badass.
As a Midwesterner living on the East Coast, I did not realize that Wareham, Massachusetts could so easily be relocated to the Midwest with towns full of easy-going, self-effacing and polite folks. Think Minnesota nice or any of the "I" state's down-home folksiness.
Geena Davis paints such a picture of her hometown, her family and early years. Some of this chronic politeness is likely due to her lowkey parents, who are depicted as throwbacks to the 1940s and 50s. Unlike some actor's memoirs, Davis mentions both parents throughout the book with genuine love, kindness and respect. And unlike some celebrity tell-all memoirs, Davis is circumspect with assigning guilt or blame for the failure of relationships or projects.
While the prose is not always the freshest, Davis' candor and focus on the highlights of her life, her family and her career is solid. The strengths of her book are her consistent focus on becoming more of a feminist, more outspoken, less willing to accept misogyny & the casual-to-systemic disregard of women's voices. More than a few of her personal anecdotes of lechery, objectification of women, and and utter disregard for women's voices are sad, but Davis frequently transforms them into learning opportunities and doesn't simply yell from her perch on a soapbox (even though she could). She relates them as if she were talking to a friend. She's interested in improving roles and representations of women in media, particularly television, film and animation.
Davis' dedication to improving women's representation led her to become Founder and Chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. In addition to her dedication to archery (read the book!), this is truly some next level badassery, not to mention putting her money, power & voice into her passion to improve the lives of actors and creatives who happen to be women.
Davis is honest that she's "still working hard at what I said is my goal in life: closing the gap between when something happens and when I react authentically to it." It's that lowkey candor that she's still working on it that rings true and authentic.
Come because you've enjoyed Geena Davis in Thelma and Louise, The Fly, The Accidental Tourist. Stay for Geena Davis: daughter, mother (who is very protective of her children's privacy), actor, public policy wonk, data geek, feminist, athlete, badass.
December 6, 2023
This memoir had me laughing out loud by Page 4. It’s a fun and honest look at Geena’s development from who she was to who she is and to who she sees herself becoming.
November 30, 2022
Let me start by saying, I have loved Geena Davis ever since I was a little girl. I have no idea what movie I watched that initially launched this adoration, but I don't remember a time I ever didn't know who she was (although given my hyper-religious upbringing, I know for certain that isn't precisely the case). And that said, I have never seen "Thelma and Louise" (I know, I know, it's on the list), but I've loved "Fletch" and "Speechless" (I still think that movie is underrated) and "Beetlejuice" and "A League of Their Own" and a myriad of other movies that I'm forgetting right now. But "Long Kiss Goodnight" remains one of my all-time favorite action movies.
Fight me.
Anyway, my point is, I've never quite discerned the origin of my life-long girl-crush, but I've always loved Geena Davis, and now I love her more. She is the nice girl working to become a bad-ass I want to be, but way smarter than I am and far more capable than I will ever be. This, like another autobiography I recently read, was very easy to read, and I couldn't have asked for a better narrator. It was even a little hard to put down. I liked how she didn't go into the nitty-gritty details of her failed relationships and affairs -- even the break-up with Renny Harlin that made news in the 90s just got two sentences that made it clear that it wasn't amicable and she wasn't still friends with him the way she was with many of her exes.
Let me mention here that I'm not the person who generally likes a lot of tea spilled with celebrities (I used to be, but old lady me has too much drama in my own life to worry about celebrities I'll never get to meet). I actually would have liked to hear more about the background of some movies and TV shows that didn't get much mention here, and less about her romantic relationships, but that's me. YMMV.
And of course, I listened to the audio, and got to hear Geena read her own story, which was 5/5 stars. Very highly recommended, even if bios aren't your thing.
Fight me.
Anyway, my point is, I've never quite discerned the origin of my life-long girl-crush, but I've always loved Geena Davis, and now I love her more. She is the nice girl working to become a bad-ass I want to be, but way smarter than I am and far more capable than I will ever be. This, like another autobiography I recently read, was very easy to read, and I couldn't have asked for a better narrator. It was even a little hard to put down. I liked how she didn't go into the nitty-gritty details of her failed relationships and affairs -- even the break-up with Renny Harlin that made news in the 90s just got two sentences that made it clear that it wasn't amicable and she wasn't still friends with him the way she was with many of her exes.
Let me mention here that I'm not the person who generally likes a lot of tea spilled with celebrities (I used to be, but old lady me has too much drama in my own life to worry about celebrities I'll never get to meet). I actually would have liked to hear more about the background of some movies and TV shows that didn't get much mention here, and less about her romantic relationships, but that's me. YMMV.
And of course, I listened to the audio, and got to hear Geena read her own story, which was 5/5 stars. Very highly recommended, even if bios aren't your thing.
February 7, 2023
I liked this, but didn't love it for some reason- it was full of intimate information but somehow never felt intimate. It felt like she was telling me a story instead of reading me her memoir, if that makes sense- like there was still a layer of holding back/presenting it just so rather than rawness and realness. I still love Geena Davis as an actor and it did have me hankering to watch some of her greatest hits again! I also loved how she called out Susan Sarandon for her self-assuredness and badd-assery, and Bill Murray for being a huge asshole. It's always fun to learn how people *actually* act as opposed to their public personas.
January 14, 2023
I’ve been a fan of her since I saw her in movies like Beetlejuice and Thelma and Louise, and then she was in A League of their Own which is one of my all time favorite movies. I think she is an amazing actress, but to hear more about her life and other things she was involved in has made me love and respect her so much more. The world is lucky to have her in it.
April 24, 2023
A fine celebrity memoir…. It was a fast read. I enjoyed her behind the scenes accounts from her movies and the relationships she forged there. Her rise to stardom from a small New England town was also interesting to learn about. I would have liked more about her personal life now, but all in all it was pretty ok.
November 15, 2022
Such a sweet, fun, and empowering read!
January 15, 2023
Great read. Geena captures great insight on “family dynamics “ in a entertaining and informative way.
Bottom line
Question everything
Bottom line
Question everything
March 4, 2023
I loved Geena. As a young girl I lived in wareham ma near her. She has always been a beautiful woman. Her memoir was fun . To hear about how her life has come to be.
May 7, 2023
She’s just like me fr. Her favorite musical is Jesus Christ Superstar 😭😭
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