Althouse: "Here's the Random Girl Who Just K.O.'d Half of Young Hollywood."

August 17, 2010

"Here's the Random Girl Who Just K.O.'d Half of Young Hollywood."

It's Rooney Mara.

83 comments:

Kensington said...: How you doin'?; 8/17/10, 5:37 PM
KCFleming said...: Rooney?

Man, the principal from Ferris Bueller's high school is damn cute without the mustache.; 8/17/10, 5:40 PM
traditionalguy said...: But does she have a normal personality and read newspapers? Never mind, she is that rare perfect 10 in seduction skill using a willowy look of a girl who needs the protection of a strong man.; 8/17/10, 5:40 PM
Revenant said...: Are any of the Gawker blogs ever written in any tone other than "permanent ironic sneer"?; 8/17/10, 5:47 PM
Unknown said...: What happened to Carey Mulligan?; 8/17/10, 5:49 PM
Trooper York said...: Brett Farve has been emailing her pictures of his johnson since she was thirteen years old.; 8/17/10, 6:03 PM
Trooper York said...: The Mara's are crazy. They named several of their kids after other NFL owners.

You should see what AL Davis Mara looks like!; 8/17/10, 6:04 PM
ken in tx said...: She looks like a movie star from the 40s. That's a good thing.; 8/17/10, 6:04 PM
JSU said...: What, no football fans here?

As you might guess from the name, she's part of both the Rooney (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Mara (NY Giants) NFL-team-owning families.; 8/17/10, 6:04 PM
cryptical said...: I saw all three of the original movies from Denmark, and the only thing I think they could have improved upon was the translations.

Hollywood will want to make it a happy story for nice product placement revenue. In another stroke of luck the author is dead, so there will be nobody complaining that they ruined the story.

Let's just hope they don't get Tom Hanks as the reporter, or clutter it up with a bunch of small parts for famous actors.; 8/17/10, 6:04 PM
David said...: Rooney Mara?

Is she a pro football fan?; 8/17/10, 6:05 PM
Trooper York said...: Now nobody would name their kid after the Jet's current owner.

I mean the only thing you could name Woodie is well.....your dick.

Which would be quite appropriate.; 8/17/10, 6:05 PM
Irene said...: My first, quick glance at the photo made me think: "Vivian Leigh."; 8/17/10, 6:08 PM
Unknown said...: Let's just hope they don't get Tom Hanks as the reporter, or clutter it up with a bunch of small parts for famous actors.
God, I hope so too. A while back I read that BRAD PITT was going to play Blomqvist.; 8/17/10, 6:16 PM
rhhardin said...: Too much makeup.; 8/17/10, 6:17 PM
holdfast said...: She's Kate Mara's younger sis, so she already had a Hollywood in.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1913734/; 8/17/10, 6:18 PM
The Scythian said...: Cryptical,

I thought they already cast Daniel Craig as Blomkvist.

Fincher's directing it, so it probably won't be a total wash. If anyone can get the mood and atmosphere right, he probably can.

The casting choices for the leads don't give me a lot of hope for anything else, though. Mara looks like a strong wind would snap her in half, whereas Salander needs to be lithe and hard.

Meanwhile, it's tough to get much harder and brutish than Daniel Craig, which is why he makes such a good Bond. Of course, Blomkvist needs to be much softer.

Meh.; 8/17/10, 6:19 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: The original movie stalls but its OK overall.

It's streaming on Netflix.; 8/17/10, 6:24 PM
D. B. Light said...: The original movies and books comprise nothing less than an extended Marxist/feminist political tract, filled with sadistic violence, misandry, and sixties-style nonsense about intrepid independent reporters exposing the loathsome evil that men and corporations do. They are immensely popular with women of a certain age, who seem to relish the horrific punishment meted out to men.

It will be interesting to see what Hollywood will do with them.; 8/17/10, 6:48 PM
Known Unknown said...: Vivien Leigh was about 14x hotter than this ... waif.; 8/17/10, 7:00 PM
Unknown said...: Now that I have been made aware of this fact, my spirit is at peace.

Irene said...

My first, quick glance at the photo made me think: "Vivian Leigh."

If not Vivian Vance.

In any case, you read my nasty little mind.

PS I thought 'Gran Torino' was supposed to be Rowdy's last picture.

WV "lashem" What will be said at homosexual weddings in lieu of, "You may now kiss the bride".; 8/17/10, 7:28 PM
Synova said...: I thought that the movie for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo just came out. I saw reviews for it. They're making another?; 8/17/10, 7:33 PM
The Drill SGT said...: reminds me a bit of Maureen O'Hara; 8/17/10, 7:34 PM
The Scythian said...: Synova,

The Swedish film based on the novel just came out. Based on the international success of the novel and the films (all of which have already been released in Europe, I think), Hollywood's adapting the series, too.; 8/17/10, 7:58 PM
ricpic said...: If Rooney Mara married Mickey Rooney she'd be Mrs. Rooney Rooney.; 8/17/10, 8:02 PM
Kev said...: (the other kev)

Vivien Leigh was about 14x hotter than this ... waif.

Then dig her up.

Seriously, I get sick to death of people who trash modern actors just because they're not the actors they grew up with. They sound like widows who never got over their dead husbands.; 8/17/10, 8:05 PM
rcocean said...: Seriously, I get sick to death of people who trash modern actors just because they're not the actors they grew up with

LoL. I doubt many "grew up with Vivien Liegh", given that she was born in 1913 and died in the mid-60s. Actors like Tracy, Bogart, Cagney, Kelly, Loy, Olvier, Lee Marvin, were all dead or retired before I even saw their movies. Can't think of any modern actors to compare to them.; 8/17/10, 8:11 PM
Trooper York said...: What you don't like those homosexual guys from the vampire movies?

Not that there's anything wrong with that.; 8/17/10, 8:30 PM
Cedarford said...: Trooper York said...
The Mara's are crazy. They named several of their kids after other NFL owners.
You should see what AL Davis Mara looks like!
================
Yeah, crazy, but the Mara's Colleens are all smoking hot.
Who cares what they are named?

Check out that Idol gal Siobhan Magnus. Half-crazy, has a name the Mara gals can only envy.
Another hot and talented Mick babe, Trooper!

Come on!! Eileen! Tah-lurh-a-yeah!!; 8/17/10, 8:31 PM
Palladian said...: Women wearing that much make-up look best in black-and-white.; 8/17/10, 8:31 PM
Trooper York said...: The real person to watch from the Mara family after last night is Victor Cruz.; 8/17/10, 8:32 PM
Trooper York said...: That's not true Cedarford.

I know for a fact you would never bang Sid Luckman Mara.

Just sayn'; 8/17/10, 8:33 PM
garage mahal said...: Very nice. Palladian is right again though.; 8/17/10, 8:35 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Kate Mara is a hottie. Saw her in the Mark Wahlberg movie The Shooter which was a very good thriller where the bad guys including a US Senator get what they deserve. In this photo you posted Rooney Mara looks too skinny for my taste.; 8/17/10, 8:36 PM
Palladian said...: "Are any of the Gawker blogs ever written in any tone other than "permanent ironic sneer"?"

Nope. And having met several of the more well-known past writers who worked for Nick Denton's websites I can say that they're even more miserable, shallow, desperate and tiresome in person.

My advice to one: despite the apparent example of 1970s David Bowie to the contrary, cocaine does NOT make you interesting.; 8/17/10, 8:36 PM
garage mahal said...: Being right about one small tiny little thing that is.; 8/17/10, 8:37 PM
Trooper York said...: "garage mahal said...
Being right about one small tiny little thing that is."

I am sorry that Palladian was making fun of your penis again.

Now cut that out!; 8/17/10, 8:38 PM
garage mahal said...: I'm not Palladian's type, at all.; 8/17/10, 8:39 PM
Christy said...: How is this possible? The lovely creature has normal lips!

The novel is all the rage in book groups this year.; 8/17/10, 8:42 PM
Palladian said...: Seriously, look how much better she looks using the 30's Dame Filter in Photoshop!; 8/17/10, 8:43 PM
knox said...: The novel's very good, but needed drastic editing... too long. Watch the Swedish movie instead, and you've got the gist.

[The best is the scene with the social worker. Those of you who have read it know what I'm talking about!]; 8/17/10, 8:47 PM
knox said...: How is this possible? The lovely creature has normal lips!

Not for long, no doubt.; 8/17/10, 8:47 PM
paul a'barge said...: No upper lip?
Too much makeup?
Fuggedaboudid.; 8/17/10, 9:13 PM
Beth said...: Nora Ephron has a funny, sort of bitter, send up of the novels in a recent New Yorker.; 8/17/10, 9:15 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: She looks like my best friend from boarding school, so I find myself inclined to like her.; 8/17/10, 9:37 PM
Beau said...: Hollywood's adapting the series, too.

Yeah, Salander's going to wear pink in the US remake.; 8/17/10, 10:34 PM
David said...: Damn, Freeman, the two of you must have broken some hearts.; 8/17/10, 10:45 PM
David said...: Girl does need a cheeseburger and a few milk shakes, though.; 8/17/10, 10:47 PM
Methadras said...: Revenant said...

Are any of the Gawker blogs ever written in any tone other than "permanent ironic sneer"?

It's a clear hatred of the beautiful people.

wv = upflesid = I don't get this one. This is the anti-anti-erection?; 8/17/10, 10:57 PM
Methadras said...: David said...

Girl does need a cheeseburger and a few milk shakes, though.

Her milkshake would bring me to her yard.; 8/17/10, 10:57 PM
former law student said...: look how much better she looks using the 30's Dame Filter in Photoshop!

Tru dat. V. young-Maureen-O'Hara-esque.; 8/17/10, 10:58 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Very pretty, except for the blade sharp collar bones which tells me she needs to ......eat something!! The mom in me wants to give her a plate of brownies or fettuchini or something.

And yes, I agree, a lovely retro look.; 8/17/10, 11:23 PM
Anonymous said...: And yes, I agree, a lovely retro look.

It's 100% guaranteed she's totally up-to-date in one respect. And you all know what that is.

Peter; 8/17/10, 11:27 PM
jungatheart said...: Palladian, now do watercolor...please.

She's quite lovely, very regal.; 8/17/10, 11:39 PM
rcocean said...: I'm sure she's up-to-date in more than one respect. She probably:

1) has two or three tattoos (not shown);
2) swears like a sailor;
3) Has had a couple abortions;
4) has many deeply held political opinions; and
5) makes Rosie O'Donnell look like a political genius.; 8/17/10, 11:57 PM
blake said...: Psst, RC--

You missed the one ironrailweights is (always) talking about.; 8/18/10, 3:33 AM
blake said...: I've seen two of the three movies and liked both so far.

Given how socialist Sweden is, it's hard to think of these as being pro-Marxist. At least in the movies.

My review.; 8/18/10, 3:36 AM
Anonymous said...: "I'm sure she's up-to-date in more than one respect. She probably:

1) has two or three tattoos (not shown);
2) swears like a sailor;
3) Has had a couple abortions;
4) has many deeply held political opinions; and
5) makes Rosie O'Donnell look like a political genius."

6 smokes like a chimney.; 8/18/10, 6:18 AM
Anonymous said...: I would have preferred Yolandi Vi$$er in the role...; 8/18/10, 7:12 AM
John said...: That women is beautiful. Just beautiful. And the writer of the blog is an idiot. "I just don't get the Clint Eastwood love". There really are not any lower forms of life than entertainment reporters.; 8/18/10, 8:21 AM
Old RPM Daddy said...: Okay, you're looking at the same photo I am, seeing the same thing all Ms. Althouse's readers have seen, looking at her little lip-biting act (oh, my, my), looking at those eyes, and you're thinking about football? You know who you are...

WV: cringedi -- what Yoda does when reading the latest Star Wars script; 8/18/10, 8:22 AM
Known Unknown said...: Um, Kate Mara's sister is not some 'random girl.'

This story would be a lot more interesting if she were, indeed, a random girl. A true unknown.; 8/18/10, 8:36 AM
prairie wind said...: I loved Get Offa M'Lawn until the end. The old guy turns into a suicide bomber because he doesn't want to face illness? What kind of role model is that?; 8/18/10, 8:40 AM
John said...: "The old guy turns into a suicide bomber because he doesn't want to face illness?"

Did you even watch the movie? He didn't blow himself up. He went down and let them kill him because he was going to die anyway. A suicide bomber murders people. He didn't kill anyone. They chose to shoot him. They did it to themselves. That was a fantastic ending to the movie. And that was by far the best movie of the year. Much better than bollywood millionaire or whatever the hell it was.; 8/18/10, 8:48 AM
Known Unknown said...: Gran Torino was sunk due to the 'inadequate' acting of the main Hmong boy character.

He wasn't very good. But the movie was still very good.

Slumdog Millionaire was also a very good, deserving film.; 8/18/10, 8:49 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: . And that was by far the best movie of the year

Grand Torino: Yes it was. It was a movie to make you think. There was also quite a bit of Catholic and other religious symbolism in the movie, which I'm not going to go into. It was a movie that I would watch several times to get the nuances that I missed the first time. And obviously, Prarie should try to watch for the first time before making comments.

Eastwood is a good, kind, very charitable man and is loyal to even his lowest of employees. I know this personally.; 8/18/10, 9:05 AM
John said...: Thirty years from now Grand Tarino will still be showing regularly on cable. And Slumdog Millionaire will be lucky to get a midnight showing on IFC.; 8/18/10, 9:06 AM
prairie wind said...: Well, yeah, I did watch the movie. I think we even bought it. Maybe my memory is poor but I thought he shot up the bad guys at the end while they shot him. Otherwise, what was the point? I thought he went to their place to solve the neighborhood problem for good--get rid of the baddies AND to solve his personal problem by getting himself killed. It is true that he didn't strap on explosives and literally blow himself up, yes. Not much difference in my book. Put yourself willingly into a situation where you will probably be killed and start shooting so that you are sure you WILL be killed...how is that not suicide?

Now I'm curious, though. If I have it on my shelf, I'll have to watch again. (And, btw, we all are going to "die anyway", yet the vast majority of us don't beg to be shot.); 8/18/10, 9:06 AM
prairie wind said...: I just watched the ending again; I was wrong. But still not wrong about it being suicide. I still don't like that part.; 8/18/10, 9:28 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Otherwise, what was the point? I thought he went to their place to solve the neighborhood problem for good-

OK you made me do it.

The Catholic symbolism begins early in the movie and is woven throughout. The scene right before he goes to his death, where he has locked the boy into the basement and Clint is confessing his guilt over his
killing actions in war throught a dimmly lit screen......is exactly a Catholic confessional.

Clint knows he is going to die. He is confessing his sins.

His death is a sacrifice of himself for his 'substitute' children. His final pose on the ground is symbolic of the pose of Christ on the Cross.

Put yourself willingly into a situation where you will probably be killed and start shooting so that you are sure you WILL be killed...how is that not suicide?

First of all he didn't shoot at all. He pulled out a cigarette lighter at the end, not a gun. Also a symbol of the cancer that was killing him. Did you EVEN watch the movie??

According to Catholic and other Christian theology, Christ went willingly to his death to save the world. I guess you could call that a suicide.

As the sacrifical lamb Clint's character removes the evil from the neighborhood and saves the Hmong children, who are more familial to him than his own children.

"Lamb of God,
You take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God,
You take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God,
You take away the sins of the world.
Grant us peace.

Lamb of God."

There is a lot more. The movie has many layers. I guess you have to look or maybe stay awake during the film.; 8/18/10, 9:36 AM
prairie wind said...: Ah, DBQ. Didn't mean to piss you off, really. I had a faulty memory of a movie I saw once, of a movie that stuck better with you. Thanks for the Catholic explanation--I do appreciate it. Maybe you're right, if a movie character is a Christ-figure, it's okay if he sacrifices himself. I'll watch again someday and see if I feel differently.; 8/18/10, 9:43 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Ah, DBQ. Didn't mean to piss you off, really

LOL...You didn't.

Watch it again. Well worth it. There are many layers and lots of symbolism both religious and secular. The Hmong have very deep spiritual traditions as well.

The Hmong children at the end give him the huge honor of wearing traditional clothing that would only be reserved for family and for the father that had abandonded them. They became a loving accepting family for him where his own biological family was not loving or accepting.; 8/18/10, 9:55 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: And as a car person, I'm glad the Grand Torino went to the Hmong boy, who would love a treasure it, instead of the greedy bitch of a Granddaughter. That was great!; 8/18/10, 9:58 AM
Anonymous said...: @DBQ:
Thanks for your 9:36. It says it all.; 8/18/10, 10:20 AM
blake said...: Nice analysis DBQ (though the whole thread needs to be marked with a big ol' SPOILER tag).

See also "Million Dollar Baby", where Eastwood's character sacrifices his soul.; 8/18/10, 12:12 PM
The Scythian said...: Blake wrote:

"Given how socialist Sweden is, it's hard to think of these as being pro-Marxist. At least in the movies."

It's not just the movies. In the books, Salander explicitly rejects the basic assumptions that most Swedes make about their system. Meanwhile, Blomkvist's soft liberalism is consistently challenged and refuted not only by Salander's positions but by the events that transpire.

One of the reasons that I respect Larsson's work a lot is that he has managed to write a series of popular novels that are explicitly political but which are not political tracts or political propaganda.; 8/18/10, 1:28 PM
blake said...: Just so.

Does anyone doubt that kids are chewed up by the Swedish socialist machine? Even if Larsson's stuff is exaggerated (and as far as corruption goes, I suspect it's sensationalized rather than exaggerated), it's hardly a love letter to big government.

Or the big businesses which are in bed with it. I'm cool with that.; 8/18/10, 1:32 PM
The Scythian said...: Blake,

I agree. Knowing a little bit about Sweden's political and social situation, I don't think that he exaggerates as much as sensationalizes.

And, to American eyes, the fact that he sees Nazis everywhere seems like he's demonizing the Right, but the neo-Nazi movement is stronger and more active in Sweden. (Peter Karlsson, a reporter at Expo like Larsson, suffered a car bomb attack orchestrated by neo-Nazis in 1999. Trade unionist Bjorn Soderberg was killed by neo-Nazis after he exposed a fellow trade unionist as the editor of a fascist newsletter.)

So even this aspect is more sensationalized than exaggerated.; 8/18/10, 3:03 PM
blake said...: You know, watching the MSM, you'd be pretty sure Euroland is a utopia.; 8/18/10, 3:21 PM
The Scythian said...: Well, Americans of all political stripes see what they want to see in Europe. Liberals see EUtopia. Conservatives see basketcase welfare states on the verge of bankruptcy. Culture warriors see nations that have given up on God and are on the verge of being conquered by nihilism and Muslim immigrants.

The truth is actually a lot stranger, and people who rely on any of these lenses are going to be really surprised by what's going to happen in Europe over the next decade or two.; 8/18/10, 4:58 PM
knox said...: people who rely on any of these lenses are going to be really surprised by what's going to happen in Europe over the next decade or two.

Don't leave us hanging! What's going to happen!?; 8/18/10, 10:14 PM
blake said...: >>Don't leave us hanging! What's going to happen!?

Things!; 8/18/10, 10:20 PM
jungatheart said...: DBQ,

"As the sacrifical lamb Clint's character removes the evil from the neighborhood and saves the Hmong children, who are more familial to him than his own children."

I hadn't caught the confession in the basement angle. When he confesses to the priest, you are sure he's going to confess to Viet Nam killings, but he confesses to not being close to his kids or to keeping them at arm's length. So maybe in the basement he came to terms with what he could not even admit to the priest. Good catch.

As to the problem with not being close to his kids, he didn't seem to try too hard to solve it. When the grand-daughter asks to help with the chairs, he's pointedly hostile to her.

I think the movie is too slick. His kids did try to reach out to him, and he was all gruff with them, because he didn't know how to connect. Or actually didn't want to, maybe. The movie was just too predictably a racist-overcomes-racism vehicle for Clint (whom I adore).

My dad, with whom I'm close, is a gruff ex-Marine, with three daughters, who served in Nam, so I was pulling for him to give the car to his grand-daughter as a sign of love, if not to his grand-daughter, at least to his son. Who gives a damn about what happens to a car, if it will serve as a sign of love. (I love GTOs, etc., just sayin' about the symbolism.)

But to just do a double half-twist with a full gainer, probably he couldn't get close to his boys because of the Vietnamese boys he killed. So where's the resolution? I guess his sons will be able to sort that out eventually. Like I just did. Heh.; 8/18/10, 10:52 PM