Wait, Wait...

On this week’s ‘Not My Job’ segment of the NPR quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the guest is director-writer-actress Sarah Polley, whose current movie Women Talking was nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture, and also got her a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.  Her interview with host Peter Sagal is smart, interesting and often very funny, as she tells stories about her career.

An offbeat, related Fun Fact:  At the beginning of the interview, she mentions that the first movie she was ever in, when around four years old, was One Magic Christmas with Harry Dean Stanton, which she describes as perhaps “the most depressing Christmas movie ever.”  (She leaves out that Mary Steenburgen was in it, and is the main star.)  I mention this because when I worked at Universal Studios as an assistant production executive, the script was submitted to me!  And -- yes, it’s pretty depressing, and you’ll be happy to know I did not recommend it.  Nor did others, and our studio passed on it.  I later saw the movie, which Disney -- surprisingly -- ended up making, and…yes, it’s pretty depressing.  As I recall, it’s sort of in the vein of It’s a Wonderful Life, but without the charm, where an angel (played by, of all people…Harry Dean Stanton!) shows Mary Steenburgen what’s important in her life.  And he takes her through a bleak existence.  Or something like that.  It’s supposed to be endearing and heartfelt and teach the True Meaning of Christmas.  But mostly, it’s far more depressing.  The only reason I can think of why Disney ended up making it is because it has the words “Magic Christmas” in the title.

This the full Wait, Wait… broadcast, but you can jump directly to the “Not My Job” segment, it starts around the 18:30 mark.