To preserve some of the more important news and background pieces concerning Mary Stuart Masterson's acting career, while maintaining speedy load time for the main FYI page, we have set up this special archives page for all the old articles, links, and news briefs. All those who missed the information previously available on the FYI page can take their time and access the old information right here.
Mari Garcia of San Francisco State University is rapidly becoming the Tavern's VARIETY correspondent. Ms. Garcia found an article in VARIETY by reporter Cynthia Littleton about Mary Stuart Masterson being picked to play the main role in the upcoming CBS Television Network movie "Black and Blue." The film will be based on the Anna Quindlen novel of the same title, and concerns a mother who flees from an abusive husband, taking her 10-year-old son with her. Anthony LaPaglia will portray an NYPD detective who tracks Ms. Masterson's character.
Claudia Kehl of Switzerland, our alert "Swiss Ms.," sent an e-mail letting me know of the Southwest Film Festival Site. There is a good article about the upcoming MSM film, with Ms. Masterson speaking out about problems in funding independent films today. She was interviewed with Billy Bob Thornton and Richard Masur for the on-line magazine, INSIDE FILM. This looks like an interesting site, so be sure to visit often. I'll post a link to it on the LINKS MENU page over the coming weekend.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY asked a number of performers if they remembered the first "R" rated movie they ever saw. Mary Stuart Masterson was one of the actresses who responded to this question. "Saturday Night Fever," Ms. Masterson recalled. "I must have been 12. I remember the part where John Travolta's in the backseat of the car with a girl, and a condom comes out. I was like, 'Wow! They're going to show that?!'"
In an April 24, 1996 article about the Mary Stuart Masterson movie "Heaven's Prisoners," Scott Roesch revealed the following on the MR. SHOWBIZ website about the opinion of the author of the novel on which the movie was based:
Burke is thankful the film survived the lengthy birthing process, and thinks moviegoers will be, too. "It is one of the best crime movies I've ever seen," says the author. Roesch went on to describe James Lee Burke's experience on the set, watching as Alec Baldwin, Terri Hatcher, and Mary Stuart Masterson brought his characters to life on the screen. Burke was particularly impressed with Ms. Masterson's work, passing a note to her as he passed her on the set. The novelist wrote to the actress: "Mary Stuart Masterson, you're an absolutely magnificent actress."
I recently was introduced to the GOOGLE internet search engine. Putting Mary Stuart Masterson into the search engine, Google came up with a website dedicated to the beauty of women, and how true beauty is as much a result of the inner personality of an individual woman as physical looks. One of the subjects the author chose as an example of feminine beauty was Mary Stuart Masterson. The website, ART OF A WOMAN, can be accessed through the link below:
Someone is using the ORG internet domain, for nonprofit organizations, to house another Mary Stuart Masterson fan site. This one is still a work in progress, but the art work on the main page is very attractive, and the features shown in the frame navigation bar on the left of the page indicate it will be a full-service site for the fan when completed. Tavern visitors are urged to visit this site and encourage to webmaster to complete it as soon as possible. This one could be a MSM Favorite Site Award Winner once all the features are up and running, so put in a word of praise to the person who is working to complete it. I think some of the Hollywood people are watching fan sites to see if there are performers with strong fan support, so the more MSM sites there are out there, and the more she keeps putting out big performances in the independent films, the faster you'll see her in roles in the "blockbuster" pictures. Every new MSM site needs publicity, hits, and encouragement.
Horton Foote, playwright and novelist, who penned such outstanding works as "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Tender Mercies," "The Trip to Bountiful," and "Courtship" was interviewed by Catherine Crier on the FOX Network. While the author of Mary Stuart Masterson's first starring stage role, "Lily Dale," did not discuss that work, Mr. Foote described how incidents and people from his own life, which dates back to the World War I era, inspired his writing. Horton Foote wrote extensively about life in Texas, which remains his home state. Articulate and erudite, and very youthful for his age, Mr. Foote spoke to Ms. Crier of his close personal and working relationship with actor Robert Duvall, who acted in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Tender Mercies." Visitors to the Tavern who wish to view "Lily Dale," produced by Hallmark Entertainment and the Showtime Network, and directed by Ms. Masterson's father, Peter Masterson, can rent the tape at most local Blockbusters, or through Reel.Com. "Lily Dale's" purchase price is still high in VHS format at nearly $80 US, but is under $50 US in Laserdisc format.
Claudia, a frequent visitor to the Tavern, sent me an E-mail on 6/7/1999 about "The Book of the Stars," a Mary Stuart Masterson independent film to be released in November of this year. Claudia supplied an interesting link to a SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL review of the movie, and the link is below. I will also be putting this link up on the Links Menu page of the site. All you have to do is either enter the movie's title in the search engine, or ask for a listing of the films to be shown at the festival and click on the title of the movie to access a very favorable review of the film.
Ms. Garcia e-mailed a flash direct from THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Mary Stuart Masterson is about to direct her first film for SHOWTIME. This is one of a triology of science fiction short stories, with the other two being directed by actresses Anne Heche and Helen Mirren. Ms. Masterson's film will be based upon the story "Lifeboat on a Burning Sea." Stay alert for updates on this project as they develope. The TAVERN thanks Ms. Garcia for the heads-up.
A Danish fan has put up a new Mary Stuart Masterson website, and the layout of the main page is very attractive. The site still has some pages under construction, but there is a Biography, Filmography, and a Photo page, so the essential pages are already up and running. This is a very nice site, and all Mary Stu aficionados should pay it a visit and tell the webmaster to keep up the good work.
In 1996, the Public Broadcasting System presented the Ken Burns (THE CIVIL WAR, BASEBALL) documentary series, THE WEST. As in the other Burns documentaries, actors and actresses read from the actual diaries, letters, and other writings of both historical figures, and ordinary people who experienced different events in the settling of the West. One of the voices was that of Mary Stuart Masterson. This typically well-done Ken Burns series is available on video cassette through Public Broadcasting, and through other sources, such as Amazon.Com. As an aficionado of the history of the West, as well as a fan of Mary Stuart Masterson, I was glad to see her name in the credits at the end of the part I watched tonight about the lives of the Homesteaders, Cowboys, and buffalo hunters. You can now add this credit to her body of work.
I rented the video and screened it all the way through on 3/9/1999 and 3/10/1999. I have a review of it on a separate page which can be accessed by clicking the link below:
The independent Mary Stuart Masterson film THE FLORENTINE, was shown in public for the first time on April 19, 1999 at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. This is an indication that further releases, probably at smaller theaters, such as art houses, will take place sometime this summer. Major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and other major cities should be able to see the movie on a large screen. Movies like THE FLORENTINE rarely get wide release to suburban and smaller town mutliplexes.
Mary Stuart Masterson won the Best Actress award in 1989 for her performance in IMMEDIATE FAMILY, a drama about a childless couple, portrayed by James Woods and Glenn Close, and their attempts to adopt the child being carried by an unwed mother, played by Ms. Masterson. This award was given to Mary Stuart by the National Board of Review, a body of film critics. Critics, as we all know, are a TOUGH sell. IMMEDIATE FAMILY is still available for rent or sale.
JERRY GOLDSMITH, one of Hollywood's most prolific composers of soundtrack scores for films, recently turned 70. Mr. Goldsmith wrote the scores for such movies as PATTON, A PATCH OF BLUE, THE SAND PEBBLES, and the recent SMALL SOLDIERS. He has also written the themes to many well-known television series, including THE MAN FROM UNCLE, ROOM 222, and the long-running THE WALTONS. Mr. Goldsmith also wrote the score to BAD GIRLS, the entertaining Mary Stuart Masterson western. The magazine FILM SCORE reviewed many of Goldsmith's soundtracks, including BAD GIRLS, calling it, "Hands down the most underrated Goldsmith score of the decade." The review went on to criticize the movie as being "terrible," but I still say it has value as an entertainment, and there is still a place for movies that allow us to get away from the cares of the world for an hour or two. FILM SCORE referred to the score as "exciting." Mr. Goldsmith's music was one reason I had fun watching the movie, at five o'clock in the morning, in Room 234 of the Knights Inn in Somerset in February 1996.
Teen actress, Jena Malone, star of Goldie Hawn's directorial debut, the TNT movie for television, "Hope," was interviewed by the Entertainment Tonight website. She was asked about her latest projects, after the opening of "Stepmom," with Julia Roberts, and she replied:
"I just finished a film called 'For the Love of the Game,' with Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston. And before I did an independent film called 'Book of the Stars' with MARY STUART MASTERSON which should be out in November."
For more about Jena, visit the Co-Stars' Corner page of the TAVERN.
The TAVERN must first thank MARI GARCIA of SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY for sending the E-Mail informing us about this new Mary Stuart project. Ms Garcia sent a copy of the Michael Fleming column announcing the series project. JOHN WELLS, the executive producer of the outstanding "ER" series, will be at the helm for the proposed MSM weekly series.
"Mary Stuart is a talented actress, writer, and director," Mr. Wells is quoted as understating. "We couldn't be happier about the prospect of doing a show together."
Neither could any of the visitors to this website! We look forward to seeing what the twin talents of MARY STUART MASTERSON and JOHN WELLS can produce to right the ship of network television, which has been losing viewers for years. Mr. Wells' "ER" is one of the few quality dramas left to the average viewer.
The Newberry Award-winning children's book, WALK TWO MOONS is narrated by Mary Stuart Masterson in the talking books version. Click below for a complete review and an opportunity to purchase this version of the book:
The newest winner of the MSM Favorite Site Award is "The Unofficial Mary Stuart Masterson Homepage." This is a site located in Denmark, and the Tavern is delighted to have such a stylish site dedicated to the life and career of a fine actress. This site is still growing, but it is very attractive, and a great addition to the Mary Stuart Masterson internet community.
Our winners so far, as listed with links on the Favorite MSM Site Award Page, have been "Fried Green Obsession," a fine site dedicated to "Fried Green Tomatoes," operated by Erin Lillis; "MSMism," the Brisbane, Australia-based site operated by the intrepid Yun Leong, one of the nice guys on the 'Net; and the Yokohama-based "Mary Stuart Masterson Gallery," webmastered by the impresario, Jin Hayakawa. In September, the Chemnitz, Germany based "Mary Stuart Masterson Homepage" took the award. In Ocotber, the "Unofficial Bed of Roses Fan Site" was the winner. November's award went to the "Radioland Murders" web site. A special page for "Some Kind of Wonderful" took the award for December. The first winner of 1999 was the "Mary Stuart Masterson Photo Gallery," a huge collection and a must visit for all true fans. The second 1999 winner was "The Spanish Mary Stuart Masterson Site." The third winner of 1999 was "The Florentine Page."
This is an invitation to get to know my hometown, Oil City, Pennsylvania, a little better. Some of the guests at the TAVERN send E-mails, and others sign the Guestbook, telling me where they are from, and about their favorite MSM movie. I never get to tell any of you anything about my own hometown. Click on the link below and take an Internet tour of Oil City, Pennsylvania, USA.
On my way home from work this past Tuesday (8/18/98) I had a Pennsylvania Black Bear run right out in front of my car, totally surprising me. I hit the brakes on the vintage 1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, while the bear started pumping his legs faster to get out of the way. Unfortunately, the bear wasn't fast enough, and my brakes not quick enough, although they did slow the car enough that the bear, though shaken up, was able to run off under its own power despite riding the front bumper for a second or two until the brakes caught. The bear was then catapulted off the bumper and into some brush. It got up and ran at a fast clip up an embankment and into the woods. The only damage the Chevy took was half the plastic grill was broken off, but there's a new one being shipped to a body shop to replace the damaged one. It was lucky that the bear was just a yearling, only about four feet in height, standing on its back legs, and about 100 to 150 pounds. The Pennsylvania Game Commission agent told me that the bear was probably only "inconvenienced" by the mishap. "They are tough animals," he told me.