Mars Attacks!
Movie: Mars Attacks!
Grandma Role: Florence
Played By: Sylvia Sidney
Salient Grandma Trait: Esoteric Taste in Music
Mars Attacks! is a 1996 comedy based on a 1962 series of trading cards. It is also the answer to the question, “What is so-and-so’s best work?”
Go ahead and try it. Replace “so-and-so’s” with any of the following: Pierce Bronson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Short, Glenn Close, Michael J. Fox, Natalie Portman, Jack Nicholson (twice), Annette Benning, Jack Black.
What is any of their best work? Mars Attacks!
This holds true for everyone involved with the film, save Tim Burton. Beetlejuice is Tim Burton’s best work. No discussion.
Mars Attacks! follows a series of story lines, most of which end up the protagonists being melted. One arch that doesn’t involve liquefied soft tissue is that of Richie Norris and his Grandma Florence (in Sylvia Sidney’s final role).
Richie is the black sheep of his family and will never be able to escape from his brother’s shadow. He is charged with, and enjoys, the task of taking care of his Grandma. This pays off for him when it is discovered that Grandma Florence’s choice of music, a yodeling Slim Whitman, causes the invader’s heads to explode within their helmets.
Herein lies a not so subtle joke about the quality, or lack thereof, of a preceding generation’s musical inclinations. In a way the whole movie revolves around this one joke. An out of touch Grandma left alone in a retirement home to listen to her old vinyl records. But are all of our Grandmas’ taste in music so bad, and so different from our own, that a joke about it can be near universally appreciated and anchor an entire movie?
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While my singing voice suffers from something commonly referred to as “sucking,” I am all about musicals. While cleaning the house I’m poor Cosette whose cloud castle seems to be forever out of reach. When prepping work briefings I’m Billy Flynn trying to figure out how to razzle and dazzle. And sometimes, for no reason at all, I’m Dr. Frank N. Furter just trying to make me a man.
I always thought that this sometimes annoying habit was inherited from a closer relative, namely my mother who has an even greater appreciation of show tunes. But it turns out that she, in turn, was influence by her own mother. Grandma. My family jokes that it was always risky approaching Grandma while she was listening to show tunes as she would typically put them either when she was really happy or really angry. Play it safe and just let her be.
Many people would scoff at the idea that their Grandma’s favorite music even being any good, little own being an influence on their own tastes. But musicians themselves are influenced by those that came before them so is it really such a crazy idea that Grandma’s musical tastes are passed down?
My Grandma listened to and sang along with Rogers and Hammerstein. I think they’re hacks and would rather sit in silence and pout than listen to just one verse from Oklahoma! To me, that is “old people” music that is out of touch and hasn’t aged well. And there is the joke. Nobody “likes” their Grandma’s music.
But as shown in Mars Attacks! Grandma’s music is important. We might not like the particular songs or even certain styles, the influence is undeniable and should be celebrated. You don’t like the doo-wop, blues, and folk music of your Grandma’s generation, that’s fine. But 9 times of out 10 you are probably listening to and enjoying something that evolved from the music your Grandma enjoyed. You can no more ignore the fact that your music is descended from your Grandma’s than you can ignore that you are descended from the women herself.
Grandma Florence’s taste in music stopped an alien invasion. Your Grandma’s taste in music might not save the world but it will probably help you understand all little about who you are and why you like the things you do.
