Do you know how Tennessee Williams died? He choked on an eyedrop bottle cap. True story. It was February 24, 1983, and he was staying at the Hotel Elysee. He had a habit of opening the bottle, placing the cap between his teeth, then leaning back and placing a drop in each eye. Only this time, the cap fell into the back of his throat and got stuck there, blocking him windpipe and killing him. His body was found the next morning; he was 71. I bring this up because one, it's sad and interesting, but also because we are soon to receive a rare new Williams work from beyond the grave -- and one that chillingly has the word "teardrop" is in the title.
Williams was a prolific writer when he was around, having left us with seventy plays, two novels, five short story collections, and two volumes of poems. He also wrote a screenplay, it turns out, which was to be his third collaboration with director Elia Kazan, but ended up being "lost." (Read: tossed into a fireplace.) The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond was rediscovered, and made into a feature in 2008, directed by Jodie Markell -- an actress best known for playing recurring character on Big Love -- with Bryce Dallas Howard (who replaced Lindsay Lohan...now that would have been hilarious) and Chris Evans as lovebirds from the wrong side on the tracks. U.S. distributors Paladin are releasing it December 30th in LA and New York, and gave ComingSoon.net a trailer exclusive.
It seems that like the arresting poster, they're going for a similar vintage throwback feel with the trailer...all the way back to a time when a narrator talks way too much. This looks pretty dreadful, but earns definite bonus points with Ann-Margret as the stuffy, loaded Aunt Cornelia who lends Bryce the titular earring that eventually goes missing. The main problem: There's nowhere near enough lust in it. Less bad Southern accents, more horny sexpots, alcoholic tornadoes and suppressed homosexuality, please. This is Tennessee Williams we're talking about, and not some toothless Nicholas Sparks-wannabe, is it not? This trailer needs a drastic re-cut.