Watts

Sidney on the mind.

Admittedly, I was excited about Gypsy in 2017 because I was in the midst of Twin Peaks fever and Naomi Watts was in The Return. I had just recently picked up Showtime specifically for TP: The Return, and each week couldn’t wait to see the next episode. Watts being a part of Lynch’s revisit to the show that brought him even more fame than he already had got me more than a bit giddy. I love Watts and will watch her in just about anything. Truth be told, before I saw her in Mulholland Drive, and even The Ring in 2000 in the “new Malco” theater at the time, I saw her in a Children of the Corn sequel (maybe I’ll comment on that someday…). I wasn’t as smitten as I was in awe of her range. For whatever reason (nothing of which has anything to do with her), Gypsy has been unfinished for the past year. On Twitter, Twin Peaks: The Return getting a complete marathon on Showtime (why this hasn’t already happened like five times across their numerous channels puzzles me) has been reminding me of the whole anticipation for the show last year. The excitement of watching Gypsy, too, was on the mind…I’m not sure what happened. So I was watching the third episode, Driftwood Lane, and realized how big a mistake that was to just not watch it. Watts has subtleties I appreciate in an actress. Like you can see how she is quite uncomfortable as this mom of the privileged class talking about her child’s birthday party with another mom (while their children play outside), regarding going “simple” instead of extravagant (just a magician and some pizza). Talks of RSVPing for a child’s party reminded me of the “birthday war” in Big Little Lies as Reese and Dern were at odds over Woodley’s child being blamed for abusing Dern’s kid…this world of competing moms, drinking their wine, playing nice until each back is turned, looking to discuss the topics that might be considered important within their neighborhood/suburban enclave. Watts just seems altogether restless and wanting to be free of the shackles she is tethered to in regards to this existence. That alternate life outside this is the preferred choice…Watts is so capable of conveying all of that. I enjoy how she displays the mother/wife that tries as she might to hide her disdain for having to speak to others in her world, playing a part she so desperately longs to jettison. Eventually she has to go to the bathroom while in the birthday conversation just to exhale. When she does, Watts finds bottles upon bottles of pharmaceutical “coping mechanisms” in the bathroom drawer. Even when saying goodbye, the breathy (trying to hide exhaustion) smile of thanks towards a catering recommendation takes work from Watts to avoid positing how she really can’t wait to get the fuck out of that house. The bottles does tell her that behind all the supposed happy life of a rich wife and mom could hide true dissatisfaction and anxiety rooted in the attempt to drug away the despair that harvests itself in the mind and soul.

It is but a few minutes at the beginning of the episode, but once again I was reminded of how subtlety when applied by a talent like Watts can really express so much…I so admire her for that kind of expressive communication. The show has Watts’ Jean trying to live in two personas, see-sawing back and forth between them. While one of the moms in Jean's world goes to the medicinal route for her "help", Jean chooses to slide into a disguise and pretend to be someone else to satisfy what is missing.