Friday, October 12, 2007

If it weren't for IMDb, we'd still be arguing

I can't remember how the fiance and I ended up talking about Helena Bonham Carter last night. We certainly weren't discussing the upcoming film version of Sweeney Todd, because I don't know how to feel about that, and in lieu of forming an opinion I've decided to simply pretend it's not happening. But somehow HBC* came up, and I said, "I think she's married to Tim Burton now."
    HIM: No, Tim Burton is married to that other actress, isn't he?
    ME: What other actress?
    HIM: That weird woman who's in all his movies.
    ME: Yeah, that's Helena Bonham Carter.
    HIM: No it isn't.
    ME: I'm pretty sure it is.
We turned to the internet, as we so often do, to settle this dispute. It turns out the fiance was thinking of Lisa Marie, Burton's onetime love (not wife, although they were engaged for nine years?) and the star of a string of his films; I guess she's the Oddball Burton Muse of his generation. I'd never heard of her, and he didn't realize HBC had become Burton's leading lady/romantic partner (in the interest of accuracy, I should point out that they're not married either). So we were both right! Sort of! I wonder where our relationship would be if we didn't have the internet to arbitrate in these matters?

I'd take this opportunity to brag about the time HBC sat down right in front of me at a play in London, but it seems I've already mentioned it. I will add that she was wearing a big flower in her hair -- as you might expect -- but she didn't do anything particularly kooky, which was disappointing. Didn't stop me from telling the "story" twice, though!

* Someone needs to add Helena Bonham Carter to this "disambiguation" on Wikipedia. Could that someone be you?

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