The Apartment (Wilder, 1960)
So tired are the meek and wearied tatters of love. Broken down and built again like wooden blocks. The edges worn smooth from so many tumbles. Lies warm our chests like wine, allowing us to dizzyly drift through one fragrant night after another. And one wonders, in a spinning dream with eyes half opened “If I were awake, would I be such a fool?” But the warm body beside us gently rocks us to sleep, with the best impression of a smile, and sincere word.
Where is our Mr. Baxter? The white collared punching bag so easy to please, the rambling wreck of a sweet man tongue-tied gushing over the wounded bird before him. Where is he to nurse all of us through our failures, to fumble over his own two feet to catch us when we stumble? Where is he, and his awkward honesty?
Ballad of The Absent Mare 
November 6, 2009 at 9:56 am
lovely.
November 6, 2009 at 3:03 pm
I want my very own Mr. Baxter, especially if he smiles with the same earnest awkwardness as Jack Lemmon. The only thing that can save modern man from corruption is romantic love, but it will also be his downfall.
November 6, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Sidenote, ironically the only Hollywood filmmaker who was more cynical than Wilder, Lang, always had a young couple that could overcome… at least in part, the evils of the world. Was it studio meddling, or was it a sincere hope for a better future? Even that would be eventually corrupted in his later work… and he seemed just as fascinated by it’s redeeming quality, as the possibility of abuse and destruction within that dynamic.
November 6, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Mr. Baxter comes in many forms.
November 7, 2009 at 7:55 am
You’re so Mr. Baxter, but you’re less confused than he is, believe it or not.
November 7, 2009 at 9:02 am
His confusions was quite sad. Also sad how easily corrupted he could be. And there is a little Mr. Baxter in all of us, at least I’d like to think that.
November 7, 2009 at 9:22 am
I just realized how redundant and poorly written that last comment I left is. It’s far too late.
November 7, 2009 at 7:19 pm
You can delete your comments, I think even edit them.
November 7, 2009 at 7:23 pm
No, I am going to leave it there, as a warning to anyone leaving comments without proofreading.
November 8, 2009 at 11:23 pm
i often feel like mr. baxter in my day to day life.
November 8, 2009 at 11:27 pm
That is because you are a lovely man, Justin.