Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland has taken the guard rails off of her newest documentary so that her audience is left only with the subjects themselves, a move that will confound those used to the spoon-fed style so prevalent in the genre (and delight those sick of just that). “Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation” discards the talking-heads so the subjects, two of the most celebrated literary minds of their generation, can unspool the mysteries of their lives in their own words. There aren’t any easy answers to be found as a result, and while some audiences might struggle to draw out a manageable “lesson” about the writers, 20th-century celebrity, addiction, or the fickle nature of success, others might walk away with a deeper understanding of who Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams were as people.
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Although Vreeland’s documentary’s title implies some back and forth between Williams and Capote a-la “My Dinner with Andre” or “Hitchcock/Truffaut,” the structure is more like a verbal collage. Using a mixture of letters (read in character by Zachary Quinto as Williams and Jim Parsons as Capote) and television interviews, Vreeland allows the two authors miles of runway to tell their own stories. Although Williams was thirteen years older than Capote, the two ran in similar circles and appeared in each other’s life like recurring guest stars on sitcoms, each starred in.
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Indeed, the doc reflects this in a thematic harnessing that ties many of their life events together via separate reflections. The audience doesn’t need a literary or theater expert to tell them that Williams didn’t care for the film adaptations of his work, or that Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe for the role of Holly Golightly when the writers themselves say it outright. Likewise, no context is needed when Capote and Williams each share their substance abuse struggles, and the ways the bottle or needle began to consume their lives.
By removing the Ph.D.’s, literary critics, and surviving contemporaries, “Truman & Tennessee” eschews any overarching context to allow for an unfiltered examination of each author. What’s more, Vreeland doesn’t shy away from the fact that these were deeply flawed men whose pain, despair, ego, and audacity simultaneously pushed them to greatness while pulling them down. Although these were very different people in temperament, social backgrounds, and even aspirational desires, Vreeland is making the case that their journeys throughout the 20th century acted as a sort of spiritual bedrock for a generation.
And while the dueling interviews that Capote and Williams have with Dick Cavett and David Frost do magnificent work binding the two authors together via a series of similar questions, the effort is left a bit wanting in perspective for how the work of these men influenced 20th century culture. Sure, the absence of 3rd party perspectives allows for a genuine honesty in the presentation of each writer’s story, but it also robs it of some much-needed context, here.
Both Williams and Capote exploded into the popular consciousness in America’s post-World War II landscape, writing about topics like rape, murder, infidelity, sexual repression, and mental illness: not exactly the hallmarks of Eisenhower’s new suburban dreamscape. How these men’s success challenged popular mores and the way their books/plays influenced the larger social conversation is absent, here. Vreeland never takes a swing at this larger topic, focusing instead on each writer’s personal journeys, yet it does feel like a hole in the larger story.
As presented, it’s easy-going, though. Parsons slips in and out of the Capote’s voice at times, but Quinto never falters with his gravely southern drawl when reading Williams’ recollections. Indeed, it’s sometimes difficult to separate the actor’s voice from Williams’s own unique timber when the doc switches between an archival interview and a reading of a letter. Structurally, “Truman & Tennessee” moves with an effortless slither than progresses casually through each author’s greatest hits, mixing clips from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and others between on-camera interviews discussing each along with Parsons and Quinto’s voice-over recollections.
Which is to say that it is an easy watch, and should be a treat for fans of each author who might be looking for a nice mix of gossip and insight. There’s no pre-packaged conclusion or mission statement, here: no bill of goods that the documentary is pitching at the beginning and selling throughout. “Truman & Tennessee” is a straightforward examination of each author in their own words, respecting each literary giant enough to tell their story themselves. It’s not for everyone, and isn’t perfect, but it’s as close to an objective truth about the two men as one will likely get. [B+]
“Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation” premiered as part of the Hamptons International Film Festival.
