"You were a TOMATO!" Best (and funniest) scene in the movie and I still can't believe Sydney Pollack managed to direct it and be so frickin funny at the same time.
The wonderful thing about this scene is it's not hard to agree and sympathize with George. Michael is essentially a decent guy but he fails to grasp the concept of dramatic license, and takes the acting profession a little too seriously. Supposedly Hoffman wasn't that far removed from his character in real life, and had shouting matches with Pollack on set or in his office. Art immiitating life.
@@robertmcelwaine7024 also he had to persuade/convince S. Pollack to play the role of the agent, which was orig slated to be Dabney Coleman , who was in turn ultimately cast as the womanizing tv director.
A master class in writing and acting. My god, Sidney Pollack was an outstanding director but also a vastly underrated actor. This scene and Russian Tea Room are comedy gems.
This is a perfect example of great writing. In just a few short minutes, we learn that Michael Dorsey is a difficult actor and why his career is failing. This is done in such a way that the characters are not only expressing their thoughts and feelings to each other in the dialogue, but also giving information about Michael Dorsey's character without forcing it on the audience.
Yeah, and that's why Hoffman argued for Pollack to play the agent. This scene, in Dustin's eyes, was crucial to the whole movie, in establishing that Michael's reputation for being difficult is large enough that NO ONE will hire him (and that his own agent has to emphasize it THREE times.) He has no choice but to disguise himself. Dustin used the example of how Some Like It Hot was dependent on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and Jack and Tony fearing for their lives after they are spotted at eyewitnesses. Dustin felt it would get close to a truthful level if Pollack, due to their real arguments, and as a man above Dustin in the filmmaking hierarchy as director, told him he would never get any work and that he was difficult, as opposed to a peer like Dabney Coleman (originally set to play the agent.)
This scene is so brilliantly written and acted. After 40 years I still come back to it. The dynamic is so genuine and real. It almost feels like the sort of scene you’d write for a father and adult son. The father who loves his child but is completely exasperated trying to force them to face reality and grow up.
I wonder how much of the real life dynamic between the two men is being channeled brilliantly into the scene. Sydney Pollack the pragmatic director and Dustin Hoffman, the high-maintenance actor. My guess is the two may have had conversations on set that resembled this scene.
Sidney Pollack was not only a brilliant director, he was a fine actor, too. Miss him, The writing in this scene, and the whole movie, is crisp and right on target. Casting was perfect, too--especially the late Charles Durning.
Not all the roles were first choices. Actually, Sydney wanted Dabney Coleman to play George. It was Hoffman who insisted Sydney play it. Also, Dustin wanted Polly Holliday in the role Doris Belack got.
From what I've heard in interviews, this was almost exactly the kind of arguments and relationship Pollack and Hoffman had in real life while making this film. A brilliant form of self-casting.
Sydney was one of those artists who always brought quality and heart to his work, whether acting or directing. He reminded us of how good it is to be human, to feel, to laugh, and love.
It's not that Hollywood won't make movies like this anymore, it's that Hollywood doesn't know HOW to make movies like this any more and that is a heart-breaking tragedy...
Best scene in the film, for me. Sydney Pollack was such an underrated actor. He equals Dustin Hoffman in this scene (in fact I think he stole it) and he's also terrific in Woody Allen's 'Husbands and Wives'. He should've acted more.
Definitely the best scene in the movie......."Nobody wants to see a play about a couple who moved back to Love Canal." "But that actually happened!" "WHO GIVES A SHIT???!!!" hahahahahaha Oh my God I first saw this years ago and I still bust a gut!
Always wanted to meet this guy. Mr. Pollack always seemed like the friendliest, most approachable talent in the world. Have always been a big admirer of his. And he will be forever emblazoned in my memory for brilliantly arguing with Dustin Hoffman over the logistics of being a tomato. Now I must just say God rest him. Thanks for this.
I know Jessica Lange won Best Supporting Actress, but I also say that Sydney Pollak should have been nominated for & WON Best Supporting Actor. A truly unappreciated performance.
"YOU WERE A TOMATO!!! A TOMATO DOESN'T HAVE LOGIC! A TOMATO CAN'T MOVE!" "That's what I said! So if he can't move, how's he gonna sit down, George?! I was a stand-up tomato, a juicy, sexy, beefsteak tomato...NOBODY DOES VEGETABLES LIKE ME!!"
The story goes that Dustin Hoffman had trouble doing this scene for some time, until he suggested that Sydney Pollack take the role of George, the agent. Hoffman said he’d have trouble listening to another actor trying to be his agent, but that he’d listen to his director being his agent. Pollack was reluctant, but eventually agreed, and the result was as we see here. This is one of the problems with method acting; makes it hard to invent stuff for a performance.
"...Y O U W E R E A T O M A T O !!! A TOMATO DOESN'T HAVE LOGIC! A TOMATO CAN'T MOVE!!" Honest to god (even though i don't believe in one), here where Pollack cracks up, has always been one of the most appreciated moments in movie history as far as my taste goes. The whole office scene of course too.
The joke is that Hoffman has always had a reputation for being “difficult.” Supposedly when he did the torture scenes in Marathon Man he stayed awake for 2 or 3 days. And Laurence Olivier said, “Dear boy, why don’t you try acting?”
He also had the lead role in Blade Runner too before Harrison Ford, but he got let go because they spent months discussing the role with him and answering one question after another. His rep for being exacting was well known, and Tootsie actually represented his comeback in a way. Art imitated life, or life imitated art.
Hoffman was going through difficult times in his personal life and told Olivier about it, something about a divorce I think. So Lawrence adviced him to concentrate on his job as a way of getting his mind clear. The rest is just another bullshit fan fact, a myth.
“I did an endive salad that knocked the critics on their ass!” 🤣🤣☠️☠️ 8 years old when this movie came out. Saw it in theaters, one of my favorites ever since…40 years?? Awesome…
2:26 "You argue with everybody!" If you know the behind the scenes stories about the movie, you can't argue that that line was just as much Sydney talking to Dustin as it was George talking to Michael.
Check out the behind the scenes of the making of Tootsie you will see this exactly how Pollack and Hoffman were with each other away from the camera although they were also very friendly towards each other as well but their arguments are so funny. It is what made Pollack perfect casting for the role of the agent.
They probably put their real feelings into this scene. Hoffman didn't feel he could push back like this to another actor. But to the director he could. And Sidney did have past acting experience, but twenty years before.
1:50 "Who gives a shit!!! Nobody wants to pay 20 dollars to watch people livin next to chemical waste!!! They can see that in New Jersey!!!!" I never forget this line I first heard it 8 or 9. Only when I was a teen that realized the person who said it was a notable film director. RIP Sydney.
“You were a tomato!!! A tomato doesn’t have logic - a tomato can’t move!” “That’s what I said! So if he can’t move, how’s he gonna sit down, George???” 🤣😂
They don’t make em like this anymore. Everything about this movie is perfection - the writing, direction, acting - even the score! Everyone involved in this movie was a true pro!
The way Pollack is subtly trying to hold himself back from exploding through most of the scene is just so amazing. Comedic performances are almost never held up to the same acclaim as dramatic ones...but a performance like this is every bit as skilled as any great supporting drama role. Pollack was an under appreciated actor.
This movie was a gem: one of the greatest of screen actors portrayed an actor who is obnoxious and not as good as he thinks is (though he did pull off the lady character!).
"I did an endive salad that knocked the critics on their ass!" Gelbart's brilliant writing, coupled with Pollack & Hoffman's chemistry - magic! If Pollack wasn't such a terrific director, he could've been a brilliant, constantly booked actor.
Fantastic scene from one of the great film comedies of all time. The film is a great satire on the acting world and also soap operas. Also - can’t help but think that Hoffman is like that in real life! 😂
"You play a tomato for thirty seconds, they go half a day over schedule because you wouldn't sit down." "Yes. It wasn't logical." "YOU WERE A TOMATO! A tomato doesn't have logic! A tomato can't move!"
“You argue with everybody!”” “You were a tomato! A tomato doesn’t have logic! A tomato can’t move!” 😆😆😆😆 Great acting by Sydney Pollack but from what I remember, he wasn’t acting: his patience with Hoffman (known for being difficult) was almost exhausted. You can really feel his exasperation with Hoffman’s character. I imagine Hoffman was just playing himself. Whatever they were doing though works brilliantly. Some of my favourite scenes in the movie are with these two (the scene in the restaurant is brilliant as well). Fantastic movie all round. Used to be on in England a lot at Christmas but rarely shown now.
