Once a day, until Dec. 25, we'll be highlighting a specific small, good thing that happened in popular culture this year. And we do mean small: a moment or image from a film or TV show, a panel from a comic, a brief exchange from a podcast, or a passage from a book.
And it starts the moment the scene begins, as the camera pans over the name of the bar in which Channing Tatum and a gaggle of fellow swabbies find themselves.
"The Swingin' Dinghy."
No, yeah. You get it.
The Coen Brothers' film Hail, Caesar!, features Channing Tatum as movie star Burt Gurney, who gets a big production number in which he despairs over his upcoming 8-month stint on the high seas, far away from comely female accompaniment.
Well I say "despairs." That might be a bit strong.
Because generally speaking, as a rule, despair involves ... less tap-dancing.
He seems pretty resigned to the whole notion, actually. Just really remarkably sanguine.
Again, yes: Just the one joke. But executed with skill and verve and tight pants, which counts for something.
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