Phase two of our own Marvel Multiverse of Reel Librarians!
We are continuing this summer with our Marvel Multiverse of Reel Librarians. I’ve written a lot about library scenes in various Marvel movies on my site, so I am finally going back through all the Marvel movies, this time in phase order, and making sure I’ve watched, reviewed, and analyzed them all for any library, archives, and reel librarian scenes. So please join me as I wind my librarian way through the MCU! Click here for the Phase One round-up, and we continue now with the Phase Two movies.
*POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERTS*
Iron Man 3 (2013)
No library scene.
In this movie, Tony Stark battles with PTSD and faces a foe called the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). Again, I remembered shockingly little of this movie when rewatching it. And again, I’m sure I would have remembered more about it if there had been a library. 😉
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
In this movie, Thor reunites with Jane Foster and battles Malekith and the army of Dark Elves. The stand-alone Thor movies have been consistent thus far with showcasing library scenes! Bless. Also, this movie — often cited as among the worst MCU movies — was actually better than I remembered it being. It has two things going for it: (1) Chris Hemsworth’s eyebrows are not bleached blonde like they were in the first Thor movie, and (2) there’s a library scene in it. Let’s explore!
At 1 hour and 26 minutes into the movie, Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) arrive at the Greenwich site of convergence for plot reasons. They walk hurriedly through an academic library, and you can see a book cart. The captions reveal that Jane’s shoes squeak… which is why they get shushed by a student! The location of the library is the Old Royal Naval College Library in London.
Click on any image in the gallery below to view in a larger window.
Old Royal Naval College settingInside the Royal Naval College LibraryA student shushes Jane and her squeaky shoes!
Thor and the main baddie Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) are fighting it out in the college courtyard, and at 1 hour and 30 minutes, the perspective switches back to students in the library checking out the fight from the library’s windows.
Jane: What are you all doing? You need to get out of here, now!
Student [holding a phone in his hand]: You’re joking, right? That’s Thor out there! He’s waving his hammer around and everything!
Click on any image in the gallery below to view in a larger window.
Jane warns the students in the libraryStudents have a front-row view of Thor’s fight from the library’s windowsStudent captures Thor’s fight on his cell phone
Fun fact: The actor who has this bit line is Royce Pierreson, who plays Istredd in Netflix’s The Witcher TV series!
The next thing we see, Thor’s hammer sends shock waves that blow out the windows in the library. Jane warned y’all.
Click on any image in the gallery below to view in a larger window.
A wide shot of the windows breaking in the libraryA closeup of the windows breaking in the library
The library scene lasts less than a minute total, but it is a very cinematically striking scene that helps demonstrate the real-world effects and damage due to Thor’s fighting. No librarians were easily discernible in this scene — again, it looked like a student shushed Jane and Erik earlier in the scene, not a librarian — so this movie falls into the Class V category.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
No library scene.
In this movie — one of my personal faves — Captain America is now working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and faces off against a mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier.
In this movie, we get introduced to the motley crew known as the Guardians of the Galaxy: Peter Quill, aka “Starlord” (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel).
This movie is fun! And the soundtrack is AWESOME. I danced along with Groot when rewatching this movie.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Nope, no library.
In this movie, the Avengers team up to defeat Ultron, plus we get introduced to Pietro and Wanda Maximoff and Vision. When rewatching this movie, I kept marveling at (1) how crucial this movie is within the MCU because of how many subsequently important plot points and characters it introduces, and (2) how boring and joyless this movie is. In my opinion, this is the worst MCU movie of them all.
Ant-Man (2015)
No library, sigh.
In this movie, we get introduced to Ant-Man and Dr. Hank Pym. Paul Rudd in the title role is adorable — like he just can’t believe he’s in a Marvel movie, golly gee whiz! — while Michael Douglas as Hank Pym is busy acting rings around everyone else.
Keeping score
Phase One:
6 movies
2/6 library or archives scenes (The Incredible Hulk – university library; Thor – public library)
0/6 reel librarian sightings
Phase Two:
6 movies
1/6 library or archives scenes (Thor: The Dark World – college library)
0/6 reel librarian sightings
Overall (thus far):
12 movies
3/12 library or archives scenes
0/12 reel librarian sightings
The Avengers will return…
… in our next regular post! 😀 We will continue our Marvel Multiverse of Reel Librarians for Phase Three. Stay tuned!
Sources used
Ant-Man. Dir. Peyton Reed. Perf. Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Anthony Mackie, Michael Peña. Marvel Studios / Disney, 2015.
Avengers: Age of Ultron. Dir. Joss Whedon. Perf. Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Bettany. Marvel Studios / Disney, 2015.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Dir. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Perf. Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford. Marvel Studios / Disney, 2014.
Guardians of the Galaxy. Dir. James Gunn. Perf. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace. Marvel Studios /Disney, 2014.
Iron Man 3. Dir. Shane Black. Perf. Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley. Paramount / Marvel Studios, 2013.
Thor: The Dark World. Dir. Alan Taylor. Perf. Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Christopher Eccleston. Marvel Studios / Disney, 2013.
Phase one of our own Marvel Multiverse of Reel Librarians!
When I was rounding up my first impressions of Wong in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), I was marveling (har har 😀 ) about how many Marvel movies I had written about on my site. Then I thought… why not finally go back through all the Marvel movies, this time in phase order, and make sure I’ve watched, reviewed, and analyzed them all for any library, archives, and reel librarian scenes? Thus, the idea of the Marvel Summer was born!
Yep, that’s right, this entire summer is going to be our own Marvel Multiverse of Reel Librarians, as I wind my librarian way through the MCU, starting with Phase One.
*POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERTS*
Iron Man (2008)
I can still remember going to the movie theater to watch this movie! And yes, I still tear up at the beginning when Yinsen (Shaun Toub) tells Tony Stark not to waste his life.
Alas, there are no library scenes in the “one that started it all” — not even a private library at Tony Stark’s house!
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
At 49 mins into this movie — is this the most overlooked Marvel movie in the bunch?! — Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is trying to get away from military soldiers, so he cuts through the Culver University Library to escape. No reel librarian is visible in this scene, but you can tell it was filmed in a real university library, because there’s a yellow sign that reads “Please Do Not Reshelve Books.” 😉 IMDb says University of Toronto and Drew University in New Jersey served as filming locations for the university. Most of the action in this brief scene happens in the bound periodicals section. This movie qualifies for the Class V category, because it has library scenes with no identifiable librarians.
Click on any image in the gallery below to view in a larger window.
Library scene in The Incredible Hulk (2008)Library scene in The Incredible Hulk (2008). In the background, you can see a yellow “Please don’t reshelve books” sign.Running through the library in a scene in The Incredible Hulk (2008)Passing another library patron in a scene in The Incredible Hulk (2008)Pausing in the library in a scene in The Incredible Hulk (2008)Military soldiers come through the library in a scene in The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Below is my Twitter thread breaking down this brief library scene, also with lots of screenshots:
On a personal note, I remembered shockingly little about this movie when I rewatched it. Maybe if there had been a library scene, I would have remembered more about it! 😉
Thor (2011)
Archives or vault?
My husband wondered if the vault of treasures seen at 9:56 into the movie could be considered an archives, but it’s referred to clearly in the movie as “the weapons vault” with “these relics.” Loki also refers to this vault later, at 41 minutes: “So I am another stolen relic, locked up here until you have use of me.”
Public library scene
At 49 minutes into the movie, Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) visits the public library because he needs to email a contact, after his laptop was confiscated by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. (I had vaguely remembered there being a library scene in this movie, but couldn’t remember why. But when Erik finds out his laptop had been taken, I shouted out loud, “He’s going to the library because they have internet access!” I clapped my hands in delight when this proved true. 😀 ) There’s even a “Free Internet” sign in the window of the library, along with READ posters (classic library decoration), computers, and bookshelves in an alcove. No obvious reel librarians, but we do see two other library patrons browsing the shelves.
Click on any image in the gallery below to view in a larger window.
Erik uses the free internet at the local public library, Thor (2011)Erik browses the local public library, Thor (2011)Erik picks up a copy of The Giant Slayer by Iaian Lawrence, on a rolling cartErik browses the book sale cart, Thor (2011)Erik picks up the book Myths and Legends from Around the World by Sandy Shepherd, and looks up entries for the Bifrost and for Thor (Thursday), Thor (2011)Library signs for “audio books” and “young adults” behind Erik, Thor (2011)
Erik walks across the small library to pick up a book, The Giant Slayer by Iain Lawrence, on a rolling cart. He then picks up the book Myths and Legends from Around the World by Sandy Shepherd, and looks up entries for the Bifrost and for Thor (Thursday). Signs for “audio books” and “young adults” can be seen on the walls behind Erik.
Both of those titles are real books, by the way! The other titles on this cart that I could decipher, to the best of my ability, include:
Such a clever collection of book titles that reflect elements of this movie’s plot and characters — and they’re all real books. Props to the propmaster!
I noticed that there were no call numbers on the books on the cart, but there were call numbers on the books on the bookshelves lining the wall behind the cart. I immediately theorized that the books on the cart were book donations for sale, which is a common thing for libraries to do– and indeed, there is a “Book Sale” sign near the cart!
Again, this movie qualifies for the Class V category, because it has library scenes with no identifiable librarians.
Library book debate
At the 1 hour mark, we return to the book that Erik got from the public library, and that book then inspires a debate about science fact vs. fiction. Darcy (the ever-hilarious Kat Dennings) is flipping through the book on the table, and she points to the page for Mjolnir (which she pronounces as Myeu-muh, like a cat’s meow, and to this day, I cannot help but also say Mjolnir like that).
Jane: Where’d you find this?
Erik: The children’s section. [Turns to the page for Loki.] I wanted to show you how silly his story was.
Jane: But you’re the one who’s always pushing me to chase down every possibility, every alternative!
Erik: I’m talking about science, not magic!
Jane: Well, magic’s just science we can’t explain yet. Arthur C. Clarke.
Erik: Who wrote science fiction.
Jane: A precursor to science fact!
#TeamJane
And OF COURSE you know I looked up that Arthur C. Clarke quote, right? Right. 🙂 Clark’s original quote — known as “Clarke’s third law” — is:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
This was published in a 1968 letter to Science magazine and was added to the 1973 revision of the “Hazards of Prophecy” essay. But Clarke had written a similar sentiment earlier in 1952, and this Wikipedia entry traces earlier variations of this concept that pre-date Clarke. The bottom line? Science as magic, and vice versa, is not a new idea.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
No library scene.
Do I still tear up every time when Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) explains the good he sees in Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)? Yes, yes, I do. No shame in feeling emotions, y’all. Movies are good for emotional catharsis. ❤
The Avengers (2012)
No library scene.
This movie is notable for Mark Ruffalo’s first outing as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, a role that Edward Norton did not reprise (thank goodness).
Keeping score
Phase One:
6 movies
2/6 library or archives scenes
0/6 reel librarian sightings
The Avengers will return…
… in our next regular post! 😀 Yes, we will continue our Marvel Multiverse of Reel Librarians for Phase Two. Stay tuned!
Sources used
The Avengers. Dir. Joss Whedon. Perf. Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston. Paramount / Marvel Studios, 2012.
Captain America: The First Avenger. Dir. Joe Johnston. Perf. Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Stanley Tucci, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Sebastian Stan. Paramount / Marvel Studios, 2008.
Thor. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. Perf. Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Kat Dennings, Idris Elba. Paramount / Marvel Studios, 2011.
Libraries are usually viewed as safe, quiet spaces. But even in a so-called “safe” space, biases and discrimination and micro-aggressions lurk.
Last week, in a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that federal employment discrimination law, Title VII, protects gay and transgender employees. It’s a historic ruling — one long overdue! — and Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion. And it’s even sweeter for this ruling to come during Pride Month. You can read more about the decision here on the SCOTUS blog. We still have a long way to go when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights, but this moment is one to savor.
It also got me thinking about the 1993 film, Philadelphia, which earned Tom Hanks his first Best Actor Oscar for portraying Andrew Beckett, a lawyer who gets fired from his law firm after his homosexuality and AIDS diagnosis are discovered by his law partners. With the help of lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), Beckett sues his law firm for wrongful dismissal. This film was released 27 years ago — repeat, 27! YEARS! AGO! — and only now, in 2020, would Beckett be recognized under Title VII protections.
Here is a trailer for the film, if it’s been a while since you’ve seen it. The movie is available to rent via Amazon Prime.
At first, Miller does not want to help represent Beckett, so Beckett has to start researching on his own. And that leads us to a pivotal scene at a law library, which comes in at about a quarter of the way through the film. Beckett is researching materials in a law library, and Miller is at a nearby table.
A reel librarian, played by Tracey Walter, approaches Beckett with a book on AIDS discrimination he has found for him. The librarian, who is white and male, looks to be in his 40s, with thin, balding hair. He is conservatively dressed, in a sweater, tie, and button-front shirt, and he is not wearing glasses. Beckett thanks him for the book, but the librarian does not leave.
Another version of the “librarian stare” in Philadelphia (1993)
Let’s listen in:
Librarian: We do have a private research room available.
Beckett: I’m fine right here, thank you.
Another patron then approaches the table and asks the librarian for help finding a case. The librarian tells him, “Just a moment, I’ll be right with you.” He then turns back to Beckett, sighs heavily, wipes his chin, and then leans in slightly in order to place his hand on the library table.
Another patron approaches the librarian in this scene from Philadelphia (1993)
Librarian: Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a research room?
Beckett [looks around and coughs]: No. Would it make you more comfortable?
Miller then gathers his stuff and walks over to Beckett.
Miller: Beckett, how you doing?
Beckett: Counselor. Huh.
Beckett then stares back at the librarian, who then looks up at Miller. Miller stares down the librarian and, in a gesture of challenge, nods his head. The librarian then drops his eyes to Beckett.
Librarian (to Beckett): Whatever, sir.
The librarian turns to leave, and then so does the other patron sitting at Beckett’s table. Miller stays to review the material that Beckett has gathered, and he decides to take the case.
The scene lasts two minutes and was filmed at the Fisher Fine Arts Library, in the Furness Building on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. As it’s a pivotal scene — one that sets up the rest of the film — and the librarian makes an (unfortunately) memorable impression, this film and librarian portrayal land in the Class III category, films in which the librarian(s) plays a secondary role, including a minor character in a memorable or significant scene.
You can watch the entire library scene here in this YouTube video:
This scene is awkward, and purposefully so. There’s not a lot of dialogue in this scene, but a whole lot of long stares, silence, and sub-text that speak volumes in-between the gaps of spoken text. The camera angles also shift, reflecting each person’s perspective. I want to break down what I imagine is happening with each major character in this scene: the law librarian, Miller, and Beckett. Full disclosure: I am writing from the perspective of a White, cisgender, heterosexual woman, so my perspectives are limited. If you have alternative, different, and/or more nuanced ideas of what’s happening in this scene, please leave a comment and share!
Law librarian (Tracey Walter):
The librarian, as he decides to keep confronting Beckett about the private room
The librarian’s facial expression as he assesses Miller’s stare-down
The changing facial expressions of the law librarian in this library scene
What is going on in this reel librarian’s head as he decides to keep standing and asking Beckett if he wants a private room? He’s clearly connected the dots between the request for an AIDS discrimination case and Beckett, who is visibly pale, with watery eyes and a cap to cover what is presumably a bald head. The librarian believes Beckett himself has AIDS. Therefore, I can imagine he is rationalizing to himself that he is being kind to this patron, by framing his recommendation as a question (“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable…?”) rather than as a command. I can also imagine that he is rationalizing to himself that he is protecting other patrons from this person who has AIDS. These kinds of rationalizations reflect the time period and the uninformed attitudes about AIDS, but they are not excuses for discrimination.
I wonder what’s going on in this reel librarian’s head as he processes the collective stare-downs from Beckett and Miller. Who has the power in this situation at the beginning, and does that shift during this scene? I think the librarian is weighing his options and ultimately decides that it’s not worth his effort to continue trying to hassle Beckett into a private room, because (a) he’s outnumbered, and (b) he doesn’t want to call attention to himself and also be accused of racism — although when it was just homophobia, he was fine with it — because it’s clear Miller, a Black man, is a lawyer and supports Beckett. In that moment, the power shifts from the librarian to Miller and Beckett, and it’s all done through stare-downs and sub-text.
The librarian also tries to have the last word in this low-key stand-off, but it’s weak: “Whatever, sir.” He also sighs and shrugs as he turns away. It’s clear that he hasn’t learned any positive lesson from this interaction.
The camera angles used in this scene also make the audience feel like we’re in Beckett’s position, too, and that we’re being looked down on by the librarian.
Joe Miller (Denzel Washington):
Miller assesses the situation behind a stack of books
Miller stares down the librarian
The changing facial expressions of Joe Miller in this library scene
At the beginning of this scene, Miller stops chewing, and his entire body gets very still. He recognizes the librarian’s discrimination even before Beckett does.
After overhearing the librarian recommending a private room, he pushes his stack of books in front of him. Why? To disassociate himself from the situation? To assess the situation without being spotted himself? To deflect any other discrimination the librarian may be tempted to dish out? To see and assess how Beckett handles himself in that situation?
When he overhears Beckett standing up to the librarian, that’s when Miller’s face shifts and changes. That’s when he stands up and joins Beckett. Miller, a Black man, faces discrimination due to the color of his skin. Beckett is facing discrimination due to his sexuality and AIDS status. Together, they are stronger.
Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks):
Beckett assesses the librarian’s motives about the private room
Beckett assesses Miller when he walks over
The changing facial expressions of Andrew Beckett in this library scene
Beckett seems to be taken aback at first by the librarian’s reaction. Beckett thanks the librarian warmly at the beginning of the scene for the book he requested, and then he settles back into working. But he quickly reassesses the situation when the librarian will not leave.
He does not allow the librarian to put the onus on him regarding the private room. Instead, Beckett redirects the librarian’s question back onto the librarian: “Would it make you [the librarian] more comfortable?” He’s not going to play this game that the librarian is trying to play. He is calling out the librarian and his real motives.
Beckett also ensures the librarian knows that Miller is a lawyer. When Miller comes over, Beckett pauses before referring to him as “Counselor.” Such a smart move! This signals to the librarian that he’s up against two lawyers, and he, the law librarian, is not going to win this fight today.
Why this scene matters
It is a small battle, sure, but this is no ordinary fight — this is a battle of wills, a battle against discrimination. This scene sets up an everyday kind of discrimination, in perhaps the least likely place: a law library. Libraries are usually viewed as safe, quiet spaces. But even in a so-called “safe” space, biases and discrimination and micro-aggressions lurk. And it’s important to show to the audience that neither Beckett nor Miller will allow this small act of discrimination to go unchallenged. If the audience can understand and buy into the fact that this librarian was wrong in this small act of discrimination, then they can understand that the bigger acts of discrimination, like being fired, are wrong, too. It is a pivotal moment in the film, and this film reflected a pivotal moment at that time, when we needed mainstream films that humanized gay men, that exposed the everyday discrimination that LGBTQ+ persons faced (and continue to face), and pushed back against the baseless fears that people at that time had about AIDS and homosexuality.
It is not like we’re post-discrimination today — we are in the streets protesting against discrimination right now — but films and moments like these are important in broadening the message of inclusivity and exposing the ripple effects of discrimination and micro-aggressions.
I’ve witnessed a shift in films highlighting, even in smaller roles, how librarians can reflect social biases and discrimination—and how librarians, and society at large, are in the wrong for doing so.
This statement is applicable here, too. The reel librarian in Philadelphia (1993) is demonstrating anti-LGBTQ+ bias. Plain and simple — and oh-so-devastating. He reflects society at large in this moment. As such, he serves as Information Provider. He is providing information to the audience that LGBTQ+ discrimination can, and does, happen anywhere. Even in a library. Even from a librarian. It is a sad and uncomfortable truth that librarians can be as discriminatory as anyone else, which is especially disheartening because our job is to help people.
This month, our country is better for expanding employment rights and protections to gay and transgendered people. But we cannot cease fighting for progress, equality, and equity. And we cannot shy away from our own failings, reel and real, past and present.
Philadelphia. Dir. Jonathan Demme. Perf. Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Joanne Woodward, Antonio Banderas, Mary Steenburgen. TriStar, 1993.
“Books are my life now. Don’t you dare laugh. In two years I put together one of the best special collection departments in the country.”
Since baseball — and all other sports — have been cancelled or delayed due to the global coronavirus pandemic, how about reliving all the spring training, Opening Day, and pennant-chasing fun in the 1989 film Major League? This classic comedy also happens to boast a memorable reel librarian character, Lynn (Rene Russo).
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
I (re)watched this movie from my personal copy of the “Wild Thing Edition” DVD — boasting astroturf, as seen in the image gallery below! — but you can also catch this movie on Amazon Prime. (It is sometimes available on Prime for free, but it’s also always available for a low-cost rental fee.)
Note: All the image galleries below display the images in circles. Just click on any image to view it larger in a new tab/window. (Did I display them in circles so that they would evoke baseballs? OF COURSE. 😉 )
If it’s been awhile since you’ve seen Major League, here’s the basic plot: The new owner of the Cleveland Indians purposefully puts together a team of bad players in order to sell the franchise and move to Florida. When the players find out, they start winning to spite her. Tom Berenger stars as Jake Taylor, the catcher, who also tries to woo back his ex-wife, Lynn (Rene Russo). The film also co-stars Charlie Sheen as “Wild Thing” pitcher Ricky Vaughn, Corbin Bernsen as Roger Dorn, and Wesley Snipes as Willie Mays Hayes. Bob Uecker steals all the bases — and the movie! — as radio commentator Harry Doyle.
“Major League – Trailer” video uploaded by YouTube Movies, Standard YouTube license
So what does a movie about major league baseball have to do reel librarians? Let’s play ball and see, shall we?! 😉
First base: Off and running with a reel librarian reunion
Twenty-eight minutes into the film, Jake Taylor has made it to the final team with teammates Willie and Wild Thing, and they are celebrating at a fancy restaurant. He spies his ex-wife, Lynn, at the same restaurant with another man. She’s all dressed up and sexy, in an off-the-shoulder black dress and ’80s-tastic hair bow.
He calls her on the restaurant’s concierage phone, and here’s an excerpt from their “Meet Cute” phone conversation:
Jake: Hello, Lynn. It’s Jake.
Lynn: Jake? Jake Taylor? How’d you know I was here?
Jake: Just a hunch. I took you there when you got your master’s degree, remember? I figured you’re wearing that black dress with the red sash.
Lynn: How’d you know that? I didn’t even have this dress when — [she spies him across the room on another phone]
Jake: You’re still a stunner.
We don’t actually learn yet that she’s a librarian, but here’s what we do learn about Lynn, evident even from this short exchange:
She has a master’s degree
She is intelligent
She has a modern fashion sense (remember, it’s the ’80s!)
She exhibits a more traditional sense of femininity (long hair, off-the-shoulder and body-skimming dress, makeup)
She still has mad chemistry with her ex-husband
Lynn also says to Jake that her “life is different from when you knew me” and finally gives a phone number to Jake in order to end the conversation. This introductory scene lasts a total of 3 minutes.
Second base: A curveball and visit to a special collections library
At 39 minutes into the film, Jake calls Lynn’s number… which goes to a sheet metal company! Curveball alert — she gave him a fake number!
But that doesn’t deter Jake, because we next see him arriving at the library Lynn works at. He walks up to a counter, where Lynn is leaning and talking to another librarian, a snow-haired older white woman. We also get a glimpse of an older black man behind the desk, who looks to be filing. Later, at another counter in the library, we also encounter three more library staff workers: An older white man, an older white woman in a pussy bow blouse, and a younger white man with suspenders and glasses. None of these additional reel librarian workers get credits in the cast list. Also, please note that this library scene is the only time we see Lynn wearing glasses.
They then embark on a long-and-winding conversation, as they also weave in and about different parts of the library on their way to her office. I will not record every part of their conversation, but I will highlight excerpts with major bits of information we learn about Lynn, her work, and their relationship.
Lynn’s past and present:
In this exchange, we learn about Lynn’s past as a world-class athlete, and how successful she is in her chosen career as a special collections librarian.
Lynn: [W]e don’t have anything in common. Sometimes I wonder if we ever did.
Jake: What are you talking about? We were both athletes, world-class, hot for each other. What more could we have in common?
Lynn: I stopped being an athlete three years ago, Jake. Books are my life now. Don’t you dare laugh. In two years I put together one of the best special collection departments in the country.
Lynn’s reading recommendations:
Note: This scrap of conversation will prove important in later scenes!
Jake: What is this? You’re still sore I never read Moby Dick?
Lynn: You never read anything I asked you to.
Jake: All right, I’ll check it out now. Is this the Whales section?
Lynn stands up for herself:
In this exchange, we learn more about their past relationship, and the kind of behavior that Lynn is not going to tolerate anymore from Jake.
Lynn: I haven’t seen you in three years. You never even wrote me a letter.
Jake: I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t exactly proud of my situation. Come on now, you never thought about me at all while I was gone?
Lynn: Yeah, Jake, not so loud.
Jake: What about the three nights we spent on the beach in Veracruz? You ever have nights like that with Mr. Briefcase?
Lynn: What about the night you had in Detroit with Miss Fuel Injection?
Jake: Well, what was I supposed to do? She bet me 50 bucks she had a better body than you, and I had to defend your honor.
Lynn: Oh, what a bunch of bullshit. I have a much better body than she does!
Jake: She’s right.
This last outburst — when Lynn reaches her limit and yells at Jake in the library — causes a strong reaction from patrons in the library. Amusing that a librarian would have a good body, or rather, be proud of her own body…? Hmmm… 😦
Embarrassed, Lynn smiles ruefully and crosses her chest with the stack of folders in her hands. Lynn then ends the conversation, firmly closing the door to her office. Unwittingly, she also sets up a personal challenge for Jake, to finally stop being “the little boy who wouldn’t grow up.”
Lynn’s library:
This library scene — the only scene actually set in an actual library — lasts 3 minutes. We get lots of info, and we follow Lynn on a whirlwind tour of the library, which seems to boast Gothic architectural details. Every space looks to be filled with patrons! And bonus, when Lynn passes through an open doorway (in the third screenshot below), we get a quick glimpse of a sign that reads “Special Collections.” Love that they included that detail!
Lynn’s lasting influence:
Remember when I mentioned how Lynn’s reading recommendations — as well as her parting shot at Jake to grow up — would be important? We get our first payoff a few minutes after this library scene, when Jake is reading the “Classic Comics” version of Moby Dick. He also turns down the opportunity to go to a club because “I got some reading to do.”
Continuing in this aside, a little over an hour into the film, Jake has gotten the entire team interested in reading the Classic Comics series! They highlight the graphic novel versions of Crime and Punishment, Song of Hiawatha, and The Deerslayer. Bless. ❤
Third base: A reel librarian at play
Desperate to reconnect with Lynn, Jake follows her home one night from the library. While I do NOT condone this kind of stalking behavior, we do get treated to a glimpse of Lynn’s specialty license plate, which reads… wait for it…
READ!
Isn’t that the best?!!!
However, when Jake finally musters up the courage to talk to Lynn on what he assumes is her home turf, he finds out… she’s at her fiance’s apartment, and they’re in the middle of a dinner party.
AWKWARD.
Jake then makes small talk with the guests, and we get to find out more about their backstory and relationship, including that:
Jake “wanted to discuss a couple of books with Lynn.”
Lynn reveals that Jake “was one of the best in baseball before he had problems with his knees.”
Jake wants to eventually move to Hawaii and “have a couple of kids who grow up to be Olympic champions,” particularly in “swimming, the 200-meter individual medley.”
Lynn was an “alternate on the ’80 Olympic team” in the 200-meter individual medley.
This informative scene lasts 6 minutes.
Going beyond third base with a reel librarian
By this time, we’re rooting for Jake and Lynn to get back together… and the movie does not disappoint! At 1 hour into the film, Jake spies Lynn at a baseball game… and you probably guessed it… follows her back home. Again, I do NOT support this kind of stalking behavior, but we do get to see this reel librarian’s apartment! Admittedly, it’s in a state of packing, as Lynn reveals she’s getting married soon. They have an in-depth conversation, going back over old wounds and feelings — including more instances of Jake’s cheating.
Although they have hurt each other in the past, their chemistry is undeniable, and they find themselves back in each other’s arms. (I laughed out loud when Lynn admits “We were always good at this,” as they head off to her bedroom. A reel librarian who enjoys sex… AMAZING!)
I also enjoyed that Lynn’s preferred foreplay involves BOOKS. Behold:
Jake: I guess this is our last hurrah, then.
Lynn: Yeah, I guess so. Hey, did you ever read Moby Dick?
Jake: Cover to cover, babe. When’s the wedding?
Lynn: You know, you could have read Plot Outlines of 101 Great Novels.
Jake: Where?
Lynn: At any library. [They kiss.] Who saved Ishmael at the end?
Jake: Huh? Uh, nobody… It was Queequoc’s, Queequeg’s coffin.
Lynn: Yeah.
We also get to see Lynn’s bedroom set (flowery, pastel, and wicker), as Jake wakes up the next morning alone in her bed. This sexy scene lasts a total of 5 minutes.
Librarian’s note: Y’all knew that I was going to look up the very specific book title she mentioned in this scene, Plot Outlines of 101 Great Novels, right?! This is the work she says would be available in any library, except… there is no work with that exact title in WorldCat (an online card catalog of library collections around the world). There are some reference works with similar titles, including Plot Outlines of 100 Famous Novels, published by Barnes & Noble. My guess, however, is that the writers were thinking of a reference series like Masterplots, published by Salem Press for over 60 years, which IS a very well-known reference book series that summarizes the plots of significant works of literature and films. You’re welcome for this aside. 😉
Home run with a reel librarian
As the Cleveland Indians chase a pennant, we finish the film with a nail-biting game against their longtime nemesis, the New York Yankees. After an amazing game — no matter how many times I watch this film, I’m still at the edge of my seat rooting for the ragtag Cleveland team to win! — Jake spies Lynn in the stands.
She raises up her left hand, to show that she wears no wedding ring. They kiss, and Jake carries her to the field to celebrate with the rest of his teammates. I love that a reel librarian is featured in the final shot of this classic baseball comedy! Home run for the Cleveland Indians AND the reel librarian!
An unconventional reel librarian portrayal
Lynn in Major League (1989) is the only example I’ve been able to find so far of a reel librarian who is also an athlete. Although winding up with 6th billing, she makes a big impact on the overall motivations and (off-field) actions of the characters. Essentially, Rene Russo plays the main romantic lead in the film, and, like I mentioned above, Lynn also gets to be in the film’s final shot, as Jake includes her in the team’s celebration on the field.
Therefore, I have classified Lynn Wells in the Class II category of reel librarian films, in which the protagonist or other major characters are librarians, but the librarian’s occupation does not directly affect the plot.
Lynn Wells is also an atypical portrayal of a librarian and doesn’t fall easily into established character types. Hallmarks of atypical portrayals include:
portrayals go beyond stereotypical constraints
satisfied in their chosen profession
modern clothing and fashion sense
intelligent
well-rounded characters with scenes and backstory that reveal their homes, personal spaces, and personal history
We get to witness all those points in Rene Russo’s turn as special collections librarian Lynn Wells, and I have always personally enjoyed this reel librarian character and portrayal. She’s smart, sassy, and proud of both her past life as an athlete as well as her current life as a professional librarian. A winning combo!
Related posts
Can’t get enough of this memorable reel librarian? Although this is the first in-depth analysis post for Major League (1989), I have spotlighted this film in prior posts, including:
First up, a trailer to set the context for this most recent film in the series:
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers,” uploaded by Movieclips Classic Trailers, is licensed under a Standard YouTube License
Once again, as in the previous film in the series, we get a scene of Indiana Jones teaching. Twenty years later, he’s still wearing the same three-piece suit, polka-dotted bow-tie, and round glasses:
20 years later, Indiana Jones still teaching in the same suit and bow tie
The library scene:
A little over a half-hour into the film, Indiana Jones meets with “Mutt” Williams (Shia LaBeouf), a guy with a chip on his shoulder the size of his motorcycle. Indy jumps onto the back of Mutt’s motorcycle to escape from Russian agents who are after him. To finally shake off the agents, they motor into… what else? The library!
Why wouldn’t you drive into a library to escape Russian agents?!
Interior of the library scene
Although this scene lasts just under a minute total, Spielberg makes the most of it.
Everyone is stunned to hear a noise in the library, let alone a motorcycle!
What’s that noise? A motorcycle in the library, what else?
The two nearly run over a male student with a huge stack of books in his arms:
Slow down, save the books!
The books go flying, as does the motorcycle
The guy’s books go flying, as does the motorcycle swerving to miss him. Indy, Mutt, and the motorcycle skid under a batch of tables, finally coming to a stop in front of one of Indy’s students. (That is a sentence I never thought I’d write.)
Fun fact: This student in the library is played by Chet Hanks, the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
I have a question…
And of course that student, unfazed by loud noises or sliding motorcycles and undeterred in his quest for knowledge (can you tell I think he’s the real hero of this scene?!), has a question for Dr. Jones:
Student in Library: Excuse me, Dr. Jones? I just had a question on Dr. Hargrove’s normative culture model.
Indiana Jones: Forget Hargrove. Read Vere Gordon Childe on diffusionism. He spent most of his life in the field. If you want to be a good archeologist, you got to get out of the library!
… and I have a dumb answer.
BOO. Boo, I say. BOO.
And I am not the only one incensed by this scene and total about-face for Indy’s view of the library and its vital role in research and archeology.
The trivia on the Amazon Prime version of the film also pointed out this contradiction:
Do you like Crystal Skull? I don’t, at all. One of the reasons I feel it must be non-canonical is Indy’s dissing of libraries after his motorbike ride through Yale’s Sterling. The real/reel Indiana Jones would never say ‘If you want to be a good archaeologist, you’ve got to get out of the library’!
I love Colin’s wording here, that (1) this film in the series is non-canonical because of its treatment of libraries, and (2) “dissing of libraries” is totally not in Indy’s character. Agreed on both counts!
Goofs
I also enjoyed this extra bit of trivia/goofs from Prime, delving into the mention of Vere Gordon Childe in Indiana Jones’s advice to the student:
Goofs
Hah! So Vere Gordon Childe, an Australian archeologist (1892-1957), did spend almost his entire career in the library! And OF COURSE I double-checked this. While he did oversee excavation of archaeological sites in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Childe is indeed most well-known for being a “great synthesizer” of archeological research, publishing over 240 articles and 26 books in his lifetime. And Childe was HIMSELF librarian of the Royal Anthropological Institute at one time (!), so I don’t think he would have EVER advised a student to “get out of the library.”
So. Indiana Jones not only contradicts himself — and one of the primary messages and themes from the previous film — he GETS IT WRONG.
I think it’s clear that Indiana needs to get back to the library, stat! (Without the motorcycle this time.) 😉
Extras in the library scene in Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull (2008)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ends up in the Class V category, as there are no reel librarians identified or distinguishable from all the other people in the library scene.
Continue with conversation:
What are your thoughts about this film in the Indiana Jones series and this library scene? Please leave a comment and share!
REEL LIBRARIANS 