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It’s white rich asshole movie day on the cable TV, today, apparently. While I was plugging away on some projects at home, both The Squid and the Whale and Friends With Money were on. I hate The Squid and the Whale; it’s conceited and hollow, though Laura Linney and Jeff Daniels watchable. I’d never seen Friends With Money, but it’s got everything you’d expect — wealthy screenwriters who bicker over adding a second story, the poor friend who gets treated like a mascot, lots of beautiful kitchens. It also features that oh-so-tiresome end to the typical couple’s fight scene:

“I’m going out.” People leave in the middle of fights all the time, but who says that on their way out? Nobody. Ever. Unless they’ve been subjected to this cliche so many times onscreen that they think it’s what you’re supposed to say when you bail to go to the strip club/your mistress/lonely driving scene.

We’re not fighting yet because money is Teh Awesome, but we willlll beeee…..

All writers have poured out countless cliches onto the page, I’m sure, and probably the best we can hope for is that we catch and delete most of them before anyone else catches a glimpse. And hey, at least Friends With Money didn’t have the wife throw something at the guy that hits the door as he leaves. But the rest of that scene makes me want to pound on my steering wheel at night with two hands while dramatic music swells.