Scrappy Little Nobody. So this book is completely out of my realm when it comes to picking out a book. I normally never read biographies but the title of the book caught me. I’ve felt like a scrappy little nobody my entire life, and I adore Anna Kendrick. I loved what I knew of her already. Girl from Maine who would take the bus as a teen with her brother so she could spend a few hours in NYC at an audition. She started on Broadway and then onto LA she went. If you follow her on twitter you know she’s got this wit and sass. She has an amazing voice and she is really talented. So, I hit Buy.
So glad I did! I absolutely loved it. She is sarcastic, sassy, and witty. What I loved most about the book is that I found her relatable personally, on so many levels. Both being from New England, being the smallest kid in the class all of the time, having an older brother, trying fit in where you don’t feel you belong…but on the same side, not wanting to fit in because you think they’re actually morons…Yeah, this was me. It often felt like I was reading my own story..except for the being an actress and celebrity part of course.
I grew up in a rich town, but we were FAR from rich. Trying to keep up with the Benneton, Varnet, Guess, Tretorn, and Sebago wearing girls was just pathetic. I cringed when my mom said we would go check Caldor, and for that mom I am so sorry. When Anna was asked by a casting director to wear different shoes for the next audition she didn’t head to Macy’s.
“The next morning we asked the receptionist at the hotel where to find the nearest Payless. At this point in our program, I’d like to gently remind anyone who thought that was a punch line to check yourself. Finding respectable shoes for girls at Payless is perfectly normal for lots of families. I mention it by name in this story because it makes me feel sentimental, not because it’s supposed to be ironic. To the people reading this thinking, We already knew it was normal, don’t be so preachy , I apologize; I have been around rich people too long and it has made me defensive.”
On always being the smallest. Yes, I was the one with the Gap Kids jeans. Oh, and I coveted those babies…they were Gap afterall, which made me totally fit in if no one noticed the very small back pockets that were obviously not from the adult section.
“I was also promised an “awkward” stretch of time when all the girls would tower over the boys. For me, that moment would never come. In middle school, hiding the fact that I still shopped in the kids’ section became almost a full-time job. In elementary school, being the smallest was cute. It had given me an identity, even made me feel special. But you know how thirteen-year-olds don’t want to hang out with eight-year-olds? They don’t want to hang out with you if you look eight years old, either.”
She might be my soul sister.
“I happen to love rules. I love having a plan. I love a film set that’s run like a well-oiled machine. I thrive in structure; I drown in chaos. I love rules and I love following them. Unless that rule is stupid.” Yes, Sister!
Having an older brother. It was usually always a good thing, until you wanted to actually date boys. Then it was a bad thing, especially when people were scared of your brother because there was a rumor he sold guns (totally not true). In my hoity-toity town. Seriously people, how gullible are you? My jaw nearly hit the floor in study hall when some kid asked me that one. The great thing about an older brother is that they’ll get you beer, and drink it with you to be sure you know how to handle yourself. I pitied the girls who got wasted because they didn’t know better. So not glamorous ladies. I believe my brother may have used these exact words…
“Yeah, dude, that’s the kind of stupid shit you need to get out of your system while you’re just in front of us. Rookie.”
Even when she gets to LA and starts find more success she still has this humility that is completely endearing. I adore anyone who can look at themselves and just say, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. It was a relief.
