Dear Mr. Smithee: Your recent comments on "The Wizard of Oz" were really terrific. My 16- and 19-year-olds think that "Oz" is a yawner and won't watch it with me, though I'll submit to "The Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter," et al.
"Oz" is one of the 10 that I'd take if stranded on an island.
Anyway, I have a question that's driving me nuts. You're the wizard, so it's probably a no-brainer for you. I can't remember who said, "It must be nice to be the smartest person in the room" -- or something like that. I think it was Spacey or Macy.
JIM NELSON, MINNETONKA
Dear Lollipop Guild: It appears to me you neglected your children's education. Apparently, you must have failed to indoctrinate your children with ample viewings of "The Wizard of Oz" in their once-wee years.
But I also advise hopeful feelings. I recall that my once wee-sons, D.W. and Cecil B., were dutifully shown "The Bicycle Thief" in their wee years. They made fun of that movie for years.
Only now, as adults, have they come forward to say: "Dad, you were right. It is a great movie."
As for your question, the line you speak of is spoken in "Broadcast News" by Peter Hackes, an NBC News correspondent who appeared in the film.