“The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond” comes out today, as directed by Jodie Markell. It examines the lust and longing of Fisher Willow, a tenacious, sometimes foolhardy young woman living in the South. I picture Fisher as the kind of woman who shatters glasses, slaps faces, and kisses while sobbing. She isn’t very tough, but she likes to think she is. She’s well-traveled and flighty.

The kind of woman who lives on the verge of insanity, who won’t define right and wrong, whose radical yet brilliant values are affirmed after many exciting trials, in light of her bright eyes, long legs and cripplingly sophisticated intellect. The story, I propose, is totally romantic.

I call it romantic because this character is one I always dreamed of being. As a child, my imagination was encouraged but I didn’t have the kind of nomadic, liberal, or unfortunate upbringing that creates moody musicians, free-thinkers or the good kind of bad-asses. Of course now I know character traits like that can stem from any background. I also know there is no way to fake sexy-crazy. And besides, to force that kind of misunderstood sadness is a disservice to sad people. I hope actor Bryce Dallas Howard’s Fisher is played with sincere formidability; because as I said before, there’s no faking it. And Tennessee Williams’ would know.