24: Season 6 (2007)

On the whole a real disappointment. I watched the first half of the season in its original airing on Fox, but then was unable to continue my viewing and just recently finished it up via DVD. The show plays better in the later more continues format and some of the plot devices don't come across quite as ridicules as they might sound if I were to just describe them. That being said the season felt quite cliched and recycled and the characterization far from continuous.

Now I treat you to some of my 24 season 6 posts from my old blog 'The Dredge Report':

1/16/07

Also watched the 4 hour season primer for the 6th season of 24. It seemed to start out a little slower then the last few seasons (hard to bet season 5 on that front), and to be attempting slight experimitation in formate, such as having the President actully be in Washington D.C. for a change. I feel shades of the disapointing season 3 coming on here, and am a little worryed that the show may have 'jumped the shark'. While the suitcase nuke going off was supposed to be one of those 24, I can't belive they did that moments, the program on the whole feels like it is becoming a charictature (can't spell) of its self. You've got the work place feuds set up at CTU, Chloie going outside the system, Jack going dark, an untrustworthy advisor to the president (I'm affaird Wayne won't be able to fill Davids shoes), and making deals with terror leaders for the greater good. It feels like there is only so many combinations of this kind of thing that you can do, without getting really cliche. Finally I totally didn't buy the Curtis sub-plot, it was out of character and simply designed to get him off the program as quickly as possible. I personally am just hoping the my favorite character, Bill Buchanon, survives the season.

1/31/07

24 Timeline:

Okay, so here's the best I can figure out:

March 2004: Day 1

Early Fall 2005: Day 2

Early 2006: 24: The Game

September/October 2008: Day 3

January or Febuary 2009: Season 4 Prequel

Febuary 2010: Day 4

Febuary 2011: Season 5 Prequel

August 2011: Day 5

March 2012: Season 6 Prequel

April 2013: Day 6

Note: There is some evidence in the first season to backdate events on Day 1 into an alternate version of the 2000 election (one minues Al Gore running). While this may have been the orignal intent of the shows creators, the occurance of the September 11th attacks seems to have pushed the show into a decidely post 9/11 world. For example, President David Palmer has a Department of Homeland Security early in first term, indicting the occurance of a previous 9/11 style War on Terror triggering event, prior to the nuclear explosion in the California desert that highlights season 2.

3/13/07

While watching the latest episode of 24 on Monday night, which reunited season 5's first couple of Charles and Martha Logan, I was struck with just how much I enjoy watching those two together. Honestly the interplay between Gregory Itzin and Jean Smart was far more engaging then the terrorist goings on in the six o'clock hour. So it struck me, here we have the perfect candidate for 24's first spin off: The Logan's. I'm thinking it would be a lot like Dynasty, with Charles and Martha, Aaron Pierce, Mike Novak, the Suberovs, and a host of wacky relatives constantly plotting against each other and causing all sorts of trouble. Of course this can only work if the former President survives his stab wound and gets some kind of pardon. But hay, if Kim can work as a computer analyst at CTU with out ever attending college, or showing any indication of skill at the job, then Surnow and his writing crew can make anything happen.

4/03/07

I was thinking, if they where to make a TV movie in the world of 24 about President Wayne Palmer and the events of day 6, Montel Willimas is who I'd cast for the part. I was also thinking maybe Tony Todd could play David in flashbacks.

Shrek the Third (2007)

Toned back a few notch's from the heavy handed and hyper Shrek two, this third entry might be the best of the Shrek films (though I've always thought the franchise over rated). It's more comfortable and settled, some might call it lazy, but for me the whole concept works best if they don't try to hard. Murphy's Donky and Banderas's Puss make great comedy team. Timberlake casting as Arthur very natural seeming.

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)

Muppet version of 'It's a Wonderful Life' lacks the full magic of Jim Henson era television Christmas specials, but still manages to entertain. Overabundance of early 2000's pop cultural references and NBC 'corporate synergy' a little distracting. Joan Cusack's just not that sexy.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

I just wrote a review for this but blogspot was stupid and erased it. I just want to say this is one of the best films of the year. Javier Bardem's performance as the bad guy is one of the most memorable ever put on film, an evil dude posed of a strong personal code that doesn't allow him to give anyone anything, the best he can do is let you call a coin toss on wither you live or die. The Coen's are in a full form they haven't been in in some time and the parallels to Fargo and Blood Simple abound. But this is its own distinct story beautifully rendered from the novel by Cormick McCarthy. A real find and strong contender for the Oscar for best picture.

Seasame Street: Old School Vol. 1 (1969-1975)

A DVD collection of episodes and segments from the first five seasons of the PBS perennial. Some of these segments were recycled enough that I recall seeing them when I religiously watched the program in the early 1980's. Of course the show has changed a lot over the years with a current Elmo fixation that’s arguably overly cutesy. A major virtue of the shows earlier years was a stronger sense of its urbaneness, and a 1970's good natured frankness, Oscar was a grouch, Cookie Monster a gluten, things that have been PC’d out a bit since that time. Anyway fascinating as nostalgia. Included is an early pitch presentation for the program to President Johnson’s newly created Public Broadcasting System.

I Am Legend (2007)

While essentially the same story has been made before, once with Vincent Price, and once with Charlton Heston, it is Will Smith who gets the accolades of comparison with Tom Hanks and Spencer Tracy, for his ability to effectively hold the screen alone for much of the picture (though I think the dog stole the show). You know the plot with this one already, man messed with nature and released a virus that killed off most of us, and left most of the survivors viscous albino’s. Smith survives of course, he’s a cool Bob Marley loving virologist who has memorized all of the dialogue from the first Shrek, and who either created a cure of limited transportability or is conveniently naturally immune. His three years unkept New York is beautifully rendered, grass grows through every crack in the pavement, dear and escaped zoo lions run free, wilted Christmas decorations hang from empty buildings, some of which are covered in plastic shields, evidence of ultimately unsuccessful efforts to contain the contingent that cancer researcher Emma Thompson accidently unleashed on us. Smith is such a likable everyman that the film survives on at least first viewing, and is probably the best cinematic rendering of post-apocalyptic loneliness. A little more contemplative then your average summer block buster, its sentimental streak make it a perfect mass audience fit for the holidays.

Dexter: Season 1 (2006)

A sympathetic portrait of a serial killer as the crux of a cable drama, perhaps not so weird sounding until you factor in that it stars Michael C. Hall, Nate’s gay brother David from ‘Six Feet Under’, in the title role. The series is sharp and tight, with a 12 episode arc that’s among the most satisfying I’ve ever seen. The show even manages to make the Miami setting its own, carving out a distinctly separate identity as a southern Florida crime drama apart from both ‘Vice’ and ‘CSI’. Most of all it makes an ‘emotionless’ serial killer someone you’d like to hang out with.

Golden Boy (1939)

Clifford Odets wrote the stage play for John Garfield, but when Columbia made the movie version, they decided to mount a search for a new face to play the young man torn between a passion for the violin and a career in boxing. William Holden was the actor they found to play Joe Bonaparte, and in that profession his career would be a largely undistinguished one for the next decade, until achieving superstardom with Billy Wilder’s ‘Sunset Blvd’. This film itself seems largely undistinguish throughout much of its running time, but achieves near greatness through the stunning denunciation of the sport that appears near the end of the film, and the performance of Lee J. Cobb as Bonaparte’ father. Despite the schmalzy and overly period seeming conceit of the film, it’s new theater sensibilities makes it interesting as a for shadower of changes that would grip American drama on both the stage and screen in the late 1940's and 50's.

Enchanted (2007)

It’s perhaps a long time in coming that Disney would put a post modern spin on its venerable fairytale franchise, adjusting the ‘true love’ dynamic for contemporary times, and give us a send-up of the story conventions of earlier films that’s warm hearted and delightfully non-mawkish. ‘Enchanted’ is throughly so, an enjoyable romp that worked for me as well as it could for any child. Amy Adams becomes the new it girl with her wide-eyed turned heroic performance, and Patrick Dempsy ensures a place in my ‘don’t hate them’ list by proving the perfect fit for the role of a divorce lawyer (que Irony) who takes in the banished fantasy princess while she awaits rescue from her surpassingly likable prince.. There’s even a character named Nathaniel who gets to overcome his self doubts and publish a best selling book, how could I not like this film. Heck, I even liked Pip.

La Vie En Rose (2007)

France and the U.S.; 1918-1963

Marion Cotillard should be Oscar nominated for her portrait of French singer Edith Paif in this effective bio-pic. The movie is concentrated despair, it seems little that was not sad happened in her brief 47 years of life, the last four spent in ever increasing levels of bodily decay following a collapse onstage in New York in 1959. While the film goes through a slow period about an hour in, and tragically skips over most the second World War era, its still a powerful piece of work, owing to Cotillards conviction of performance and to some wonderfully composed sequences, most notably Paifs debut at 'the music hall' and her death sequence. I have to get this soundtrack.

Carnivale: Season 2 (2005)

Setting: U.S. from Texas to California; mid 1930's)

Second and sadly final season of ‘Carnivale’ started out fairly strong, but then got a little slow for my taste, seemingly relying on filler for most of each show. However it all wrapped up quite impressively, bringing things to another level and creating a very strong and satisfying mythology, one that I’m saddened I’ll never get to see further developed. Aviaters, Omega's, blind confederate widows, delimbed Russians, and Methodists ranging from good to evil, oh yes, and the Dreyfus’s.

The Hardys Ride High (1939)

My first Andy Hardy movie, and you know I kind of like it. To one degree or another you can probably trace every 50's family sitcom to this series about a wise judge (Lewis Stone) and his over confident son (Micky Rooney). In this entry the Hardy's might be heir to a Two Million dollar fortune, but you know and I know, they won't have that money at the end of the film. However the whole things warm spirited and Rooney a lot funner then I had expected, so maybe it'd be worth your time.

The 40-Year-Old Virgian: Unrated (2005)

(Southern California; contemporary)

I can only echo my comments about Apatow's 'Knocked-Up': Compassionate, crude, but hilarious. Also Steve Carell really did a fine performance, he's so consistently praised that I sometimes find him off putting in his ubiquatiousness, but he really is quite remarkable in this role.

A Christmas Past (2000)

Not really a movie but a compilation of short, Christmas related, silent films from 1901-1925. The earlier ones are the more fascinating as they basically consist of recorded real life events, like a wealthy families children’s Christmas play, and a 1906 sleigh ride and snowball fight expedition. The later films are mostly about Santa Claus (including a 25 minute piece shot in Alaska), or people in Santa outfits, including the brave Octavious, who the title cards repeatedly remind us, "Never Fails". For extreme nostalgia junkies only.

Smotherd: The Censorship Struggle of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002)

500th Post!

Documentary chronicles the history of the popular but controversial late 60's variety hour. The brothers had signed to their CBS network program with employers who understood the duo to be essentially vaudevillian folk singers, however the program quickly took on a political bent that frustrated executives at the same time it pulled in massive ratings. Eventually the suits canceled the program on flimsy pretense and the brothers went on to win a $700,000 + lawsuit for unlawful termination. The programs ‘Pat Paulson for President’ can be seen as the inspiration for Stephen Colbert’s recent foray into the South Carolina primary.

Delbert Mann: 1920-2007

With the passing of Delbert Mann goes the last of the great film directors who got there start with live drama during the so-called 'Golden Age of Television'. Mann carried the small scale sensibilities of his television background with him into movies, concentrating on intament story lines, the first and most well known of which was 1955's best picture winner 'Marty', itself based on a teleplay. Mann's greatest work in my opinion was 'Separate Tables', a captivating account of two very different romantic relationships, which earned David Niven his Oscar. The Director would make his real money and extend his popular appeal with a series of Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedies, but would ultimately return to the small screen where he felt they were still interested in making movies out of the kinds of stories he wanted to tell. Ironically it was during his second television period that Mann made his largest scope production with a remake of 'All Quite on the Western Front', though the sequel to 'Patton' he directed ('The Lat Days of Patton') was every bit as intament as the first was epic. Rest in peace the anti-David Lean.

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Setting: Texas, China, California?; roughly contemporary

Second ‘Kill Bill’ film slows down a bit and provides further context and back story. Not as exciting in an action sense, but contains probably the better dialog, which ultimately is strong enough to make this film the equal of its predecessor.

28 Weeks Later (2007)

Setting: London, roughly contemporary

The Sequel to ‘28 Days Later’ looks at the effects of the ‘rage virus’ from a slightly loftier perspective. We are not confined in the cluster phobic but effective style of the first film, to the experiences of a small group cut off from information about the outside world. Here we have information about the outside world, though limited, that creates a broader sense of context and scope. We still center around a smaller group, but these people have lived through the initial infection and have something of an understanding about it. In fact they are engaged in the post catastrophe reconstruction, a somewhat unusual perspective for a work which at heart is a zombie movie, and something I’d like to see in further explored beyond the parameters this film set for itself. Like most zombie movies this one is primarily a chase in its later half and thus not particularly distinguished, though I must give them points for the reconstruction setting.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Setting: England, contemporary

Jon was expecting a broad spoof along the lines of the ‘Naked Gun’ or ‘Scary Movie’ series, but as I tried to explain to him that is not what this film is about. No the creative team behind ‘Shawn of the Dead’ have deeper sensibilities then that. While there is the knowing satyrical element where the creators reference genera conventions, this is secondary to a well constructed plot and likable characters, who are engaged in a storyline that comes at ‘the cop film’ at a good natured and sideways angel (or angle). I look forward to seeing more of this like from the able comedy duo of Pegg and Frost in the future.

Spider Man 3 (2007)

Setting: New York; roughly contemporary

Crowded third entry in spidy series has a lot to live up to after superb sequel but manages better then I had expected. Who’d have though Topher Grace as a supervillian?

30 Rock: Season 1 (2006-2007)

Setting: Mostly New York City; contemporary

The funniest show on television. I know a lot of people prefer ‘The Office’ and that’s supposed to be the new ‘Seinfeld’, but ‘Rock’ is the true heir to that 90's favorite. It’s the true heir both structurally and in idiosyncracy of humor, however you’d probably have to go back to ‘Cheers’ to get as good of an ensemble cast. Also the most current stop in Alec Baldwin’s surprising reinvention of himself.

28 Days Later (2003)

Setting: London to Manchester England; roughly contemporary

Danny Boyle directed zombie-type movie was surprise hit. Good, but not great as some have claimed. This genera has its limitations but is usually good for some action, a little character development, and perhaps some social commentary. Reminded me a bit of Wells’s original ‘War of the Worlds’, both with decimated/ abandoned English setting, and the story sequence with the solders reverting to tribalism.

The Hoax (2006)

Setting: New York, Nevada, The Bahama’s, Switzerland, (imaginary sequence in Mexico); 1971-1972, epilog 1974.

Before writing his fictisive “autobiography” of Howard Hughs, author Clifford Irving penned a book on a famous art forger entitled ‘Fake’, this book in turn served as partial inspiration for Orson Wells experimental film “F For Fake” in which Irving appeared as himself. Those who have seen Wells film know it to have been constructed as an elaborate trick on the audience, and the makers of this film about Irving’s larger claim to fame, have borrowed from former’s sensibilities.

The Hughs book was a hoax, but one that its own perpetrator came to believe in to a certain extent. It was based on an extensive mining of material on the reclusive billionaire, and systemized by the authors own channeling of his subject. Irving ‘literally’ became Hughs for the purpose of dictating the rambling reminiscences on which his book would be based. He also came to believe, quite enthaticaly, if the authors own accounts are here to be trusted, in a Hughs connection to a slightly completed, underhanded series of dealings with Richard Nixon, dealings which again if the film is to be believed, lead in an indirect way to Watergate, impeachment proceedings, and the presidents resignation. How much of this is true is open to a deserved bit of skepticism on the part of the viewer, but that in itself feeds the effectiveness of the film which is not so much about any of the specifics, as about the layers of lying and self deception that can bring potentially anyone down, the victims of their own ‘hoax’.

You're A Good Man Charles Schulz (2007)

Like most any American whose childhood fell between about 1950 and 2000, I grew up reading Charles Schulz ‘Peanuts’ in the funny pages of my local paper. I watched “It’s Christmas Charlie Brown” nearly every year, as well other ‘Peanuts’ specials, and thought for a distressingly long time that the lyrics to “Hang on Sloopy” where “Hang on Snoopy”. But on the whole, other then greatly admiring the Christmas special, I thought Schulz work was very simply, and had grown uber-repetitive over the course of nearly 19,000 strips. However in late 1999 I caught part of a profile of Schulz on an episode of 60 Minutes (only a few months before he died), that completed changed my perceptions of the man, and has had me fascinated with him ever since.

Schulz was something of a psychic wreak, ‘Peanuts’ being in fact a kind of fifty-year session of self therapy, centered on events of his childhood and acted out by characters both arch-typial and representative of people from the creators past, and aspects of his psyche. Linus was named for his best friend at the art school where he taught, as well as his inner philosopher. Schroder goes back to a youthfull enthrallment with a friends mothers playing of Beethoven. Lucy was his first wife. Charlie his somber demeanor and insecure sense of self. The ‘little red-haired girl’ the women who got away. Snoopy, his fantasy life who came to dominate the strip during the aftermath of his divorce.

One thing that the PBS documentary really brought home to me was the cruelty that was so central to ‘Peanuts’ and which Schulz himself kind of acknowledged the strip was about. The passive aggressive punch line of the very first strip set the tone for decades to follow: “Good old Charlie Brown, oh how I hate him.” There was meanness, rejection, existential fear, and indifference. These are dark and deep things to grapple with in a four panel about big headed children, but they resonate, because they are formative. I myself remember a period as maybe a three or four year old child, waking up every morning and feeling my heart to see that I was still alive. Where did I get this fear at such a young age when I didn’t really understand what death was? It’s the kind of youthful experience you might think that you had alone, that no one else could relate to. Yet we all had childhood fears, we were all concerned about rejection, and death and loneliness, and Schulz recognized that, and it resonated, remarkably well. Just as he resonates to me, representative of the psychic struggles of a life time.

Robert Goulet passed away.

The Blob (1958)

Setting: Small town America; contemporary

Giant unstoppable mound of red gel consumes all human life it touches. A metaphor for creeping Soviet expansionism perhaps? Interestingly the solution is containment via a cold war (CO2 fire extinguishers can subdue the best). Of course it was up against all American Steve McQueen, so it never had much of chance. This is what a Jerry Wald produced monster movie might have looked like.

Breach (2007)

(D.C. area; early 2001)

The most satisfying battle of wit's movie I've seen in a while. Ryan Phillppe and Chris Cooper go at it as pro's with the latter giving powerfully complex portal of a devout Catholic FBI agent, who spent twenty years as a Russian spy. Good supporting cast rounds this out.

Into the Wild (2007)

(Locations throughout the U.S and Mexico; 1990-1992)

This is probably the most impressive new release film I've seen this year and is sure to be Oscar bate. It's a melancholy and contemplative story that I'd describe as part 'The Straight Story' and part 'Grizzly Man'. Again I can't get to into the film without this turning into an essay I don't particlulary want to write right now, so please 'google' this movie and do some more research if want to know more.

Warm Springs (2005)

(D.C., New York, Florida, Georgia, Texas; 1920-1928)

He was an arrogant politician, an adulterer, and an insulated son of wealth. She lead a life confined by expectations and was afraid to speak her mind. Then the polio came, and changed them both. ‘Warm Springs’ is the story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and the fight with polio that transformed both of them into people capable of seeing our country through some of the most trying times in its history. It is an inspiring story of redemption, of rehabilitation, not just in a physical sense, but in a spiritual one.

Prior to traveling to Warm Springs, Georgia on the invitation of its struggling owner, Franklin Delinor Roosevelt had taken to confining himself in a boat off the coast of Florida, drinking whisky and bourbon and lamenting his lost career. When he got there he was at first skeptical of the supposed healing powers of the mineral rich springs for which the resort was named. But in time he found that it helped, and news of his enchantment with the place spread, attracting other polio sufferers in search of a cure. A cure it wasn’t, not in the physical sense many had hopped for, but it did improve their lives. They gained mussel tone, and came to be able to do more then they had been able to prior to the treatments. For Franklin it brought purpose and hope, rejuvenation and a connection with the common man he had lacked in the past, one that proved vital to his ability to do what he would be called by history to do, during his thirteen years in the presidency.

Eleanor Roosevelt grew as well, she gained confidence and grace as she traveled on behalf of her husband in an effort to keep him politically relevant. She changed from the shy deferential girl into one who could make her views felt with force, growing into the women her husband needed, and to whom it can be said he feel again in love.

It might seem that those years in Warm Springs were some of the least interesting, least important in the career of FDR, but in his life I think there may have been none of more importance. Granted some romantisation and a little image buffering, but this film feels true and offers a logical explanation for "That Man’s" incredible ability to make Americans think that anything could be conquered.

Blade Runner: The Director's Cut (1991)

(L.A.; 2019)

I hadn’t seen ‘Blade Runner’, but it mostly lives up to the hype. The art direction is very distinctive and fully realized, and deserving of its much praise, especially considering it was done in 1982. However I found the parts of the film with Harrison Ford in it to be less interesting then those without him. I mean the replicants were kind of interesting, they were in a very trapped sort of situation and dealing with real existential issues, while Ford was basically playing the standard film noir detective we’ve seen done better before.

The Long, Hot Summer (1958)

(Mississippi; contemporary)

A Jerry Wald melodrama, a Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward romance, a work adapted from Faulkner, and Orson Wells chewing the scenery. Strangely enough the whole thing works.

Edmond (2005)

(New York; contemporary)

So I just finished this and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. Now I’ve seen Mament before, and I know he’s capable of some grit, and of saying some dark things about human nature, but never have I seen it like this. It’s the tale of the breakdown of a white American male, a single night where he lets lose the worst inside of him and never recovers. This movie merits some cogent analysis that I am not able to provide at this time. So google it and read a good long piece on the thing, see if The Nation’s review from a couple years ago is still available. William H. Macy is incredible.

Joey Bishop: 1918-2007

Deborah Kerr: 1921-2007

The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (1986)

Reminiscences from Katharine Hepburn and other celebrities on the life and career of the actor’s actor Spencer Tracy. This documentary is topped off by a truly moving recitation by Kate Hepburn of a letter she wrote Tracy 18 years after his death. In it she explores the mystery of the man who she spent a quarter of a century with but never felt she truly understood. Everything I’ve learned about Tracy points me to a certain degree of self hate. It didn’t matter how successful he became, or how truly excellent he was at his craft, he was not satisfied with himself as a man. It’s hard to say exactly why that was so, but I think it was central to him as a person, and perhaps ironically, why he was so empathetic in his film portrayals.

I Am Reed Fish (2007)

(‘Mud Meadows’, north western United States; contemporary)

The quirky small town love triangle is about exhausted at this point. Don’t get me wrong, I like quirky small towns, other peoples love triangles, and leads Jay Baruchel and Alexis Bledel. However this film felt a little to by the numbers, as well as being stretched. They also implemented this kind of odd idea of having the film be mostly a film within the film about events upon which the film is based. Nice job trying to spice things up structurally a bit, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I do however enjoy the casting in these Red Envelop films, mostly TV performers one doesn’t see in movies that often.

Another Thin Man (1939)

(Manhattan and Long Island; roughly contemporary)

The third Thin Man movie adds a child to the brewed and concerns the murder of Nora’s late fathers business partner. Of course by this time the series was already par for the course, but the protagonists so likeable that it didn’t really matter that the overly complicated plots had started to seem old hat. The ‘baby party’ thrown by hoods was a memorable image.

Knocked Up: Unrated Version (2007)

(L.A. area; contemporary)

There’s not much I can say about this film without opening myself up for a long review that I’m not time budgeted for right now. Suffice it to say it’s a wonderful movie. For those who fear it might be a little crude, based on the title and other data, I’ll admit it is a little, but Aptow’s work is always worth seeing because its funny, warm-hearted, and honest. A real treat to see so many members of his stock-company in the same film.

i (symbol for heart) huckabees

(unspecified, USA; contemporary)

Existential comedy involving a Wal-Mart/Target type chain store and the quest for meaning. This movie is hearted by my friend Joe, but not hearted by former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. I personally heart this movie, it’s a kind of ‘light hearted’ puzzle about a deep, but to many annoying subject, existentialism. This movie might be good for an introduction to philosophy class.

The Crusades (1935)

(Europe and the Middle East; starting 1187 and probably covering several years)

Hooky DeMille epic has atheistic English King (Henry Wilcoxon) converted by his participation in the fight for the Holy Land and the love of a good women (Loretta Young). The portrait of Muslims in the film was apparently considered progressive for its time. I was board.

American History X (1998)

(L.A.; the 1990's)

This my be where Ed Norton started to accumulate all that good will he has among film fans. You know he probably is one of the great actors of our age, he can play pretty much anything and takes a wide variety of roles to prove it. Here he plays a really nice character arc, one wider then we’re used to seeing in movies. While the story is not told chronologically, we do get to see his development from good kid, to distraught kid, to skin head, back into stabilized individual. Yet all of these states are most defiantly part of the same character, we can see it through out the performance, an underlying tenderness and love of family, which while sometimes submerged in anger, always wins out.

This is one of the best films about racism I’ve seen, because it explores things in a very honest way. It doesn’t over demonize, or strangely over dramatize the conversion from racist to re-formed state. Norton’s characters racism bloomed in anger over his father’s death, a death apparently brought on at the hands of racial minorities, whom the father had long eyed with a certain, put-up feeling of being wronged. The same process in the reverse worked gradually, there was really not one moment, but rather things learned and experienced over time, particularly through an initially forced association with a likable black inmate. This is some first rate meaningful drama that can get through, I know because I first heard the move praised in high school by kids I had never considered particularly high minded.

A Passage To India (1984)

(England, the ocean, India; 1920's)

David Lean’s last film is a worthy final chapter to an incredible career. As I had mentioned in a previous review, Lean’s films were always amazing, at least all of his that I’ve seen. He had a tremendous sense of scope, in his visuals, in his stories, in his characters. He had a tremendous sense of justice and injustice, which is perhaps the primary theme of all his works, how we do wrong to each other, and how we can live to rise above it. I think maybe it was his Quaker upbringing that impressed the importance of peace, but not a false peace, so firmly upon him.

In his valedictory film, Lean again tackles issues of cultural communication and miscommunication, of the sincere desire of some to bridge gapes, and the calcified preconceptions of others that create casums. ‘India’ is the story of a young British women (excellently portrayed by a young Judy Davis, who had a wonderful light earthiness about her), who travels to India with her perspective mother-in-law (Peggy Ashcroft, in what may be the performance of the film) to visit her intended, who is a municipal judge for the occupation forces. The two women are quite open minded and ready for adventure, they relish the chance to get know some honest to goodness Indians, and find a willing friend in the eager to please Dr. Aziz (an astounding Victor Baneriee).

The good doctor takes the women on a trip to explore some locally famous caves, and in a series of events that are explained in the film, an allegation of attempted rape comes to be leveled against Dr. Aziz on the behalf of the young bride-to-be. There after is a study in preconceptions played out in court, and of loyalties, wether they be to race, friends, nation or the truth. Lean is a great source of concuss in film, and he brings home many things worth pondering upon in the course of ‘A Passage to India’.

The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

(Chicago, San Francisco, London, New York; 1893- 1932ish)

Musical biography of Florance Ziegfeld (William Powell), famed Broadway producer and womanizer. Of course the womanizing is somewhat downplayed in this sympathetic treatment, which was authorized by Ziegfeld’s widowed second wife Billie Burke* (played here by Myrna Loy).

We have the story of the rise of a natural charmer and rascal who had grand ambitious for high scale low-class entertainment. Of course as Ziegfeld became increasingly successful, he’s aspirations also went up a notch or two in brow, he would go on to produce ‘Show Boat’ (of course that same year he also put on Eddy Cantor’s ‘Whoopee’). The film won a best picture Oscar, as well as the first of two best actress awards for Luise Rainer, who here plays Florance’s French born first wife. The musical number "A Pretty Girl is Like A Memory" is one of the most elaborate and memorable ever put on film, it costs $200,000, incorporated a several stories tall set piece, at least a good hundred extras, and was somehow done in one take.

*Burke herself was an actress, probably best known for her portal of Glenda the Good Witch in MGM’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

A Very British Coup (1988)

(England, U.S.A.; roughly contemporary)
Superb political thriller concerns a newly elected Labour Prime Minister (Ray McAnally), whose radical plans for socialistic reforms are opposed by a consortium of interests including the U.S. President and a Rupert Murdoch type media baron. Subtlety at first, this opposing consortium attempts to sabotage Prime Minister Harry Perkins administration through a sex scandal involving his Foreign Secretary and a manufactured energy crises. When Harry manages to handle these crises, the attacks get more personal and could threaten a women from his past.

Perkins is a sort of idealized fighting liberal, who even looks a little like fellow union organizer Lech Walesa. Here we have what is really an exciting ‘political’ thriller, meaning its focused on maneuvering over explosions. It’s plot logic concerning the domination of business and ‘security interests’ was not quite so old hat when this was made, and in fact the late cold-war setting reinvigorated them for me. I highly recommend this for three hours of your time.

It's All True: Based on an Unfinished Film by Orson Wells (1993)

Documentary on one of director Orson Wells earliest unfinished projects. ‘It’s All True’ was to have been a compilation film of three segments, all directed by Wells, and produced in accordance with Franklin Roosevelt ‘Good Neighbor Policy’. That policy was an attempt to foster closer ties, culturally and otherwise, with the nations of South America, to avoid losing them as allies to Fascist (and later Communist) forces beginning at the outset of World War II.

Wells had been asked to travel to Brazil for the project by Nelson Rockefeller, a major stock holder of the director’s then base studio RKO. The film was never expected or intended to be a big financial hit, but was meant to further US policy aims of cultivating a closer relationship with that country, then under the control of a somewhat benign dictatorship. Wells was given a million dollar budget for the project.

The three segments of the film were to have been as follows: 1) A fictional story about a boy and his friendship with a bull (something like this was later done by Disney as a cartoon). 2) A documentary on the festival ‘Carnaval,’ that evolved somewhat to focus on the somba and widespread opposition to the governments razing of a popular plaza. 3) The final segment was about a group of native fisherman who embarked on a sea voyage of many hundreds of miles in a rickety and improvised boat, in an ultimently successful effort to lobby the government for increased local sovereignty. Only the last segment was largely completed, though it sat in a vault till the early 1980's. That mini-feature is included as part of the documentary.

Unfortunetly ‘It’s All True’ would set a precedent for many of Wells future unfinished projects, when financing was pulled mid-way through production. A new ‘regime’ had come to power at RKO and pulled the plug, in addition to cutting 40 minutes out of Orson’s now classic ‘The Magnificent Ambrosens’, which the director had been forced to leave unedited when tasked with the project in South America.

It is disappointing that such occurrences became so common in regards to Wells directing ventures. He left a number of films uncompleted for a variety of reasons, often funding, but once including the death of a pictures antagonist (Robert Shaw) more then 2/3's through shooting. There is even a completed (save final editing) Wells film from the early 1970's that has never been released do to a money dispute with its Japanese backers, I hope I live to see that potential gem liberated. I am however thankful for ‘It’s All True’ and what I was able to see of Wells first, great unfinished project.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

(California, Texas, Japan; roughly contemporary: 1998?-2003?)

Tarantino’s tribute to any number of genres, but particularly action films of the east, is stylized extra-violent fun. It’s what you want from the director and its what he’s more then able to give you, though it’s not as strong in its dialogue as either ‘Pulp Fiction’ or ‘Grindhouse’.

The Good Son (1993)

(A southwesternly state and Maine?; contemporary)

Male variant on 'The Bad Seed'. The first hour is only okay, but the last half hour is pretty good. Culkin sufficiently creepy. Written by Ian McEwen.

Capote (2005)

(New York, Kansas, Spain; 1959-1965)

You’ve heard that Philip Seymour Hoffman embodied Capote in this picture and he did. It is a wonderful performance, made all the more impressive by the fact that Hoffman himself said that he hated Capote, yet was able to render him with such nuance. He was charming yet manipulative, generous yet selfish. He embarked on an investigation of a brutal Kansas quadruple murder, thinking it would simply make a great book, which literary consensus holds that it did. However along the way he became strangely obsessed with the murderers, one of whom, Perry Smith, he said felt like he grow up in the same house with him, only left out the backdoor while Truman left from the front. One of the best True Crime stories ever brought to film.

Undeclared: The Complete Series (2001-2002)

(Primarily at the University of North Eastern California; contemporary)

A smart but sadly short lived comedy about college freshman from the team that did ‘Freaks and Geeks’. In fact the program is sort of a follow up to the earlier series about high schoolers, and many of the performers from that show appear in small parts over the course of the latter’s single season. The characters are all so likeable and well developed that you can grow attached rather quickly, it makes me wish (as any number of things already do) that I’d gone away to college, even for a short time, if it meant I’d have a chance to meet people anywhere near this colorful and entertaining.

Jay Baruchel plays the quintessential freshman Steven Karp, whose hopes for a social life removed the ‘greekhood’ of his high school career, seems jeopardized by his newly separated dads (Loudon Wainwright III) constant visiting. Steve’s roommates are British theater major Lloyd Haythe (Charlie Hunnam), hapless music major Marshall Nesbit (Timm Sharp) and Canadian business major Ron Garner, played by the great Seth Rogen (who also wrote for the show), but’s whose character I can’t do just to in any quick summation. Steve’s love interest is Lizzie Exley (Carla Gallo), and her roommate, Rachel Lindquist (Monica Keena).

Again, a real smart, funny and fulfilling program, though some of the college topical humor may not be to all tastes.

The Amazing Screw-On Head (2005)

(Europe and America; 1862)

This was not the quirky animated feature I had expected, but rather the pilot to a proposed cartoon television series based on the comic book by Mike Mignola (Hellboy). The story concerns Screw-On Head, Abraham Lincoln’s top secret agent, who also happens to be a detachable robot head who had been heavily involved in important events in American history. In this pilot ‘Head’ must prevent his former man servant, now a zombie, from releasing an ancient demi-god with the help of Heads vampire ex-lover. It is an odd, odd thing, but I liked it. Especially worth mentioning is both the voice cast, including Paul Giamatti and David Hyde Pierce, and the animation style which seems inspired by 19th century illustrations.

Civic Duty (2006)

(Massachusetts?; roughly contemporary)

Thriller about paranoia in the post 9/11 world. Peter Krause play’s Terry Allen, a recently downsized accountant who becomes convinced that his new middle-eastern neighbor is a terrorist. Terry’s obsession grows as he continuously fails to find a new job, he comes to view his neighbors’s every action with suspicion, and starts spending more time spying on him then looking for work, or tending to his increasingly strained marriage. Krause is great as a man under pressure, he slowly burns towards a complete breakdown, as he takes increasing risks to prove to his wife, and a skeptical FBI agent, that he is right about the young Muslim grad student living in Apartment #2. The films tense final act brings it up from good to near great.

My Son the Vampire (1952)

(London area; contemporary)

Absurdest comedy about a mad scientist called "The Vampire" (Bela Lugosi), and a homely old women who disrupts his plans to secure a uranium mine with which to power an army of 50,000 robots. Odd mix of traditional screwball comedy, horror movie, and Marx Brothers picture. I can't think of anything else quite like it.

Ordinary People (1980)

(Illinois; contemporary)

Very emotionally aware picture was Robert Redford's directing debut and won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1980. The story chronicles the after effects of one son's accidental death, and another's attempted suicide, on an upper middle class family of ordinary people. Powerful performances all around, including those of Mary Taylor Moore and Judd Hirsch, both of whom are usually thought of as comedy actors. A very real feeling picture that's both honest and powerful.

Superbad (2007)

(State whose licence plats I couldn’t quite make out; contemporary)

Having enjoyed the Judd Apatow produced TV series ‘Freaks and Geeks’ and ‘Undeclared’, I decided to see ‘Superbad’. ‘Superbad’ is not limited by the constraints of network TV and throughly embraces its teen sex comedy genera, therefor, it is crude. However it is also consistently funny and oddly fulfilling. Seth Rogen is a comedy genius and he wrote the film along with Evan Goldberg, inspired by their high school experience, in fact the two lead characters are even named Seth and Evan (Rogen also plays a cop in the movie). The films young cast is good, they capture high school suitably well, with Jonah Hill and Michael Cera abelly helming the picture, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse getting his moment of fame as “McLoven”. Of course as with the previous Apatow projects ‘Superbad’ does have an emotional substance that is far from overbearing and infact makes the film more then just exploitation, though it’s plenty of the latter. You might not want to watch the closing credits.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

(A magical land whose name I forget; medieval-like times)

This was the first movie I specifically remember going to see in a theater, I was five years old. As I hadn't seen the film since my initial encounter with it 22 years ago, it's essentially new to me and hence the review. This is a kind of poor man's, Junior version of 'Lord of the Rings' with an evil kettle standing in for the "One ring to rule them all". It's an exceptionally bellow-par work for Disney, but I still kind of like it owing largely to the important and sentimental place in occupies in my film experience. I had a mission companion who as a child was big fan of the books this movie was based on, he hated on the film feeling it butchered the source material, greatly condensing things into a measly eighty minutes. One thing I did notice was that the animators really seemed to be mining past Disney iconography for this thing, there were characters and sequences which seemed to draw heavily on design concepts from 'The Sword in the Stone', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Peter Pan', 'Pinocchio', and 'Fantasia'. All in all a curious little flash back for me, I'm surprised how much I remembered.

Prime Suspect 2 (1992)

(London; contemporary)

Second 'Prime Suspect' season deals with the investigation into the discovery of the corpse of a physically bound women in an Afro-Caribbean neighbourhood. Story takes its fair share of twists, you think its over half way through, but no its not quite that easy. Unexpected little twist at the end.

The Best Of Everything (1959)

(New York City; contemporary)

Fifty's office melodrama set in a New York publishing house. Mostly inconsequential ancestor to 'Mad Men' where the set decoration is often more interesting then the plot. The theme of the movie seems to be that if you are a young single woman working in an office, you are probably going to have sex. A sever looking Joan Crawford has a supporting role as a bitter single old editor.

Just For You (1952)

(New York state; contemporary)

Another teaming of Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman, released a year after ‘Here Comes the Groom’ and included on the same DVD. This time it’s a musical about a widowed musical producer (Bing Crosby) who becomes involved in a love triangle with his star (Jane Wyman) and his son (Robert Arthur). There is also a subplot involving Crosby’s daughter (Natalie Wood) trying to get into an exclusive girls school. Some okay musical numbers but there’s not much to this movie and I found it mostly boring. Late apperance for Ethel Barrymore.

Here Comes the Groom (1951)

(Boston & France; contemporary)

A rare post-silent Frank Capra film I hadn’t seen. Bing Crosby is a reporter stationed three years in France who has taken up the cause of war orphans. Wanting to adopt a special two of them, Crosby attempts to persuade an old flame to marry him, only she’s engaged to the scion of a family of Boston blue-bloods, ‘Philadelphia Story’ type love quardrangel ensues. While the flick is likable, and has the trademark sentiment and humor of Capra’s earlier work, the material is not as good and the director isn’t pushing himself, something he admitted in his autobiography. Still as I said its enjoyable, and has some fun cameo’s including Louie Armstrong, Hedey Lamar and Charles Lane. Also “introduced” is a young Anna Maria Alberghetti, in a sequence that really doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of this somewhat uneven movie.

Harry and Tonto (1974)

(America, from New York to Los Angels; 1973ish)

Art Carney won a much deserved Oscar for his portal of a beautiful man, on a beautiful journey cross country with his cat. It is a reflection on growing old, on love, on life, on family and on friends. Carney’s portal of Harry is rich in a degree seldom seen, he becomes this throughly fascinating yet simple old man, a man of great understanding who just brings out the innermost self of whoever he’s with. After his apartment is torn down by the city and he is forced to leave the neighborhood where he had lived since childhood, Harry feels a little lost and tries to find a place for himself again at the age of 72. He travels cross country to visit his three children and along the way encounters a variety of characters, from a teenaged runaway, to an Indian medicine man, to his first love, now suffering from Alzheimer’s in an Indiana nursing home. These incidents could seem episodic if they didn’t all add up to something, something about the character of this profoundly decent and empathetic person who is Harry. A moving portrait that is tragically forgotten by many film fans.

See also: The Straight Story

Hell House (2001)

Documentary on a Texas “Hell House”, a kind of Evangelical take on the traditional haunted house, only designed to scare visitors into salvation. While these events are generally taken to be in bad taste, the movie attempts to show the motivation of those who put these things on. Mostly they are good people, there intentions are to help, and if they feel they have to be exploitive to save a soul, they’ll be exploitive. One of the more interesting figures in the film is a single father of four (including one child with cerebral palsy) whose ex-wife had cheated on him with someone she meet online, well this gentlemen mines his own experience for one of the scenes in ‘hell house’, and to watch him watch that scene, is really quite surreal. Ironically though, the folks in ‘Hell House” seem decidedly less scary then those in ‘Jesus Camp’.

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

(Southern California; contemporary)

I saw this on the recommendation of Dale who touted it as Cary Grant's greatest performance, and I have to say that I see where he's coming from. While Grant stared and was excellent in a goodly number of important films, such as 'North by Northwest', 'Bringing Up Baby' and 'The Philadelphia Story' this little "throw-away picture" provides perfect microcosm for his talents. While defiantly a screwball comedy Cary Grant also gets to play at debonair lady's man, and demonstrates his ability to maintain a sense of dignity while losing his dignity. Myrna Loy is of course lovely as always and Shirley Temple brings the spark of personality she so naturally applied to her less appreciated teenager roles. The dinner scene is the films comic high point.

The Best Two Years (2003)

(Holland; contemporary)

Based on the stage play by writer/director Scott S. Anderson, ‘The Best Two Years’ retains a certain staginess, yet manages to be an affective film portrayal of the life of LDS missionaries. Now I must inform you that I am generally pretty critical of Mormon movies, especially when I suspect there going to be preachy, but ‘The Best Two Years’ surprised me. At first it was just hollow cliché’, the new missionary Elder Hezekiah Calhoun (played by the ubiquities (in Mormon movies) Kirby Heyborne) was stereotypically ‘greenie’, a Oklahoma country boy only two years converted out of Roman Catholicism, and like most of Kirby’s performances seeming more like an impression than actual acting*. Though the film never really abandons its cliché’s, it’s the same old ‘cynical missionary turned around by earnest missionary’ plot Mormons have seen before, it taps close enough to the lived experiences of an RM like me to reignite that mindset and evoke oth nostalgia and genuine spiritual feeling. The scene where Elder Rogers (K.C. Clyde) gives his ‘First Vision’ testimony to American expatriate Kyle Harrison, did evoke a little burning in my bosom, and took a bit of the edge off the cynicism that has grown in me since my mission, which is something of an accomplishment for a movie.

In fact the film has a number of parallels to both of Richards Dutcher’s missionary movies, ‘Gods Army’ and ‘States of Grace’, though in contrast to those films, Anderson’s lacks the same world weariness that turns so many Mormons off from the priors work. I would conjecture to say that which directors depiction of missionary life resonates most with any given R.M. says a lot about where that person is spiritually, though I would never-the-less say that both creators works are worth while. I didn’t expect to like ‘The Best Two Years’, I was poised to find it corny and skin deep, yet it penetrated spiritually and surprised and reminded me how sometimes we all need a “annoying greenie” to set things into perspective when we’re feeling a little worn down.

*I’ve long said of Kirby’s portrayal of a British officer in the otherwise above par ‘Saints and Solders’, that he seemed to be doing more of a David Niven impression then actually becoming a rounded character.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

(London, and Austria; 1891)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary Sherlock Holmes has inspired an unusually high number of revisionist cinematic portals, including ’Without a Clue’, ’The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes’, ’The Adventures of Young Sherlock Holmes’, ’The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’s Smarter Brother’, and tangentially ’They Might Be Giants’ which features George C. Scott as a doctor convinced that he’s Sherlock Holmes. Of all these extra-canonical incarnations perhaps the best is ’The Seven-Per-Cent Solution’, which is not only a thoroughly enjoyable romp, but also provides clever and insightful explanations for the master detectives eccentric character and for his associated mythology.

The title comes from Holmes preferred medium for the injection of cocaine, a substance to which he is addicted, and an important part of the Holmes character to which those not well versed in Conan Doyle’s stories may be unaware. In the film Holmes (A worthy Nicol Williamson) addiction has come to a dangerous point, leaving him paranoid and in danger of death. Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall) and Holmes older brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) conspire to trick the ace detective in journeying to Vienna, under the pretense of following Professor Moriarty (in this case presented as Holmes drug-influenced and deluded conception of his childhood math tooter), but in fact as a means to get him into treatment under the hands of a not yet fully established Dr. Sigmund Freud.

The paring of Freud and Holmes is genius, and while at first its largely a doctor/ patient relationship, they do come upon a case to peruse together involving one of the Sigmund’s patients, a famed singer played by Vanessa Redgrave, who is also a recovering cocaine addict. A very satisfying reinvention that succeeds in accomplishing what Wilder and Diamonds ’The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes’ set out to do even more effectively.

Garden State (2004)

(L. A., New Jersey; contemporary)

'Scrubs' star Zach Braff wrote, directed, and stared in this well-done indie that has provoked comparisons to 'The Graduate'. I suppose the comparisons to that classic late 60's film, which is another glaring whole in my film literacy, are do both to the thematic elements of alienation and search for identity in ones twenties, as well as for there much praised soundtracks. This films succeeds at being are well executed production of a type of coming home film we've all seen before in one form or another. I don't think its particularly ground breaking but it does indicate that Braff is a talent both in front of and behind the camera, and his maturation as a filmmaker should be well worth the watch. Finally, I too own some Desert Storm trading cards.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

(Wyoming and Texas; 1963-1984ish)

Reviewing Ang Lee’s ‘Brokeback Mountain’, 2005’s notorious “gay cowboy movie”, presents me with a slight conundrum. Through what lens should I view this movie, through my social libertarianism, and the cinematic logic that encourages all movie goers to sympathize with the couple that society is keeping apart? Or, should I view it through my religious tradition which takes homosexuality as a sin, and through the films subtly played counter-point of the lives negatively effected through Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) prolonged affair (namely their spouses and other family members)? I think the film is very fair and real about the circumstances depicted, the pain of all characters displayed in varying degree’s of subtlety. Ledger’s performance is particularly strong and he probably should have won the Oscar for it, though I can’t now remember who it was that defeated him. I think this movie may be particularly helpful for people from conservative backgrounds (such as the Wyomings and Texans depicted in the film) to understand the plight of homosexual family members or friends, especially as the film is rather restrained in its depiction of gay sex, no male members being shown. This is strong filmmaking and a bit gutsy on the part of director Ang Lee, though I think he ultimately took his pretensions to far, in a decidedly unclassy reaction to it not being named best picture. In the end however I agree with a friend of mine who said this film will probably date better then 2005’s actual Oscar winner ’Crash’.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

(L.A.; contemporary)

‘Pulp Fiction’ had been a long time glaring hole in my film literacy, and I take my film literacy seriously. For some time friends of mine have been after me to see it and I finally heeded their council. Perhaps no film from the 1990’s has had, or will have as much of an effect on American cinema as ‘Pulp Fiction’, both in matters of style and technique, as well as in the careers it revitalized, most notably John Travolta’s. The film has both great intensity (particularly in the Bruce Willis storyline), and a dark sense of humor whose odd rhythms reach there most enjoyable in its final third. While the inspiration comes from the ’trash’ films of the 1970’s, it is elevated into high art here by the execution. Butch Coolidge’s obsession with his fathers watch might seem like a somewhat contrived plot device to get him into unnecessary danger, but here it completely works and takes the audience into disturbing directions which to me at least were unpredictable. Tarantino is the great auteur of “Pulp Fiction“ and I think I owe it to myself to see more of his work.

Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series (1999-2000)

(Suburban Michigan; 1980-81)

The Judd Apatow produced series ‘Freaks and Geeks’ is the best show about high school of which I am aware. It is the best show about high school because it recognizes the cliché’s that clutter many of the depictions there of and avoids them. First off the show is not about the ‘beautiful people’ so few of us actually where from 9th to 12th grades, (a point made quite clear in a clever little intro at the start of the pilot), rather the show is about the underdogs, who but a rare person doesn’t identify with, especially in regards to those few years in our lives.

The program which has a well deserved cult following, had its life unduly cut short by NBC. In fact only 12 of the series episodes actually ran on the network, which had at first built the show up considerably during pre-season promotio. An additional three episodes where shown during an apparently brief syndication run, and the remaining three produced are available for the first time on the DVD set. That ’Freaks and Geeks’ even made it to DVD is a testament to both its quality, and the tenacity of its fans, who gathered names on an online petition to get the series box release.

The program centers on the two high school aged children of the Weir family of suburban Michigan, Sophomore Lindsey (Linda Cardellini) and Freshman Sam (John Francis Daley) and their groups of friends, respectively the ’Freaks’ and the ’Greeks”. Lindsay is a bright over achieving young women whose sense of equilibrium is knocked off base after she witnesses her grandmother die in a hospital. In their last conversation, with her parents and brother having gone out of the room to get something from the cafeteria, Lindsay’s asks her grandmother if she saw a light, she replied that she saw nothing and then died. This incident had a profound impact on Lindsey, leading her to identify herself as an athiest, and beging a prolonged period of questioning and reassessment. As part of this ’exploring’ Lindsy starts to hang out with a group of ’burnouts’ or ‘freaks‘, troubled underachievers with whom she now feels some existential bond of lost direction.

The changes in their daughter trouble Lindsey’s mother and father, ably played by
Becky Ann Baker and Joe Flaherty. These are good parents (though not without there quarks), a welcome departure from televisions stereotyped lazy fat husband, and enabling wife. They watch with some sense of bewilderment and try to guide their daughter, mostly successfully, through many troubles/life experiences that come about on account of her friends, namely relationships, dances, drugs, rock concerts, car accidents, attempted cheating, hitchhiking and even a school visit from Vice President George Bush (that episodes features a great and unexpected cameo by Ben Stiller as a Secret Service agent).

The ‘Geeks’ on the other hand provide comic counterpoint (not that hysterically funny stuff doesn’t happen with the ‘Freaks‘) to the goings on with Lindsey’s crowd. Sam is a tiny kid at 14 and still bridging that pubescent gap. He pines for beautiful cheerleader Cindy Sanders (Natasha Melnick) who contrary to genera convention is a real nice girl, and is harassed by bully Gordon Crisp, who again in an unusually twist, we find really like Sam and his gang, but is still hurting from a perceived slight on their part back in elementary school. Speaking of Sam’s gang they are an interesting bunch, vaudeville want to be Neal Schwiber (Samm Levine), is a Jewish kid with a borsch belt sense of humor, who looks like a little Oscar Levant and erroneously thinks of himself as a ladies man. Bill Havechuck, played by the insipidly dorky Martin Starr, is the series breakout character and a performance perhaps unequaled in the realm of television geeks. Interestingly both these characters get surprisingly poignant mini-arcs.

This is a perfectly realized series, deeply satisfying and funnier then most anything that’s been on television in the past ten years. Some of the performers have gone on to increased recognition such as Cardellini (whose face acting is outstanding), James Franco and Seth Rogen. Those who haven’t yet made a splash deserves to, and hopefully Judd Apatow's casting loyalty to many of these players will pay off in the future. You should see ’Freaks and Geeks’ it is worthy of your time.

I'll Be Seeing You (1944)

(Texas; Dec 24, 1943- January 1, 1944)

World War II homefront movie (a genera for which I am most defiantly a sucker) that at least tried to be somewhat raw and cutting edge, even in the tried and true solder-meets-girl-while-on-furlough formula. In this case the solder in Joseph Cotton, a shell shocked veteran of the Pacific Theater who has nowhere to go on Christmas leave because he is an orphan (aaww, that's sad). Luckily however Joseph meets Ginger Rogers on the train from Dallas, he gets himself invited to Christmas dinner with her at her aunt and uncles place (that's good), and they fall in love (even better). However (uh oh), Ms. Ginger is keeping from Joseph a terrible secret, she is not the traveling saleslady she claims to be, in fact she is on a brief furlough herself, only from prison instead of the army. You see three or four years previous Ginger was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, when she accidentally killed her boss as he was attempting to rap her. So as you can see this not your typical war time love story, despite having a number of its cliched trappings. In fact this movie is so kinda odd, I still don't know exactly what to make of it, suffice it to say I prefer my Joseph Cotton to be a little more jovial, especially around the Holidays.

Fun Fact: The same year this movie was released Joseph Cotton appeared in another (and far superior) homefront movie called 'Since You Went Away', in which Shirley Temple (who plays Gingers cousin) also appeared.

After the Thin Man (1936)

9/17/07

(San Fransico; News Years 1935?)

The second ‘Thin Man’ picture takes up right where the first left off, ala ‘Babe: Pig in the City’. This time newly wed detective Nick Charles (William Powell) and his heiress wife Nora (Mryna Loy) are called into the service of family after Nora’s cousians husband goes missing. A worthy sequel to the first film it boasts the same sly sense of humor, and complicated mystery plot, as well as a large new cast of supporting players. Nick’s conversation with snoring family members an inspired bit of distraction. James Stewart appears in one of his earliest film roles.

Mary Pickford: A Life on Film (1997)

9/16

Documentary on the life of actress Mary Pickford (1892-1979), who rose from obscure poverty in Canada, to become a film icon, one of the worlds most famous people, and the first American women to earn more then a million dollars in a single year. She really was a pioneer and the more that you learn about her the more you respect her. She acted, wrote, directed, co-founded and to a large extent ran a major Hollywood studio (United Artists), all this as a women scarsly out of the Victorian era. Mary’s personal life however proved a sharp contrast to her career. It was during the era of her greatest success that she lost her mother, and two younger siblings, not to mention her first and second husbands (the later of which, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., was by far the most famous, and the man with whom she will always be most associated). In the early 1930's her acting career ground to an unwanted halt, as she was now far to old to be at all convincing in the child roles that made her a smash, however some of this dissatisfaction was offset by the fact that she had such a successful and loving relationship with her third husband, actor turned band leader Charles "Buddy" Rogers, with whom she was married for Forty-two years. Mary Pickford is a women worth learning about.

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

9/13

(England, and the sky’s over Europe; 1942-1943, 1949)

Kind of talkie war movie stars Gregory Peck as a second generation general assigned to straighten up a ‘hard luck’ squad of bombers. Dean Jagger won a best supporting actor Oscar as Peck’s deep feeling adjutant. Very little of the movie is actually spent in combat (and what there is of combat uses actual war footage), but instead focuses on ‘behind the scenes’ happenings at base and the emotional coast of war on all involved. While the flick clock’s in at about 2 hrs 12 minutes, events kind of blur because so much of it is talking, which is a bit unusual for a war picture. This isn’t a bad thing its well executed, but it does mean that viewers looking for action may be a little disappointed in the proceedings.

Johnny Belinda (1948)

9/13

(An island off the coast of Nova Scotia Canada; contemporary)

Jane Wyman won an Oscar for her portrayal of a deaf mute rape victim in this powerful drama of family loyalty. It is quite the performance, communicated almost entirely through the actresses face, which by the way was never lovelier. Lew Ayers is also a standout as the saintly doctor who helps Belinda and her family through trying times and gradually falls in love with her. Bold film making for its time in terms of subject matter, it wears well and should certainly be more widely viewed then it is now.

Also included in the DVD is a film short about a real life four year old precision archer.

Cimarron (1930)

9/12

(Kansas, Oklahoma; 1889-1930)

Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, 'Cimarron' (supposedly Indian for 'Wild Country') is the story of the Cravet's (Richard Dix and Irene Dunne), a young couple who leave Wichita to be part of the settlement of 'a new empire' in Oklahoma. Dune's Sabra is the daughter of a society family whose marriage to the adventures Yancey (Dix) is a sometimes volatile one, yet ultimately proves enduring, despite the sometimes years long absences of the male partner. Yancy is driven by both a sense of adventure, and a civil libertarian streak with biblical overtones. He's a bit of rouge, a lawyer, a newspaper publisher, land speculator and amateur preacher. He's suppose to be interesting, and he kind of is, in fact they both are, but the execution of the story seems dated and to be honest board me (I multi tasked through most of my viewing). It's scope made it a groundbreaking film for its time, with sound technology having progressed to the point that large outdoor action sequences could again be filmed (having been largely abandoned with the decline of silent). A slow start hurts the film however, and while the two leads are excellent in their roles, its not a movie most modern audiances would find compelling enough to sit through, and this includes some classic movie fans. Anyway it was kind of neat to see an early Ferber film, as many of the elements that would be present in her later books and films (minority rights, independent women) are present here in, as is the story format concerning a western family and their close associates over the course of several tumultuous decades, later used so splendidly in 'Giant', which currently holds the statues of my favorite film of all time.

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)

9/11

(Louisiana; 1927 and 1964)

Director Robert Aldrich had intended this film as follow up to his earlier camp classic ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’ Audiences had responded enthusiastically to that film, which featured the famed feuding ‘Queens’ of the old studio system, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, as faded stars locked in a life and death struggle. Where ‘Jane’ had featured Davis torturing Crawford, ‘Charlotte’ was to have reversed the roles and have Crawford torturing Davis. However the stars behind the scenes feud. became so intense that Crawford walked out of the picture after a few weeks of shooting, and Olivia deHavilland stepped in to take over her role, and delivered a fine performance in it to boot.

In short the story of ‘Charlotte’ concerns Charlotte (Davis) a daughter of Southern society who became notorious as the murder of the married man with whom she was having an affair (Bruce Dern). Her fathers connections kept her out of jail, but more then 35 years later she was living, mostly alone (save loyal made Agnes Moorehead) in the old family estate, a figure of local gossip and the imagination of young boys who want a scare. When the state decides to put a highway through her property, forcing her evacuation, Charlotte refuses, in part out of a deference to her late father, who wanted nothing more then to preserve the family homestead.

Into this tense situation comes deHavilland, a long estranged niece of the notorious Charlotte, who as her only living relative comes to help her move, and perhaps rekindle an old romance with a local doctor and former beau (Joseph Cotten). Of course this is how things seem at first, you feel you have the basic contours of the movie down, but trust me you don’t. Cecil Kellaway, in an unexpectedly scene stealing performance, has come from England to investigate the matter of the late Dern’s insurance policy having never been claimed, which holds the key, as it where, to the whole darned mystery.

This is great stuff, I thought it was only okay at first but by the end I was sold. It’s high melodrama as exploitation flick starting golden era Hollywood players. Yet I don’t feel they were taken advantage of here, no not at all, they gave strong performances and where kept relevant in the eyes of then contemporary audiences through work such as this, which never reached the level of self mockery that marked some of Vincent Prices later work. Thusly ‘Sweet Charlotte’ is a pretty sweet picture.

Jane Wyman: 1914-2007

Deliver Us From Evil (2006)

Documentary on pedophile Catholic Priest Father Oliver “Ollie” O’Grady, who sexually abused possibly hundred’s of children in various north-central California perishes during the 1970's and 80's. Father O’Grady was eventually successfully prosecuted for some of his crimes and spent a number of years in prison, before being deported back to his native Ireland, where he is now a free man and due to receive a pension when he turns 65. Father O’Grady’s perverted crimes brought sorrow and destruction to many lives, but his deeds are not the sole focus of the film. O’Grady’s story is but one of many, many examples of abusive Priest’s kept in positions that allowed them access to children, because of an administrative cultural within the Catholic hierarchy that in many cases came to value personnel and public image above the safety of some of their most vulnerable parishioners. The Bishop who shielded Father O’Grady for much of his time in the states, Roger Mahoney, had over 500 such dangerous Priests kept active in his California Diosces alone, according to the film.

Of course these kind of tragedies occur in all religions, where perverted individuals manage to work their way into positions where they can abuse children. In the Catholic case however these issues have been seen as more pronounced, especially in recent years. Part of this problem might be alleviated by a return to long former practice and allowing priests to marry, however the traditionalist in sway in the highest corders of power in the Church are vehemently opposed to such change. Even granting that the Catholic Church should retain the practice of ‘celibate’ Priests, it most defiantly should have done a better job of removing sexual offenders from positions where thye could do harm, at the very least sending them off to a monastery where they have little-to-no chance of recidivism. It should be pointed out that Father O’Grady, while allowed to attend some lay therapy during his time as an active priest, was never cloistered away, and in fact today (the time in which the documentary was made, this may have changed by now) has no aperient restrictions placed upon his personal movements in Ireland, and is in fact even interviewed in this film in front of a children’s play ground. Amy Berg’s documentary does a good job of bring these issues even further into the open and showing the damage men like Father O’Grady, and those who enabled him, have done to good Catholics and their Church.

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

(New York, England, Holland; August-September 1939, plus epilogue several months later)

Hitchcock film concerns American crime reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) sent to Europe by his paper to get the real scoop on impending war. Jones under a new paper mandated moniker is tasked with landing an interview with a Dutch politician named Van Meer, who may be key to last minute peace negations. When his subject is apparently killed in front of him, Jones follows a suspect and manages to sneak into a secret holding facility where he discovers Van Meer still alive, being held by German agents in an attempt to get important information out of him regarding a secret treaty. Jones is then thrown into the task of attempting to prove that Van Meer is still alive and effect his rescue, a cause for which he gradually gains allies including British reporter George Sanders, and Carol Fisher the daughter of a prominate peace activist. Also Robert Benchley appears as comic relief in the form of a senior American correspondent in London.

The film is sold, good espionage stuff, which seems fairly conventionally framed until the last half hour or so. Indeed the last 30 minutes of the film are a real treasure, a kind of low key twist occurs, in which the villain manages to redeem himself, and in facts turns out to be a good egg in a bad situation. Really you need to see this film for the wonderfully unconventional resolution. The ending also contains a not to subtle plea for American involvement in the European war.

Path to War (2002)

(Mostly Washington D.C.; January 1965- early 1968)

John Frankenheimer’s dramatically solid rendering of the Johnson administrations ill-fated slide into the Vietnam War. Michaell Gambon makes an excellent Lyndon Johnson, despite being English I don’t know who else could have played him, he has the right face, the right build, and even managed not to overplay the accent. (Of course and Englishman playing a U.S. President in a movie is nothing new, there were two American presidents depicted in the 1997 movie Amistade, and both were played by veteran British actors.) Also notable is Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, this is an actor who just fascinating as the kind of stuffed shirt character that would boar or a be a caricature in lesser hands. Also Felicity Huffman was an unexpected but fine choice for the part of Lady Bird Johnson.

Anybody with a basic knowledge of history knows the story of this movie, at least in broad outline. Now the story of Johnson, like the story of his successor Richard Nixon, is American Shakespear. Here is a man who had the potential for greatness, even had greatness, but lost it do to a flaw. Now this flaw isn’t Nixon’s flaw, because we get the sense that Johnson felt comfortable in his own skin, something Nixon may never have. In fact, as pointed out by Clark Clifford (Donald Sutherland) in the movie, that Johnson flaw seemed to go against the man’s own historic political instincts. He just felt he couldn’t lose face on Vietnam, that he was obligated even when failure seemed all but inevitable. Johnson gave up much of his ‘Great Society’ for the self-destructive experience that was American involvement in the Vietnam war, and as this movie and I think history implies, he never got over it, but then again how could he. ‘Path to War’ is no ‘Nixon’ but its as good as your likely to get in a made-for-tv format.

Note: Gary Sinise reprises unbilled his Emmy winning role of George Wallace from the mini-series ‘Wallace’.

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

(China; 1940's, pre-communist take over)

Stephen Chow directed Kung Fu action spoof about the gangs that plagued China during the first half of the 20th Century. Very much along the lines of his earlier ‘Sholine Soccer’ its about a bunch of under-dogs who take on a seemingly superior group of bad guys through the mastery of super natural martial arts skills. The film is full of homages, many of them thematic to works from ‘Top Hat’ (1935) to ‘Gangs of New York’ (2003), the world of the movie is a kind of lawless Scorsese landscape filtered through both ‘West Side Story’ and the work’s of Tex Avery.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

(New York City; contemporary)

Charlie Kaufmans groundbreaking meditation on puppetry as a metaphor for life. John Cusake is Craig Schwartz an unemployed puppeteer who lands a job as a filing clerk at a company based in the seventh-and-a-half floor of a New York City high-rise (it was designed as an optimal working environment for midgets). Schwartz discovers there-in a portal into the mind of acclaimed actor John Malkovich. Craig shares this secret with his wife (Camren Diaz) and a women he would like to have an affair with (Cathrine Keener). They establish a business that allows anyone to spend 15 minutes as a passenger in John Malkovich’s body, but eventually Craig gains sufficient skill at manipulating Malkovich’s person, that he decides to take up residence full time, re-directing his hosts career into the world of puppetry.

This is all needless to say a very bizarre concept for a movie, but it works and establishes quite well the existential field about which Kaufman enjoys writing, namely the subject of identity and self. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind explores this subject matter in pronounced regards to relationships, while Adaptation is more about the creative process as an expression of self. The metaphor in Malkovich is simultaneously more persise and abstract with one person literaly becoming another yet unable to cease being ones self. Perhaps this can be interpreted as the internal pointlessness of attempting to be something we are not, or perhaps its about something else entirely. Whatever its about exactly, and that was doubtless meant to be at least semi-ambiguous, it’s a creative, entertaining and lightly though provoking work.

See also: Donnie Darko (2001)

Maxed Out (2006)

9/2/07

Documentary film delves into the American culture of debt and the morally despicable practices of predatory lenders. Important viewing as a kind of ‘Scared Straight’ for credit card holders.

Papillon (1973)

8/30/07

(France, Atlantic Ocean, Gyuana, Honduras, Devil’s Island; 1930's +)

Based on the true story of Henri Charriere, a Frenchmen falsely convicted of the death of a pimp and sentenced to that nations notorious South American prisons, this is a dang fine movie. There are elements of other films here, such as The Life of Emile Zoie, but doubtless comparisons can be made to McQueens other ‘Great Escape’ movie, The Great Escape. That movie was more about a cunning bravado and daring do, while Papillon has that, its in a more mature and reflective form. The mediation on friendship between McQueen and Hoffman is beautiful and subtle, but human will, endurance and what it takes to be a man are also on display as thematic subtexts, and handled as masterfully as perhaps they ever could be in something of an adventure format (thank you Dalton Trumbo). Anyway this film is simply worth your time.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2002)

8/29/07

(Mostly New York City; 1970's and roughly contemporary)

I just finished this movie mere minutes ago and I must say I’m not yet sure what I think of it. This is my first Wes Anderson film you see, and while I’m aware of the director through reputation and a smart credit card commercial he did for the last Academy Awards, I’d had no real exposer to his work. I’d seen the first eight or so minutes of this movie on YouTube a few weeks ago and was impressed by its conceit, that it’s a sort of children’s book, a motifs that is made clear at the very beginning of the film, when we are shown said children’s book checked out of a library, and we hear the wonderful straight narration of the story, in stylistically simple proses, by the great Alice Baldwin.

The story concerns the family of Tenenbaum, a rich but dysfunctional New York City family whose three ‘genius’ children were a brief media sensation in the 1970's. Decades later all three children, played in there adult incarnations by Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson, are emotionally and psychologically damaged individuals. This is in part do to their father, a manipulative man of poor relational competence, who separated from there mother when there were just children. Now on the verge of economic destitution this Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackmen) comes back into their life fanning stomach cancer, but eventually discovers his emotional core and becomes a sort of nexus for the emotional rehabilitation of his family.

As I write these word and reflect I can already feel the movie coming together for me, though obviously a bit delayed. The story works, and the memorable visual composition, eclectic musical selection, and surreal straightness in which the whole thing is played, combines with the excellent cast performances to form what may be a sly little classic. I’m gonna enjoy sorting this one out in my mind.

The Whales of August (1987)

(An island off the coast of Main; 1950's?)

Bette Davis's penultimate performance and Lillian Gish's last film, coping off for the latter a film career that dates back to 1912 (Davis's to the early 30's). The two play sisters, Davis a blind widow, and Gish a fellow widow who looks after her. There's really not that much plot in a conventional sense, though Vincent Price does stop by to attempt to court Ms. Gish, who was 93 years old when her performance was filmed. In fact this is more Gish's film then Davis's, she has (in my estimation) the better part, and to see her so sharp on screen at that age is a little joy, and probably the only reason to see the film which is very stage play talkie.

Some Movie Blogs

Cinemathematics

The Ongoing Cinematic Education of Steven Carlson

Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule

THIS DIVIDED STATE

Moving

Early next week I am moving from my current and long time residence to a new location, which may have some affect on this blog. The reliability of my Internet access at this point is somewhat in question, and the computer I will be using insites that my Blogger account is in Spanish, and won't let my cut and past from word pad. Therefore this blog my come to an end at least temporally, or alternately may come to only be updated occasionally and irregularly. I hope to continue to write on films and post them on my MySpace group 'The John Nance Garner Fan Club' as that is more accessible with my computer system. However as I mentioned before, my Internet statues is up in the air a bit and that might affect things as well. In the fullness of time I hope to be able to return to this blog in largely the way I have in the past. Regards.

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

(London; 2001)

Director Stephen Frears Dirty Pretty Things takes a look at the plight of illegal immigrants in present day England. Chjwetel Ejiofor is Okwe, and illegal immigrant from Nigeria, a former doctor who has a secret past. An insomniac he is keeping down several jobs, including cab driver, hotel desk clerk, and underground physician, while renting a sofa from Turkish refugee Senay (French actress Audrey Tautou). One night, while cleaning a backed up toilet in one of the rooms at the hotel, Okwe discovers a human heart clogging up the thing. Okwe wants to do something about this, but as he is an illegal immigrant, is afraid of deportation should he become directly involved. In process of time Okwe discovers an back door organ harvesting operation praying on illegal aliens, and offering in exchanged forged passports and other documentation. Okwe battles his consense, with his desire to stay in England so as to avoid a horrible fate awaiting him in his home country. An appropriate story for our times, it reflects the human condition suffered by many people caught between circumstances and the system. A David Byrne song plays over the closing credits.

Stage Fright (1950)

(England, mostly London; contemporary)

Until about the last five minutes of the film, when the twist was reveled, I was a tad disappointed in this lesser known work of Hitchcock’s. The plot concerns aspiring actress Eve Gill (Jane Wyman in a fine follow up performance to her Oscar winning role in Johnny Belinda), who goes undercover as the ‘dresser’ of theater star Charlotte Inwood (Marlene Dietrich, not straying far from the familiar), to prove her philandering boyfriend (Richard Todd) innocent of a murder. Along the way Eve falls for police inspector Wilfred Smith (Michael Wilding), and must struggle to keep her now duel identities separate, as Wilfred is investigating the same case; this provides most of the films suspense. Devoid of the Hitchcock visual flourishes that we’ve come to expect, this is a good but mostly forgettable thriller, and perhaps the closest the great director has ever come to ‘phoning it in’. Alistair Sim is terrific however as Eve’s bemusedly devious father.

Some amusing pictures from the comic con in San Diego.

Some amusing pictures from the comic con in San Diego.

When Harry Meet Sally, the Horror Remix

Mexican food from the 70's, yum.

Don't

The Adventures of Errol Flynn (2005)

TCM produced documentary on the eventful life of swashbuckling lady's man Errol Flynn. A TV bio-pic about the man produced a number of years ago was titled "My Wicked, Wicked, Ways", so you just know his life story is going to be entertaining. Flynn was born in Tasmania, and worked as, among other things, a slave trader before becoming an actor. A lover of women, acting, sailing, and perhaps surprisingly writing, Flynn is a fascinating character whose life kind of parallels that of actor John Barrymore, whom he played in one of his last films. Ironically the parts about the actors films seemed to slow this documentary down, as his personal life and observations are generally more intriguing then his rather formula productions at Warner Brothers.

Big Love: Season 1 (2006)

(Utah, contmporary)
IMDb

A quirky/poignant drama ala HBO’s Six Feet Under, only dealing with polygamy rather then undertakers, Big Love is the type of program that just gives people at LDS Church public relations headaches. They fail to see a reason for it, as do many other Latter-day Saints, to them it just brings up awkward issues from the past they would rather be forgotten. In fact the official Church response to the program, issued March 6th 2006, goes so far as to say the following: “Big Love, like so much other television programming, is essentially lazy and indulgent entertainment that does nothing for our society and will never nourish great minds.” Ouch, that’s about as hostel as their likely to get in an official statement.

Yet I wonder if this is just another example of the tendency among mainline Mormons to avoid dealing with the tricky issues that abound in our tradition. We (as a whole) don’t like to think about them, we don’t like to have to address them, whether in Church, conversation with a non-member friend, or in popular entertainment. We can handle a brief joke or two on occasion, and once in a great while spend an evening pondering “The mystery’s of the Kingdom” with friends, yet to encounter something like polygamy in a modern context is discomforting for your average LDS, and here is where I think Big Love provides a potential service.

No doubt the bulk of the audience for Big Love, like the other racy HBO family drama’s, is not going to be LDS. Though having now watched the entire first season, it would certainly help the viewer if they were. Distinct LDS references, along with those to the broader Mormon tradition are dropped with little or no elaboration, terms like “sealing” and “garment” and “temple recommend”, may not be fully understood by “gentile” viewers not immersed in our own unique jargon. Though despite this, Utah’s largely Latter-day Saint populace acts as a kind of stand-in for the viewers perspective, the ’regular people’ who encounter, to one degree or another, the polygamous Henrickson clan around whom the series centers. This ironically is something your average member could support, having the “Mormons” on the show be the ‘regular guy’s’, yet then they have to encounter the “Mormons” of a quasi-19th century variety, which brings the typical Saint back into uncomfortable territory. Before I go one I do need to stop and acknowledge the semi-explicate depictions of sex on the show, though adding that other then a cameo appearance by Bill Pullmans posterior, no real nudity is shown. This degree of sexual frankness will be anathema to many members, yet also provides a convent cover for them dismissing the show, and by extension, the things it may have to teach us.

I’m afraid I have to take some exception to the folks at PR, but my “great mind” found some nourishment in Big Love, it found a rare canvas on which is depicted the cognitive dissidence of Mormonism past and present, where big business achievement and mounting credit card debt come face to face with sister wives and communal orders. Here we have a character, a successful businessman by the last name of Kimball, who invites our major male protagonist Bill Henrickson, (the owner of a growing chain of Utah based home improvement stories) into a civic organization composed of Salt Lake area business owners.Kimball is the epitome of the modern successful Mormon, he even has a rather common Mormon last name, one shared with a dynasty of LDS Church leaders going back to the earliest days of the movement. Kimball see’s I think a bit of himself in Bill Henrickson, and is practically impressed by his compelling narrative, having been thrown out a polygamous group at the age of 14, and then building himself a life and successful career as a “true” Latter-day Saint. Bill used to tell this story on a kind of inspirational circuit, while a practicing member of the mainline Church, before circumstances thrust him back into the world of polygamy. That Kimball finds this all so compelling and heroic is ironic in term of his name and his heritage, he says he can’t get over the barbarism of the modern fundamentalist, yet they practice what in the 19th Century would have made him the definition of a successful Latter-day Saint. Heber C. Kimball by the way, was the only Mormon Church leader of his day to have more plural wives then Brigham Young.

The way all the mainline Mormon characters deal with polygamy is in fact fascinating. Hendrickson daughter Sarah’s (Amanda Seyfried) best friend Heather (Tina Majorino) is a “Molly Mormon” who has some “very strong views on polygamy”, yet keep’s the Henderson’s secret out loyalty to her friend. First wife Barbara’s (Jeanne Tripplehorn) sister Cindy, likewise telegraphs a desire to get her nieces and nephew away from those practicing “The Principle”, but keeps mum to the authorities because she doesn’t want to inflict any destruction on her family. Even the Henrickson’s lawyer, played by former Clinton staffer Lawrence O’Donnell Jr., chooses to treat them simply as clients and friends, making no apparent judgment calls. In fact what was once called ’the Mormon Creed’, “Mind your own business”, seems to still be in effect among many of these Latter-day Saints, which perhaps explains why practice of ’the principle’ has remained such an open secret in stretches of the mountain west.

There are those among the LDS by-and-large who might have interest in exposing the Henrickson’s, but here they take the form of the sitcom staple ’nosey neighbors’ (who’d like to fellowship that ’single mother’ across the street into the Church) and a women of obsessive tendencies. By keeping mostly to themselves and taking a few other common sense precautions, the Hendrickson’s can functioning rather well in the modern world, where the biggest issue might be who runs who to their recital or baseball practice.

The Henrickson’s have those average, every-day problems, but there dramatic significance is heightened by having them played out among three wives and seven children. First wife Barb balances a career as a substitute teacher with family responsibilities and feels as though her husband has been “stolen away” from her by his other ’responsibilities’. Second wife Nikki (Chloe: Sevigny), who grow up on the polygamous compound of Juniper Creek, has succumbed to a shopping addiction now that she is out among the modern world, and tries desperately to keep the existence of her excessive debt from her husband, lashing out at others in the family in ac effort to deflect her mounting sense of personal guilt. Third wife Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin), only 23, is suffering the standard feelings of isolation and overwhelment that affect young mothers. All the while son Ben (Douglas Smith) struggles with puberty and a sexually aggressive girlfriend, and daughter Sarah copes with intense social unease. These are all typical modern problems, very 21st Century, very contemporary Mormon, save for the marital arrangements, they could be any Wasatch area family.

No the Mormon past comes more to the front in the form of Juniper Creek, the polygamist compound in which Bill grew up, and too which he reluctantly returned seven years prior, when his wife had cancer and he desperately needed a loan. Trips to visit relatives in the desert community, and visits from members of a vastly extensive family bring that place, and that life style, to the forefront. While 19th Century in its social arrangements and cultural conceptions (one polygamist wife viewing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on television mutters “uppity”), it to, like the Henrickson’s suburban homes, is also in dissonance to a modern reality. Cheaply constructed country homes whose residents drive Hummers, plural wives tending the field and polishing the private plane. It’s a world of both pot lucks, and corporate style board meetings. All presided over by a cowboy hat wearing prophet, a former accountant who enjoys folk songs and the poetry of Emily Dickinson (Harry Dean Stanton). He’s authoritarian, yet genial, ruthless, but sentimental. At 76 years of age the importance of sex has waned in his mind, yet he keeps 14 wives including a 15 year old he seems more interested in teaching diction to then sleeping with.

The modern and primitive join hands and show there not that different, which is perhaps more disconcerting then comforting to the modern Mormon mind, even if we’re not likely to tell you that.(When you talk to a young Mormon women about polygamy, their response will most likely boil down to, “I’m glade I don’t have to deal with it, we don’t practice that anymore“.) When some long time polygamous wives are told they are to be reassigned when their husband falls out of favor with the groups leader, Bill tell’s them they don’t have to listen to him. “But he’s the one true prophet of the Lord” one responds. When Bill’s brother Joey confesses to Barb that he is a closet monogamist, but won’t tell his wife Wanda that he doesn’t want another wife, because he knows she’ll be upset, fearing they then won’t be able to go to the Celestial Kingdom, I see the modern parallels, and wonder how many other Mormons can be brought to acknowledge them. The source of the greatest meaning in their lives is also the source of most of their pain, yet they cling to ‘the principle’ as many of us cling to the Church, because it has become or axis, and we’ll never be able to see our own spirituality through any other prism. This may be good, this may be bad, but its something were wedded to as Mormons, a light by which we both see and are blinded.

I am thankful for Big Love. Thankful for the odd kind of Mormon every-family that are the Henrickson’s. Their adventures in dissonance truly nourish my soul, and expand my mind.