by Ethan Johnson
February 15, 2003
Another trip to the video store:
Barbershop: This movie is largely fluff and had to have been filmed over a weekend.
So why all the controversy? Well, because sandwiched in-between layers of fluff and verbal sparring is a brief exchange of racial views sure to get an immediate response. Without quoting the movie verbatim, the topics run the gamut from OJ Simpson, Rosa Parks, and Rodney King.
I suspect that the writers viewed this moment as "real racial dialogue", however it is so rapid-fire (and not exactly a "debate") that it does for racial dialogue what a drive-by shooting does for "settling things like men".
But if you want a fluffy movie to zone out in front of, it's right here for ya.
The Good Girl: And now for something completely different.
It has been said that Jennifer Aniston is the strongest actor/actress of the 6 core members of Friends, and this movie presumably was designed to be her showcase. Nothing glamorous here, just dreary small-town life in an unnamed Texas town (woohoo!).
I think Jennifer Aniston is going to be the next Parker Posey. Film a movie on b-grade stock, slap the IFC label on it, and Oscars™ for everyone! And if not golden statuettes, then certainly the all-important "indie cred". And Aniston cashes in big time here. Forget everything you saw on Friends, don't entirely forget everything you saw in Office Space, and marvel at her depth. Real depth!
I'm on the fence about owning it, but it's worth the rental.
24 (Season One): Hoe. Lee. Moley.
When the critics complained that 24 was the "best show on TV that you're not watching", we had no idea how right they were. Of course, when you hear a quote like that in mid-season, it's like saying "next time build the dam higher".
So here's the saga of our 24 experience. I rented the first DVD (of 6) along with Barbershop, About A Boy, and The Good Girl. My thought on renting the single disc was that if it stunk, then no big deal, but if it was great, we'd be screwed and I'd have to go back and rent the other 5 discs.
We opted to watch 24 first, at about 2:15pm on Saturday (last weekend).
3 hours later, we agreed that we were screwed and I was back at Blockbuster renting the other 5, to the amusement of the cashier.
I'm here to tell ya that we watched all 24 episodes in a weekend. It took days for my brain to spin back around into facing north. Guess what I dreamed about for 3 days?
So, since I am loathe to give away all the plot details (of this or anything else we watch), here are some key bullet points:
- Kiefer Sutherland rules thusly. This was his role. Whatever crap movies he was in prior to this have all been swept neatly into the ashbin of history. Now and forever, he is: Jack Bauer.
- Jack Bauer's wife is Terry Bauer. I kept calling her Terry Shatner. Why, out of prospective millions of women for this role, did Fox decide that the poster child for overacting was the right fit? Mar has heard me do this all week, so now I turn to you dear reader, and be like my sister, who would say "my impression of Terry Bauer being coached by the director for a pivotal scene: 'Terry, in this scene you have a slight feeling of concern about where your husband is and how your daughter is doing. OK? And...Action!' 'WOOOWWWWEEEEEEE (flailing arms over head wildly) I AM SOOOO MILDLY CONCERNED ABOUT JACK AND KIM! WOOOOWOOOWOOWOOWOOWOOO!!'"
- Whoever these writers are should get the Lifetime Achievement Award for cliffhangers. Small wonder that looking at the cast list for 24 over at IMDB revealed a bevy of former soap opera actors.
- This show was incredibly well-acted (mostly), well cast (mostly), and amazingly gutsy and consistent. No wussing out here! This really is one of those one in a million things. The 2nd season doesn't strike me as being as inspired, but then again I've only seen 2 episodes mid-season.
You are warned. Rent this at your own peril, because once you watch the first episode you are committed to going all the way. And remember to take breaks. And drink plenty of fluids. And pause the disc as often as you need to. To put this in perspective, watching The Two Towers is like driving from Dallas to Austin. Watching 24 is like driving from Chicago to Wyoming.
See you in 24 hours. <EM>
