ceebeegee Reviews

The Facts of Life: A Royal Pain (1983) Season 4, Episode 12

Somewhat disappointing

[6/10 · 19 July 2020]

Whenever I rewatch TFOL every so often I note something that dates the episode--I call it the "This takes place in the '80s" moment. This whole episode is one TTPit80s moment because after Diana married Prince Charles, the whole world was fascinated by princesses. Diana herself is mentioned in the teleplay several times. So the setup is intriguing but unfortunately not well-executed and squanders a lot of potential character work.

Alex is a new student, a transfer, but sharp-eyed Blair recognizes her from society magazines as a bona fide Italian princess (with an American mother). As Alex tries to settle in, she is torn--she wants to put down roots at Eastland but she is haunted by her parents' emotional neglect and encouraged by a local friend to run away with him, as is clear is her pattern. Her plans are derailed when she hears the Prince and Princess are going to visit the next day--Alex is eagerly anticipating this visit but is crushed yet again, when only the Prince's personal assistant shows up. That night Alex tries to sneak out but the other girls and Mrs. Garrett convince her to stay.

There is so much potential with this set up--issues of class, the fascination with princesses, personal conflict between Blair and Alex--but sadly, after this one episode, Alex made only a few more one-scene appearances and every one of them was some variation of a joke on the fact that she's a princess. TFOL did this from time to time--they would introduce new characters with the potential to shake things up a bit and explore new culture, personality types, and then drop them immediately afterward (the Japanese student Miko was another example of this). And even within this episode itself, the writing and directing are terribly inconsistent. When Blair is asking if she's seen Alex before, Alex seems genuinely baffled that Blair might recognize her. Note--she doesn't seem like she's trying to hide her identity, she seems *genuinely* baffled, and then a minute later cheerfully admits who she is. And when Blair reveals that Alex is a princess, she seems excited about it--and then immediately acts jealous and snipes at Alex's status. The whole scene is written oddly and could've used a rewrite. Another example of bad characterization is when the girls are preparing to greet the Prince and Princess--I have no problem believing that Tootie and Natalie would "bow and scrape" but Jo would NEVER do such a thing, ever, not even to annoy Blair.

And it's worth pointing out that these problems are solely due to the direction and the writing, as the acting is excellent. Heather McAdam in particular does a fantastic job, giving a nuanced, vulnerable performance. The moment where she realizes that yet AGAIN her parents aren't coming is heart-breaking--you can see her devastation on her face, but the moment is still nicely underplayed. And Alex's partner in crime, Greg, is hilariously played by Jimmy Baron--I still laugh at his delivery when he's talking about his strict boarding school. "It's like a military school. *beat* It IS a military school."

Ultimately a squandered opportunity, somewhat redeemed by McAdam's performance.

Huckleberry Finn (1974)

Unexpectedly delightful

[7/10 · 13 October 2008]

A forgotten relic from the early '70s, when shows like "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Waltons" all reflected our yearning for a so-called simpler, less complicated era. This adaptation, while not entirely faithful to the book, captures its essential themes and spirit rather well. There are some technical problems (the lighting always seem to be half in shadow, whether it's night or day!) and its kiddie-friendly tone seems at odds during the Grangerfords/Shepherdsons sequence, wherein we see men being shot and killed right on camera--and it's handled rather lightly. Parents should also be warned that this adaptation does have some strong language--it has not been sanitized, notwithstanding its G rating.

In addition, the musical format sits much more uneasily with this movie than with the superior "Tom Sawyer" (from the year before, with many of the same cast members and production staff). However, as oddly as some numbers come off, others are wonderful, such as the clever, dixie-ish "Cairo, Illinois," a duet between Huck and Jim that kicks off their great journey together. The jaunty title song and the lovely anthem "Freedom" also showcase the movie and its themes beautifully--especially during "Freedom"'s reprise, as Huck, the boy/man run away, gazes after Jim making his way downriver. Performances are generally strong--Jeff East could've been a better singer but his performance is so sincere and authentic, you hardly notice. Likewise his bond with Jim (well-portrayed by the late Paul Winfield) comes through nicely, most especially in their final, very moving scene together. Harvey Korman and David Wayne also deliver terrific turns as the King and the Duke, respectively.

Cinematography is *gorgeous*--the DP took full advantage of the location shoot, with some beautiful silhouette shots. Although its prequel is far better (you simply cannot top "Tom Sawyer"'s terrific score and thoroughbred cast), Mark Twain's quintessential Great American novel is reasonably well-served here, if not transcendently.

School Daze (1988)

Fascinating, flawed but compulsively watchable

[9/10 · 14 April 2008]

School Daze is billed as a musical comedy but is better described as a comedy-drama with musical numbers as commentary--the only non-diegetic number is "Good and Bad Hair," Lee's all-girl fantasy homage to West Side Story that addresses colorism between the "paper bag-light" sorority Gamma Rays and the darker activist girls. Ebert wrote that this was the first movie he'd seen in a while where the black characters relate to each other instead of a hypothetical white audience--it is this that gives the movie its engrossing authenticity. (If it matters, I'm white.)

As funny as the movie can be, it's also incredibly hard-hitting--there's a sequence in the last 20 minutes where Julian, "Big Brother Al-migh-tee," insists his girlfriend "prove" her love, that's almost unwatchable and yet brutally honest. Lee has been called sexist for his underwritten female characters--there may be some truth to that but School Daze is far more critical of the men than the women. Rachel, Dap's girlfriend, is perhaps the most levelheaded, likable character in the movie, and is strong and supportive of Dap while still maintaining her independence. Even the Gamma Rays, who come off as shallow and colorist in the beginning, are sympathetic as they stand up for and try to aid the pledges during hazing. The characters who come off the worst are the GPG brothers who are, almost to a man, brutish, sadistic and crude. Julian in particular is unredeemable--clever, manipulative and almost sociopathic in his treatment of Jane. Lee supposedly based the movie on his observations at Morehouse and the movie stands as a scathing indictment against the black fraternity system and its abuse of the women's auxiliaries (aka "Little Sisters").

The movie has structural weaknesses (the ending is problematic and seems to come out of nowhere although it fits thematically) but its biggest problem is Lee's flat performance as Half-Pint (and, frankly, he looks a little too old for it). I love Lee's movies but his early tendency to cast himself in major roles was a real weakness--he's just not a good enough actor and his performance always jerks me out of the story. The rest of the cast is fantastic, though, especially Tisha Campbell as Jane and Giancarlo Esposito as Julian. Notice must also be given to Bill Lee's wonderful score. Ultimately it's a movie whose heart and imagination overcome its flaws.

American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till (2003) Season 15, Episode 6

Horrifying but a Must-See

[10/10 · 10 February 2008]

This is not a true documentary as it's a little short (it's part of PBS's American Experience series), but it's a good introduction to an horrific episode in American history. It's difficult for younger Americans to appreciate just how brutal the Southern way of life was for blacks before civil rights, and Mississippi was the worst. It's truly unfathomable that grown men could somehow justify kidnapping, beating and murdering a young boy, and that a jury could find them innocent despite overwhelming evidence. (The two men later confessed to Look magazine, and of course were protected by double jeopardy.) Emmett Till's murder could've been swept under the rug, but his mother decided to have an open casket viewing, and Jet magazine ran photos of the body. The pictures galvanized the world, and the spark was lit for righteous Americans of all colors to try to change the unwritten code of black persecution. As said, it's a little short on details--the PBS website has some good features that flesh the case out a little. Good interviews, and the contextual information is useful. Be warned, there are some upsetting pictures of lynchings and Emmett Till's body (which are necessary to appreciate the brutality of this system). This is a story that needs to be told over and over--we have made a great deal of progress but the lynchings of Matthew Shepherd and James Byrd demonstrate we are not there yet.

Tuff Turf (1985)

Stuck in the '80s but lots of fun nonetheless

[7/10 · 19 February 2007]

This one is a real relic of the '80s--the hair! The shoulder pads! The sweaters folded casually over the shoulders! The movie cheerfully steals from "Rebel Without a Cause" and winks at "The Warriors" and "Footloose" as well. Kim Richards is somewhat miscast as a "tough" girl but gives a very game performance and looks gorgeous as always. James Spader also gives a sincere performance, which couldn't have been easy with some of these scenes (he is forced to serenade Kim Richards on the piano). The best scenes, IMO, are the country club montage (Olivia Barash blithely asking the rich girls "You do swallow, right?"), and when Richards and Spader finally hit it off at a club. How do we know this? Because Richards breaks into a perfectly choreographed (albeit spontaneous) dance number! Truly enjoyable if you just let yourself do so.

Friday Night Lights (2004)

Unsentimental Look At a Town, a Team and a Dream

[9/10 · 19 February 2007]

Very, very strong movie about a small town in Texas obsessed with its high school football team. With its hand-held camera shooting, it has a documentary "feel" that is appropriate for its unsentimental look at the price the players and coach pay for their town's unrelenting support/pressure--they are simply *expected* to win the state championship. Billy Bob Thornton gives a well-textured, understated performance as the coach who is paid more than the principal, but comes home to "For sale" signs on his lawn after a loss. Derek Luke breaks your heart as Boobie Miles, the player who is key to the championship season, but who suffers a serious knee injury in the first game, and is out for the season. The scene where he finally allows himself to confront his bleak future--he can only play football and has literally no other skills whatsoever, indeed he can hardly read--is devastating. In fact the entire ensemble is excellent; very strong actors even in small parts. My one criticism is that FNL has a fairly sexist outlook--the movie is about the whole town, not just the team, and it's very telling that the only two scenes with girls are ones where they're throwing themselves at the players without seeming to want anything more than sex with them. The book was much more rounded in that respect, and talked about how much pressure the cheerleaders felt to "support" their players, and make cookies, etc. for them, and I wish the movie had included that. That one criticism aside, it's an excellent movie--highly recommended.

The Facts of Life: Runaway (1982) Season 3, Episode 18

Atypically excellent VSE

[9/10 · 14 January 2007]

Startlingly well-acted and -written episode from the classic era of Very Special Episodes. Tammy Lauren is extremely good as the young prostitute who innocently befriends Tootie (run away from Eastland for the day but now on her own since her wallet's been stolen) and is then forced by her pimp to "recruit" Tootie. Her dilemma is written on her face--her genuine liking for Tootie against her fear of the consequences if she doesn't cooperate ("you have to get me off the hook with Mike...he gets so mad..."). The supporting cast is similarly excellent, including Darrell Fetty as the laconic, menacing Mike, and Linda Darlow as the waitress who witnesses what's happening and finally, almost against her will, warns Tootie just in time. The episode is nicely underwritten and, most unusually for a VSE, has no upbeat ending or PSA. Instead, as Tootie is leaving to go back to Eastland with Mrs. Garrett, she stops and the two girls regard each other silently. Tootie, and the audience, know exactly what Kristy is going back to--an atypically bleak, unsentimental episode ending for this series.

ABC Afterschool Specials: What Are Friends For? (1980) Season 8, Episode 7

Thoughtful performances win out over sometimes-corny dialogue

[7/10 · 13 December 2005]

This ABC Afterschool Special is a little bizarre but worth viewing anyway. Melora Hardin gives a nicely understated performance as a pre-teen whose parents have just gotten divorced--she is devastated and has shut her father out of her life. She finds a partner in misery in Dana Hill, a girl in the same apartment building whose parents are likewise divorced--the story's main flaw is the heavy-handed way it drives home how NEW and WEIRD divorce is. It wasn't *that* unusual in 1980! The story's strength is its clear-eyed look at girls' friendships--how sometimes, despite all efforts, one friend will simply outgrow another. Dana Hill's frantic attempts to hold on to her friendship with Hardin--threats, gifts and a constantly-asserted loyalty pact--are touching, and she ups the dramatic stakes nicely voodoo rituals and the like. The dialogue is a little awkward at times but the two actresses negotiate most of it skillfully.

*Spoiler* The best scene is at the end--after Dana Hill finally goes over the edge and is sent away, Hardin comes to a halting realization about how relationships can change, and no one's at fault, it just happens. It sounds corny but she delivers the lines well. Then she calls her father for the first time in the whole movie, and quietly tells her father how much she misses him.