flipp525 wrote:I'm really sick of hearing about "The Starter Wife". What is it? What is the premise? And why does Debra Messing still get acting work? These are questions that might never be answered.
Just be glad you've only heard mention of The Starter Wife. I actually watched it waiting for something to happen to justify its Emmy nomiantions last fall. It's the most jaw droppingly awful "woe is me" elongated movie masquerading as a mini-series I've ever seen.
It's based on a "novel" by Brian Grazer's ex-wife about a Hollywood trophy wife who is thrown over by a powerful producer for a younger trophy. It's wishful thinking plot has the ex-husand losign his position and the "starter wife" emerging as a power broker in her own right. Even Judy Davis and Joe Mantegna in supporting roles couldn't save it, but I guess it was popular with Hollywood women of a certain age. The imdb indicates it's now in development for a possible series. Here's hoping it isn't picked up.
My thoughts on the soap opera genre are well-known and not even worth going into in yet another thread. Just let it be known, Akash, that soap operas in their heyday were the most radically-charged shows on television, overshadowing primetime dramas in topical relevance and challenging issues of the times head-on. Even the serialization of some of today's most successful dramas (and comedies even) can trace their roots back to the standard soap opera paradigm.
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"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
Hey there's nothing wrong with a little soap every now and then. My grandmother, mother and aunts watched "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" so I grew up watching them and I still find them hilariously entertaining. As long as one realizes they are inherently silly and appreciates the camp.
That being said, Desperate Housewives is indeed horrible. My god! I'll take a good daytime drama over this shrill, unfunny, self-important crap anyday. And why does the voice over chick always sound like she's trying to sell me a douche? Every time she hisses "Yesss" I get a vision of a woman on a beach in a flowery dress talking about feminine freshness.
flipp525 wrote:I cannot sign up on your hatred for Desperate Housewives. I still think it's great -- genre-bending and wonderfully subversive.
And hideously conservative, but whatever. I'm glad someone else saw how wonderful Mitchell was last year.
And Penelope, I'm so not shocked. It's perfectly in line with someone who thinks Gladiator is a great film and that soap operas are worth watching. At least you're consistent :p
Akash wrote:The Sopranos remains the finest series television has ever produced and can never win enough awards as far as I'm concerned. Good for them!
Well, that would be Six Feet Under or The Wire (how is its ensemble never nominated for these things?), but yes, The Sopranos is brilliant television that had a fantastic last hurrah. I just didn't see anything particularly relevatory in Edie Falco's work this past season.
The comedies do seem to outshine the dramas, though.
And Elizabeth Mitchell is scarily brilliant in Lost. One of the most compelling new characters on television last season.
I cannot sign up on your hatred for Desperate Housewives. I still think it's great -- genre-bending and wonderfully subversive.
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"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
Akash wrote:Not counting Desperate Housewives of course -- easily the worst thing on television (and one of the worst series of all time) -- which I was shocked to learn is still on the air.
Ha. Ha. Ha. I know I'd rather watch all 4 seasons of DH again before even 5 minutes of Lost.
"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston
"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster
With crap like Grey's Anatomy, Boston Legal and The Closer being nominated, am I the only one who thought the comedy side was much better and also reflective of the better state of comedies/dramedies on television? Not counting Desperate Housewives of course -- easily the worst thing on television (and one of the worst series of all time) -- which I was shocked to learn is still on the air.
And anyway, these groups keep ignoring the best actress in a drama last year -- Elizabeth Mitchell in Lost -- so they're all useless.
The Sopranos remains the finest series television has ever produced and can never win enough awards as far as I'm concerned. Good for them!
Also, Glenn Close was far superior to Edie Falco and should've won the award. I can understand the sentimental need to award The Sopranos wherever possible, but Close's Patty Hewes is one of the most frighteningly complex creations I've ever seen from her. Damages is highly addictive because of her, too.
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"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
flipp525 wrote:Anna Paquin has really grown into a confident, gorgeous young woman. Remember how Tommy Lee Jones was the one who gave her her Oscar 14 or so years ago?
I think it was Gene Hackman actually.
Oh shit, you're right. It was actually Tommy Lee Jones who won Best Supporting Actor alongside her. I knew there was some connection.
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
flipp525 wrote:Anna Paquin has really grown into a confident, gorgeous young woman. Remember how Tommy Lee Jones was the one who gave her her Oscar 14 or so years ago?
I was very pleased with the outcome of these awards. And never before have I been so in support of the "locks" all-around. A winning acting circle at the Oscars including the brilliant Day-Lewis, the luminous Christie, and the renegade Bardem is a stunning conclusion to a fantastic year of film.
The Best Supporting Actress race seems incredibly murky and amorphous right now. Cate has the Golden Globe, Ruby has the SAG, Ryan has the major critics awards -- it's definitely going to be a nail-biter right up until the envelope is opened.
Ruby Dee's speech was gracious and surprising. I think she was genuinely shocked, which is why there was some rambling here and there. I didn't mind the Ossie Davis tribute or the book plug. Do I think that this will translate into an Oscar? No, not necessarily but she certainly cannot be counted out of the race.
Love that last scene of Michael Clayton with Swinton they keep showing. "You're fucked, Karen!"
Anna Paquin has really grown into a confident, gorgeous young woman. Remember how Tommy Lee Jones was the one who gave her her Oscar 14 or so years ago?
Mickey Rooney, oh dear. I liked his SAG card comment, but why did he go on and on like that? He also seemed to imply that there had been a tie when he opened the envelope. He's still a lovely little man if somewhat expired.
I'm really sick of hearing about "The Starter Wife". What is it? What is the premise? And why does Debra Messing still get acting work? These are questions that might never be answered.
Daniel Day-Lewis' speech was beautiful and just beyond classy. He is the most humble actor I think I've ever seen and his performance in There Will Be Blood is the stuff of legend. His tribute to Heath Ledger was incredibly moving.
I'm with Magilla on Julie Christie's delightful little "in-character" moment. Hilarious and delightful. She is so sexy, I could look at her all day. The same can be said of that Mad Men guy -- he is fucking hot!
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
