This life has been a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received instructions on where to go, and what to do. ~Angela Chase
So, lately I haven’t been watching all that many movies, but I’ve become re-addicted (if that’s a word) to one of my favorite shows growing up :: My So-Called Life. This show was canceled after only one season that aired in ‘94-’95, and it jump started Claire Danes and Jared Leto’s careers.
I’m not really sure why I love this show so much. The little idiosyncrisies in it make me laugh aloud, and they use the word “like” like every other word. But Danes can act like crazy, and Leto plays his character down, which makes Jordan Catalano all that more interesting. The show follows the life of Danes’ character, Angela, her parents, friends, and school. Things that make up her “so-called” life.
The show tends to be very simplistic, with narrative from Angela that’s always thoughtful and interesting, saying things like, “I cannot bring myself to eat a well-balanced meal in front of my mother. It just means too much to her,” and, “It’s such a lie that you should do what’s in your heart. If we all did what was in our heart, the world would grind to a halt.” The writing of the show is amazing, and doesn’t over-dramatize or soap opera-ize the situations of teen life. It was a pretty groundbreaking show when it started airing in the mid-nineties.
The show repeats on the Noggin channel at like four in the morning, so the invention of DVR has now become one of the greatest inventions to me. If you can, check it out. It should be worth your while if you enjoy stuff like this at all.
I’ll leave you with a quote from a critic:: “Her (Danes) funny, sobering, and empathetic portrait of teendom reminded us that in some ways, life was just an extended version of high school.”
Great television . . .
