I cut my teeth on early-to-mid 90s pop culture and love it to this day. Example? One of my favorite shows of all time is Party of Five and last night, I spent two hours listening to Toad The Wet Sprocket, Better Than Ezra, The Gin Blossoms and Counting Crows.
I didn't live in the States when this show first started airing on ABC, so I completely missed the phenomenon (barring the odd episode caught on MTV occasionally). So, I decided to catch up via the free full episodes being streamed on ABC.com.
The only catch? You have to put up with those really insipid ATT ads. The ones that portmanteau place names. Philondelhi? Hollyorkizonasouthamaryland? However, if you're smart like me -- you'll use that time to either take a bathroom break or grab a snack (pretzel sticks + peanut butter = delicious!)
Now, onto the show:
For those of you not in the loop, My So-Called Life is a show about Angela Chase (Claire Danes), a relatively nondescript 15-year-old living in the fictional Pittsburgh suburb of Three Rivers. She isn't really popular or wealthy, she doesn't have super powers and her vocabulary and sense of self-awareness are far from Dawson-esque. Like most of us in high school -- she's just there, trying to figure it out.
Much like Lindsay Weir of Freaks and Geeks fame (another great show that was prematurely canceled), Angela starts hanging out with a new crowd - "bad girl" Rayanne Graff (A.J. Langer) and openly gay Rickie Vasquez (played by the fantastic Wilson Cruz) and develops a crush on reticent dreamboat, Jordan Catalano. The show centers on these characters, their relationships and the suburban American high school experience.
We all up to speed now? Good. Let's get to the minutiae of the pilot, shall we?
Love the theme music (composed by the amazing W.G. Snuffy Walden), but then again, I've always been a sucker for the xylophone. Oh and can we talk about the love affair I'm having with the way the show is shot? Dark, serious and yet cozy as opposed to the bright, slick and glossy teen dramas of today. Party of Five utilized this technique too and it looked great. Realistic and honest. Love it.
Claire Danes, can we please talk about that mousy, mousy hair you had for about three minutes in the pilot? Thank God you went with the Crimson Glow.
Way more iconic. Rayanne was spot-on. That mousy color was holding you back.
Hey, I take great offense to yearbook kids being portrayed as nerds. I was underclass editor and co-editor in chief of the Javelin and I'm totally cool. Right? Right, guys? Guys?
Whoa matricide? ("I can't even look at my mother without wanting to stab her repeatedly"). That's pretty heavy and I'm fairly certain that dialogue like that wouldn't be featured on any show not produced by Dick Wolf.
Ahhh, the infamous Jordan Catalano. He was left back twice and is barely coherent, but man is he dreamy (especially when he's not posturing as a rock star).
The closest I got to a Catalano-esque crush was a guy in high school who made the following observation regarding Sour Skittles -- "You know, if you suck the sour off...it's just a Skittle." Needless to say, that spark fizzled out real quick.
I remember when rock music was the soundtrack of adolescence. And by stating that out loud, I officially became the oldest person alive.
Jordan Catalano watching The Divinyls video for I Touch Myself is hilarious. And so telling. Ew. I just thought about that. Oh God. Ew.
Could the Chases possibly ignore their youngest child any more? I mean, she resorts to standing on her head and nothing! If they think they've got problems with Angela, wait until Danielle grows up. She's gonna be a spitfire.
"You're so beautiful, it hurts to look at you"? Worst. Line. Ever. Seriously.
I realize this is the lamest statement in the world, but I was really happy for Angela when Jordan shouted out, "Hey! I know that girl....Angela?" When your unrequited crush knows your name, it's kinda a big deal.
Cameron Crowe totally ripped off this scene for Jerry Maguire and you know what?
I don't blame him. It's beautifully shot.
So, that was the pilot. Slightly overwrought and undeniably 90s, but still pretty great. Oh...and Jordan totally has a great lean. Yeah.
I didn't live in the States when this show first started airing on ABC, so I completely missed the phenomenon (barring the odd episode caught on MTV occasionally). So, I decided to catch up via the free full episodes being streamed on ABC.com.
The only catch? You have to put up with those really insipid ATT ads. The ones that portmanteau place names. Philondelhi? Hollyorkizonasouthamaryland? However, if you're smart like me -- you'll use that time to either take a bathroom break or grab a snack (pretzel sticks + peanut butter = delicious!)
Now, onto the show:
For those of you not in the loop, My So-Called Life is a show about Angela Chase (Claire Danes), a relatively nondescript 15-year-old living in the fictional Pittsburgh suburb of Three Rivers. She isn't really popular or wealthy, she doesn't have super powers and her vocabulary and sense of self-awareness are far from Dawson-esque. Like most of us in high school -- she's just there, trying to figure it out.
Much like Lindsay Weir of Freaks and Geeks fame (another great show that was prematurely canceled), Angela starts hanging out with a new crowd - "bad girl" Rayanne Graff (A.J. Langer) and openly gay Rickie Vasquez (played by the fantastic Wilson Cruz) and develops a crush on reticent dreamboat, Jordan Catalano. The show centers on these characters, their relationships and the suburban American high school experience.
We all up to speed now? Good. Let's get to the minutiae of the pilot, shall we?
Love the theme music (composed by the amazing W.G. Snuffy Walden), but then again, I've always been a sucker for the xylophone. Oh and can we talk about the love affair I'm having with the way the show is shot? Dark, serious and yet cozy as opposed to the bright, slick and glossy teen dramas of today. Party of Five utilized this technique too and it looked great. Realistic and honest. Love it.
Claire Danes, can we please talk about that mousy, mousy hair you had for about three minutes in the pilot? Thank God you went with the Crimson Glow.
Way more iconic. Rayanne was spot-on. That mousy color was holding you back.
Hey, I take great offense to yearbook kids being portrayed as nerds. I was underclass editor and co-editor in chief of the Javelin and I'm totally cool. Right? Right, guys? Guys?
Whoa matricide? ("I can't even look at my mother without wanting to stab her repeatedly"). That's pretty heavy and I'm fairly certain that dialogue like that wouldn't be featured on any show not produced by Dick Wolf.
Ahhh, the infamous Jordan Catalano. He was left back twice and is barely coherent, but man is he dreamy (especially when he's not posturing as a rock star).
The closest I got to a Catalano-esque crush was a guy in high school who made the following observation regarding Sour Skittles -- "You know, if you suck the sour off...it's just a Skittle." Needless to say, that spark fizzled out real quick.
I remember when rock music was the soundtrack of adolescence. And by stating that out loud, I officially became the oldest person alive.
Jordan Catalano watching The Divinyls video for I Touch Myself is hilarious. And so telling. Ew. I just thought about that. Oh God. Ew.
Could the Chases possibly ignore their youngest child any more? I mean, she resorts to standing on her head and nothing! If they think they've got problems with Angela, wait until Danielle grows up. She's gonna be a spitfire.
"You're so beautiful, it hurts to look at you"? Worst. Line. Ever. Seriously.
I realize this is the lamest statement in the world, but I was really happy for Angela when Jordan shouted out, "Hey! I know that girl....Angela?" When your unrequited crush knows your name, it's kinda a big deal.
Cameron Crowe totally ripped off this scene for Jerry Maguire and you know what?
I don't blame him. It's beautifully shot.
So, that was the pilot. Slightly overwrought and undeniably 90s, but still pretty great. Oh...and Jordan totally has a great lean. Yeah.
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