|
Post by Tara on Jul 7, 2009 22:37:00 GMT 10
I didn't think this belonged in spoilers, but mods feel free to move it or change the thread title as you think is appropriate. Here's our first full review of Parenthood! It's from Variety. I'll highlight the important part. ;-) Pros: All-around good cast. Strong pilot script from Jason Katims, very un-showy direction of pilot by Thomas Schlamme fits the material.
Cons: A little speechy here and there
I liked this one a lot. Katims has the very tough task of living up to his "Friday Night Lights" standard. "Parenthood" didn't quite hit me with the same thunderbolt as "FNL," but it's oozing with potential by the end of the pilot
I liked the distinctiveness of the setting (Berkeley/Bay Area), and the foundation of the sprawling Braverman family of four adult siblings dealing with their own children of various ages and emotional states. There was great detail and specificity that gave the characters immediate depth and, well, character right away.
There's a lot of plot and character development going on in the script, perhaps a hair too much at times. But in the main it delivers a lot of info without getting terribly bogged down in exposition. Some of roughest patches seemed to be out of the mouths of the teenage characters, which is a little surprising since "FNL" has excelled at portraying high schoolers in a credible way. But this is a minor quibble.
Among a uniformly good cast, Maura Tierney stands out in the pilot as Sarah Braverman, the daughter who instigates much of the basic plot by moving back with her parents in Berkeley after hitting hard times with her teenage kids in Fresno.
Craig T. Nelson is very good as patriarch Zeek. Bonnie Bedelia doesn't have a whole lot to do in the pilot as matriarch Camille, but there's clearly more coming for her. Dax Shepard makes a good impression as bohemian brother Crosby. Of the younger thesps, Mae Whitman impresses in the pilot as Sarah's feisty, growing-up-in-a-hurry daughter, Amber.
Can't help but wonder how an family ensembler without a built-in marketing hook will fare on NBC. Let's hope viewers are drawn in by the familiarity of the 1989 movie (though there are few similarities, as I recall) and then suitably dazzled by the solid thesp roster.weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2009/07/first-impressions-parenthood.htmlOf course our girl stands out!
|
|
|
Post by Tara on Jul 7, 2009 23:05:39 GMT 10
From AOL TV: Premise: Struggling single mom Sarah moves her two teenage children back home to Berkeley, Ca., where she's welcomed back into the fold by her big, imperfect but loving family. Meanwhile, her three adult siblings all parenting issues of their own in this drama that is loosely based on the 1989 Ron Howard-directed film of the same name.
Cast: Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Craig T. Nelson, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard, Monica Potter, Mae Whitman
What Works: The powerhouse cast, led by MVP Tierney as Sarah, is impressive, and the characters feel lived-in and real. It's also a pleasure to see a true, grown-up family drama on television again.
What Doesn't: The pilot feels a bit heavy on the drama. Let's hope things lighten up now and again down the road.
Our Excitement Level (Out of 10): 8
Premiere Date: Wed., Sept. 23 at 8PM ET on NBCtelevision.aol.com/insidetv/2009/07/06/parenthood-on-nbc-new-tv-pilot-preview/Love that they refer to Maura as the show's MVP.
|
|
|
Post by Tara on Jul 8, 2009 1:31:09 GMT 10
What does MVP mean ? (I hope this isn't a stupid question, I really don't know) Not stupid at all - I should've explained since it's probably just an American term. It means "Most Valuable Player" (or person/performer). We'll miss you next week Tara, who's gonna get us the hot news when you're gone? Or do you have computer access in L.A.? I should have computer access the whole time, so I'll still be around. And, of course, should I get lucky and stumble onto Maura somewhere, you guys will be the first to know - probably because you'll be able to hear my scream of joy from wherever you are.
|
|
|
Post by fe_mcphee on Jul 8, 2009 4:08:42 GMT 10
What does MVP mean ? (I hope this isn't a stupid question, I really don't know) Not stupid at all - I should've explained since it's probably just an American term. It means "Most Valuable Player" (or person/performer). We use that term so much in the volleyball. After each play, one player wins the MVP! My dream is one day be a MVP! LMAAAO! But in that case is like Tara said, performer. And of course Maura will be the MVP! We'll miss you next week Tara, who's gonna get us the hot news when you're gone? Or do you have computer access in L.A.? I should have computer access the whole time, so I'll still be around. And, of course, should I get lucky and stumble onto Maura somewhere, you guys will be the first to know - probably because you'll be able to hear my scream of joy from wherever you are. Taraaa! Enjoy L.A! If you need some tip ask me. I lived there, and I miss SOOO much LA! Can I go in your bags? And I hope you meet Maura there!! My fingers is crossed!
|
|
|
Post by sissa on Jul 8, 2009 5:15:15 GMT 10
We'll miss you next week Tara, who's gonna get us the hot news when you're gone? Or do you have computer access in L.A.? I should have computer access the whole time, so I'll still be around. And, of course, should I get lucky and stumble onto Maura somewhere, you guys will be the first to know - probably because you'll be able to hear my scream of joy from wherever you are. Thanks for the articles, Tara. Well, maybe you meet her, I´m crossing my fingers. Can you imagine you posting your own "sighting" here Nice to see those articles talking about our girl. I think the promo also had a lot of Maura. Can´t wait for the show. They can call any show "essemble", but to me, if Maura is there, it will always going to be Maura and the rest (no matter who - sorry Dave ).
|
|
|
Post by Tara on Jul 8, 2009 11:40:08 GMT 10
Fe, I didn't know you had lived in LA! I've been going there on vacation the last 10 years or so and I absolutely love it there. Meet me at the airport next Thursday and I'll slip you into my suitcase. And Sissa, I agree - even in an ensemble cast, Maura's always going to be the biggest star to us. The more I hear about the show, the more excited I get. And NBC showed the promo for it again tonight (the one I already posted), so seeing all the commercials makes it seem more real!
|
|
|
Post by Martine on Jul 8, 2009 23:13:46 GMT 10
I just happened to find this on You Tube so in case anyone is interested in watching the original full movie, here is the link to part1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCxZ26G2GIIThere are 14 parts all together. I've seen a few of them, seems like a funny movie
|
|
|
Post by sissa on Jul 9, 2009 7:09:24 GMT 10
Mike O´Malley´s character has a name: Jim Kazinsky
|
|
|
Post by larue on Jul 9, 2009 7:19:20 GMT 10
It is a VERY funny movie and well worth the cost of a rental or purchase. Yeah...I saw it in the theaters 20ish years ago and have enjoyed in over and over in video and dvd format since then. It has a LOT to say about families.
Steve Martin is a little over the top in some of the sillier scenes but does a fabulous job in the more emotional ones. Like our upcoming series, it was wonderfully cast. Martha Plummer, Keanu Reeves and Leaf (Joaquin) Phoenix were especially good young actors in an outstanding ensemble. However, I doubt if it is REALLY like the series is going to be except in essence. The career paths for most of the adult siblings are different. The demeanor of the father character is definitely different as described in the pilot. I would expect Bonnie Bedelia to be a little more developed as the mother. The ages/relationships of the children are somewhat different.
I would highly recommend watching the whole thing but don't expect to 'see' Maura or her 'character.' Dianne Wiest was just a little more main stream and high strung than I think Maura's character will be.
|
|
|
Post by Tara on Jul 10, 2009 12:25:33 GMT 10
Another review! This time from The Futon Critic - a really top notch site for TV info, IMO. They ask that their reviews be linked and not reprinted, so I'll honor that, but you guys will definitely want to check it out, they have great things to say about our girl. Oh, and there are spoilers for the pilot in the review, so beware if you're trying to stay spoiler-free! www.thefutoncritic.com/rant.aspx?id=20090709_parenthood
|
|
|
Post by larue on Jul 10, 2009 12:57:50 GMT 10
Awww....they really DO have some nice things to say about her.
|
|
|
Post by Izzy on Jul 10, 2009 18:01:19 GMT 10
That's a really good review for her!! 'enjoyably broken' Maura rocks at playing that!!
|
|
|
Post by sissa on Jul 11, 2009 5:50:44 GMT 10
Awww....they really DO have some nice things to say about her. Yes, indeed. I was wondering how is her status in the business. Her parts in movies are usually very short, but I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Maura is/was a regular on TV shows for the last 12years - at least. So, she doesn´t have a lot of free time to other projects. Getting the part in ER without audition and all the compliments she got from Wells makes me believe she´s respected and considered very professional and talented... Her earnings from jun07 to jun08, according to forbes were 7.5millions... All these articles mention the great cast parenthood has, emphasis on Maura... I´m sure Parenthood´s script was around for a while and many people got interest in Sarah´s part (she is the best character), and Maura got it. So, in my mind Maura is great - no doubt, but I wonder what the shows runners think of her. Because, sometimes I feel like she´s under the radar.
|
|
|
Post by abby_road on Jul 11, 2009 6:31:53 GMT 10
|
|
|
Post by Tara on Jul 11, 2009 6:50:08 GMT 10
I just read this on another board and was so hoping it wasn't true. I don't even know what to say, I just pray that whatever it is, she gets well soon.
|
|