The X-Files - S6:E7 "Terms of Endearment"

[ S6:E6 "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas" <<< Season 6 >>> S6:E8 "The Rain King" ]

This is going to sound terrible, but it feels like it's been weeks since I've watched an episode of The X-Files. I mean, a traditional episode. Terms of Endearment is the first episode I've watched in a while that actually feels like a classic monster-of-the-week episode. We've had a lot of humor and (arguably) clever deconstruction and experimentation going on of late. And while a script about a suburban devil trying to raise up demon spawn isn't likely to win any Emmys any time soon, these are the kinds of stories The X-Files was made to tell! Well, either that or Millenium - I actually kind of thought I had remembered this episode from the latter series rather than The X-Files, but nope! We haven't had a good devil episode since...let's see, going all the way back to the second season, with the devil double shot of Irresistible and Die Hand die Verletzt! And that's not the only thing about this episode that recalls the second season - what with Mulder and Scully off the X-Files, and Mulder investigating in the field (much to his superiors' chagrin) while Scully [initially] advises by phone. It's nice to have an episode that feels familiar for once.

But, this is still the sixth season. We get to see Agent Spender originally handling the case, only to toss the X-File into the shredder (that fiend!). Thankfully, Mulder manages to salvage it from the trash, and his enthusiasm for the case is a delight to behold. The episode, which draws appropriate comparisons to Rosemary's Baby, and which was filmed around a really creepy-looking house (that kinda reminds me of The Amityville Horror), stars no less illustrious a guest as Bruce Campbell, who is fantastically understated as the sensitive husband who harbors an unsettling secret. There is a fun, if a bit cheesy, twist at the conclusion, which is wrapped up a little too neatly, and Mulder doesn't piece together the crimes so much as he intuits the explanation for them based on his knowledge of occult legends - but I can forgive all of the episode's flaws because it's just such a good, fun, grim story. And it features one of the most startling special effects shots in the entire series!

Memorable quotes:

Laura Weinsider: I kept calling it a nightmare, but how many people's nightmares come true?

Mulder: Scully, this is a classic case of demon fetal harvest! What they called in the middle ages atum nocturnem - the impregnation of an unwitting woman by a dark lord of the underworld.
Scully (bored): As host for his demon seed.
Mulder: Exactly.
Scully: I saw Rosemary's Baby on cable the other night, Mulder.
Mulder: Yeah, but this is the real deal.

(The only thing funnier than Mulder's unbridled enthusiasm about this case is the fact that it's apparently a common enough occurrence to be described as "classic". Lol).

Mulder: Not a shred of evidence is exactly the evidence I'd hoped you'd find.

Wayne Weinsider: I just wanted what everyone wants.

Double Dakota Feature: The Cat in the Hat (2003) & War of the Worlds (2005)

I wasn't expecting The Cat in the Hat to be all that good - and it wasn't - but it wasn't quite as bad as I expected, either. In the beginning, seeing the wacky world of Dr. Seuss brought to life in 3D was actually exciting (I love that all the girls wear dresses with super poofy petticoats). But once the cat showed up, the comedy devolved into slapstick-style shenanigans, which isn't my cup of tea. I regained some interest after some semblance of a plot appeared, but it didn't change the fact that the cat was possibly the weakest aspect of the film.

Now, I'm sure Dr. Seuss was some kind of creative genius, but I haven't dedicated my life to his collected works, so my faith in humanity doesn't hinge on the success or failure of this cinematic adaptation of his story. And it's been many years since I've actually read The Cat in the Hat, so I'm not in the best position to critique the differences between them. But when the cat shows up, he delivers a line that seems to sum up this film's approach, which I suspect is where it deviates from the original book's modus operandi:

"I'm not so good with the rhyming. Not really. No. ...Look, I'm a cat that can talk. That should be enough for you people!"

And at that point, we go from creative wordplay to plain silliness. The cat is played by Mike Myers (the actor, not the bogeyman), and it's probably a testament to his iconic brand of humor (or, depending on your perspective, his poor acting skills) that you can really tell it's him even under all that ridiculous makeup. But while I think Austin Powers is comedic genius, The Cat in the Hat is much less inspiring.

Even so, it is a charming story, if simplistic. I bet most of the flaws can be overlooked by anyone who actually enjoys this particular brand of humor - assuming they're not hung up on the feeling that this movie stains Dr. Seuss' legacy, as many apparently are. And Dakota Fanning is (unsurprisingly) darling as the exceptionally bright little girl with control issues. "Jenny's not my friend anymore. She talked back to me so I ordered her not to speak to me." Ah, Dakota. It's a testament to her charisma that I felt watching a movie of this type was actually worth my time in the end.

I had wanted to pair The Cat in the Hat with Hansel & Gretel, but I couldn't find the latter, so I dug up War of the Worlds instead - in spite of the fact that I had already seen it, back when it first came out. But I decided it would be nice to have a chance to re-evaluate Dakota's performance in the movie, since the first time I watched it, I didn't even know who Dakota Fanning was (hard to believe, I know :p). And besides, it's an entertaining (if not perfect) film adaptation of a truly classic story, so it was exciting to see it again after several years.

I don't know how I overlooked Dakota in this movie before, because her performance is really strong. But I guess there is less opportunity for her natural charisma (and confidence) to shine through when her role dictates that she act like a very frightened little girl. And for once, the epic scale of the movie itself has a tendency to overshadow Dakota's character, so that it becomes more of an alien movie that happens to feature Dakota Fanning than a Dakota Fanning movie that happens to have aliens in it. Nevertheless, amidst all the chaos and the terror - and my suspicion bears out that this is at least as much a horror movie as it is a sci-fi movie - Dakota still manages to make an impression. (Even grimy and covered with dirt, which to me recalls the character of Newt in that other, classic sci-fi/horror/action flick - Aliens.)

Double Dakota Feature: Charlotte's Web (2006) & Dreamer (2005)

I don't usually go in for talking animal movies, but like I've said before, I'll watch anything with Dakota Fanning in it. At least it's live action, and not (fully) animated - that's where I draw the line. And anyway, it's Charlotte's Web. I remember reading that story too many years ago in school. Not the best story I ever read for school (I recall A Day No Pigs Would Die being a little bit more...visceral), but it's a nice one. Too nice, maybe. It's a really sappy story. The pig was really cute, though (I can't believe I just said that), and Dakota was (of course) even cuter. Especially in the pretty yellow dress and red ribbons she wore at the fair.

"Ewww! You look like a giiirl!" *pow* "An' I still hit like one."
It's weird, this is a children's story, and you want to believe it's all fun and happy, but it's really a sad story, isn't it? I had this heavy feeling through it all, because I knew how it was going to end. After all, it's a pig's desperate attempt to avoid becoming breakfast. I even cried when (spoiler) died. I like the theme of looking past stereotypes to see the good in 'people', but honestly, I can't find the good in spiders. Charlotte is a wonderful human being, but in real life, spiders are creepy. But then, animals don't act like people in real life, so you can only take the comparison so far. I imagine this film would be a satisfactory supplement to the novel.

Part 2 of the "Dakota befriends animals" program features Dreamer: Inspired By A True Story. In it, Dakota plays the daughter of a racehorse trainer (played by Kurt Russell), who ultimately gets her chance to race a horse of her own, literally against all odds. It's a very touching story, and a bit more mature than Charlotte's Web. Kris Kristofferson plays Dakota's character's grandfather, and a surprisingly convincing father to Kurt Russell. The horse in the story, Sonador (Spanish for "Dreamer", 'Sonya' for short) is a sweetheart.

Dakota really shines in this role, as a little girl with the confidence to teach others the value of holding on to one's dreams. Of course, at the risk of spoiling the [fairly predictable] ending, things go impossibly well, which has the double effect of making it a highly inspirational story, but at the cost of making it less than relatable in real life. Still, if you like inspirational stories (and despite my cynicism, I enjoy watching things go right for people on occasion - especially if it's Dakota), this one'll probably be an exciting ride. And, to repeat myself (though I'll never get tired of saying this), it's worth watching for Dakota's performance alone. She's just so incredibly charismatic. I love her can-do attitude in this one.

"Are you gonna spend your life shovelin' horse squat for shakes?
Or are you gonna get back in the game?"

Once and Again (1999-2002)

Note: This review was originally posted on Bridge To Better Days. I am reposting it here for archival purposes. It has been backdated to the date of its original posting.


"You don't have to be the bravest person in the world. Just the bravest writer."

Once and Again is a television drama that aired for three seasons starting in 1999, about two divorced families (each with a pair of school-aged children) who come together, and all the troubles they face in life. I recently discovered it upon hearing that Mischa Barton - an actress whom I have had a crush on ever since seeing her in Lost and Delirious, a film that instantly became one of my favorites - stars in a guest role that involves a lesbian kiss. The rest goes without saying.


But the great thing about this show is that it turned out to be really good on its own. It would have been worth watching even absent Mischa's relatively small (yet important) role in the third season. More than the plot or the premise, it's the approach that grabs me. As a viewer, I feel like I'm not being patronized. It's a very depressing show, and all sorts of things go wrong (the kind of things people actually have to deal with in life). But there's also a faint glimmer of hope that shines through it all. These people are pummeled by life, but they're not destroyed by it. And the show emphasizes the importance of focusing on the small victories, in spite of the larger failures. Because that's what really counts.


And the characters are all strong and likable. They all have their flaws, but they're basically good people, that you want to root for. Of the four kids, Grace is an inspiration (she starts out as this anxiety-ridden mess, but she grows into a very strong-willed young woman), Jessie (a budding Evan Rachel Wood) is gorgeous, Zoe is adorable (and humorously mature for her age), and even Eli is cool (considerably more so after he quits being a jock and decides to become a musician instead). You find yourself wanting things to work out between Rick and Lily, the divorced parents, and yet you also feel sympathy for their exes (and their new lovers).


And I cannot neglect to mention that this series contains not one, but two of the best kisses I've ever seen on television (and the fact that I don't watch much television in no way denigrates the impact of those kisses). As of this writing, the third season of the show has yet to be released on DVD (and even the first two seasons appear to be discontinued), and that's the real tragedy, because I recommend this series and I think more people should get to see it.

"Tonight, you let everything inside you actually show. Which, I believe, is the only thing in the world worth doing. Although I've never been willing to do it, myself."