The Wonder Years, and its similarity to Malcolm in the Middle

AlexTheMartian

New member
I just watched a Biography Channel documentary of The Wonder Years on YouTube (part 1 is here) and noticed many similarities Malcolm in the Middle had with it.

While The Wonder Years was dealing with serious issues much more often then Malcolm, both sitcoms were of a different format then all others airing at the time.

Both shows presented a sitcom in a unique way never done on broadcast TV before, The Wonder Years used narration of the main character as an adult to tell the story of his childhood, and Malcolm in the Middle had Malcolm break the 4th wall (the "wall" that separates the viewer and the characters) and talk to the audience giving commentary on what was going on. Both are very effective techniques, and bring us to a more personal level with the main character then any other show, it is almost as if we are getting into a good novel where we feel we are actually part of the story.

Two shows currently on television at this time that I can compare to The Wonder Years' narration technique is How I Met Your Mother and Everybody Hates Chris, and I think both do a great job with it. However, no show I can think of have yet have been able to have the main character break the 4th wall quite like Malcolm in the Middle, only other times the 4th wall is broken regularly have been in The Bernie Mac Show and The War at Home, but neither of those can even come close as both of those do so after the situation has happened in a separate location, where Malcolm does so DURING the situation. Which is harder to successfully pull off, but when done I believe it is a much more effective use.

Both shows went through roughly the same childhood and teenage years of the main character. This lead to, in both series, dealing with both characters growing up fast during the time between seasons. In The Wonder Years, the main character's best friend literally grew almost 6 inches during one of the summers, and the year following the main character finally got his growth spurt. When the main characters of both series voice changed that changed the dynamic of the shows. Both shows lead writers to having to shift from writing about a child to writing about a teenager.

Both shows also had no live audience, and used a single camera (however I think The Wonder Years was not filmed on a set, although I could be wrong). Also both shows payed very close attention to detail to create the environments for the shows. The Wonder Years made sure the show accurately represented the 1960s, and Malcolm in the Middle had to represent the messy random-item-filled home of a suburban family barely making ends meet.

I think both series also had a similar ending. While not the story themselves, but the actual series, as both lasted close to the same length (The Wonder Years for 6 seasons, Malcolm in the Middle for 7 seasons), and the final season for both series were unfortunately not as highly rated as their first seasons, leading both to a sudden end. Also both are not planned to have DVDs (or any additional, in Malcolm's case) released anytime soon for the same reason of expense to secure music rights.

The Wonder Years actually had an unsure end, as their was no word if the show was to be canceled or continued, so the staff had to make the decision to write the narration that would put a wrap to the series by ending the final episode with the main character providing summary of each individual character life following the "wonder years", and concluding that with the voice-over of a kid asking his dad "hey dad, want to play catch?" and the narration of the main character responding "I will be right there", indicating that the story of this childhood is now over. I do not know why, but that is an emotional ending to me.

Sitcoms today need to take same lessons from both these shows.
 
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MalcolmFun

New member
I only vaguely remember seeing the wonder years. I think you are right in what you say about the similarities of it being an out of the box "sitcom". I am loathe to even call Malcolm a "sitcom" because that lumps it in with every other unfunny half hour multi-camera comedy, which it is not. It seems to me Wonder Years also doesnt fit in that category as it is more of drama then a comedy. Is it really funny at all? I thought that was a quite serious show hence completely opposite of Malcolm in that way anyway.

There are a number of similiarities between Malcolm and Wonder years I found this on wiki
Unlike most long-running popular American TV sitcoms, The Wonder Years has still not yet been released on DVD as official season box sets due to the cost of securing the music rights.[3]
 
D

Deleted member 1693

Guest
Well, it's technically a dramedy (drama/comedy). Like Freaks and Geeks.
 
D

Deleted member 1693

Guest
It's okay. :)

I was just responding to MalcolmFun's quote here.

MalcolmFun said:
It seems to me Wonder Years also doesnt fit in that category as it is more of drama then a comedy. Is it really funny at all? I thought that was a quite serious show hence completely opposite of Malcolm in that way anyway.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
I just watched a Biography Channel documentary of The Wonder Years on YouTube (part 1 is here) and noticed many similarities Malcolm in the Middle had with it.

While The Wonder Years was dealing with serious issues much more often then Malcolm, both sitcoms were of a different format then all others airing at the time.

Both shows presented a sitcom in a unique way never done on broadcast TV before, The Wonder Years used narration of the main character as an adult to tell the story of his childhood, and Malcolm in the Middle had Malcolm break the 4th wall (the "wall" that separates the viewer and the characters) and talk to the audience giving commentary on what was going on. Both are very effective techniques, and bring us to a more personal level with the main character then any other show, it is almost as if we are getting into a good novel where we feel we are actually part of the story.

I hadn't found out about Alex' wonderfully perceptive post when I wrote the piece below, so I'd like to keep it like that with some minor modifications/additions. Twenty years ago when I turned into a teenager, The Wonder Years was my favourite show!

Some reviewers have remarked how 'Malcolm in the Middle' was a cross between 'The Simpsons' and 'The Wonder Years'. It's the best definition I've read so far. Well, we all know 'The Simpsons', right? An extremely dysfunctional yet loving family, who always get themselves into trouble with their crazy antics and wacky adventures, Homer, the inept father who bungles his job, Bart, the very mischievous son etc.

But how many of you know "The Wonder Years"? It ran from 1988 to 1993, and after that a few years in syndication. Almost nothing of it has appeared on DVD, due to hassles with securing the music rights - what's new?

I practically grew up alongside the main character, Kevin Arnold, and although it took a more serious, romantic and nostalgic look at family life than Malcolm did, there are a great number of features that informed Malcolm. First of all, it was live action. The series was set up as a cinematic, single-camera show (yes, it was a 'dramedy'), without a laugh track, it had first-person narration and asides (though not by the boy character, but by his grown-up self, twenty years later).

Great example of running commentary throughout the action, and also clever music-driven slow motion editing:

http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=5446622265388984349&ei=CuwrSo-QMMWI-AaawIy2CQ

It also had a Reese-like bullying, dumb older brother, and a nerdy, bespectacled best friend. The family lived in a suburban home much like Malcolm's. The scripts were intelligently and sensitively written, with an eye for real concerns of teenagers growing up. It also featured the extremely talented child star 'du jour', Fred Savage, who basically was to the Eighties what Elijah Wood was to the Nineties and Frankie Muniz for the past decade. Fred was the youngest ever Emmy nominee - though he lost to older pros Richard Mulligan and Ted Danson.

We followed the boy growing up from age 12 to about 18. Just like Frankie had to slip out of the scene to address the audience, 'The Wonder Years' had to cleverly have the actors play and talk around the gaps left for the adult comments. I still wonder how they did that, because it never looked awkward. Because it's been a long time since I've seen the series, it's hard to recollect if they ever broke the 'fourth wall'. I remember Kevin Arnold doing that on occasion, but this may be my memory failing me. Even though the tone was generally warm (but not as glossy) like 'Dawson's Creek', there were some crazier episodes that could have been transferred almost straight to 'Malcolm', such as one about zits (was this ever addressed in MITM, did I miss something?) and one in which Kevin as a kid had to drive his favourite teacher, in labour pains, to the hospital.

Like Malcolm, the series was propelled by great music from the Sixties, such as, just in the pilot, Joe Cocker, The Byrds, Joni Mitchell and Percy Sledge. And that's where that part of the problem lies .....

It was experimental, in the sense that it weaved home movies and newsreels into the plot to make it look more realistic. So, the tone of the series was radically different from 'Malcolm', but it had an impact on me, and, strikingly, people across the globe, that was pretty unique. People loved it in Latin America, India, Holland (I was a member of the Dutch fanclub at the time) Russia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

This 5-part documentary from 2002 offers a great look at how the series was conceived and developed. This does bring back memories. I still like the very enthusiastic performers a lot.



Trivial MITM fact: Jane Kaczmarek played Fred Savage's mom in one of the better generation-switching comedies, 'Vice Versa', back in 1988! (see attached picture). Their believable and nuanced acting actually was the best part about the movie, which was ruined by Judge Reinhold's whiny, goofy mugging as the 'kid in an adult's body' and a silly car chase coda with Home Alone-style cartoon villains.

Epilogue: Fred Savage now has a successful career directing comedies, starting off directing his younger brother Ben in "Boy Meets World", and now ranging from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia", "Drake and Josh", "Hannah Montana", to "Cavemen" and "Party Down". His Wonder Years love interest Danica McKellar excelled in maths at UCLA University and now writes books about maths for kids. Their best friend Josh Saviano is a New York attorney. They were all very smart kids who apparently ended up happily married, well-to-do and level-headed, thank God!

Rich
 
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AlexTheMartian

New member
I was still very young when The Wonder Years was on, but I been watching TV since I was very little. The Wonder Years came on TV when I was only 3 years old, and it ended when I was 8 years old, so I mainly just caught the end of the series. I was not a huge fan of it, but I liked any of the comedies on at that time. Since I am an only child, and my parents are older then many parents, I really did not have much to occupy my time each day as a kid except for TV.

However with Malcolm in the Middle, it came on TV right when I was the same age as Malcolm and Reese (roughly, I am about 1 or 2 years older than the characters, but the same age as the actors), so I related to the characters a lot. Basically, watching it was the same experience for me as The Wonder Years was to you. Malcolm in the Middle was on during my entire high school years :).

I think i did read your reply recently. I just did not have much to reply on it, as obviously i started a lot of my opinions in my original post. so sorry if i did not reply immediately.

I really love "dramedy"s, they have a perfect combination, it is just like mixing two great flavors of food together.

I hope some better television comes on in coming years. I looked at the creators of The Wonder Years, and it seems that the latest show either of them created is Ellen show during the 90s. I wonder if they are up to creating another show in this decade?
 
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AlexTheMartian

New member
Yeah, Fred Savage has done a great job as a sitcom director. I actually did not know he directed many shows. I seen his IMDb page, and am very impressed. It also looks like he does some acting still too. Boy Meets World was a show I really liked in the 90s, and Drake & Josh and Ned's Declassified was shows I really liked in recent years (even though I am slightly older that their target audience, but I just really really really love comedies, no matter if it is kids and teen ones).

I wonder if Frankie Muniz is going to direct a show or movie someday :p. We all know Justin Berfield is doing that already, however it is just not sitcoms or dramedys (reality shows with comedy does not count). Now that would be interesting if he start doing those.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
I was still very young when The Wonder Years was on, but I been watching TV since I was very little. The Wonder Years came on TV when I was only 3 years old, and it ended when I was 8 years old, so I mainly just caught the end of the series. I was not a huge fan of it, but I liked any of the comedies on at that time. Since I am an only child, and my parents are older then many parents, I really did not have much to occupy my time each day as a kid except for TV.

However with Malcolm in the Middle, it came on TV right when I was the same age as Malcolm and Reese (roughly, I am about 1 or 2 years older than the characters, but the same age as the actors), so I related to the characters a lot. Basically, watching it was the same experience for me as The Wonder Years was to you. Malcolm in the Middle was on during my entire high school years :).

I think i did read your reply recently. I just did not have much to reply on it, as obviously i started a lot of my opinions in my original post. so sorry if i did not reply immediately.

I really love "dramedy"s, they have a perfect combination, it is just like mixing two great flavors of food together.

I hope some better television comes on in coming years. I looked at the creators of The Wonder Years, and it seems that the latest show either of them created is Ellen show during the 90s. I wonder if they are up to creating another show in this decade?

I think I was 14 when the series started, so it's true there's a feeling of nostalgia about it that probably can never be replicated, or be shared with others who didn't watch it in the same circumstances. (Interestingly enough, I am an only child too with parents who were around 40 when they got me!).

However, coloured by rosy visions or not, I still believe there was a pretty unique tone and rare intelligence to it, now that I'm reviewing some episodes. The cinematography was fluent, and I'm still in awe of the acting and editing that had to gel with running, even intrusive narration without being awkward or cumbersome. Fred Savage was one of the very few child actors (or actors for that matter) who could act out their thoughts so you can read their minds without them saying anything or clues offered by the action around them.

When you leave out the narration, however, something very stilted emerges that's easily made fun of if you don't know the original format. I have to admit this does look extremely funny:



About the producers, it looks like Neal Marlens and Carol Black are an uncommonly, intensely private couple, who keep public appearances and biographical details to a bare minimum. They are far more interested in being creative and original than having commercial clout.

I forgot to add that while Savage went into directing, the guy who played the dumber, older bully brother much like Reese, Jason Hervey, is now successfully doing much the same that Justin Berfield does, also with a partnered company: Bischoff Hervey Entertainment specializes in content creation and production for various broadcast outlets, licensing and merchandising and innovative brand integration solutions.

How about that?

Rich
 
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MITM_Fan

Member
I thought this was Lois' http://www.malcolminthemiddle.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=765&d=1244380323 looks very like her but it's not her. :D

For who ever wants to down the serie, I'll give out the links, it's 6 seasons.

muforum said:
Season 1

Episode 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QLODT6GA
Episode 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3SFY2WGQ
Episode 3 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ODBKMHLI
Episode 4 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=63CQ24CK
Episode 5 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=G2MTCTPO
Episode 6 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F4674M3K

Season 2

Episode 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GS7GTZLS
Episode 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HL79381P
Episode 3 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=13K1NT1Q
Episode 4 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=S819MB73
Episode 5 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=81A0FRY9
Episode 6 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FY2HT6NT
Episode 7 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1R48ZXA5
Episode 8 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KGDLOVWZ
Episode 9 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P4MSAEF7
Episode 10 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KZEM32SU
Episode 11 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HB28LDA2
Episode 12 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SRJW0CT5
Episode 13 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FCV2M4IM
Episode 14 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PMWK8HQZ
Episode 15 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HQ9D18RJ
Episode 16 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1801FE7X
Episode 17 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=POP5WK30

Season 3

Episode 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6DLTMH5N
Episode 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OKHPC44M
Episode 3 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4ANN84P3
Episode 4 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2P6N5JEI
Episode 5 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T4IZRPF6
Episode 6 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0T8W3TUX
Episode 7 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q9Y237XH
Episode 8 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CNM0B0BM
Episode 9 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TXT639NF
Episode 10 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=US13LUHD
Episode 11 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=84ILMTTX
Episode 12 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1PX7MZTL
Episode 13 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PMVYDGR6
Episode 14 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4EH75G1A
Episode 15 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2SIVQ0OJ (Says Ep. 16, its Ep. 15)
Episode 16 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T7Y979EV (Says Ep. 17, its Ep. 16)
Episode 17 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9WD6FG7X (Says Ep. 18, its Ep. 17)
Episode 18 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BIZOZUYI (Says Ep. 19, its Ep. 18)
Episode 19 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7W7KSH7T
Episode 20 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PK5YJC2L
Episode 21 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JQUL5ZYS
Episode 22 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZCYQ4KBV
Episode 23 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GDRHW3WT

Season 4

Episode 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6FUES1EJ
Episode 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DYSDQUNA
Episode 3 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WUZKRFL0
Episode 4 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=K6NETBB3
Episode 5 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=79J564Z5
Episode 6 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FWTNS8YQ
Episode 7 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QEMM6GIP
Episode 8 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9X5ID44G
Episode 9 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P9UV51QV
Episode 10 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E2QQXBD8
Episode 11 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OYUYZ4JS
Episode 12 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F7CPWS3R
Episode 13 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1IDWG9W4
Episode 14 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5112MPHT
Episode 15 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=130QXG49
Episode 16 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UXW5YLWX
Episode 17 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7XE7KRAK
Episode 18 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XSKZERQ7
Episode 19 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=URYIWMDT
Episode 20 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=77YL8A6R
Episode 21 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8HDHSFQM
Episode 22 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=M3JA89K8
Episode 23 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZTQHEC5P

Season 5

Episode 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TQJWVSVK
Episode 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WPJGOVSR
Episode 3 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1SN71CUW
Episode 4 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FVCGWACY
Episode 5 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EO2SDS3R
Episode 6 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GOOCEUP0
Episode 7 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UNQA3PEE
Episode 8 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IPI1M3NO
Episode 9 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XOFU85RT
Episode 10 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=35OL2WY8
Episode 11 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MXO0TTNL
Episode 12 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5Q8S0G6Z
Episode 13 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2I59RS7G
Episode 14 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R9UF8PGM
Episode 15 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ODW6RKC7
Episode 16 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HSMC1Y5K
Episode 17 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q42RBPYC
Episode 18 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B7OBVP01
Episode 19 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HK5DRR76
Episode 20 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C1MRDVOQ
Episode 21 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=O3PVLL0M
Episode 22 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SNXOSG9J
Episode 23 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SHWSONEV
Episode 24 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9RMDP1XQ

Season 6

Episode 1 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=41BQCN5F
Episode 2 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5Z282ETV
Episode 3 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UKPIUNTU
Episode 4 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9OKROHG8
Episode 5 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UC8NUYNC
Episode 6 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EOLENKQZ
Episode 7 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7Y8PLNEA
Episode 8 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SI8KGPS7
Episode 9 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SVSAB42K
Episode 10 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5JFG5UZ9
Episode 11 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HVU3GSS6
Episode 12 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V3H09IVP
Episode 13 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N6L6PFYA
Episode 14 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QX8B11AV
Episode 15 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LK3MCVD8
Episode 16 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N9X8QPGN
Episode 17 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0AJROH2T
Episode 18 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3CJ7XNXU
Episode 19 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=67RDWPFS
Episode 20 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B35JQS8O
Episode 21 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EGIK6PWJ
Episode 22 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z65VJRFH

Credits: LYB

Don't expect great quality, it's TVRips.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator

Oh, yes, it IS Jane Kaczmarek, that's why I posted it! :D Jane was a highly professional, but also little noted supporting actress in the 1980s. Here's two more shots with her from Vice Versa and screen caps with her and Robert De Niro (!) as her husband (!) in Falling In Love (1984). What people remember though is not Jane, but Meryl Streep in the starring role and love interest, understandably. To be fair, I watched both movies before I got to know MITM, and I completely forgot about Jane too :blushing:.

Thanks a lot for making all WY years episodes available this way! It's something people can always fall back on. I will stick with torrent downloads though, because it's much more convenient as a whole.

I'm especially interested in ep. 3-20, Goodbye, about Kevin's ill-fated math teacher. It's the highest-rated episode in the series, and many people have commented on it how moving this was. Yes, I shed a couple tears too.

Because I haven't reviewed anything in ages, I now notice there are episodes about an embarrassing company picnic (4-1), Wayne like Reese suddenly joining the army (apparently the classic cop-out for dumb bullies) (5-15, called Private Butthead of all things) and Kevin taking part in a school play just to skip classes (3-5). How history repeats itself, tribute vs. plagiarism, synchronicity and all that crap ;). Oh, and there was a funny one about pimples (3-8).

Rich
 
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MITM_Fan

Member
I liked it, it's sorta MITM in a way.

But the songs during the show are quite annoying, it could've been better just no dialogue at times, for e.g. at season 1 they're at a funeral from Windy's brother and a loud song is playing, also is the narrator talking, damn that was badly done, can't be fixed now.

Season 1 is only 6 eps so it takes an hour to watch it all.
 

MalcolmFun

New member
The Wonder Years seems like it was trying to be very dramatic and serious. It is not really all that funny.


I doubt directing is in Frankie's future even if he goes back to acting. He said he is just kind of malleable and reads his lines in the way the director wants. He isnt one of those actors that gets all inside the mind of their character. It is hard to see how he would be in charge of a whole set if he isnt even that into control of his own performance and follows directions of whoever he is working for.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
The Wonder Years seems like it was trying to be very dramatic and serious. It is not really all that funny.

It was never meant to be funny, it was meant to be mildly ironic in a wistful, nostalgic sort of way. The term 'dramedy' looks like it was invented for a series like this. The tone is more like 'Dawson's Creek' than MITM, though there were some wacky episodes. Comparisons with MITM have to do with the theme of a young boy growing up as the central character and the world we view from his perspective (though in MITM there are multiple storylines which have nothing to do with Malcolm's point of view).

The personal rapport with the audience in TWY is created by first-person voiceover narration, in MITM by directly addressing the camera. Both could be called groundbreaking in that respect - though I must say that I feel like hardly anything is really completely 'new', it's more in the groundbreaking combination of known elements and finding the right synthesis.

I doubt directing is in Frankie's future even if he goes back to acting. He said he is just kind of malleable and reads his lines in the way the director wants. He isnt one of those actors that gets all inside the mind of their character. It is hard to see how he would be in charge of a whole set if he isnt even that into control of his own performance and follows directions of whoever he is working for.

I agree here. Though Frankie was very good in some movies and of course MITM, and even critics of the 'teen movie' genre granted that he was more natural and focused than the usual young actor, it looks like he lost interest. Perhaps he should have been given more dramatic roles, but stereotyping is the bane of acting especially in Hollywood.

I just feel kid actors like Fred Savage and Elijah Wood (or Jodie Foster well before them) dug deeper for their roles and have a way of getting into a character's mind. They were more likely to be durable and continuing as actor/director/writers than Frankie I guess.

Rich
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
I liked it, it's sorta MITM in a way.

But the songs during the show are quite annoying, it could've been better just no dialogue at times, for e.g. at season 1 they're at a funeral from Windy's brother and a loud song is playing, also is the narrator talking, damn that was badly done, can't be fixed now.

Season 1 is only 6 eps so it takes an hour to watch it all.

Thank you!

Yeah, I see what you mean! The use of that loud song during the funeral was very injudicious! It should have been faded when the vicar started to speak - I guess this will be corrected when the series is put out on DVD and the song will be replaced with generic elevator muzak to please music publishers ;)/:( -> :yinyang:.

The song itself is very well chosen - For What It's Worth, a student protest song, tapping into Vietnam war unrest, by Buffalo Springfield, the band that gave us both Stephen Stills and Neil Young, but not in this way.

Rich
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
Oh my God, I noticed these 'subjective camera' scenes from My Father's Office (1-3), where Kevin is introduced to his dad's colleagues, and getting fussed over and cuddled, are exactly the same as those used for the family reunion flashback of the Funeral episode of MITM! Am I getting obsessed all over again? Is this a stock situation? Is this a tribute? A conspiracy? ;)

Rich
 
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