A Girl Thing

Most astute U.S. movie viewers have recognized the talents and skills of the excellent Stockard Channing. More gratifying than seeing her quality finally recognized with the rolls she has played in both "A Girl Thing" (TV mini series)and in the White House centered series is the appearance of the former series as an entire movie available in both VHS and DVD in video stores nationwide. As a psychiatrist whose patients are mostly women she serves as the hub through which the four different patient centered episodes revolve.

Although the first three would result in a "good" movie, we are not let off or let down by that being the case. In the forth and final episode Channing (the "doctor") figures not just peripherally as the center but is the main character around which the drama unfolds. Confronted by an intelligent and dangerously angry patient, the doctor fails to establish any healthy connection and terminates the patient. This soon results in a violent confrontation, which puts the doctor, another patient and a few others in an explosively dangerous situation in the psychiatrist's office. Channing herself is challenged to justify all that she has done, is doing and believes in concerning people in general and her professional relationships with them in particular.

Does she make a good showing for herself? Is anyone hurt, and, if so how badly?

Watch the movie and find out.

This movie was great, acting was wonderful... but it left me with a disturbing thought. I very RARELY see a movie about men that depict them in a fair light. Take HBO's new comedy, "Mind Of The Married Man", it depicts men as being horny and uncontrollably sex crazed. In most of TV sitcoms, men are morons, and their women bail them out. "Family Matters", "Simpsons", "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Malcolm In the Middle", even one of me favorite, "Cosby Show". "The Man Show" might be a funny show, but it doesn't speak for all men. I support the female movement 100%, but maybe it's time there should be a male movement. The TV shows listed are, (for the most part), all fine shows, I just think there should be more TV and Films in the other direction as well.

It's a rather emotional film, I only saw the last three parts but I really liked it. Trust me, it's one great production which you will enjoy. The second story has a rather unexpected ending. It could bring tears to anybody, it's a very interesting subject which might make you realize some things which maybe you have missed in the rush of life. The third story is fantastic. I loved it. It could be true for any of us. The last story is ... scary I guess, but not totally unreal. All the stories are about feelings that we all of the people share. We sometimes show them, sometimes hide them, sometimes ignore them, but we all have them in our daily lives: love, hate, betrayal, revenge, a drop of madness, solitude...and at the end of the day the bottom line is we all need help, just a little push in the right direction and someone to understand you.

Excellent direction and acting in this TV movie from a great ensemble cast make it a must-see. In a time when many actresses complain Hollywood doesn't give them the opportunities, in this production a whole range of women from well-known names (e.g. Mia Farrow, Rebecca de Mornay) to the less well-known, turn in excellent performances all round. And the men are good too. The four stories appear in linear fashion, linked by Stockard Channing's character as a therapist among others, are all good and sufficiently different to each other to hold interest. The sensationalism that might surround the first story should not be allowed to disproportionately affect the view of the show as a whole. Funny and warm, this is a film for everyone, despite it's title. TV movies are often considered less favourably to cinema productions, but there are just as many good and bad TV movies as films and this as good as, or better, than a lot of films I've seen at the cinema (and I've seen a lot!) Highly recommended.

How's that for a summary? I watched this miniseries on dvd last night, mostly because of the cast list. It's four separate stories, tied together by Stockard Channing as a psychiatrist who treats someone in each segment. The first hour is "the lesbian hour" with Kate Capshaw and Elle McPherson. The second hour has Rebecca DeMornay, Allison Janney and Glenn Headley as bickering sisters. The third hour (which, I'll admit I only watched 20 minutes of) stars Mia Farrow, Lynne Whitfield, and Linda Hamilton. The final hour centers around Stockard Channing, her secretary (played by S. Epatha Merkerson) and two patients, Camryn Manheim and Peta Wilson. Sprinkled throughout the entire program is Margo Martindale as the neighborhood coffeehouse owner. All four parts were written and directed by Lee Rose. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), I'd rate them as follows: Part 1, 5; Part 2, 7; Part 3 (what I saw), 2; Part 4, 8. The acting across the board is a little stiff, almost like it were a filmed play. And the writing is ultra-predictable. Yet, I still found myself engrossed (except for part 3). My favorite part of segment 4 was seeing Peta Wilson in a role about as completely opposite as one could get from her best-known role of ass-kicking, girl-spy Nikita. Other standouts are Channing, Janney, and Manheim. All in all, an interesting psychological drama.

(Note: The dvd does not have a menu or chapter search capabilities, so if you stop somewhere in the middle, make note of where you are so you can forward ahead to that point when you get back to watching.)