Dear Diary

I was able to see a screening of this film at an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences screening of short film winners and nominees a while back. This started out as a pilot for a DreamWorks comedy series, so when the network rejected it, it made the rounds and eventually won an Oscar for Best Short Film. Bebe Neuwirth stars as a New Yorker and the film was basically a day in the life of her character. It was filmed on location and it seemed like a cross between "Seinfeld" and "Days and Nights of Molly Dodd". There is a lot of voiceover, a jazz score and the plot is about the little things that happen to Neuwirth's character and how she dealt with them. It seemed to bounce from one mood to another very quickly. Overall, I thought it was funny and smart. It says something about the state of network television when something that is deemed not good enough to broadcast goes on to win an Oscar.

DreamWorks's first production to win an Academy Award focuses on a woman's trials and tribulations as she negotiates her way around New York City over the course of a day. Watching "Dear Diary", one gets the feeling that it got intended as a TV pilot (and it was, but got rejected). Along with the action, the short features narration, as the protagonist writes down the day's events before going to bed. I guess that we could interpret it as a contemplation on what one can do when things don't go as expected.

The star is Bebe Neuwirth, whom you may remember as the clueless aunt in "Jumanji" (I understand that her best known role is on "Cheers", but I've never seen that show). To my knowledge, this is Neuwirth's only lead role in a movie. Her character here is an affluent, streetwise person who picks up on everything and has something to say about everything. Director David Frankel is best known for "The Devil Wears Prada".

All in all, it's a good short. It deserved its Oscar for Best Short Film.

Imagine a line-up including "Sports Night," "Dear Diary" and "NYPD Blue!"

Bebe Neuwirth is great as the lead and narrator of this sitcom pilot by Dreamworks that ABC failed to recognize and place on their Fall schedule. Great script, Brian Kerwin in a supporting role as her husband, and filmed on the beautiful streets of New York City.