Monday Musings: 'Adolescence' Review, 'Black Widow' Returns To TV, 'Only Murders' Casting, Who is Sarah Pidgeon? Which Wine Is Good For A Monday?
Just another a'MUS'ing Monday...
Hello Monday!
How was everyone’s streaming weekend? Hopefully it was wine-derful! Here’s what I’m musing about this beautiful Monday….
‘Adolescence’ - Tiffany’s Review
A funny thing happened when I was streaming another Netflix series, and while moving on to episode three, it wouldn’t load. I tried logging in and out of the app, and still, this one show would not load. I decided to try another show to see if it was Netflix or that particular series. I randomly clicked on Adolescence because it was positioned underneath, and it loaded. Once Adolescence started, I could not stop watching it. I don’t usually sit and binge a series. I will watch a couple of episodes at a time, but I COULD NOT STOP WATCHING THIS! The universe works in mysterious ways to find me a great series!
The first thing you will notice is that the entire series, which is only four episodes (thank you, British television!), is that each episode is filmed in one continuous shot, seamless, with no cuts, using just a single camera. Normally, it’s a gimmick filmmakers use that sometimes can be distracting, but in this case, it pays off. From the opening scene, it grabs the audience with the arrest of a 13-year-old boy for murder.
The first episode carefully guides the viewer through the entire police station and how they process a minor into prison. The second episode takes you through his unruly school environment, but it is the third episode between the boy and his psychologist that literally blew me away. Owen Cooper, who plays the 13-year-old Jamie Miller, is incredible, INCREDIBLE, in this role. It’s surprisingly his first on-screen role ever (he’ll later star in next year’s Emerald Fennell-directed Wuthering Heights as a young Heathcliff). The writing is so good that you can’t even believe it is scripted, as Cooper and co-star Erin Doherty (The Crown) almost seem like they are improvising the scene.
This is a must-watch series for every parent, especially those of young sons. It’s not just a true crime story but a thought-provoking series about the different influences parents and peers have on children, the effects of social media and how that often goes unchecked with devastating consequences, and the role we all have in society (as a village) to raise caring and empathetic adults. The series raises the question of toxic masculinity - harmful, socially constructed ideas, and behaviors associated with traditional notions of "manliness," often leading to suppression of emotions, dominance, and aggression, which can be detrimental to individuals and society.
If you are a fan of the Law & Order-type series, you might find this limited series a little drawn out and long. It’s not meant to be fast-paced. The entire series is a character study of the relationships between this teen boy and his peers, his parents, and how everyone outside his circle is affected by this murder. How boys are raised and influenced by their peers, adolescent isolation and withdrawal, and how it is often heartbreakingly too late to see the things we could have noticed a long time before. Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix and is currently the #1 ranking series.
‘Black Widow’ To Return To TV
For those of you reading, old enough to remember… In 1987, a cute little feminist movie, Black Widow starring Debra Winger and Theresa Russell scared the bejeezus out of the male population. The tagline was She mates and She kills. As we are in another era of reboots in Hollywood, this too is getting a revamp with producers Emmy Rossum (Shameless) and Liz Merriweather (The Dropout). Here’s the synopsis: “An FBI agent uses the secrets from a female serial killer’s past to try and find her.” Rossum is also in talks to star in the series as the FBI agent. Merriweather will pen the script. This series is currently in development at Hulu.
‘Only Murders’ Adds Another Oscar Winner to Season 5 Cast
Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building is currently in production and in addition to Meryl Streep reprising her role as Loretta, Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds) will serve in a recurring role in the upcoming season. It’s still under wraps as to what his role will be, but he joins Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele) as an OMITB newbie.
Linda Cardellini To Star in Peacock’s Crystal Lake - A Friday the 13th Prequel
Dead to Me’s Linda Cardellini has joined Peacock’s new horror series Crystal Lake. A freaky prequel to the classic horror film franchise Friday the 13th. Cardellini will play Pamela, the hockey-mask-wearing serial killer Jason Voorhees’ mother. Brad Caleb Kane who is currently at the helm of the upcoming Stephen King series It: Welcome to Derry will act as showrunner/writer/executive producer.
Who is Sarah Pidgeon?
Ryan Murphy has another “American” series up his sleeve and this time he’s taking the love story of John F. Kennedy, Jr and Carolyn Bessette. FX announced its first cast member over the weekend for Murphy’s new anthology series American Love Story. Sarah Pidgeon will star as Carolyn Bessette. Pidgeon is best known for her starring role in the Prime Video series The Wilds. She has also starred in Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things opposite Kathryn Hahn and in the new film The Friend alongside Naomi Watts. She is also going to be in the fourth film of the I Know What You Did Last Summer horror film franchise.
Teaser: ‘The Four Seasons’ Starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey (Netflix)
Renewals / Cancellations
Severance renewed for Season 3 at Apple TV+
School Spirits renewed for Season 3 at Paramount+
This Day in History: 1997 Oscar Best Picture Winner ‘The English Patient’
On this day in history, The English Patient took home the Oscar for Best Picture. The film starred Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Colin Firth, and Kristin Scott Thomas in a story set against the landscape of 1944’s war-torn Italy. A young nurse tends to a badly burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks of the sweeping expanses of the Sahara desert, revealing his passionate love affair. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I cried like a baby who needed a nap after seeing this for the first time. Everything about the film is beautiful. The English Patient is currently available to rent or own on demand.
5 Random Things About ‘The English Patient’
Demi Moore was considered for the part of Katharine Clifton which ultimately went to Kristin Scott Thomas. Coincidentally, Bruce Willis wanted the part of David Caravaggio which ended up being played by Willem Dafoe.
The first film to win an Academy Award for Best Film Editing in which the movie was digitally-edited.
Nicole Kidman met with director Anthony Minghella to star in the movie, but was turned down. They worked together later on 2003’s Cold Mountain.
Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role of Count Laszlo de Almåsy, the role played by Ralph Fiennes.
The movie was at the center of a Seinfeld episode titled “The English Patient” where Elaine hated the movie and everyone else loved it.
Streaming Today & Tomorrow
March 24
Signs of a Psychopath: Season 1 (ID/Max)
David Blaine: Do Not Attempt (Disney+) - watch the full episode above!
March 25
Chelsea Handler: The Feeling (Netflix)
I Survived A Crime: Season 2 (Netflix)
Dandelion (Hulu)
Lockerbie: The Bombing of PanAm 103 (CNN/Max)
A Weekday Wine For Unwinding - Simi Cabernet, Sonoma County
I love this casual wine under $20. Pour yourself a glass and take a nose to the aromas of spice and hints of cedar, chocolate, and red cherry. Once you take a sip, your palate will be gifted with flavors of red plum, cassis, blackberry, and cherry.