My So-Called Life

On second thought.... maybe this show is making a statement about teenagers in a unique way... because at the end, by not making it obvious who Angela ends up with, the director is making it all the more realistic... 

As teenagers we haven't really found ourselves. We don't really know what we want... yet. 

My So-Called Life

Now, in 21st century serials, we see teenagers use words like "pirana" and "extortion". Words that we, as normal teenagers would have to look up in the dictionary to confirm. 

After watching "My So- Called Life" from 1994, it seems as though in the early 90's, this was the opposite.  

It's interesting to see how the characters in this show are very slow with their talking.

 "why are you, like the way you are?" (took a pause in between)

"why do you like, say things like that?" (another pause)

"what?" "huh?" (three minutes to just let this out)

"like.... whatever"(same thing)

I for one think that teenagers speak a bit more fluently than just three-five words at a time with swaggering stances. 

But you see, although I am a bit ticked off by the dialogue, I am impressed by the way the show leaves the audience hanging- who will Angela (school outcast) end up with? Jordan, the popular burnout? Or Brian, the sensitive nerd? Neither of the resulting relationships would be normal..

I believe there's been a lot of fanfiction about that...  

Ordinary People

“Ordinary People” is a deep film with significant nuances but not much entertainment. The protagonist is Conrad (Timothy Hutton), a sad sad teenager suffering from low self-esteem, fear and guilt of his older brother’s sudden death. Conrad’s feelings and relationships are complicated- especially the one he has with his mother, which he feels has died along with his older brother. In my opinion, his mother is a scary cookie. She puts on a cheerful façade and serves breakfast to Conrad, but when he says he’s not hungry out of clear emptiness, she nonchalantly dumps his French toast down the sink. She is obviously so selfish that she doesn’t care about anyone. I hate how the movie shows her being nice and polite to Conrad when all I really want her to do is strip off and show her true colors.

Conrad visits a psychiatrist who is a HUGE disappointment. I just watched Goodwill Hunting yesterday, and with the enthusiasm, energy and skill Roger Williams uses to deliver his lines as Will’s psychologist, this movie’s shrink definitely falls short. “I’m your friend Conrad,” he says in a monotone drab, and the kid has to act as though he has a life changing experience… HOW LAME.

“Ordinary People” won four Oscars and is definitely not a bad film. There were many elements to it that were impressive. Timothy Hutton was amazing as Conrad and there were touching scenes: my favorite one is the ending, when Conrad’s dad who was always shy and reluctant in expressing his love, finally shows it.