My So-Called Life: Complete Series

My So-Called Life: Complete Series
by Scott Winant

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DVD Reviews of My So-Called Life: Complete Series

DVD Review: Eat Your Heart Out, Holden Caulfield
Summary: 5 Stars

MY SO-CALLED LIFE was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And yet it was in the right place at the right time. Each episode is worthy of a theatrical presentation and I would gladly pay to see the entire series presented in such a manner. The cinematography by Ernest Holzmann and Charles Leiberman is wonderful - warm and friendly, making the Chase's house cozy and inviting. Ron Rosen's editing calls to mind THE SOPRANOS and the brilliant juxtaposing of characters, storylines, and misunderstandings. The show has garnered numerous accolades for its portrayal of adolescence. It is so good, in fact, that it does not feel like television at all. Each episode unfolds with its own interesting pace and is its own short chapter. Claire Danes is nothing short of brilliant as Angela Chase. She possesses a maturity and poise rarely seen in actresses her age. She lusts after the dreamy Jordan Catalano, a guy whom she is understandably attracted to but who, in the end, is a true dolt.

The rest of the cast is wonderful, too. Despite their often-annoying idiosyncrasies, you like these people. The character of Brian Krakow can be unbearable, making you want to punch him in the face, but I think that's a compliment to the actor who portrays him (in a strange sort of way!!)

What is truly amazing about this show is that it took place just eight years ago, when the World Wide Web was just coming into its own, and the world seemed still full of possibilities. The current state of violence - school shootings, anthrax cases, and overall terrorism - today makes these episodes a true joy to escape to.

The show only lasted 19 episodes, and there never was a "final" episode - it was just cancelled. Most of the show's most zealous fans caught up with it on its MTV-marathons, but the episodes were slightly cut to add more annoying commercials than you could possibly imagine. Thank heavens for home video, as the new DVD box set has arrived. The complete episodes of one of the best shows I've ever seen is now available.

The series is spread out to five discs and they contain only the episodes. No effort appears to have been made to make this release into a special edition, which is a shame because it would have been nice to have had some commentaries by the creators and performers, as well as on-the-set interviews and the like. I suppose that once we all buy this set, they'll re-release it with the aforementioned inclusions, which is something that most companies do deliberately today.

The transfers are the best I have seen for this show. While not stellar, they are better than the broadcast quality. It's a joy to see each episode in its entirety without commercials destroying your brain every twelve minutes. The audio is nicely represented as well. Simply put, if you're a fan of this show, you must own this collection on DVD. Not VHS, but on DVD. The Christmas episode with Juliana Hatfield is beautifully lit and is quite moving.

MY SO-CALLED LIFE is proof of just how excellent television can really be. It's better than just about anything on cable and in theaters now. I would personally like to thank everyone who was involved with this show for being a part of it and making it what it is. This is a classic television series that lends itself to repeat viewings. You do not have to be a teenager to appreciate this show. I'm now 34 and I still see things that I missed the first time I saw it.

Now, if they would only release 1987's A YEAR IN THE LIFE on DVD...

Description of My So-Called Life: Complete Series

Avoiding the sensational, My So-Called Life tackled every teen hot-button issue imaginable (and pioneered the then-controversial topic of teen homosexuality), but with a clear-eyed perspective, never dissolving into soap opera-?even when Angela mooned over heartthrob Jordan Catalano (dreamy Jared Leto). Even as it mined adolescent angst, though, My So-Called Life never lost sight of its adults, with Bess Armstrong and Tom Irwin both phenomenal as Angela's parents, whose marriage was one of the most complex seen on TV since... well, thirtysomething. Through it all, Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Danes was a neurotic, touching, and funny center, whether obsessing over a zit or negotiating the rocky terrain of first love. Her funny, sobering, and empathetic portrait of teendom reminded us that in some ways, life was just an extended version of high school. --Mark Englehart