A friend recently called this movie to my attention. Supposedly (and plausibly, judging from the land and street scapes) filmed in Jackson, this film brought back many memories, a few of which I shared with a writer friend from Atlanta who lives and works here in Aix.The film takes me back to my fifteenth year ('67) when I first spent time with my Aunt and Uncle in Jackson, Mississippi. In the twenty-five years that followed, to when our oldest daughter was herself 15 ('92), we must have made the drive from New Orleans two dozen times, for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas one year, cousin weddings, notable birthdays and personal visits. My favorite activity when in Jackson was to attend First Presbyterian Church where my Aunt and Uncle seemed to hold a unique place, or walking down around Milsaps College, past Eudora Welty's home, a place my Aunt said she had visited on different occasions, I guess for tea or other women's socials. The movie reminds me of the deep greens of a nature abundantly watered, of the beautiful and mysterious black people everywhere present but with whom contact was not encouraged except in the workplace, the 1950s and 60s architecture and home furnishings that were never really a part of my background.This movie is the first I ever saw of American apartheid. (Pre-1970 visits were as a dependant child of a favorite younger brother. Subsequent visits were as a fully emancipated young adult, cousin and family man.) This movie was and remains a powerful testament to personal courage.What is missing from the film is a sense of the motivation for these behaviors. "Fear" shows itself just enough to not let you forget this was an important factor. One understands entitlement and the psychology of "otherness", but this film overstates the obvious in order to tell its story. It would not transpose easily or well to New Orleans and I suspect to Atlanta or other large southern cities where the unspoken presumption of a "shared feeling" about the other was very subtle but none-the-less important in determining social behaviors.

The WB does it again! Or should I say, network television does it again. Here we have yet another so-so sitcom laid on us, not overly funny, yet not really a stinker. The story so far is actually a bit interesting, but the problem always seems to be the level of comedy. Maybe it's the overall lame dialog, generally overacted performances, or the annoying studio audience laughing (better than a laugh track, of course, but this one seems to be trying to emulate old Married With Children's). As only the pilot episode has aired as I write this, hopefully there will be a potential realized with the stellar eye-candy cast (Camille Guaty, Megan Fox, Marika Dominczyk, Keri Lynn Pratt, and yes even Brenda Strong), which is what saves this sitcom from a quick death (well, I would hope so, anyway). Plus Tori Spelling guest starring in anything is worth watching, IMHO! So, best of luck to this show. [Show: C - Cast: B+]

I watched the premiere of this show last night. When I noticed that it was produced and casted by the same people that did Married..With Children I wasn't surprised..it had a lot of sexual jokes and beautiful women in skimpy clothes. It really did remind me of M..W/CH. Having David Faustino..(Bud) from M..W/CH appear in the show was a plus too. I like this show and will watch it every week even if my wife doesn't approve. Oh well. Also in the show is the fat women from The Facts of Life..she does well in the show as well. The maid..is very beautiful and has a great personality on the show. I'm not going to give traits of all the characters...but you need to watch this show especially if you liked shows such as: Married..With Children, Unhappily Ever After, and Nikki. Since all these shows are connected in the same way by having the same producers and casting director. I'm not sure how much longer the show will be on, it might bomb the first season..who know's but I would like to watch the show for at least a few seasons to come.

The show starts with a girl named Maria in a skimpy French maid's outfit. She continues to complain about how she has to clean for a sad bunch of rich snobs. Camille Guaty has never been renowed for her acting abilities (i.e.Gotta Kick it Up), and lives up(or down as some may view it) to her reputation.Mindy Cohn plays the bitter cook of the household who well is just there to play the pudgy person who delivers bad comic relief and grosses the audience out by scratching her head in the families dinner. Victoria Spelling of course begged daddy dearest to pay the exec's to get a spot as a quirky dog walker who has teretz or something. Any time her name is called she spews out her true feelings, after the second spew it became old fast. Then there is the last roundup of stars gone wrong, the worst of all David Faustino. In he walks halfway through the show and the fake audience clap loudly as if he was still on Married with Children, he then burps and goes to the refridgerator to show his true addiction as an alcoholic. Wow this show is getting better as it goes on.The demeaning of women occurs throughout, with the women being shoved into skimpy outfits and then having cat fights; all the while whoring themseleves off in a cheap degrating matter. Promiscuity run a muck with a continuing gag of the Chauffer screwing around with the Boss'favorite daughter, but that was mostly implied thank god.The sets looked used with a dab of cheap peach paint to show the true malibu status of the Hamptons (which wasn't even good). The acting and blocking of the actors was horrendous! What I mean is when the actors didn't talk they just stood there. The conflict in the plot was so silly that it made up for the un-funny, un-originale, un-talneted cast and script. If all the shows elements combined and left to stew (i.e. we're subjected to more episodes) it would become a sick soup that would make the viewer want to puke.Don't watch. From the looks of the pilot the audience must have been held at gunpoint to recieve any laughs for the pathetic jokes. This series has no promise to it what so ever...~Rube~