Last Thursday, actor Blair Underwood was in Washington, DC to open a new health clinic, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Blair Underwood Clinic (on K Street near George Washington University Hospital). Local people can come in and get tested for HIV/AIDS for free, Underwood explained on CNN. He has been involved with fighting HIV/AIDS for about 20 yrs. The actor told CNN’s Don Lemon that his life has been directly touched by AIDS. Two members of his wife’s family died of AIDS, one “after a blood transfusion” and another “as a result of lifestyle choices.”
Underwood as Alex on HBO's "In Treatment"
Recently, Underwood received critical acclaim portraying Alex, one of the patients of Paul (Gabriel Byrne) on Season 1 of HBO’s In Treatment. Underneath Alex’s muscular/macho/perfectionist exterior is a man riddled with guilt (about a bombing mission that killed a school full of children) and uncertainty (about his marriage).
Squaring off against his analyst, Gabriel Byrne
Alex challenges Paul b/c he refuses to reveal much about himself for the first 2 sesssions. The ex-pilot wants answers from his shrink, but doesn’t want to put himself in a vulnerable position. Alex is a control freak; he even buys an expensive coffee machine for Paul’s office b/c he wants things just so. Later on in the season, Alex becomes involved with another one of Paul’s patients, the volatile doctor- Laura (Melissa George).
With the wife & kids- awww....
Underwood appeared as a sports doctor and one of Miranda’s boyfriends on SATC. The actor made his TV debut at age 23 as the ambitious/charming litigator Jonathan Rollins on the courtroom drama LA Law. Underwood impressed producers with his charisma and maturity. (And 23 is not even old enough to be a lawyer!)
My little sister watches this show, so I decided to check it out. (She’s usually in the know about what’s cool.) Another reason to see Mad Men is Elisabeth Moss (known to many as President Bartlett’s youngest daughter, Zoe, on The West Wing). Elisabeth’s character, Peggy Olson, starts out as a cheerful/eager/naive secretary at the start of Season 1. Like the viewer, she doesn’t know what to expect from Sterling Cooper (the ad agency that is the main setting of the show).
Peggy Olson- always watching & learning
Women esp. will empathize w/ Peggy, a young woman who experiences workplace harassment (it’s the early ’60s after all), romantic disappointment, and disillusionment on her way to becoming a copywriter (in Season 2). She brings to mind the compromises, trials, and sacrifices faced by early feminists, though Peggy NEVER calls herself a feminist. Peggy works hard and wins the trust/confidence/respect of boss, Don Draper (Jon Hamm).
The unflappable Roger Sterling
After Peggy, my fave character is Roger Sterling (played by TV/theater veteran John Slattery). Roger, a partner in the firm, is an “old-school” guy- charming, confident, and a heavy drinker (w/o any guilt, he comments). He usually has a twinkle in his eye, enjoying work and life to the fullest. I particularly enjoyed the few eps where Roger was worried about aging.
Don & Betty
Though many people have commented on Don’s hot & heavy romance w/ Midge, I thought the storyline w/ him and Rachel was MORE interesting. She is a successful/single/lonely businesswoman who is a client of Sterling Cooper (in Season 1). Don doesn’t want to work w/ her at first, but soon becomes intrigued by her perserverence. Though Rachel is wealthy, she is an “outsider” b/c of her Jewish heritage. Don falls deeply in love w/ her, and tells her secrets about his life. (Unfortunately, I didn’t see this ep!) He’s (visibly) shocked when he sees Rachel w/ her new hubby (Season 2).
Jon Hamm in “People” mag (2007)
I watched a FEW interviews w/ Jon Hamm; he comes across as a VERY polite/sweet/unassuming actor. He said he wears glasses and prefers his hair longer than Don’s in real life. I watched Jon (a few yrs ago) as a sensitive detective on the Lifetime drama, The Division. After a LONG struggle in Hollywood, this actor has made it BIG!
From “Parade” mag
Hamm “has this wonderful sadness and lost quality in his eyes,” said director Alan Taylor. “It’s a rare quality for a strapping leading man.” Leave your political correctness at the door, and tune in for Season 3 of Mad Men on SUN night!
I wanted to see this movie for a few wks! Some parts were on You Tube, but NOT the entire film. So I decided to buy it on Amazon (it was a low price). It’s an unique and memorable picture w/ 2 VERY strong actors, though Meryl Streep later said he felt “in over her head” in playing Sarah. There is some beautiful lighting and scenery, including a lush forest. It’s also mysterious, making you think about the complexity of the human mind.
Sarah (Meryl Streep)
This is a movie w/in a movie b/c Streep and Irons play two roles. In the modern world, they are Anna (an American actress) and Mike (a British actor). Anna (who plays mysterious outcast Sarah Woodrough) and Mike (who plays wealthy science enthusiast Charles Smithson) are filming The French Lieutenant’s Woman in Dorset and London. We shift from the past (Victorian England) to the present (’80s) throughout the film, enabling us to compare and contrast the actors and their roles.
Charles (Jeremy Irons)
Charles comes from London to engage the hand of Ernestina, the young daughter of a wealthy shipbuilder. He’s known her for several weeks, and they seem very much in love. Ernestina’s father approves of the match, though Charles is a follower of Darwin. After their engagement, Charles and Ernestina take a walk near the seaside. Charles sees the far-off figure of a woman (wearing a dark cloak) at the edge of the walkway. It’s a very windy day and violent waves are coming up over the seawall. Being a sensitive gentleman, he is alarmed about the stranger’s safety.
When Charles asks about her, Ernestina remarks “oh, tragedy.” Sarah is notorious in the community b/c of her (actual or alleged?) affair w/ a French officer years ago. Though it is dangerous, the curious Charles runs out to warn the woman. Sarah turns to face him, but says nothing. We see that Charles has been deeply affected by seeing her- love at first sight! He learns more about her (precarious) position in life, and wants to help her.
The actors, Mike and Anna, are romantically involved during shooting. These modern people are NOT as interesting as the Victorians, but have their moments. In one small (but eye-opening scene) Anna reads to Mike from a history book. We learn that most of the girls working in London brothels were “nice girls who’d lost their jobs”; some had been governesses. I don’t want to give TOO much away; you should watch this film ASAP!
This is a 4 star classic film noir that you MUST-SEE! Out of the Past reminded me of A History of Violence. It has snappy dialogue, interesting characters, twists and turns, and gorgeous lighting. Because of censorship laws of the ’40s, some events are (cleverly) hinted at, instead of shown outright. This adds to the originality of the film!
Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) has lived for 2 yrs in a small California town running a gas station. His assistant is a deaf/mute teen boy. Jeff (a seemingly normal, quiet guy) often goes fishing w/ a pretty, sweet local lady- Ann Miller. He plans to marry her in the near future. One day, a big-city guy drives into this little community and starts asking questions about Jeff. This stranger (from Jeff’s old life) is surprised to learn about his (now ordinary) life.
Jane Greer: The femme fatale
Jeff confides in Ann after seeing the man from his past. No so long ago, he was a sort of private detective in San Francisco. Jeff and his partner, Brodie, got in over their head when they started working w/ crime boss Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas). Whit paid them to look for his runaway girlfriend, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), even AFTER she tried to kill him!
Kirk Douglas & Robert Mitchum
Jeff traveled to Mexico, met the mysterious/beautiful Kathie, and quickly fell in love w/ her. After 2 weeks, Whit showed up w/ a group of his men. Jeff met w/ them, but then ran away w/ Kathie. But that’s NOT the end of this story!
Unlike the song, Kathie was not “easy to love,” but Jeff went out of his way to protect her from Whit. We find out in the last 1/3 of the story that Kathie is NOT as defenseless as she seems. Even after 2 yrs, she’s NOT completely out of Jeff’s system! Can Jeff have a normal life w/ Ann, or will Kathie cause the undoing of him? This was (no doubt) a juicy role for Mitchum, who we know has the tough guy exterior, but also a sly humor and normal guy demeanor. Just a magnetic actor!
This is a film I didn’t know much about until I saw it last wk. It’s not TOO gory or scary, but the opening scene might be hard to take for some viewers. There is some trial testimony that MAY make you cringe, too. The acting of the main players is quite strong. There are twists and turns in this thriller, but I’m sure viewers will figure out some of them.
The defender: Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close)
Glenn Close looks VERY pretty in this movie, and plays Teddy Barnes, a lawyer/divorcee/mother of 2 young kids. I thought she did well in the courtroom scenes, but I REALLY liked her vulnerable and motherly sides here (she doesn’t often get to show that in her roles). She interacts VERY well w/ the kids and w/ Robert Loggia (who plays a mussed-up/ cynical/elderly former cop). Teddy and the cop went through a tough criminal case before, and were VERY affected by it.
The handsome/charming/newspaper editor Teddy defends is Jack Forrester (Jeff Bridges). His wife Paige, whose family ran a San Francisco paper, was brutally assaulted and murdered in their beach house. It turns out that the money was ALL in Paige’s name, so Jack would’ve lost it all if there was a divorce (job, status, etc.) Though Teddy doesn’t want the hassle, her boss convinces her to take on the high-profile case.
From their first meeting, we see that Teddy and Jack have GREAT chemistry (as do the actors). And he keeps insisting he’s innocent. (It’s tough NOT to like Jeff Bridges, right? He’s a VERY natural actor.) There is a memorable romantic sequence where Jack takes Teddy horseback riding on his ranch. Though she tries to keep things professional, the lawyer gets involved w/ her client!
No Way Out (1987)
This is another popular ’80s thriller, but set in the world of politics in DC. This film made Kevin Costner (who plays career navy man Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell) a major player in Hollywood. (I’m NOT a fan of Costner, but he fits his role VERY well here.) Gene Hackman plays Farrell’s boss in the Pentagon, Defense Sect. David Brice. After a heroic rescue of a crewmate at sea, Farrell is brought in (by old college pal) to work for Sect. Brice. That pal, Scott Pritchard (Will Patton), is an enigmatic and ambitious man who serves as Brice’s “right hand.” Will Patton NEARLY steals almost every scene he’s in!
Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) & Susan (Sean Young)
Did you know?
Kevin Costner turned down the role of Jack Forrester in Jagged Edge.
“The Big Chill” (1983)
Costner played the dead body in the opening of The Big Chill (1983). Director Lawrence Kasdan, who liked Costner’s work, shot some scenes involving his character (the friend who commited suicide), but edited them out later to fit the mood of the film.
