kellyadmirer
Joined Jan 2001
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Painting by numbers was big when I was a kid. You could fill in the little numbered sections with a few paint colors and produce something to show your parents. It occupied your time and nobody got shot. It passed the time.
"Ava" is just another in a long line of "invulnerable female assassin finally gets even with her real enemies" flicks. Some of them can be okay. They feature the actress of the day who somehow has acquired the pull to put such a project together. Here, it's Jessica's turn. As sure as I'm writing this, in five years it will be someone else's. Charlize Theron and Angelina Jolie could tell her all about it. Go watch Atomic Blonde or Mr. & Mrs. Smith for the pack leaders. This is the eighth horse at the Preakness that you'll never hear about, but someone, somewhere loves.
Let me put it this way: in terms of acting, Colin Farrell of all people stands stands far above the other actors like a Colossus. It's that kind of film. There is absolutely pointless and banal family stuff with the usual "what trivial family trauma turned this particular female bad" sap thrown in to soak up time with people who appear profoundly uninterested in each other sitting around mouthing obvious lines, and likely inserted to keep within the budget, as fight scenes can be expensive with all the broken glass and so forth.
Jessica looks bored throughout, with "inner turmoil" that is so obvious and resolved so banally that you can understand her wooden acting. There's an old boyfriend who needs to take some acting lessons, Geena Davis around to pick up the rent money, and John Malkovich getting to wear some waders, which he should be doing full-time at this point (and he's done a lot of great stuff, just not this).
People shoot with unerring accuracy when it suits the plot, and miss at short range when there needs to be a "showdown." "Professional assassins" blunder in like drunken sailors who approach their victims so clumsily - "Hey, let's chase our victim down by walking noisily behind her when we could just as easily have taken them by surprise somewhere" - yeah.
This is a weak effort. Another mountain behind trees with swirling clouds for plenty of blues and whites and reds. But, in its defense, it's a different paint-by-numbers, not the same as you did last time. So, it has that going for it. And, if you like that sort of thing for a lazy Saturday afternoon - and I use the word lazy advisedly, because that perfectly encapsulates this production in a word - then this is for you.
"Ava" is just another in a long line of "invulnerable female assassin finally gets even with her real enemies" flicks. Some of them can be okay. They feature the actress of the day who somehow has acquired the pull to put such a project together. Here, it's Jessica's turn. As sure as I'm writing this, in five years it will be someone else's. Charlize Theron and Angelina Jolie could tell her all about it. Go watch Atomic Blonde or Mr. & Mrs. Smith for the pack leaders. This is the eighth horse at the Preakness that you'll never hear about, but someone, somewhere loves.
Let me put it this way: in terms of acting, Colin Farrell of all people stands stands far above the other actors like a Colossus. It's that kind of film. There is absolutely pointless and banal family stuff with the usual "what trivial family trauma turned this particular female bad" sap thrown in to soak up time with people who appear profoundly uninterested in each other sitting around mouthing obvious lines, and likely inserted to keep within the budget, as fight scenes can be expensive with all the broken glass and so forth.
Jessica looks bored throughout, with "inner turmoil" that is so obvious and resolved so banally that you can understand her wooden acting. There's an old boyfriend who needs to take some acting lessons, Geena Davis around to pick up the rent money, and John Malkovich getting to wear some waders, which he should be doing full-time at this point (and he's done a lot of great stuff, just not this).
People shoot with unerring accuracy when it suits the plot, and miss at short range when there needs to be a "showdown." "Professional assassins" blunder in like drunken sailors who approach their victims so clumsily - "Hey, let's chase our victim down by walking noisily behind her when we could just as easily have taken them by surprise somewhere" - yeah.
This is a weak effort. Another mountain behind trees with swirling clouds for plenty of blues and whites and reds. But, in its defense, it's a different paint-by-numbers, not the same as you did last time. So, it has that going for it. And, if you like that sort of thing for a lazy Saturday afternoon - and I use the word lazy advisedly, because that perfectly encapsulates this production in a word - then this is for you.
By which I mean everyone else apparently dislikes this TV movie but I kind of like it. It is perhaps the last (I can't think of a later one) of the 1960s "spy" genre movie - you know, featuring some super smooth and slick Sean Connery/Dean Martin/Robert Wagner/Robert Vaughn/James Coburn type who knows everything and can do anything while working for some all-so-secret-and-powerful yet unnamed super spy agency, surrounded by women flaunting their charms and throwing themselves at him - of a kind that only outlasted the era in the increasingly campy James Bond films. Darren McGavin is a hoot, trying so hard to play it straight but once in a while uncorking his Kolchak-style sarcastic-style wit and cynicism, which is dreadfully against character but still fun to see. Why do I like this overly complex, out of date already spy sturm und drang? First, it's one of the few TV movies of the period shot on location and we get great scenes of Berlin. Second, McGavin is awesome even though his characterization wobbles all over the place as he seems to delight in making faces the more absurd the situation gets. Third, the female co-stars are fabulous, including his criminally underused wife, Kathie Browne. Fourth, the script is kind of clever even if indecipherable at times. (Bad guy: "Remember me, I work for XYZ?" McGavin: "Ah, XYZ." Bad guy: "Yes, XYZ" McGavin: "AG!" Okay, you have to be following the plot to understand why that's amusing, and incidentally, "AG" is just German for "Inc.," so this is kind of German in-joke inside a Hollywood production, which you just don't see too often. Okay, anyway....) The female characters are the only ones allowed to show emotion in this kind of flick, and they do a good job. It's just moody and episodic, with loose cannon McGavin struggling mightily to keep a straight face carrying it. Okay, go ahead, hate me for being the oddball who likes this, but I do. I think it's worth catching if you're just in the mood for something moody.
I had never seen this before until the holiday season in 2022, finding it was awesome. I did catch FKB a bit in reruns a few decades ago as a kid, it seemed nice and wholesome if a bit dated and quaint in b&w and with the stylized suburban middle class setting. So, I wouldn't call myself a huge FKB fan, but certainly was familiar with it. I've come to appreciate the simple, straightforward FKB formula more over time despite not generally being a big fan of '50s shows like this (I've never seen much Leave It To Beaver or Lassie, for instance). Maybe that's why I sought this out.
Let me address a common criticism I see about FKB from time to time, including at times from a cast member or two. No, FKB doesn't represent reality. Yes, it is formulaic and idealized and can give people "the wrong lessons" about life's issues and trials and tribulations. Is FKB a primer on the normal family with all the slings and arrows of misfortune coming at it? Absolutely not.
But a cop show with weekly drug busts and killings, a court show with weekly dramatic trials, a sci fi show with starships, an island with castaways on a three-hour tour, a sitcom with jokes every minute or two - those aren't reality, either. Robert Young, in a 1984 interview, put it perfectly - these shows aren't supposed to reflect real life. Weekly TV shows don't work that way and would be impossible to sustain as a series without an agreed-upon formula that is supposed to reflect only one part of the human experience. If you are looking for real life, go watch the news. FKB is not meant to be educational, and if you're trying to figure life out from any TV show, good luck with that. FKB was intended, and works for people who are looking for what it can offer, as simple entertainment for those looking for an escape from life's tribulations. It is not supposed to remind viewers of the dark sides of life and seems pretty obvious and open about that.
Let me just say... anyone can be critical of any show or not like something about it. However, this holiday special some reason just hit the spot for a sentimental journey, wanting a little update of "old friends" from the past, and reminisce a little during the holidays. If that doesn't describe you - this one likely won't be right for you. It leans heavily on past associations with the cast and characters. There won't be any more FKB with the original cast, and the fact everyone was still in their prime and not slowed down by age or anything else 17 years after the show ended was a real stroke of luck for viewers interested in a reunion.
My only complaint about this reunion - come on, I have to critique it for something - is that Elinor Donahue (the then-current, 1977 version) doesn't show up until the last 20 minutes. That is a real shame, as she was the one I was most interested in. I suppose Donahue had become a relatively big TV star by then and her husband was a big deal in the industry, so she could have overshadowed some of the others who were more known just for the show. She was pretty busy around then, too.
It was nice how they brought in the familiar characters one by one and gave each of them their own moment, and thankfully the "new characters" - the kids' wife/husband etc. - are kept mercifully low-key. We're not here for them, the point of a show like this is to catch up with the regulars, and in this sense, the show delivers in spades.
The way they tied everything in with the original series was great, such as with Betty's bf, if a bit forced at times. I'm not a big fan of the Andersons "hitting the road" at the end, but hey, it's all good. Those are my critiques, not much, but overall it is perfect - if you are familiar with the original show and like it to some degree. I think they pull this off better than a lot of other such reunion shows that tend to inject forced drama to "be relevant to today." This is perfectly relevant as an update and shows one way a 1950s middle class family could have evolved into the 1970s in a natural sort of way with only relatively minor family issues.
Jane Wyatt is just outstanding, such a rock of stability and power and still at the top of her game despite being semi-retired (by choice, she could have worked whenever she wanted to) by this point. She enunciates perfectly and makes sure everyone in the cheap seats can hear every syllable like the real acting pro she was and never once betrays a false emotion or sense of uncertainty about what she is conveying.
Robert Young, fresh off his huge hit "Marcus Welby," is so folksy and low-key in a good way that he doesn't even seem to be acting. If anything, his skills had only improved since the original show, perhaps due to the "Welby" series honing his craft. He keeps things from getting too melodramatic and serious, not an easy thing to do in this context. At times - such as pointedly doing his "I'm home" yell - he obviously is fully aware of and purposefully playing to the fans by hitting the old familiar notes without making it look like an imposition or forced or something, as you sometimes see in these kinds of reunion shows (and as hilariously sent-up by Alan Rickman in "Galaxy Quest").
As for the Anderson "kids" (all in mid-life by now), Donahue is so vivid when she finally shows up that she takes over. We even get one of her classic over-the-top emotional outbursts (see the Star Trek "Metamorphosis" episode for the best example). This is perfect if you're in the right mood (and perhaps a bit much if you're not, but it is what it is).
The others also are good, Billy Gray thankfully doesn't overdo the schmaltz when the script just tees it up for him to overplay his "situation," while Lauren Chapin seems to have mellowed and just seems normal - no longer the sometimes annoying character she was in the show. I'd say her "Kitten" character is the one that has changed the most, and in a good way. Overall, Robert Young is the one that holds everything together, the glue that makes this work, despite his making it all seem so natural and normal that you barely notice he's the hub of the wheel. Young deserves a lot of credit for pulling this off and making it work, the one indispensable character and a brilliant acting job. Should have gotten another Emmy for this to add to his statues, but they tend not to reward actors for reprising old roles like this no matter how well they do them.
I'll try to put this on at Christmastime from now on, I just wish there was a good, clean, sharp DVD copy available, as the old VHS copies available online are terrible. Highly recommended if you are familiar with the show and curious about how things turned out for the characters. Others can take a pass and find some other show that will pull at their own heartstrings. Certainly worth watching for me.
Let me address a common criticism I see about FKB from time to time, including at times from a cast member or two. No, FKB doesn't represent reality. Yes, it is formulaic and idealized and can give people "the wrong lessons" about life's issues and trials and tribulations. Is FKB a primer on the normal family with all the slings and arrows of misfortune coming at it? Absolutely not.
But a cop show with weekly drug busts and killings, a court show with weekly dramatic trials, a sci fi show with starships, an island with castaways on a three-hour tour, a sitcom with jokes every minute or two - those aren't reality, either. Robert Young, in a 1984 interview, put it perfectly - these shows aren't supposed to reflect real life. Weekly TV shows don't work that way and would be impossible to sustain as a series without an agreed-upon formula that is supposed to reflect only one part of the human experience. If you are looking for real life, go watch the news. FKB is not meant to be educational, and if you're trying to figure life out from any TV show, good luck with that. FKB was intended, and works for people who are looking for what it can offer, as simple entertainment for those looking for an escape from life's tribulations. It is not supposed to remind viewers of the dark sides of life and seems pretty obvious and open about that.
Let me just say... anyone can be critical of any show or not like something about it. However, this holiday special some reason just hit the spot for a sentimental journey, wanting a little update of "old friends" from the past, and reminisce a little during the holidays. If that doesn't describe you - this one likely won't be right for you. It leans heavily on past associations with the cast and characters. There won't be any more FKB with the original cast, and the fact everyone was still in their prime and not slowed down by age or anything else 17 years after the show ended was a real stroke of luck for viewers interested in a reunion.
My only complaint about this reunion - come on, I have to critique it for something - is that Elinor Donahue (the then-current, 1977 version) doesn't show up until the last 20 minutes. That is a real shame, as she was the one I was most interested in. I suppose Donahue had become a relatively big TV star by then and her husband was a big deal in the industry, so she could have overshadowed some of the others who were more known just for the show. She was pretty busy around then, too.
It was nice how they brought in the familiar characters one by one and gave each of them their own moment, and thankfully the "new characters" - the kids' wife/husband etc. - are kept mercifully low-key. We're not here for them, the point of a show like this is to catch up with the regulars, and in this sense, the show delivers in spades.
The way they tied everything in with the original series was great, such as with Betty's bf, if a bit forced at times. I'm not a big fan of the Andersons "hitting the road" at the end, but hey, it's all good. Those are my critiques, not much, but overall it is perfect - if you are familiar with the original show and like it to some degree. I think they pull this off better than a lot of other such reunion shows that tend to inject forced drama to "be relevant to today." This is perfectly relevant as an update and shows one way a 1950s middle class family could have evolved into the 1970s in a natural sort of way with only relatively minor family issues.
Jane Wyatt is just outstanding, such a rock of stability and power and still at the top of her game despite being semi-retired (by choice, she could have worked whenever she wanted to) by this point. She enunciates perfectly and makes sure everyone in the cheap seats can hear every syllable like the real acting pro she was and never once betrays a false emotion or sense of uncertainty about what she is conveying.
Robert Young, fresh off his huge hit "Marcus Welby," is so folksy and low-key in a good way that he doesn't even seem to be acting. If anything, his skills had only improved since the original show, perhaps due to the "Welby" series honing his craft. He keeps things from getting too melodramatic and serious, not an easy thing to do in this context. At times - such as pointedly doing his "I'm home" yell - he obviously is fully aware of and purposefully playing to the fans by hitting the old familiar notes without making it look like an imposition or forced or something, as you sometimes see in these kinds of reunion shows (and as hilariously sent-up by Alan Rickman in "Galaxy Quest").
As for the Anderson "kids" (all in mid-life by now), Donahue is so vivid when she finally shows up that she takes over. We even get one of her classic over-the-top emotional outbursts (see the Star Trek "Metamorphosis" episode for the best example). This is perfect if you're in the right mood (and perhaps a bit much if you're not, but it is what it is).
The others also are good, Billy Gray thankfully doesn't overdo the schmaltz when the script just tees it up for him to overplay his "situation," while Lauren Chapin seems to have mellowed and just seems normal - no longer the sometimes annoying character she was in the show. I'd say her "Kitten" character is the one that has changed the most, and in a good way. Overall, Robert Young is the one that holds everything together, the glue that makes this work, despite his making it all seem so natural and normal that you barely notice he's the hub of the wheel. Young deserves a lot of credit for pulling this off and making it work, the one indispensable character and a brilliant acting job. Should have gotten another Emmy for this to add to his statues, but they tend not to reward actors for reprising old roles like this no matter how well they do them.
I'll try to put this on at Christmastime from now on, I just wish there was a good, clean, sharp DVD copy available, as the old VHS copies available online are terrible. Highly recommended if you are familiar with the show and curious about how things turned out for the characters. Others can take a pass and find some other show that will pull at their own heartstrings. Certainly worth watching for me.