8
ENTERTAINME
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
THE BATTAL
COUCH
POTHTOES
“Cracking Up’
Monday 7:30 PM on Fox
Starring Molly Shannon and Jason
Schwartzman
Fox’s new sitcom, “Cracking Up” might as well have been called
“When Good Talent Goes Bad.” Created by the funny writer Mike
White (“School of Rock ” “The Good Girl”) and starring a trio of
usually amusing character actors, including Molly Shannon,
Christopher McDonald and Jason Schwartzman, “Cracking Up” is
derivative, stereotypical and just plain unfunny.
While most sitcoms aren’t known for intricate plots and complex
characters, “Cracking Up” dives into the deep end of bad TV. The
audience is quickly introduced to Ben (Schwartzman), a psycholo
gy student who is assigned to evaluate and work with the youngest
child of a Beverly Hills family who just happens to be a top donor
for his university. Ben moves into the family’s guest house and
quickly realizes his patient happens to be the sanest member of the
incredibly wacky family.
The writers behind “Cracking Up” must not have too much faith
in their audiences as they are quick to spell out every little joke and
milk each gag to death. Audiences know the family is crazy because
within the first episode, each family member is introduced in a neat
and orderly procession right along with their “quirks.” These quirks
help the audience peg each family member into an easy one-dimen
sional stereotype slot.
Audiences will know Molly Shannon’s character is the alcoholic
because Ben finds her trying to smash her way into the liquor cabi
net with yard tools. Audiences will know Christopher McDonald’s
father is the liar because when Ben confronts him about his infideli
ty, he denies it even when it becomes apparent he is guilty, switch
ing the subject to his expensive new SUV.
Nothing, however, compares to the atrocious writing and acting
involving the children actors. Ben’s young patient is played by 10-
year-old Bret Loehr. While it’s no surprise that young Loehr is not
the top actor on the show, he is easily the most unlikable. There is
nothing remotely appealing about this child actor. If this show has
any chance at a future, it would be a miracle. If Loehr has any
chance at future acting jobs, it’s a sign of the apocalypse.
It’s his two siblings, however, who take the award for stereotyp
ical acting that borders on the offensive. Jake Sandvig plays the
show’s token gay character. The oldest son, Sandvig’s character,
enjoys shaving his entire body and throwing flirtatious glances
toward Ben, making it obvious that he’s gay. And if the audience
still didn’t “get it,” Ben makes a mental note remarking upon his
repressed homosexuality. Caitlin Wachs plays the family’s Lolita, a
sexual tease meant to send both the visiting psychologist and male
audience members into titillation. While it’s nothing new for sit
coms to enlist the service of an attractive female lead and play up
her sexiness factor to add eye candy to a bland show, what makes
Wachs’ portrayal as the naive cheerleader so wrong is the fact that
the actress is not even 15 years old! Jailbait in every sense of the
word, Wachs’ role as the family’s daughter should be illegal.
Despite the presence of talented actors such as Shannon and
Schwartzman, time and again the show falls into the pattern of tra
ditional schlock and one-note characters. In every episode audiences
can expect the same thing: Jason Schwartzman feeling uncomfort
able, Molly Shannon getting drunk and acting wacky, Christopher
McDonald lying to his children or wife and the children trying too
hard to fill the sloppy roles written for them.
“Cracking Up” isn’t the worst show on TV today, but it is wast
ing valuable airtime that could be put to a much better use. The best
thing that can happen to “Cracking Up” and its audience is for the
show to quickly be snatched up and destroyed by the Fox executives
who are notorious for killing shows too soon.
iilil
- Robert Sauce Jo
Countdown to:
Northgate Music Festivl
Hometown:
Austin
Cavas
The quartet
fuses alterna
five riffs and
beats with a
mystical east
ern flavor and
edgy lyrics.
A
You’ll like them if you like:
Better to watch paint dry
M [HU J Si"] Lull Kee P on nippin 1
match during "Friends" commercials
The next "Sopranos" ???
HIH mil mil mu mu Tape It, study it, tell your friends!
Early nineties brit rock band Kula Shaker,
Cornershop, Godsmack or even Disturbed, 1
Catch them
When they perform at Shadow Canyon on
Thursday night in conjunction with the
Northgate music festival. The band hitstlie
stage at 11 p.m.
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