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2009 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight: The Good Guy

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:30:46 -0700

I've been perusing the long list of interesting-looking movies scheduled for this year's Tribeca Film Festival, which starts this week. Some of them, like The Good Guy, are just starting to pick up buzz, and I'm anxious to find out what festivalgoers think once they've screened.

Gilmore Girl Alexis Bledel finds herself in a love triangle of sorts in a film by director Julio DePietro. The movie centers on a young Wall Street hotshot named Tommy Fielding (Scott Porter). The movie's description is intriguing:

[Tommy's] a rising star at his financial firm, and his budding romance with Beth (Alexis Bledel) could be the one. Then Tommy decides to take the new guy, Daniel (Bryan Greenberg), under his wing. Daniel - a quiet, stay-at-home, Banana Republic-wearing sort of guy - isn't exactly what you would call "Wall Street material," but Tommy sets out to teach him the ways of money and seduction. But as they each continue along their upward trajectories, their high-flying business lives complicate their personal lives, and money can't always fix everything.

Sounds timely and thought-provoking. Oh, Andrew McCarthy and Anna Chlumsky (My Girl!) appear in this as well. The movie will premiere at Tribeca on April 26 and I can't wait to hear what people have to say about it.

No trailer yet, but you can check out some photos from the movie if you read more.

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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 8, "New York, New York"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:30:00 -0700

This week's Friday Night Lights is a weeper for sure, as Jason sets off for the big city to try to start a new life as a sports agent and father. Meanwhile, Julie gets a shot at playing sports agent herself when she lobbies Coach on Matt's behalf, and Tyra reaches a critical point in her ongoing college vs. Cash debate. Ready to chat about it? Just read more.

What I loved about Jason's story in this episode - well, OK, I loved everything about it. But what I really loved is how deftly the writers balance reality (making it in New York isn't easy) with FNL-world fantasy (Jason still finds a way in). I was actually glad that Jason's first meeting in Grant's office doesn't go well; to just show up and expect to have a job is more than a little presumptuous. But Jason also has some things that Grant wants - tenacity and a natural ability as a salesman. Those are in full effect this week, as Jason first convinces Wendell to come back to Grant's office with his trademark mix of honesty and flattery, then convinces Grant to take a chance on him, then finally tells Erin that he wants to be with her and Noah. That scene just made me teary, as Jason tells Erin that "I'm never going to let this baby down, ever." Aw, Street. You're gonna make it in the big city after all.

Jason may be the star of this episode, but Riggins is a solid no. 2. I love that by this point, nobody even makes a fuss over his disappearance - a few days in New York is probably nothing compared to an indeterminate amount of time in Mexico. And he's the perfect foil for Jason: He asks some guy on the street where he got his suit and then finds Jason some off-the-rack, two-for-one deal; he gives Jason a little "Texas forever" pep talk before he talks to Erin; he gets them tickets to Gypsy! (If there's one thing this episode lacks, it's a shot of Street and Riggins at Gypsy.) Riggins is good on his own, but he's always been best with Jason.

Meanwhile, Julie becomes quite the little sports agent herself, inviting Matt over for dinner and then asking why Matt isn't getting a shot at wide receiver. (And I love Coach trying to say they don't talk about football at dinner. They always talk about football!) Everything about Matt's impromptu tryout is perfect: Matt gets in another dig at Coach for benching him; Coach can't help but notice that Matt's actually holding up his end of the deal; and then when Matt finally misses a pass, Coach takes the blame himself (and then asks Tami for some aspirin).

Some other thoughts:

Oh Tyra, no! First she takes a call from Cash right before her college interview in which he basically tells her he won't stay faithful on the road. Then, she botches the interview - which we don't see, exactly, but it's pretty clear from Tami's lukewarm reaction. And then she calls up Cash and tells him that she's going with him, school be damned.
The episode's other two subplots basically draw on one idea: The McCoys are infringing on the Taylors' life. First JD's private coach now has a job with the Panthers while Mac recuperates; then Katie gets Tami all set on buying a new, fancy house. Coach is navigating those situations well for now, but it can't be easy.
Other than Riggins quoting the Gypsy review, my favorite line of the episode is Coach responding to Tami's gushing about the house's big backyard where he and Julie could play catch: "Is that our Julie, or is there gonna be another Julie?"
A close runnerup is Riggins when Street's rehearsing his speech to Erin: "Jason, I'm pregnant."

Is that the way you hoped to see Street leave Texas? Are you glad to see Matt finding his way off the bench? And who wants to talk some sense into Tyra?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode Seven, "Keeping Up Appearances"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:32:00 -0800

On this week's Friday Night Lights, Landry starts to fear that he repels all of womankind, Tami and Coach fight over how to deal with a player whose parents didn't know he was a Panther, and Jason and Herc get into a no-holds-barred fight at their open house that just shows me you don't ever want to mess with a quad rugby player. Put on some Flaming Lips tunes and chat about this episode with me - just read more.

This was one of the episodes I saw earlier this season during the DirecTV run, and it was my least-favorite of the batch. In a season with only 13 episodes to tell a story, "Keeping Up Appearances" sure focuses a lot on characters we've either never seen before or may never see again. That said: Poor Landry. Devin really gets him; she's sweet and awkward and not afraid to embarrass herself singing a Flaming Lips song at the top of her lungs. And when he kisses her in the car, yeah, she kisses back - but then she confesses that she likes girls (and - ouch - kissing Landry was the thing that made her sure of her sexuality). Don't you just want to hug him when he tells Tami he's afraid he's repelling women? Tami's response is fantastic: She tells him that, unlike so many of the people she sees every day, Landry's life is just beginning.

Tami has a few good moments in this episode, actually, another coming when she convinces JaMarcus's parents to let him stay on the Panthers long enough for them see him play. Coach can't help but get confrontational with them (granted, he was dealing with people who were saying his life's work was just a silly game), but Tami takes the right tone, praising Coach and the work he does to make his players be men. Love Coach holding the door for Tami on their way out, a little "thank you for saving my butt" gesture. The JaMarcus story doesn't work for me overall, though, especially because I don't think we've ever seen this kid before. It reminded me more than anything of the Bobby Reyes episode from season one, ultimately just a blip on the radar. I have the same problem with the Garrity kids' story, mostly because I'd nearly forgotten the Garrity kids existed. Sure, it's nice to see Panther football help bring them together, and there's a touching moment with Lyla and Buddy in the car, but it's much more simplistic than what I expect from FNL.

On the other hand, I buy into the Street story completely - even though it also has a few moments of easy resolution. His fight with Herc comes from a very raw place: Of course he wants the money for his family. But more interesting is the hint that Jason might have some hope as a sports agent down the line. Time and again, we've seen him be a great salesman - and putting together the Riggins highlight reel is proof that he might be great at promoting athletes. It's the first time we've seen Jason have anything to hold onto since quad rugby, and it's a relief to see him believing in his future again.

A couple of other thoughts:

Joe McCoy is turning into such a villain. Really, he couldn't find it in himself to ride home from the game with his son - who still won the game? Jerk.
Could anything be more offensive to Buddy than having his son like soccer?
I was surprised to hear Street flat-out tell Billy that Riggins isn't college material. I mean, he's your best friend!

Anyone else less than in love with this episode - or think I'm crazy? Do you think Street has a future as a sports agent? And is Joe McCoy evil, or is he trying to do right by his son?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode Five, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:30:48 -0800

On this week's Friday Night Lights, Jason Street returns! He has a son now - even by TV standards, one of the cutest babies I've ever seen - and he's struggling to find ways to support his new little family. Meanwhile, Julie pushes Tami one step too far and Matt gets some bad news about his future with the Panthers. Ready to chat about it? Just read more.

Oh, it's so good to see Jason Street again. It's odd to see him not as an athlete but just as a guy struggling to provide for his child. He clearly wants more of a relationship with Erin, but this life isn't working out for her: She wants to take Noah and go live with her parents on the East Coast. But Jason is determined to change her mind. Armed with a little copper wire cash, he and the Riggins brothers and Herc go in together to buy Buddy Garrity's house. Naturally, that doesn't thrill Buddy, who already has Riggins taking his daughter from him and certainly doesn't want that kid snatching away his house, too. But in the end, Jason does what Jason now does best: He sells it. He tells Buddy that he's not giving the house to the Riggins brothers; he's giving it to the kid who used to throw perfect spirals for the Dillon Panthers. And that's enough. Not for Erin yet, but there's time.

Back on the field, the Panthers attempt the quarterback compromise, and it's nearly a disaster: The team wins, but barely, and while it's technically Matt who goes in for the winning score, JD sets it up and gets all the glory. So Matt's benched - and in the worst possible moment, when Coach has to both meet Matt's mom and get lauded by Grandma. He's angry at first (and it's so weird to see docile Matt throwing helmets around in the locker room), and he wants to quit, but he and Coach both know that will never happen. Instead, he tells Coach he'll stay on the team - but he'll hate it every minute.

Meanwhile, Julie gets a tattoo! A teeny one ("you're acting as if I have like giant dancing Popeye on my bicep") but a tattoo nonetheless, something that - as Tami points out in a melodramatic mom kind of way - will forever be on her body. They call a Taylor family meeting to talk about it - where Tami asks to know Julie's reasoning while Coach just barks, "What the hell were you thinking?" - and Julie doesn't help her case by saying it doesn't mean anything, because that's the fast track to getting the thing removed. I loved the moment when Tami points out that until Julie's 18, that ankle belongs to Tami. But that blowup turns into something touching, when Tami tells Julie she nearly dropped out of high school. Eric saved her, and they've gotten through their trials together, but Tami worries that a tattoo is the first sign Julie's going down that road. There's a continuity issue there - I would think that Julie ending up in jail would have been the real first sign - but it's a sweet moment nonetheless.

Some other thoughts:

Tyra's being naive about Cash, right? I feel like he's just playing the "sensitive cowboy" card, taking her to see the baby horse and promising he's not some wild man.
You know why I missed Herc? Because of lines like "You don't have to hide porn from a baby."
I hope I never see Tim's creeptastic ferret guy roommate again. Also, doesn't surprise me at all that Herc "knows a guy" for the wire.
Was that picture on Tami's desk really young Aimee Teegarden?

Will Matt ever truly let his mom in? Is the house-flipping plan a disaster in the making? And how do you think JD will handle being in charge of the Panthers?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Link Time! 9/2

BuzzSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:38:23 -0700

Five reasons why Scott Porter should play Ryan on Brothers and Sisters. - The Ausiello Files
Dr. Horrible lives on with comics and a soundtrack. - Give Me My Remote
Have your pop culture tastes ever mortified you on public transportation? - Popwatch
New Neko Case songs? Why yes, my day has been made. - Stereogum
What other Chuck Palahniuk novels are headed for big-screen adaptations? - Cinematical
Wentworth Miller talks about Prison Break's latest reinvention. - The TV Addict
Republican National Convention viewing alternative: TCM's political movie night. - TV Squad
Hey, why weren't Brian Austin Green and Luke Perry talking in the New York Times oral history of 90210? - Vulture

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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 13, "Humble Pie"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:37:54 -0800

"Humble Pie" is an interesting title for this week's Friday Night Lights, because nobody ended up acting all that humble. Sure, Smash tried, but the kid can never swallow his pride for very long. In the end, it was more about watching the characters channel their anger into various things - some good (Tyra, Jason), and some not so good (Smash, naturally). For more on the episode, just read more.

The fallout from Smash's movie theater brouhaha is interesting, if not entirely unexpected. Stories of a black kid punching a white kid in a movie theater were sure to get out, and having the kid press charges added the dimension of media coverage. Smash did, at first, really try to eat his "humble pie" with his televised apology, but when he realized how his sister had been dragged into his mess, he couldn't stay quiet. Maybe he could have figured out a way to deal with that muckraking reporter better, but in the moment, he said the worst thing he possibly could have: that the kid didn't deserve his apology. Smash seemed concerned that his three-game suspension means the team won't get back to State, but haven't we seen them lose a lot this season? Can they even make the playoffs?

Meanwhile, Jason Street has been found, recruited by Buddy Garrity to sell cars. I like the way that Buddy, having lost control of his actual family, seems to be adopting "sons" left and right. It was nice to see Jason be good at something again, and good to see his confidence shaken without him giving up. He had to deal with being the new guy, and with being in a wheelchair - which everyone thought would get him sympathy sales - and with getting rejected by a customer who didn't want to buy, but he got through it. Even when he's barely on the show, it's hard not to root for him.

One of my favorite moments of the episode was Tami's flash of realization when Tyra reached up to put the chips away - she's tall! she can play volleyball! - and Tyra (a master of manipulation herself) understanding right away that Tami just wanted her to be a spiker. I'm not sure I buy that one halfway-good player could turn the entire volleyball team around, but hey, it's Dillon. I do like it when Tyra channels her anger productively, and slamming a volleyball at Riggins' head is definitely productive.

Some other thoughts:

Speaking of Riggins, I'm not sure I buy how his story wrapped up this week - even though I'm hopeful it means there will never be a ferret owner's gun pointed at his pretty little head again. How does Lyla have $3,000?

Lyla, by the way, may not love Riggins the way he loves her, but I do think she has feelings for him of one kind or another. And Chris is so, so vanilla - mini-golf and ice cream, seriously?
It was good to see Landry back to being Landry with Jean in the picture ("cool hair, huh?"), and I squealed at the mention of Crucifictorious. The last thing this show needs is another character, but Jean could become an interesting foil to Tyra.
I know Smash is a star while Landry is barely second-string, but all the media attention around Smash's fairly minor altercation made me wonder again why there was never any fuss about a Dillon Panther possibly killing a dude.

Your thoughts? What will Riggins try next to win Lyla over? How excited are you to finally see Matt Saracen again? And how much more trouble can Smash get into?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 6, "How Did I Get Here?"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:30:00 -0800

This week's episode of Friday Night Lights was a particularly intricate one, with stories weaving in and out of each other throughout the hour. For the second week in a row, I think the show was up to the high standard of season one - and yes, that even includes the murder story. It's still not the road I would have taken for the show, but this week's episode brought some intriguing fallout. It also brought Tami's sister, a new Dillon cheerleader, and a militant soccer coach into the mix, so to see how they fit into the FNL universe, just read more

I'll start with the one part of the episode that really stands alone: The murder/cover-up plot. I'm still troubled that the story seems distant from the rest of the show, but at the same time, I'm finding myself riveted by it. Landry and his father fascinate me, and not just because they look eerily like actual father and son. The writers have set them up as two completely different people, aliens trying to understand each other's lives. But when Landry is in trouble, his father will do whatever it takes to bail him out, even if that puts his future as a cop in jeopardy. And boy, will that car fire put his future as a cop in jeopardy. How could it not be traced back to him? If that car is found, it will still have its license plates and identification numbers, no?

Tami, meanwhile, is back at work, and that's bringing a lot of changes - the arrival of her sister, for one. Shelly is like Tami if she'd chosen differently at every step, and despite how much Tami loves her family, there's a part of her that wishes she had Shelly's freedom. It's so wonderful to see Tami interacting with anyone these days (I've even come to savor the Glenn scenes), and I think Shelly's stay is going to be a fun arc.

Both Jason and Riggins took big steps in this episode - Riggins toward football, Jason away from it. How odd was it, by the way, that nobody seemed terribly concerned that the two had skipped the country? Coach cared, I suppose, insofar as he kicked Riggins off the team; do you think he'll be gone for long? I love every episode of this show where the guys end up messing around on the football field, and this one was no exception; it's sweet to see Riggins trying to help Lyla's ex-con, but it's even sweeter to see the guys playing ball like the kids they are. Jason, meanwhile, is doing some serious growing up, turning 19 and moving beyond the football career he wishes he had. Watching football highlights at his party was just painful. I'm a little surprised he's ditching the Panthers altogether, but he does seem committed to changing.

Some other thoughts:

Interesting resolution to Coach's skimpy salary: He's now the athletic director. I loved his clenched-teeth "I am going to kill Buddy" after his first encounter with Bobbi Roberts.
Raise your hand if you're relieved Matt was making out with not-the-nurse! *raises hand*
The Green is Universal-mandated lines in this episode were hilarious. "Oh, it's an environmentally friendly bag!"
Riggins and his brother playing with Tami's breast pump? Priceless!
It's so quaint and wonderful that people solve problems on this show by having dinner.
Either there's a major airport a lot closer to Dillon than I realized, or the jumbo jet in the last scene is about to crash.

Still hating the murder plot, or grudgingly accepting it? Debating what will happen when Riggins moves in with Tyra? Wondering if Smash will ever get a real plotline? Sound off below.

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Friday Night Lights Rundown: Episode 4, "Backfire"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:25:52 -0700

It seems like everyone's talking about how Friday Night Lights just isn't as good this season, with the murder plot and the Mexico trip and Coach being away. I've had my complaints, too. But I loved the latest episode (with one exception - but I'll get to that in a minute). And the amazing thing was, the story that I liked the most was the one I was prepared to truly hate. To see what I'm talking about, just read more

The story of Riggins and Street in Mexico went from hopeful to hilarious to completely heartbreaking in about five minutes flat. Jason really, deeply believes this risky surgery will make him walk. And Riggins, who just wanted to get some drinks and chicks, is realizing he needs to be the responsible one. Jason's joyful, delusional karaoke revealed his desperation, and Riggins is wise enough - who would have thought? - to know his friend is in trouble.

The other major development this week was the return of Coach Taylor. I don't think the path the writers took was the most interesting option - what if Buddy's plot hadn't worked? - but all in all, it's good to have Coach back. I'm surprised we didn't see more town reaction to the decision (this is a man they were calling Judas not long ago), and I'm wondering if the team will be happy or resentful. But what really shocked me - and this was my major problem with the episode - was that we never saw Coach and Tami talk about the decision. Moments between the two of them are the heart of this show, and that was a huge one to just gloss over.

Oh, and the body's out of the river - but that doesn't seem to spell the end of that story. Interesting detail that the man was wanted for rape in other states; that made it all the more frustrating that Landry and Tyra didn't just call the police in the first place. I admit, I'm loving the way Tyra is driving the cover-up. She comes from a very different place than Landry; I mean, she drove her mom's boyfriend away with a fire poker. How different must her experience with law enforcement be than Landry's, who grew up with a cop for a father?

Some other thoughts:

Julie did a 180 on the subject of the Swede in this episode - and while Tami's speech had a lot to do with it, I think it was more that the Swede completely forgot Julie was coming over. He's the center of her universe; she now knows she barely factors into his.
I'm of two minds on Lyla and the ex-con. On the one hand, I'm worried they're leading her into an annoying and ultimately doomed relationship. On the other hand, I think this story shows how new Lyla's faith still is. She was only baptized a few weeks ago; she hasn't had to answer the hard questions yet.
The scenes of Julie and her parents driving struck me as so real. Who didn't have a huge fight with their parents while also trying to steer a car on the freeway for the first time? It was like driver's ed all over again.

I do wish the show would rein in some of these subplots and get back to the little moments of small-town life that made it such a standout a year ago. (I mean, I can't un-see that promo with Jason falling over the side of the boat.) How are you feeling about the state of FNL?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:07:35 -0700

Lots of news has been coming out recently about the live action movie based on the car-driving cartoon "Speed Racer" (which has its own website!), and most recently we have: a photo of the Speed Racer car, a plot description and casting news of particular interest to fans of "Friday Night Lights."

The Photo:

The Plot:
According to the Warner Bros. press release, the "high octane family adventure" story goes like this:

Speed Racer (Emilie Hirsch) is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed's thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he...uncovers a terrible secret-some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits.

The only way for Speed to save his family's business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival - the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) - to win the race that had taken his brother's life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.

To find out who's been cast from the "Friday Night Lights" group, read more

A "Friday Night Lights" Connection:
Scott Porter (Jason Street on the show), is set to play Rex, Speed Racer's older brother.

So, it's a movie about Speed Racer with a cast that includes Porter, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci and John Goodman? I'm so there.

"Friday Night Lights" Reruns Start Tonight!

BuzzSugar — Sun, 27 May 2007 15:47:56 -0700

So it's official: As I told you earlier this month, NBC is going to start airing reruns of "Friday Night Lights" tonight. That's the good news. The bad news is, NBC doesn't plan to air the full season, and the episodes that do air will be out of order.

That strikes me as yet another not-so-smart move on NBC's part (yes, I'm still mad about the show airing on Fridays in the fall), but I suppose I should be happy that new viewers have some way to see "FNL" on TV before the DVDs come out. The first repeat that's airing - "Homecoming" - is a weird episode to start with if you've never seen the show, but it's still one of the season's most powerful. (I just still can't believe they're not starting with the first episode; wouldn't that make sense? OK, rant over.)

If you can't bear to watch the series out of order, remember that NBC has all 22 episodes online. There's no release date yet for the first season DVD, but I'll keep you posted.

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