Considering the election is sorta, kinda over, it’s time to get back to our regularly scheduled programming: binging all the things! I must admit, I spent most of my time in October reliving my days as a Twihard, but I did have time to watch some other content. Here’s some of the movies and TV shows I watched in October 2020:
- The West Wing
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On the surface, this show may seem like a poor choice for escapism, but I can confirm that this show did absolutely nothing to raise my election anxiety. In fact, it gave me hope for our country’s future and pride in being an American. “The West Wing” follows President Bartlett’s staff (played brilliantly by Martin Sheen) and their day to day struggles to protect the president and uphold democracy. The show has an amazing ensemble cast, including Allison Janney as Press Secretary C.J. Cregg and Rob Lowe as Deputy Director of Communications Sam Seaborn, and creates a set of characters worth following and loving. Given the circumstances, the show is political, but not in a preachy way. Instead, showrunner Aaron Sorkin decides to dive into both sides of political issues and explore how they affect the characters rather than tell its viewers what to think. Still, I did find some bias in the writing, especially how the opposing Republicans are portrayed on the show, but it seemed to get cleaned up towards the end of the show’s run. Ironically when I was watching, many of the political events in our more recent times seemed to align with numerous episodes of “The West Wing,” thus solidifying my stance that this show is pure genius. With strong writing, characters, acting, and central theme, “The West Wing” is a must-watch no matter how you feel about politics.
Rating: A
- Emily in Paris
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Coming fresh off the drama of “The West Wing,” I needed something fun and light, so I decided to take a chance on my comfort television show creator’s, Mr. Darren Star (the man behind “Younger” and “Sex and the City”), latest project. “Emily in Paris” follows twenty-something Emily (Lily Collins), a marketing advisor, as she makes a big move to Paris. Like most Star productions, the show is bright and fun, but it lacks a lovable or witty female lead. Emily is straight-up dumb. Who moves to Paris without knowing the language? Who would be so arrogant and think her lifestyle is the best? Who would supposedly be such an adult, yet be so dumb? The answer to all these questions is Emily. She is so naive, but it in no way makes her adorable or likable. It’s irritating, and she comes off like a basic influencer, proving my point that internet influencers can be the worst. I found myself still really enjoying the show and other members of the cast, namely Ashley Park. The show has been advertised as a limited series but ends on a cliffhanger. Despite its annoying main character, I am wishing for a second season. This must be a case of a show being “quarantine good.”
Rating: B-
- Sweet Magnolias
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Once again, I needed a break from some serious drama, both in the real and fictional world, so I decided to head down south and hang with a new girl gang. “Sweet Magnolias” focuses on three lifelong friends, Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen, as they struggle with divorce, children, and their careers, set against the backdrop of a small South Carolina town. I would sum up the show as a cross between “Gilmore Girls” and your basic Hallmark movie. There aren’t any spectacular performances, but its plot lines and characters pull at your heartstrings. My one major issue with the show was that the episodes were a little too long for its storyline. I could’ve withstood a nice 40 minutes rather than an hour per episode. Again, it’s not the best thing I’ve ever watched, but it was still enjoyable to watch.
Rating: B
- Ghost
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Here is a classic romance drama for spooky season. After a colleague murders NYC banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze), he finds himself still roaming the earth as a ghost. Realizing his unfinished business is to protect his love, Molly (Demi Moore), Sam must rely on his new ghost powers and the help of psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to protect Molly. Honestly, this movie took me by surprise with how well-done, funny, and heartfelt it is. For years, I thought this movie was an utter cheeseball thanks to how much everyone made fun of that pottery scene, but gosh, I was tearing up by the end of it! Swayze perfectly executes Sam’s passionate love for Molly and every other emotion that comes with becoming a ghost. Moore has terrific chemistry with Swayze and does a great job of straying away from the tough girl role we are used to seeing her in. “Ghost” is the movie that won Goldberg her Oscar, and I can see why. Goldberg holds up the humor in this movie but manages to keep it well-placed in the storyline. Her performance is not over the top but has a lot of heart behind it. Overall, please watch “Ghost!” It has so much more than just that cheesy pottery scene!
Rating: B+
- Footloose (1984)
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Back in the day, girls my age were obsessed with the remake starring Julianne Hough, and I admit, I didn’t think the movie was that bad. But, after watching the original, man, was that remake uninspired. Starring Kevin Bacon in one of his first roles, Bacon is Ren, a city-slicker who moves in with his relatives to a small country town that forbids dancing. Both the 2011 and 1984 version has the same goal: appeal to today’s youth by using modern-day songs and dance styles. But, as the saying goes, the original is better. Bacon’s Ren is much more believable, and the story moves along a lot quicker. I actually didn’t find this version to be cheesy at all. It’s an excellent snapshot of the youth movement in the 1980s that even young adults today can relate to. But, I have seen better movies…..
Rating: C+