|
From Monsters and Critics.com Smallscreen Reviews The “Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman” is the excellent IFC original series back for its second season featuring “Angel of compromise” Laura Kightlinger as Jackie Woodman, a transplanted southerner to Los Angeles writer on the edge of everything, almost. Show creator, star and writer Kightlinger along with writer David Punch chronicle the two 35 year-old women, Jackie Woodman and her best friend Tara Wentzel, whose bad judgment and self-loathing constantly undermine their path to success. In a modern female buddy comedy that takes a bit from “I Love Lucy” “Laverne and Shirley,” "Absolutely Fabulous" and “The Player,” the show twists absurdly as a modern LA gal tale of navigating the entertainment industry, skewering every ridiculous fad, social hierarchy, personality archetype and trend unique to Los Angeles. "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman" celebrates the ups and mostly downs of these two misstepping strivers. Jackie is on myriad of anti-depressants and other self-medicating concoctions, and working not so hard for that next big break. Her best friend Tara plays the “Ethel” to Jackie’s “Lucy” role beautifully. Two drinks and she’s anyone’s. Production assistant and cubicle prisoner Tara is low on the Night Sky production company totem pole, a harmless schemer who misfires personally and professionally at almost every turn. From her lesbian mullet haircut to score a new SUV in season opener “Dykes Like Us”, to the hilarious workplace scenes with skeevy Lars Ahlstrom, the classic odious Hollywood boss and her deeply flawed office mates who masochistically vie for Lars’ disdainful favor. Every thought that crosses Tara's mind is spoken, and her "inappropriate for work" wardrobe, combined with a lack of ethics and her willingness to try just about anything, shows off actress Nicholle Tom brilliantly in her sidekick role. Side characters "Crueller," played by Steven Pierce, and his female security guard cohort, played by Octavia Spencer, together spy on the "day late and dollar short" Tara and all the Night Sky employees. Their odd scenes kill, especially during the secret Night Sky “Fight Club” where Crueller goes to break up the down low action. His inner machismo and loathing is unleashed on the imperious Night Sky employees, and has him kicking the snot out of the shirtless male staff while turning on all the female voyeurs in the security booth. Mary Kay Place plays Jackie’s mother, a southern belle who has more action in the sack than her daughter Jackie, who always seems to prefer a stiff martini to a stiff man. Place directs an episode during the new season. Jackie’s day job at the Magazine with boss Skylar (Azura Skye) and Mitchell (Patrick Bristow), her bitter and self-absorbed coworkers, has Woodman on the go writing up endless content filler that hardly satisfies her. This changes when she is assigned to cover the city’s hot “Musts” retail experiences and exerts her opinionated flavor on the editorial, all quashed by her on-again, off-again cuckoo agent who gets an offer by a rich Brentwood shopkeeper’s husband to pay off Jackie for her silence, killing the critical story and her dreams of a "Woodman's L.A." column. “Jackie Woodman” features one oddball scenario after another - Jackie’s hunky neighbor below who moonlights as a serial murderer, conversations with squirrels, her thinly veiled attempts of manipulation with clannish Hollywood power lesbians for a career break, and in her office where sometimes she randomly huffs paint with her boss and co-worker for a quick high. The episode where love finds Jackie and Tara simultaneously is superb, as Jackie and Kip knock heads in their scripted “cute” meet, resulting in empty flasks clunking to the ground, in a tip of the hat to all cornball film romance. Their eyes lock, initiating the funniest booze and drug fueled whirlwind romance ever. “The gods of dope have rendered me useless,” says Jackie to Kip. He supplies her with some “fake awake,” recharging her efforts to finish her review of Yoshida, a Japanese filmmaker. Subsequent fallout of the binge orgy is a clever homage to Japanese Godzilla films as the inebriated Jackie and Kip terrorize L.A. “I wanted to do a short using live bugs,” says wasted Jackie to Kip when they return home, in their quest for squiffed-up creative bliss. The two actually stage an insect mise en scène. “Her charisma is undeniable.” says Kip as he manages the roach. “Just do the line princess, we haven’t got all day,” as Jackie hectors her uncooperative bug. Her lead Madagascar hissing actress “really delivers the goods.” Tides turn as Jackie confronts Kip with the “late” news. “I’m mentally ill and hooked on anti-depressants and you’re Ken Kesey,” says Jackie when they think they may be pregnant, aborting the Kip relationship. Meanwhile, Tara’s rich boyfriend Josh can’t get it together to keep from prematurely “arriving,” no matter what off-putting thing she does to prolong the pleasure, until they resort to emergency acupuncture and the lurking in the shadows, Dr. Kwan. “I’m glad, I’d rather be alone, [pause...beat] it doesn’t get any easier does it?” muses half-in-the-bag Tara to Jackie, as the two toast martinis to celebrate the perfectly timed demise of their relationships. Jackie is a sotted, sardonic hero swatting one hollow promise at a time, relatable to anyone navigating their way up the "Chutes and Ladders" entertainment matrix in a city that operates by its own otherworldly rules. Guest stars like Mary Kay Place, Sally Kellerman and Orson Bean add great scenes to the action. The show is hip, irreverent and meant for adults. If “Reba” or “Gilmore Girls” were your favorite TV shows, you will absolutely hate this. Grade: A Season two schedule: Episode "We're Number Two!" Episode "Bad Luck Brad" Episode "Jackie Meets Her Match" Episode "Yoga Brain" Episode "The Caroline Moonshiners" Episode "Straight Up Your Heart" Episode "Good Times and Great Oldlies"
© Copyright 2007 by monstersandcritics.com. This notice cannot be removed without permission. |