Kristen Chenoweth’s GCB Tries to Nab a Sunday Night Flock

Here is my review of GCB, which is available in the current issue of the UBCO Phoenix newspaper. ABC's newest television show adds a little variety to the Sunday night line-up.

By Laura Sciarpelletti.

Kristen Chenoweth’s new ABC television show GCB, or Good Christian Bitches, initially premiered very well on Sunday nights, but unfortunately has recently started to slip in the ratings. The program centers on Amanda Vaughn, played by Iron Man’s Lesley Bibb, a Texan mother of two who is forced to return to her hometown of Dallas after her husband dies in a car accident. Amanda is left penniless since her husband had stolen millions of dollars and was running away with her best friend at the time of the accident. With no choice but to return to her mother Gigi, played by Pretty in Pink and Ghostbusters actress Annie Potts, Amanda decides to start over and reclaim her life. Unfortunately that is easier said than done, as Amanda was not necessarily a nice person in high school. Even though she has changed since graduating, her old and hyper-religious friends Cricket, Carlene, and Sharon have not.

GCB has a lot going for it, especially with Broadway icon Chenoweth playing the conniving yet adorable Carlene. Chenoweth’s success has been huge since her old television show Pushing Daisies ended, with stints on Glee and a new album. The tiny actress with a big voice brings enough humor to the show that bad acting on the parts of some of the supporting actors can be overlooked. Bibb is a good and sensible lead, and has chemistry with Chenoweth and Potts. As the title suggests, the general theme of GCB is Christian housewives. The show will certainly offend some, as it plays off of nearly every religious stereotype. The script emphasizes the leading role of men in the household, but it is the women who run the show. And these women are gossips, sexualized, conniving, ambitious, filthy rich, and bursting at the seams with drama. This Texas is not the Texas of barn dances and ranch hands, but rather it is the overly wealthy Texas with oil tycoons, ballroom hoedowns, and plastic surgery.

GCB will especially appeal to country fans with its fantastic soundtrack that features the likes of Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, and The Jane Dear Girls. The show is based on the book Good Christian Bitches by Kim Gatlin, and the television series itself was created and written by Robert Harling. Interestingly, Harling went to school with Potts and based the character of Gigi on her own mother. Potts is one of the best parts of GCB, always decked out in wild outfits, spoiling her grandchildren, and trying to make her daughter Amanda feel at home in Dallas again. Country music star Sheryl Crowe is set to guest star in an upcoming episode, and she will no doubt fit right in.

If GCB’s audience grows, the show will no doubt be renewed for a second season. So stay tuned for more Bible verse battles, Boobylicious waitresses, and loads of fried food.

In Anticipation of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson is one of those writers and directors that I am truly envious of. It is beyond me how he is able to come up with such surreal and eccentric ideas that spawn such films as Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), and Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). Many of these I am especially fond of, as I am usually drawn to wildly unusual scripts with unpredictable and unique characters. Anderson’s characters, which he creates with co-writers like Owen Wilson, Roman Coppola, and Noah Baumbach, are some of my favorites from any film I have watched. Margot Tenenbaum, for example is one of his most brilliant characters. She is a mysterious and quiet woman with a knack for keeping secrets. Margot locks herself in the bathroom all day, unaware that her non-blood-related brother is in love with her. Margot wears fur coats and secretly smokes, which she started doing at age twelve. I see her as a great accomplishment on Anderson’s part.

While I have never been a fan of many animated films, Fantastic Mr. Fox was immensely enjoyable, with an especially witty script and the voice of George Clooney. The characters in Anderson’s films have both big and small problems. Many times his films deal with the subjects of addiction and adultery, but the audience, oddly enough, is rarely left without a smile on their face. Anderson is all about quality rather than quantity, much like Quentin Tarantino, and he hasn’t made a large amount of films. The movies he has made, however, have a very loyal cult following.

And now there is Moonrise Kingdom. The film revolves around Sam and Suzy, a young boy and girl who fall in love on an island off the coast of New England. They decide to run away together, writing letters back and forth as they make their plans. The events of the film takeplace in the 1960s, yet another reason why I am thrilled and excited for the film. In wake of the young couple’s departure, their town mobilizes together to track them down. The goose chase turns the town upside-down, while bringing people together.

From the looks of the trailer, this film seems to have everything Wes Anderson films typically have, except for the Wilson brothers that is. But with Edward Norton added to the equation, it is not an issue to dwell on for too long if you are an Anderson fan. Norton is a favorite of mine, thanks to his impressive performances in films like Fight Club, American X, and Down in the Valley. It occurred to me that his role may have actually been written for Owen Wilson. Consistent Anderson film star Jason Schwartzman returns once again, and he can do no wrong in my eyes, even after I watched the extremely underwhelming Funny People. He was truly the best part of the film with his role as an actor on the faux sitcom Yo Teach! Schwartzman tends to lend charm to everything he does. This makes it even more unfortunate that the ill fated but fantastic Bored to Death was cancelled. Also featured in Moonrise Kingdom is Fargo and Almost Famous star Frances McDormand, The Piano and Pulp Fiction star Harvey Keitel, action star Bruce Willis, Anderson film veteran Bill Murray, and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. Many of the these actors frequent Coen Brothers’ films as well, making it even more interesting to see these actors continually working together on different projects. I can’t even begin to express how brilliant this cast is. Unfortunately I may be building up high expectations at an alarming rate, but if anyone can meet these, it’s Wes Anderson.

I am already obsessed with the character of Suzy. She seems mysterious and elegant, much like Margot Tenenbaum. I love her collared and short bright dresses and her eye makeup (How Margot of her). She’s a little lady with obvious poise as she blows kisses from her window and kisses Sam’s hand. They may just be one of my favorite couples. I’ll let you know after I finally watch the film. The tentative release date as of today is May 25^th 2012.

Every thing about the trailer is beautiful, with the vibrant colors that are typical of Anderson’s films, Suzy’s stationary paper, bird (including owl) costumes, picnics, and a tree house. That tree house! What about you? Are you excited for the next Wes Anderson film Moonrise Kingdom?

Check out the trailer!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1XEOzGmil4

All photos courtesy of Flickr.