SYNOPSIS
Cathy Jamison (Laura Linney) is a high school teacher with a teenage son and a husband (Oliver Platt) who loves her but is a bit clueless and immature. She also has cancer. Cathy’s recent diagnosis has her reacting to everything around her with a new mentality and a need to grab onto life. Various things come out of this change. They include a pool in her backyard, helping one of her students lose weight, getting to know her standoffish neighbor, and reassessing her marriage. As both the cancer and her treatment progresses, Cathy finds out that she has a lot to be taught herself.
CRITIQUE
When major cable channels began producing original series, the emphasis was on hour-long dramas with more adult content than was acceptable on the core networks. Soon, though, comedies came along as well. These shows frequently indulged in a type of humor that could be darker or edgier than sitcoms you might find elsewhere, aside from a more adult tone as well. The first season of one of the latest entries into this arena is now on DVD. In its first season, The Big C manages a good deal of entertainment through the combination of solid writing and stellar performances.
Cancer is a much-feared word in our society, though there are great advances in its treatment nowadays. The premise of someone receiving a terminal diagnosis and changing their life because of it is a solid and classic one in many ways. The situation is inherently dramatic. It might surprise viewers, then, that there is a comedy out there milking laughs from the theme. Make no mistake: sadness is to be found as well. But it is the cathartic kind of tears and laughter at the same time that this show aims for, and this is decently achieved throughout the season. Realistic emotions ground all the scenes that stand out in each episode. Only near the end of the season does a note of pessimism sneak into the plotting, but it serves the purpose of setting up a memorable finale that I won’t spoil.
The actors are the other key draw keeping audiences interested in a second season of the show (to air later in 2011). Already a legend with plenty of time still ahead of her, Linney was always good hands to put Cathy in. More than that, she is a luminous performer people want to root for and see week after week. Look for her monologue to the neighbor’s dog in the pilot for proof of her talent. It’s no wonder Linney won the Golden Globe for her work here. Other veterans like Oliver Platt and John Benjamin Hickey as Cathy’s brother do good work, and the newer faces in the cast are led by someone who (like Linney) is an Oscar nominee, Gabourey Sidibe. She doesn’t a huge amount of screen time here, but she delivers every moment she gets well.
The actors and the characters they play succeed tremendously in the first season of The Big C, and the excellent premise is solidly built on in plotting and dialogue.
THE VIDEO
The Big C is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is fairly good, picture quality and colors leading the way in terms of clarity and consistency throughout the episodes. Detail is solid, and I noticed only a slight need for a bit more contrast throughout.
THE AUDIO
As usual, the audio format on these three discs is English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. It is free of any problems at all—dialougue, music and sound effects are clear and easily understandable throughout. There is also a Spanish language 5.1 track available. Furthermore, optional subtitles are offered for English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
THE EXTRAS
Deleted Scenes: A few episodes get very brief additions of deleted scenes on these discs. The scenes are fairly good, featuring a bit of humor or emotion that would have fit in with the rest of the episode. It is clear that time constraints were probably the only consideration for cutting these scenes. I particularly like the ones with the “Happy Birthday, Cancer” episode.
Outtakes: This blooper reel is one of the tamer ones you will see on DVDs. The majority of this footage consists of little accidents on set and the actors being silly and clowning around. It is quite funny to watch, once.
Cast Interviews: Seven of the cast members of the show get separate interviews in this extra, which is spread out over the three discs. Linney is intelligent and insightful, as expected, while Sidibe reveals herself as a cool actress whose early success (Oscar nomination for 2009’s Precious) is only beginning. I also like the input from Platt, an old fave of mine, and newcomer Reid Scott, who was also appealing on TBS’ My Boys. Part of these interviews are used in the featurette below, but not as much that it gets annoying. These interviews are worth a watch.
Complex Characters Featurette: This long featurette gathers interviews with the creator and cast alongside a bit of on-set footage and clips to get viewers familiar with the show. Again, the actor interviews are pieces of longer sit-downs that can be seen in the above extra, but the comments from creator Hunt are welcome. We learn that Cathy initially didn’t have a child but Showtime suggested one when they expressed interest in the project. Each character and aspects of Cathy’s life are covered. Probably the best extra here.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Big C delivers a first season full of great performances and a promising, well-written premise. Laura Linney’s performance is particularly noteworthy and the entertaining tone present throughout the season might very well entice viewers to come back for the second season.
