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DVD REVIEW
Dawson's Creek -
The Complete First
Season (1998-1999)
Voices:
James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, Katie
Holmes
Creator:
Kevin
Williamson
Rating:
NR
Studio:
Columbia Tristar
Review
Posted: 4.22.03
Spoilers: None/Minor
Reviewed by
Dennis Landmann
Dawson's Creek focuses on
fifteen-year-olds Dawson (Van Der Beek) and
Joey (Holmes), who have been friends since they were five and
are
trying
to
cope with the
way
their friendship is
changing now that their hormones are raging. Add
to
the
mix
their friend Pacey (Jackson) and
the
new
girl
in
town, Jen (Williams), and
you
can count on
extra twists
to
the
drama
in
their already turbulent lives. The first season marks the
beginning of an unforgettable journey that explores the
agony and
ecstasy of teenage life.
I remember
watching Dawson’s Creek on the WB network when it
premiered in 1998. Like many other teenagers of the time I
connected with the characters and their situations. Kevin
Williamson (writer of Scream) created this
engaging drama, which chronicles
a
group of young friends' passage from adolescence
to
young adulthood
in
the
small coastal town of Capeside, Massachusetts. Bringing to life
Kevin Williamson’s characters are James Van Der Beek, Katie
Holmes, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams. Based on
Williamson’s own personal experiences growing up, Dawson’s
Creek has all the drama, romance, and fun you could ask for.
Dawson Leary is a filmmaker
enthusiast with a genuine interest for Steven Spielberg and his
movies (try to count the director’s movie posters in Dawson’s
room and you’ll realize there’s no way a teenager his age can
get all of them). His friendship with Joey Potter is strong and
realistic, but when Jennifer “Jen” Lindley arrives in Capeside
(she’s from New York), Dawson immediately finds an interest in
her and a romance develops soon after. Joey and Jen start off on
the wrong foot, but find a friendship later on in the season.
Dawson’s best friend Pacey Witter, the most underdeveloped
character of the four, starts an infatuated relationship with
his high school teacher Tamara Jacobs (Leann Hunley). Plot
development and story lines continue to grow as the first season
plays out to a nice finish. All four characters are sympathetic
and attractive in their unique ways.
The first
season of Dawson’s Creek is pretty decent in general.
There are a few moments when the show resorts to clichés, but it
is expected, otherwise Dawson’s Creek wouldn’t function
like it does. Relationships begin and end in real life and here
it is no exception. The season is divided into about thirteen
acts, or thirteen episodes. Each episode carries a specific
title that corresponds with the story elements within them. This
3-disc holds all first season episodes and runs approximately
570 minutes. Below is the episode listing for the
first year (*denotes Audio Commentary by Kevin Williamson and
Paul Stupin).
Disc 1:
Pilot*
Dance
Kiss
Discovery
Special Features
Disc 2:
Hurricane
Baby
Detention
Boyfriend
Disc 3:
Road Trip
The Scare
Double
Date
Beauty
Contest
Decisions*
7 out of 10
Dawson's Creek shows up in
the dreadful, yet standard 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The
presentation appears to be from a video transfer and the image
quality is purely average. I didn’t expect such careless
performance when compared to some of the show’s reruns on TV.
Sharpness and detail are average at best. Much of the
presentation looks soft and sometimes bleak, especially in some
darker moments. Another negative aspect of the presentation is
the grainy appearance in some areas. Some instances of minor
pixelation become visible at times, as do a few instances of
shimmering. Nevertheless, tones are presented in good quality
most of the time and colors are usually pretty accurate and well
saturated.
5 out of 10
Presented
with a nice, well-balanced 2.0 soundtrack (Dolby Surround),
Dawson’s Creek is not specifically a great experience. Even
though the show is never particularly dynamic or noteworthy, the
music, especially most of the songs, still have a warm, rich
feel that is nicely spread out around the soundstage. Dialogue
and light ambience come across pretty clear and crisp.
7 out of 10
Commentary
by Kevin Williamson and Paul Stupin on Pilot and
Decisions– Williamson, the creator and executive producer of
the show, has much to talk about. His partner in crime, or to
put it correctly, his partner in production, is Paul Stupin.
Both create a sense of awareness and conversation. Their
comments, ideas, and memories are relevant and mostly
interesting, making for an easy listen. It’s good to hear
someone talk about the show’s first year after its six year run
on the WB network. This extra is probably the best among the
other two special features.
Dawson’s
Creek:
From Day One – This retrospective behind-the-scenes look at the
show is pretty self-explanatory. Kevin Williamson and Paul
Stupin provide the only interviews for this feature as they look
back on the show. There is some valid and interesting
information present here, but it would’ve been nice to actually
see Katie Holmes’ last-minute audition tape rather than to just
hear about it from Stupin. Running about 15 minutes, "From Day
One" is worth checking out once or maybe twice.
Season One
Time Capsule – Basically, the entire first season is wrapped up
in this ten-minute feature coupled with behind-the-scenes
footage and interviews with the cast and crew. Don’t watch this
feature unless you have seen all 13 episodes, because character
developments and plots are revealed. You get a nice, easy sense
of fun from this time capsule, but you probably won’t watch it
again after the first viewing.
Theatrical
Trailers – You get the Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
teaser and full trailers for Lone Star State of Mind,
Go and another film I can't think of right now.
What is missing on this 3-disc set
are chapter selections. Yes, episode selection is available, but
the real deal of every DVD is chapter selections. Why is this
not included? Why do I have to fast forward just to get to a
specific spot in an episode? It's really quite a shame. Instead
we are treated to English subtitles and a host of other
languages. A very nice addition, but secondary to chapter
selections. I might sound like I'm just rambling, but it sucks
to be without them.
5
out of 10
Dawson’s Creek
is a promising and attractive drama. It’s not just for the core
audience that it portrays, but it also brings back memories, in
one way or another. The cast is terrific and most episodes
feature realistic discussions about love, life, school and
movies. The writing and direction also impress, but the most
important thing about Dawson’s Creek is its mood and drama. The
DVD lacks decent quality in both video and audio, but two
commentaries give a cool insight into the show.
Overall DVD Rating: 7 out of 10
(not an average)
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