A Decade of Ohhhs (Part 1)

Way behind the curve, I am posting to rehash some of my favorites of the previous decade. Ten years ago, New Year's 2000, I celebrated New Year's at C__ M__'s house with C__ A__ and friends. It was my first time there, my first new year's eve away from my parents (probably), and the first in a long line with one or both of the Chrises (9 straight years). In addition, at least one invited guest could not attend due to fears of Y2K. That night began quite a decade of growth and, ahem, maturation. Regardless of my own personal ups and downs, it was in this decade that I really developed my own aesthetic (beyound my late 90s taste for radio pop and Oscar winners) and found my taste. Not that I didn't hit some duds on the way to where I am now, but I feel like an adult, in the pop culture sense at least. So taking a page from Foux Da Fa Fa, here are some favorites of the 2000s.

Kit's Favorite Television Series (Drama):


Definitely Mad Men, AMC's first original series. Though it's a recent diversion, debuting in 2007, it has definitely exhibited some of the best writing, coolest design, and evocative production I have ever watched. I can't say that I ever much followed television dramas (ER in its early years, a season or two of LOST, a few others), but Mad Men piqued my interest with the period/subject matter, and when I finally started watching it, I was captivated.

That being said, Big Love should also get a mention for a similar approach to a wildly different world. The character development is just as strong on Big Love as on Mad Men, I believe, and the plot moves forward with a lot more momentum (along with some edge-of-your-seat moments). Both shows, however, approach their subjects--early sixties New York and Mormon polygamists--with a sympathetic tone that brings viewers into the foreign world rather than keeping them at a distance. Whether through lush visuals, a strong sense of irony, or relatable family tension, both shows create effective and entertaining stories populated with endearing (or endearingly evil) characters.

Also worth mentioning:
Freaks and Geeks
The Wire (yet to watch)

Kit's Favorite Television Show (Comedy):
Arrested Development


A close call, but Arrested Development gets the nod over 30 Rock, mostly for consistency. And while 30 Rock has seen its share of absurdity ("Help me, Liz Lemon, you're my only hope!"), Arrested Development never failed to push the boundaries of what could be expected on a 30-minute sitcom: intense wordplay, hyper-self-awareness, and callback after callback after callback.

Also worth mentioning:
Flight of the Conchords
The Office (U.S. version)
Futurama


Kit's Favorite Movie (Drama):
Synecdoche, New York


Kit's Favorite Movie (Comedy):
Wet Hot American Summer


Kit's Favorite Movie (For a Date):
Stranger Than Fiction



Kit's Favorite Movie (Overall):
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind


For some reason it was really hard to pick a single movie, so I tried to break it down as painlessly as possible. I was most surprised at how difficult it was to choose a comedy. Not that I haven't seen many, but few stood out. I guess my general taste in movies makes me a dour person, or is the result of my dourness. Regardless, I think I will have to go for all-out shenanigans with my comedy choice, Wet Hot American Summer. Hearkening back to my television comedy choice, I really love well-executed absurdist humor. While I loved The Blues Brothers and Uncle Buck growing up, perhaps it was Airplane! that shaped my sense of humor.

For my drama selection, I had to overlook No Country for Old Men, The Aviator, Lost in Translation, and The Royal Tenenbaums. But Synecdoche, New York, was both the most profound and, often, the funniest. Not many heavy meditations on death have so many laugh-out-loud moments or quotable lines. But it works.

I decided I needed two more categories: one for films I enjoyed but weren't necessarily "great" and another just to fit one more movie into this post. Stranger Than Fiction won a tight battle with Away We Go for best date movie. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is just that good. It deserves to be my favorite of the decade. Very few movies have I ever mulled over so much while still in the theater (Synecdoche, New York, is another). I didn't get the chronology, I didn't get the relationship, I didn't get the themes, but I fell in love with it, somewhere near Elyria, Ohio, seeing it on the big screen. I don't want to be hyperbolic, but to take a simple relationship (with a near-MPDG) and pair it with a high-concept gimmick, and do it so masterfully, is really quite amazing.

Also worth mentioning:
No Country for Old Men
The Aviator
Lost in Translation
The Royal Tenenbaums
Away We Go
Brick
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ghost World
Best in Show
Pan's Labyrinth
You Can Count On Me
Y tu mamá también
The Comedians of Comedy




Next Week = A Decade of Ohhhs (Part 2)