Zap2it.com (August 11, 2003)
TV Gal Gets All Starry-Eyed
By Amy Amatangelo, Zap2it.com
August 11, 2003
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) How do I love the ABC Family movies? Let me count the ways:
1. The Stars: It’s like ABC Family asked, “Gee who would Amy like to see in a made-for-TV movie?” and then promptly casted my favorites. Brian “I only have two names now” Green starred in “This Time Around,” a movie that also reunited “Popular” stars Carly Pope and Sara Rue. Everyone knows casting a former resident of “90210″ is the quickest way to my remote control. Patrick Dempsey and Kimberly Williams-Paisley (who I am loyal to because, hello, she married a country star, a not-so-secret dream of mine since I went to Nashville earlier this summer) romanced the heck out of each other in “Lucky Seven.” And now the absolute piece de resistance, Charisma Carpenter stars in this Sunday’s “See Jane Date.” The casts of the ABC Family movies are the modern day equivalent to the guest stars of “The Love Boat.” I get to see my favorite television stars in totally new settings.
2. No victims here: I’ve had it with the John-hit-me movies-of-the-week. Yes, these are often important stories to tell, but far too many times the movies are exploitive and wallow in the downtrodden victim du jour’s misery. The protagonists of ABC Family’s movies are smart, strong, independent, clever women who lead full, trauma-free lives and who are not defined by being with a man. They give new meaning to my mother’s favorite phrase, “You go, girl.”
3. These movies understand the term “romantic comedy” better than their big screen counterparts: “This Time Around” and “Lucky Seven” were better romantic comedies than “Made in Manhattan” or any other of the lifeless, loveless romances Hollywood churns out for the big screen. Seriously, how could Patrick Dempsey not give you butterflies?
ABC Family’s latest offering “See Jane Date” (premiering Sunday at 8 p.m. ET) is wonderful for all the above reasons. I’m thrilled to see Charisma Carpenter in a completely different role. Her true gift as an actress is that she is so utterly believable on screen and, as she proved for seven seasons, she has a delightful knack for comic timing. After two rather depressing seasons on “Angel,” it’s fun to see Carpenter in a light-hearted, breezy role.
Carpenter also looks fantastic and now that she’s no longer a higher being her hair is all one color (quite reminiscent of Cordy’s early days in Sunnydale). Anyone who has attended countless bridal showers and bachelorette parties, spent entire paychecks on wedding gifts at Crate & Barrel, and danced the night away at a myriad of wedding receptions will be able to relate to this story.
In order to find a date to her cousin’s wedding, Jane (Carpenter) dates a slew of television’s most familiar faces. The hilarious Joshua Malina, Eddie McClintock (we just saw him on “A.U.S.A.”), Antonio Sabato, Jr., and Zachary Levi (Kipp on “Less Than Perfect”) all try to wine and dine Jane. Even a very angry Joe Millionaire (Evan Marriott) stops by. And to top it all off, another favorite of mine, Holly Marie Combs, (I’ve been loyal to her since her days on “Picket Fences”) co-stars as Jane’s former high school rival.
Next up for ABC Family is “Big Girl” (debuting in October). Tony Award winner Marissa Winokur (“Hairspray”) will star as a woman who decides to enter a beauty pageant even though she isn’t super skinny. I can’t wait.
