Thursday, July 20, 2017

'Grace and Frankie'

If you don't already know my preferences for sci-fi, fantasy, B-grade horror flicks, politics, crime and such for films and books, you'd know by my aversion to certain book titles and television sitcoms and all. I try to avoid saying 'I don't like ABCDEF-whatever'. I swop it out with 'I don't watch it', or 'it's not for me'. I find myself saying 'I don't like...' rather often, and if I find it grating, others would too. Sometimes, I choose not to mention something at all or participate in a topic of discussion to indicate zero enthusiasm.

A little petty squabble with a work associate that day led to her calling GoT 'childish' and me calling her type of shows 'sappy'. Hey, I was provoked. A polite answer was supplied to her question of what I would be doing that night. (Staying in to catch the season premiere of GoT.) Her reaction was to say that we're 'idiots' for dedicating so much time and brain cells to GoT and its details. You don't want to know what I replied to that, or what another associate (who's an ardent GoT fan) yelled out. I'm not proud of it, and a lack of coffee for three consecutive days couldn't really be blamed for snide remarks. Anyway.

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed 'Grace and Frankie'. There're only 13 episodes in each season. Devoured all three seasons within a week. The scriptwriters weaved in great jokes, and the actors carried them off with panache. For many moments, I forgot the actors' actual names, and only remembered their characters. Such wonderful acting. Every episode left me convulsing in laughter. Can't wait for Season 4 next year.

Created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris for Netflix, I love how the lead actors are all of the silver generation. 79 y.o Jane Fonda (as Grace), 77 y.o Lily Tomlin (as Frankie), 76 y.o Martin Sheen (as Robert) and 76 y.o Sam Waterston (as Sol). The comedy traces how the women (who never really liked each other) became unlikely friends and allies and eventual business partners after divorcing their respective husbands who came out as gay. Then the men got together and married each other.

Since it's a sitcom, we can suspend disbelief. The heavy and grave situations are still kept light, in spite of how the divorce and coming out gay and marrying each other (the men) threw two families into emotional upheaval. There's always humor in each issue that plays out in each episode, and each human being always comes around to being magnanimous, and loving.

2 comments:

jo said...

Gentle reminder: Do not become Grace or Frankie when we're old :P

Heehee.

imp said...

At my rate of cranky-ness that seems to increase yearly, I'm halfway to being Frankie..........