Looking Out My Back Door

Deep Thoughts and Other Stuff

Didn't you love those "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" vignettes on SNL back in the '90s? They always made me smile.

Other things that are making smile these days: "Ugly Betty," Jennifer Hudson and her upcoming Oscar win, the soundtrack of "Dreamgirls," the Democratic majority and how it is responding to Shrub's "surge" proposal.

"Ugly Betty," which has won Golden Globes and SAG Awards in recent weeks, just laid a tremendous story twist on us, and it's brilliant. So was much of the dialogue in last night's show (which, thankfully, I taped so I can watch it again tonight, hanging on every word). The show is nearly perfect in its writing and the performance of its wonderful cast, led by young America Ferrara. Having seen Ferrara in "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," I knew this was a show I'd check out when it debuted (and having Vanessa Williams on board didn't hurt one bit), and I'm so glad I did. I even convinced my friend Susan to watch it, despite her dislike of the show's title. Well, she started watching it and called me up screaming about how great it was. I smiled and couldn't resist a "told you so!"

ABC has me rather pleased these days with the quality of my favorite prime time shows. I never miss "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers and Sisters" (I even watch "Supernanny on occasion, even though I'm not big on kids. It's probably the pleasure I get from seeing Jo Frost discipline those brats, plus confirmation that my firm decision not to have kids was the right one for me!). I deviate to another network only for one show, "Las Vegas," but as that program's stars include some ABC alums, no guilt trip there.

Jennifer Hudson is a real-life Cinderella story, isn't she? Talented enough to get near the end of the finals of "American Idols," yet a target of some of Simon Cowell's more odious comments, she beat out more than 800 other contenders for the role of Effie White in "Dreamgirls" (including, in a sweet bit of irony, "AI" winner Fantasia). I saw the original Broadway production, and could not imagine anyone other than Jennifer Holliday as Effie. Before I saw the movie, I listened to its soundtrack, and while I liked Hudson's rendition of "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going," I thought it a lesser performance. Then I saw the movie, merging Hudson's singing with her out-of-this-world performance, and I realized how wrong I was. Sometimes hearing is not enough; you need the performance visual to fully appreciate a song. (Did I just regurgitate the original business plan for MTV?) Hudson deserves all the accolades and awards she's been getting. The audience applauded her performance, applauded at the end of the movie, then waited for the cast credits to roll, giving Hudson yet another round of applause. I have never seen this happen at a movie, yet I understand it happened at many screenings of "Dreamgirls." I'm just pissed that it wasn't nominated for a "Best Picture" Oscar, but am sure it will grab several statues on February 25. Jennifer Hudson will be holding one, and so will Eddie Murphy. Dream movie, dream cast.

posted by Hopster @ 8:17 AM