Kathy Bates has been cast as Ashton Kutcher's mother in Personal Effects, a revenge romance (what? I can't coin a new genre?) in which the Punk'd prankster falls for an older woman (Michelle Pfeiffer). Ashton Kutcher with a woman old enough to be Demi Moore? Who'd ever believe that?.... Still coasting on his Veronica Mars cool, Steve Guttenberg has been cast as a soon-to-be-divorcé whose son vanishes in The Well. Um, judging from the title, I think I know where the kid went. — Ben Katner
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Some thoughts from a typically busy summer Sunday of TV:
Six Feet Under
Truer words were never spoken than Ruth Fisher's weary, teary whine to her steadfast companion in the finale of Six Feet Under Sunday night: "This is Hell, George. Hell. I just want it to end."
So, my dear, did I. And thankfully, at last, Six Feet Under — an occasionally brilliant, nearly always maddening and, lately, just plain miserable series about living in the shadow of death — is behind us. In a nice twist, the show's final scenes actually seemed to embrace the possibilities of life — before the climactic montage of all the major characters meeting their eventual makers as Claire, bless her heart, drove off into the future. I couldn't imagine the show ending any other way than in a series of obituary cards, and I was amused that so many of the characters (especially Brenda) passed away looking as if they
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Question: What is up with all the misery of my former favorite family on Six Feet Under? I am so disappointed with this last season. They should all be put out of their misery... at least 6 feet under!
Answer: Bless you. I've gotten slammed so much for my mega-negative review of this dreary final season that I felt compelled to share a like-minded rant. That said, the latest episode with Patricia Clarkson and Kathy Bates was such an improvement on the recent state of affairs that it's hard even now to make such a blanket condemnation of a show like this. (I liked the sad, quiet dissolution of Ruth and George's relationship, but I could have done without Claire's fantasies in her boring new workplace, and David and Keith's parenting woes are a drag. So I guess even a good episode drives me mostly nuts. ...
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