Gleewind: Pilot

So, Glee is ending its run after 6 seasons (2 of those abbreviated).  I, at one time, loved this series unashamedly, but somewhere along the way (specifically midway through the 3rd season) I started to hate the show.  Reading that it was ending made me revisit the pilot to see if the show always had problems, and no:  this show was so very promising at the start.  And I think I am going to marathon it on Netflix (powering through that exceptionally rough patch in season 3) to kind of honor the series for what it was and what it did.

So, the pilot episode:  As far as these things go, it is one hell of a start to the series.  Great character intros all around, excellent song choices, and the show really managed to grasp that outsider feel so many feel in high school.

The Main Players:
Will Schuester:  For the first part of the series, it really felt like this was going to be Will's story.  You lose it a bit later on in the series, but he really was a good teacher at the start of it all.  The episode focuses on his desire restart the Glee club that he was once the star of, and you really feel his passion for it.  Matthew Morrison wasn't always given the best material, but this groundwork that the character was built on is solid, and it is somewhat a shame that he wasn't able to pick up an Emmy for at least this first season's work.

Revisited: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Confession Time:  I have never loved this musical as much as I am supposed to.  As far as Gene Kelly as concerned, I much preferred his performances in Anchors Aweigh and On the Town more.  So I will keep this brief to keep the stones from being thrown too much.  The only reason I re-screened it is because I have delusions of getting into the Supporting Actress Smackdown that The Film Experience is hosting at the end of the month.

• Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor sure can dance, can't they?
• While I don't dislike Debbie Reynolds in this role, I always forget about the performance.  Weakest of the principal players
• I realize 'Singin' in the Rain' is supposed to be one of the greatest songs ever, but I don't really care for it.  In fact, the only song from the movie I would say I wholeheartedly love is 'Make 'Em Laugh' - which is much more of a performance piece than a song.
• Every time I watch this movie, I develop a crush on Donald O'Connor.
• Jean Hagen is hilarious as Lina Lamont.  While I am ambivalent about the movie, I am not about her performance.  Very deserving of the Oscar nomination.
• Surprisingly, Hagen's Best Supporting Actress nomination is the only Oscar nomination that the filmed received.  I would have thought O'Connor's performance would also have been nominated in Supporting Actor at the very least.
• Reading about the making of the movie is (in my opinion) far more interesting than the film itself.  Apparently Gene Kelly was a bit of a terror - even making Debbie Reynolds cry at one point.

Having said all that, I would give the film a 7.5 out of 10, despite my personal misgivings.  It is a must-watch for musical and movie lovers, and the skill displayed in the dance sequences is amazing.   But not my favorite movie.