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Monday, January 09, 2006
DESPERATELY SEEKING JOHNNY ROURKE
Twenty years ago I was an avid movie fan. If I hadn't heard of a movie it must have been a bomb -- a quiet one at that. So when I perused our HBO guide (the only cable movie channel offering in our area back then) and saw Reckless, my first thought was it must have failed miserably because I had never heard of it. Nor had I ever heard of its star, Aidan Quinn. So, out of curiosity, and a wicked case of mid-winter blahs, I watched Reckless. The critics hated it, but I loved it so much that I watched it every chance I had. It was Aidan Quinn's first movie; his second was Desperately Seeking Susan. Out of all of his films and plays, to this day I think Reckless his best performance because it was honest.
Aidan married the actress Liz Bracco, younger sister of Lorraine. I followed Aidan's career for several years, but most of the movies he made were irritatingly liberal mush. I loved him in Stakeout, The Playboys, Blink and Practical Magic, but that's about it.
At one time I wanted to believe that he wasn't as liberal as his movies, but I've had to accept reality: Aidan Quinn is a bleeding heart lib. I don't care what an actor's politics are as long as they keep it to themselves. But Quinn is a liberal and it shows in much of his work. Plus he plays whiney characters. In Reckless he played Johnny Rourke with spark and a backbone; politics was not an issue. He seems to be a genuinely nice guy, faithful husband and great father -- a rarity in his profession -- but I miss the Aidan Quinn I first met twenty years ago. I miss Johnny Rourke.
This is all a segue for Quinn's part of an Episcopal priest in NBC's The Book of Daniel. I actually began watching it but quit after a few minutes when I saw his angst-ridden character pop Viccodan. I had had it. No more swipes at Catholicism and the few rotten priests. No more whiney performances. No more liberal swill! However, Lorie did watch the show and has written a review:
The Book Of Daniel – A Review
I thought that what might bother me most about the show was the Jesus character that appears to the main character, Episcopal priest, Daniel Webster.
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The thing that bothered me most about the show is that it really could have been a wonderful show. Instead, it is a bit of a mess that came across to me as an unfunny copy of Desperate Housewives.
Also ...
8 Mr. Right has stumbled upon a College Journalism Exam with Answer Key!
8 Kitty Litter has been chosen as one of our Red Hot Blogs of the Day!
8 Where did Cindy Crawford’s 4-yr-old son learn that?
NOTE: I may not blog for a couple of days as I'm fairly certain my mother will be going home today, which means I'll be spending a couple of days with her to get her settled.
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