I think a part of me will always be in love with Claire Danes. From the moment Angela Chase lifted her head with those doe eyes and that Manic Panic hair, I knew. On “My So-Called Life,” Claire's achingly-real portrayal of everyteen awkwardness puts all of today's glossy, fast-talking, over-sexed TV teen pretenders to shame. And in case people whose name rhymes with bacon (cough, Chaiken, cough) want to see what a perfect (albeit unintentional) open-ended finale looks like, go back to that moment in front of the Chase house. Go back to that moment when Angela realizes Brian is the Cyrano to Jordan's Christian. Go back to that moment when anything seems possible, only to have her ride off into the darkness. Wow, that's an ending. Rewatching those episodes now, even all these years later, sometimes Claire is so beautiful it hurts to look at her. To see her blossom from the fumbling wallflower of a girl to an elegant woman of angles has been a treat. It's a bit like getting to see Angela actually grow up. Of course, part of my eternal love for Claire might also be that Angela reminds me of my first girlfriend (hi, honey), who I will always think is pretty. Happy weekend, all.
Friday, March 13, 2009
My Weekend Crush
I think a part of me will always be in love with Claire Danes. From the moment Angela Chase lifted her head with those doe eyes and that Manic Panic hair, I knew. On “My So-Called Life,” Claire's achingly-real portrayal of everyteen awkwardness puts all of today's glossy, fast-talking, over-sexed TV teen pretenders to shame. And in case people whose name rhymes with bacon (cough, Chaiken, cough) want to see what a perfect (albeit unintentional) open-ended finale looks like, go back to that moment in front of the Chase house. Go back to that moment when Angela realizes Brian is the Cyrano to Jordan's Christian. Go back to that moment when anything seems possible, only to have her ride off into the darkness. Wow, that's an ending. Rewatching those episodes now, even all these years later, sometimes Claire is so beautiful it hurts to look at her. To see her blossom from the fumbling wallflower of a girl to an elegant woman of angles has been a treat. It's a bit like getting to see Angela actually grow up. Of course, part of my eternal love for Claire might also be that Angela reminds me of my first girlfriend (hi, honey), who I will always think is pretty. Happy weekend, all.
I've just watched this series for the first time, and I agree: Angela was a very realistic teenager, and that made it great. I often couldn't stand her, but man did I recognise myself/people I knew when we were teens in her. I'm so sorry Dawson's Creek was all the rage when I was 15 and I didn't even hear of MSCL until I was 23...even though it did get a little bit too christian/family values-like toward the middle/end for me, but alright, nothing to be done. I guess even now it's hard to show a teenager drinking one beer/having sex on tv without making a huge alcohol problem/regret deal about it later!
ReplyDeletethank you ms. snarker, once again!
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan ever since MSCL.
;)) babs
Yeah Claire was one of my first tv crushes as Angela(or was she the first...?), stilling that honour from Leto himself, and she remained special, all this years, you can tell.
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVED My So-Called Life. Love Claire Danes always have. I love her ability to portray raw emotion so seemingly simply.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great weekend Crush.
Oh wow ... but I was in my teens when My So Called Life came on, and it screamed to me.
ReplyDeleteClaire Danes was definitely one of my first crushes in that programme ... thanks for a wonderful weekend crush, DS.
But where would it hurt, DS? Where would it hurt?
ReplyDeletePoor Angela, trying to do the right thing and choose Lisa the lesbian man while Shane was waiting to take her away in a muscle car, looking all broody and moody and hot.
ReplyDeleteWait...
I watched it when it aired, and I plan on watching it again. this time 14 years older (seriously, OMG!) and from a different perspective. It was hitting so close to home at that time...
ReplyDeleteand I have to admit that I had the biggest crush on Jared Leto, it was probably the outsider thing *g*
i never really though much of her until i saw a striking woman working out at the gym....and it was claire. girl has got really nice arms!
ReplyDeleteOh, Claire. Officially the best crier in the movie business. My So-Called Life was so ridiculously important. I tried to re-watch it last year, but it brought up WAY too many adolescent feelings for me. Maybe one day I'll have to fortitude to make it all the way to the Juliana Hatfield episode.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, Claire/Angela was one of my first girl crushes, too, followed by Daria (the cartoon), who reminds me of MY first girlfriend. Can we nominate future weekend crushes? Daria would have my vote. Smart, cute, nerdy, disaffected, sarcastic...
ReplyDelete:) manic panic
ReplyDeleteOh Snarkmeister... you just brought me back to high school.
ReplyDeleteI will always remember MSCL as the first time I saw television accurately portray my teenage youth.
There is one scene that will forever stick with me. It's the christmas episode (my so-called angels) with the very awesome Juliana Hatfield. It chokes me up everytime.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzJj5hdppTI
See, not that it's Claire's fault, but to my understanding Billy Crudup dumped nine-month-pregnant Mary Louise Parker for her, and I think MLP is about the hottest thing evah. So, uh, nope.
ReplyDeleteI agree with anonymous. I have some problem with Claire because of the Billy Crudup/Parker dust-up. She, like Winona, tend to go through a lot of men who seem to leave quality women for her. She does actors while Winona does rockers.
ReplyDeleteShe had a lot of goodwill based on MSCL and many of her other roles. I loved a lot of the other people in it.
Saw it when I was out of college and got way hooked afterwards in the 90s when MTV was playing it.
Meh... Claire Danes is a fucking dumb and ugly racist. Next.
ReplyDeleteOMG, she is so so so fucking beatiful!!!!!
ReplyDeleteShe's a brilliant actress. I have no respect for her as a human being, for obvious reasons (hi, Mary Louise) but that doesn't change her artistry. I'd watch her on Broadway but wouldn't want to know her as a person.
ReplyDeleteYMMV