It was 1994. I was barely out of high school myself and this show had a tremendous impact on me. This is one of those truly awesome series that was cancelled way before it’s time. Producers had lucked into finding some of the most talented teenagers on the planet, A 14 year old Claire Danes and Jared Leto, but didn’t quite realize what they had.
Angela (Claire Danes) crushed on Jordan (Jared Leto) for an entire season. When he finally noticed her, then took her hand as they walked down the hallway at school, I cried with a mixture of joy and pain so intense…I wasn’t sure where one ended and the other began.
I was back in high school, when the most important thing in the world was whether or not the guy you loved, loved you back.
Winnie Holzman wrote the show and most of the voiceover’s done in every episode were from her personal journal.
My So Called Life didn’t try to portray teenage life as fun filled and prank loving; it was dark and painful, confusing and sometimes…beautiful. It was the most honest look at teenagers that I have ever seen.
Memorable quotes:
“This life has been a test. If this had been an actual life, you would have received instructions on where to go and what to do.”
“Sometimes someone says something really small and it just fits into this empty place in your heart.”
Exactly.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show. It ended too soon. It was so...REAL. No vampires. The drama was very, very real. Even the high school looked real. It was worn down and messy. Not all high schools are bright and happy-looking, like some shows portray. This show was so raw. And I had no idea the voice overs were from the writer's journal! Awesome fact!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great show! Much more realistic than so many others.
ReplyDeleteLove the quote:)
OK I confess, I have never watched an episode. How did they let me out of the 90's?????? Must watch on hulu.
ReplyDeleteI love the second quote.
ReplyDeleteWe never had this so I've only stumbled across a few episodes.
OMG. You truly are the fourth Roecker sister. LOVE this post. I seriously teared up when I read it. When I was pregnant with Lydia, I couldn't sleep so instead watched episode after episode of My So Called Life re-runs on some random channel. Best sleepless nights of my life.
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