Plot: What’s it about?
Angela Chase (Claire Danes) is going through some serious changes in her life, which seem to baffle most of her family and old friends. Before we go any further, let’s discuss her family and friends for a little while. Her mother is very busy and always looking for reasons to complain about something, while her father is more laid back and remembers his days at Angela’s age. She also has a little sister who is a brat sometimes, but also comes to Angela’s defense when least expected. She used to be best friends with a “normal” girl and small group of friends, but now she has found more exotic buddies in trashy Rayanne (A.J. Langer) and confused Rickie (Wilson Cruz). Her new friends bring with them new ideas and new outlooks, which is perhaps why Angela likes them so much. She is reminded of her former self by her parents, old friends, and even her next door neighbor who has a crush on her, but Angela knows she is the same person inside, perhaps even if not on the outside. She has a crush of her own too, on Jordan (Jared Leto) and though she isn’t sure how, she knows she will end up with him in some form. This is Angela’s life…
I know it has been said a million times before, but I need to say it again here. This is one of the most original and honest television shows ever and no matter what, I always made sure not to miss this when it aired. Despite massive acclaim from critics and viewers, this show was removed from the air after only nineteen episodes, which serves as both bad and good news to me. I am sad because I would have loved more episodes of course, but also glad because this made sure the series never went downhill and become too commercial. It might have been a short run, but it was consistent and powerful all the way to the end. Danes (The Mod Squad, Brokedown Palace) is brilliant in this series and it made her a star, though I still don’t think she has found this type of success within a role. Add in a terrific supporting cast of gifted performers and some outstanding writing, and it is easy to see why this show was so powerful and reached so many people. I hope to see the rest of these episodes released soon and I am sure that My So-Called Life will remain in my personal collection forever.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes of My So-Called Life are presented in full frame transfers, which preserve the show’s original aspect ratio. This looks much like it would on television, but with more detail and a sharper overall image. The colors show no problems, the Crimson Glow shade of Angela’s hair never bleeds, nor do any of the other more colorful hues. I also saw no errors with flesh tones, which look natural and warm at all times. The black levels seem well balanced too, no detail loss is evident and shadows never appear murky or overly dark. But this is a television show, so don’t expect feature film level video quality.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, but aside from the music I couldn’t really tell. Then again though, this isn’t the type of show to use dynamic sound so I won’t be too harsh. The music sounds excellent and uses all the speakers to come across as expansive in all cases. A few select times there is some good subtle use, but on the whole the front channels have the bulk of the sound. This is how it should be though, so no complaints in the end since it sounds natural and much like you’d expect from a television show. The most important element, dialogue comes through crystal clear and with no volume issues in the least.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes previews for upcoming releases in the series.
