Showing posts with label did. Show all posts
Showing posts with label did. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

United States of Tara: Season One (2009) Review

United States of Tara: Season One (2009)
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I have worked with DID patients for over 20 years and have conducted much research on DID and dissociation. I approached this television show with trepidation because DID has so often been distorted and sensationalized by previous films and television programs. To my very pleasant surprise,the United States of Tara has presented a remarkably accurate portrayal of an admittedly uncommon presentation of DID (i.e., highly visible and public displays of switching from alter to alter). In contrast, the alter personalities of most persons with DID are quite hidden; the alters intentionally avoid public exposure. That said, the creaters and writers of the United States of Tara sought extensive consultation from experts on DID and have done an excellent job of presenting the symptoms, psychological issues, family interactions, and the difficulties in the therapy of persons with DID. Similarly, the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, which has provided professional commentary on each episode of the program [...], has consistently found the United States of Tara to be surprisingly accurate (within the limits of a darkly comedic show whose purpose is, of course, to entertain).

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Tara Gregson is a wife and mother with dissociative identity disorder (DID). After deciding to take a break from her medication to discover the real cause of her disorder, her alternate personalties re-emerge: wild and flirty teenager T; old-fashioned housewife Alice; and male, loud, beer-drinking Vietnam vet Buck. Tara is supported by her calm and level-headed husband Max, her somewhat troubled teenage daughter Kate and quirky, good-hearted gay son Marshall. Her sister, Charmaine, is not so supportive, often expressing her doubt about the validity of Tara's disorder. The show is set in Overland Park, Kansas.

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Friday, August 17, 2012

United States of Tara: The Second Season Review

United States of Tara: The Second Season
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Since I loved the first season of United States of Tara so much, I was surpirsed to find out that creator/lead writer Diablo Cody wasn't really happy with it, and felt the need to, if not revamp, perhaps tweak the series. Since I thought it was great the way it was, if it ain't broke, why fix it, right?
The main difference, right off the bat, is in Tara. Although the titular character, in Season 1 Tara herself was usually subdued, frazzled, overwhelmed, or embarrassed, and it was the alters who stole the show. It seems like Season 2 finds the show taking great pains to make Tara more interesting, even without her alters. I'm not sure this always works. Like the Bob Newhart of her personalities, Tara is perhaps better off playing straight man and letting T, Buck, Alice, etc play their outrageous archetypes for all they're worth.
The storylines in Season 2 probably succeed about 2/3 of the time. And even when they don't, they're not terrible. Tara's creation of an alter who's a New York psychiatrist is one of the season's best storylines, as well as how it ties into the revelations that finally allow Tara to find the source of her DID. Buck's romance with a barista, Marshall's awkward attempt at heterosexuality, and Kate's friendship with an eccentric artist are all some of the season's other highlights. Charmaine's wedding storyline is probably the weakest, and a waste of Rosemarie DeWitt's acting chops, and the introduction of the Gregson family's gay neighbors added nothing.
The performances are what continue to elevate the series and compensate for any unevenness. Toni Colette continues to knock it out of the park, while playing what is really a series of distinct roles. (She's like a subtler Tracy Ullman.) And the actors who play Marshall and Kate are probably two of the best and most underrated actors on television.

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Studio: Paramount Home VideoRelease Date: 12/28/2010Run time: 332 minutesRating: Nr

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