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Reviews for "My Name Is Earl"
 General_Sherman
Total Reviews: 1
Not Useful
Useful
| One Of the most original shows in a long time.
|
When I first heard the story of My Name Is Earl, I knew it was a premise that would strike a chord with me. The idea of making right everything that you have ever done wrong has a special meaning for me, and I'm sure it does for many others. I find it hard to place what it is that makes me love this show so much, whether it is the superb casting or the lack of a laugh track, as so many unoriginal shows do today.
Every character in the show is played impeccably by the cast, and this is due to the creator's amazingly good casting. First we have Earl, played by Jason Lee. Now to be honest, I didn't know much about Jason Lee's work before I started to watch My Name Is Earl, but his excellent portrayal of the bad man turned good, has led me to research more of his work. Now I am a huge fan of Lee and his previous work. Never has a performance in one programme or film had such an effect on me. Not many people could pull of playing a character who has such conflicting nature, but Jason Lee has it down to a tee. He seems so kind-hearted, it's hard to imagine his old nature of lying, cheating and stealing.
Yet despite his fine portrayal of Earl is overshadowed by Ethan Suplee's flawless performances of Randy, Earl's dimwitted brother who really doesn't understand Earl's list. Suplee's performance shows Randy's naive yet kind nature. Randy is not a bad person, he never was, even when he stole possessions with Earl. Yet he doesn't understand that Earl no longer does these bad things. Randy just tries to do what Earl does, as he has such a tight relationship with Earl. Maybe that is what I love about the show? The way that Earl and Randy have the sort of relationship that any brothers would envy. An intriguing relationship in which both of them look out for each other and stay loyal to each other.
Very few shows are complete without a fabulous supporting cast, and very few shows succeed. This show does succeed where others fail. The best supporting role in the series is Jaime Pressley, who plays Earl's ex-wife Joy. Only her performance can rival that of Suplee's. Joy is the character that I would imagine very few people admit to relating to. The character who would do anything to get what they want, yet have that relationship that any good mother has with her children. Pressley plays joy as a character who you do not instantly like but there is enough there for the viewer to bond with the character. Darnell is the character that relieves the craziness of all the others. His no nonsense approach makes him a character it's almost impossible to dislike. The intellectual character who is often overlooked by the others. And Catalina, is the complete opposite of Joy. She's an instantly likable character, whose character develops as the show continues. But she has that confrontational side, especially when it comes to Joy.
The overall message of the show is that of good spirit, making peace with you past. I think many people relate to this, everyone has done something they regret and would love to be able to make it right. Everyone can relate to what Earl is striving to achieve, making themselves better. i think that is the broad appeal to many, watching someone do something they wish they could.
I could watch the show endlessly. The programme draws you straight in and once you are in, there is no way out. Everyone knows a person like Earl, everyone knows a Randy, everyone knows a Joy and so on. And whether they know it or not, I believe that this is the reason for its fans loving it so much.
I would recommend the show to anyone with a sense of humor and I hope the show continues to go from strength to strength.
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| Review posted on Tuesday, October 10th 2006 3:04 pm |
| 10 members found this review useful |
|
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