Product Description The widely popular, award-winning Chicago Public Radio show of the same name is now a Showtime show. Drawing on a different theme each week, viewers hear compelling stories from everyday folks culled from six months on the road. Host Ira Glass and company create a captivating look at the American Life in a series thats not quite documentary, not much of a news magazine and definitely not a reality show its simply unlike anything else. .com Ira Glass returns to Showtime to shine a light on more surprising citizens. As before, each episode combines short documentaries with more in-depth profiles. Though some viewers liked the way he remained seated throughout the first season, others criticized the impression of detachment. Glass responds by ditching the the desk and filming the introductions himself using a flip camera (in the special features, director Chris Wilcha says it cost $100). In the first piece, one of the best, Glass meets Mike Phillips, a 27-year-old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), who finds a way to live independently, even though he can't walk, talk, or address any of his basic needs without assistance, usually from his no-nonsense mother (the theme is escape). One of Mike's favorite actors, Johnny Depp, reads the e-mails he exchanges with Glass. In other stories, an Iraqi immigrant sets out to speak with Americans who supported the invasion of his country, two boxers known as "opponents" or professional losers prepare for the fight of their lives, and a man who suffered a brain injury after a beating channels his fantasies of romance and revenge by photographing World War II re-enactments with action figures. In the final piece, the longest and most affecting, Glass introduces seven men named John Smith, all at different points on the age spectrum, from 11 weeks to 79 years. He sees it as a means to survey an entire life in one hour, which sounds questionable, but works remarkably well. The set concludes with commentary from Glass and Wilcha on "Escape" and a live preview of the season featuring the bits that were cut. Altogether, their second set represents another strong effort from Glass and his collaborators, including co-director/cinematographer Adam Beckman, who adds a poetic flair to every show. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
C**S
Ponder this, or another
The series continues. The production of this series, I find, is interesting. First, it opens up with the Ira Glass sitting outside, at a desk, near where the story takes place. Everything about it is low-keyed, from his outside desk, calm narration, to the visuals and shots (perspective of the director, camera angle) to precisely only what is necessary about each episode. Not all stories are created equal, so that some of these stories don't have much impact for some, some have less an ending and more of a halt, or an unfinished detour, just like real life sometimes does.And again, each tells a story, a story about the varity, uniqueness, individuality, sadness, strength, good/bad beginnings,endings, incorporating all of life. There are surprises that hurt, and bad things that happen that sometimes offer a good change or silver lining. Most often these are stories are simply about life, without impact, that just shows who we are, what we do and what might hold us together.I think it can make one think just a smidgeon differently about our lives, or someone else's.But, one needs to watch in order to find the telling of the purpose of a small rock, or a precious gem, or loss (and/or) redemption, lost dreams and only imagined hopes, dreams, scenarios.In each episode there is one of these and more. Often a fork in the road, undiscovered(unseen) or unchosen, is forgotten, or all too remembered.Whatever these stories bring out, or not, there is always another one to ponder. If one appreciates life, its encounters, and anything, everything that can come from them, then you might find something in these simple narratives.Life, as history, is a meta-narrative. As only a very small piece of it, it can be big as a brief mention.
C**L
An interesting look at the human condition
Have you ever driven through a neighborhood and wondered about the lives of the people living there? While each residence may look "normal", the inhabitant's stories are usually anything but. This program brings some of those stories to the viewer and they are fascinating! The show starts with a theme and then up to 3 stories are shared which deal with that theme. One might learn about an unconventional marriage and the twists it takes over time. A story about making history with dental floss will have viewers shaking their heads. Some stories are simply interesting while others are profound and thought provoking. Some left me feeling optimistic while others saddened me. I LOVE the series and can't wait for future seasons!
J**S
Television for the ages
This American Life is easily the best show on the radio, and with season 2 it can safely be said that its television adaptation joins the ranks of the best on that medium as well. While Season 1 faltered slightly, constrained too much by the differences in format and perhaps a bit too indulgent in stories that weren't as interesting as the producers thought, Season 2 is nothing short of astonishing. It's funny, it's deeply moving, and introspective about what makes us all human. The final, longer episode, "John Smith", reduces me to a sobbing mess every time I watch it. It's simply one of my favorite pieces of film ever made, ever, and I've spent the better part of my life sifting through eclectic movies and television.Unfortunately somebody at CBS DVD made the bone-headed decision to stuff all six episodes onto a single disc, which is a shame. With almost five hours worth of video including the extras, it's very over-compressed and some of the gorgeous cinematography really suffers. I would kill for a Blu-Ray of this series. Or even the exact same thing on a two-disc set.With that limitation in mind, you simply need to see this show. Skip season one and head straight for this extremely low-priced disc. You will not regret it.
A**R
A mixture of whimsy and pathos with some powerful (mostly objective) commentary on modern U.S. society.
A mixture of whimsy and pathos with some powerful (mostly objective) commentary on modern U.S. society. The fluffier acts mixed in to each episode do serve a purpose of keeping the tone balanced, but it would seem unlikely that a viewer would love everything presented here, and "like" could be a more consistent verb to use. Regardless, there are moments and ideas found in both seasons that will likely not leave any patient viewer's consciousness for some time. In the end, it's a terrific companion to the radio show. They managed to make something that wasn't a retread, but a valuable extension.
G**A
Excellent
Excellent documentaries. Ira Glass chooses the most interesting people to interview. He doesn't "impose" himself overmuch, which gives the subject/topic the quality of immediacy. Some interviewers seem to dominate and the "story" is all about the interviewer. Some of the people Ira Glass interviews would never get their day to shine if it were not for his TV and radio shows.
J**E
TAL is excellent ...
It's too bad this only lasted two seasons on TV - I understand that Ira was having trouble doing both (the radio program and the TV program) - if you like the radio program, you'll really love the show, it's essentially the same format as the radio program with stories that you wouldn't see/hear elsewhere. KUDOS to the staff at WBEZ Chicago - here's hoping that someday they'll bring the show back.
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