It’s that time of the new year where everyone is doing their round-up of the best and worst of the previous year. Well, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! I’ve been able to consume a lot of media this year, so I thought now would be a good time to start an annual tradition where I let you know what movies, TV shows, plays, musical, books and people made an impression on me, for better or worse. So, without further ado, it’s time to announce the winners of the 1st Annual Lauries!

Best Film of 2017

Paddington 2

What a wonderful antidote this was to a year full of nastiness in the news. We could all use a reminder that essentially, everyone is decent. Paddington brings out the best in us, and this sequel was even more funny, inventive and touching than the first. I’ll be going into more detail about the character Of Paddington himself further down.

It was so refreshing to see a simple, stripped-down film that was gentle-humoured and charming. It wasn’t trying to be a spectacle, and the stakes were low. The whole film revolves around a pop-up book that Paddington wants to buy for his Aunt Lucy.

This gives us time to just enjoy the wonderful characters, especially Hugh Grant as a washed-up flamboyant actor, and the ludicrous scenarios, like Paddington being falsely imprisoned only to turn the jail into a victorian-style tearoom. No matter your age, it’s hard to think of someone who wouldn’t love Paddington 2, both as an exercise in good writing and just an all-round enjoyable film.

Worst Film of 2017

Detroit

I have real issues with Katheryn Bigelow’s Detroit, especially after her brilliant work on films like The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. Whilst Bigelow focused more on atmosphere than story, which is not necessarily a bad thing but one I’m not personally keen on doing, everything about the film is exaggerated. Every character is a caricature.

The antagonists are violent and racist but we never really understand their point of view. The protagonists are seen as helpless victims and nothing more. It never earns its shocks, its violence or its tension because we never care about what is going on or who it is happening to.

Detroit could have been something special. Instead, its troubling for all the wrong reasons.

TV show of 2017

Mindhunter

The latest Netflix drama directed by David Fincher is a real slow-burner, and has tested the patience of many a viewer. I, however, loved it. It features a winning combination of Power of Truth and Power of Reason characters, as the series depicts the formation of the FBI’s behavioral science unit.

Whizzkid Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) interviews some of America’ most notorious serial killers under the weary gaze of gruff older agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and academic Wendy Carr (Anna Torv). These are truth-seekers and mystery-solvers attempted to unravel the twisted logic of those who believe that their victims deserved to die, and that the world should bend to their set of rules. As a tale of Power of Truth vs Power of Reason, it made for the most engrossing TV of the year.

Power of Ambition Character of 2017

Boris Johnson

Power of Ambition characters will do whatever they have to in order to gain power and influence. They will change face at a moment’s notice, and stab others in the back in order to command respect and admiration.

This year, no one has undermined his own leader, and his own cabinet, like Boris Johnson. Rumour has it that his own colleagues are sick of him attempting to usurp Prime Minister Theresa May and take over as Prime Minister himself, an ambition he has held for years but will likely never achieve. What could once have been seen as strategic and calculating has now become embarrassing.

The one thing he has been consistent in is behaving like a Power of Ambition character should.

Power of Conscience Character of 2017

Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) in The Punisher

I will be publishing a much more in-depth article about Netflix’s Power of Conscience show The Punisher soon, but its titular character is a brilliant demonstration of how far a Power of Conscience character can fall to the dark side. Driven to extreme vengeance following the brutal murder of his family, “The Punisher” doles out his own brutal judgment upon everyone he believes has done wrong. Few are left alive or without lasting injuries.

Frank Castle is a tragic character, bolstered by Bernthal’s heartbreaking performance, and it’s refreshing to see the darkest side of Power of Conscience. This Character Type can be more dangerous than even Power of Will when they are pushed too far, and truly believe their law is above everyone else’s. He is surrounded by other Power of Conscience characters, but he is at the furthest end of a spectrum. He is a great anti-hero, and a good way to judge how far you think a Power of Conscience character could go when you’re writing them.

Power of Excitement Character of 2017

Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant) in Paddington 2

Another entry from Paddington 2, for a character portrayed by an actor commonly associated with the Power of Excitement Character Type. Hugh Grant has played so many Power of Excitement roles in his career- womanizers with rakish charm and carefree thrillseekers who are the life and soul of the party. Although the wonderful Phoenix Buchanan is a variation, he is a classic entry into Grant’s canon.

Phoenix Buchanan is willing to let an innocent Paddington rot in jail so he can pursue his ancestor’s treasure hunt, with a prize that will finance his endless pursual of his lavish lifestyle, where he can indulge his own enjoyment. His motivation is quintessentially Power of Excitement, and he ultimatelt gets what he wants- all eyes on him, as he becomes the centre of attention.

Power of Idealism Character of 2017

Alexander Hamilton (Jamael Westman) in Hamilton

The hit American musical Hamilton, a hip-hop retelling of the life of Founding Father and Secretary of the treasury Alexander Hamilton,  recently arrived in London, with Jamael Westman playing the titular lead character.

Hamilton is all about the creation of a nation, and the sacrifices one must make for legacy and achieving a destiny, often at the cost of family, friends and morals. Alexander Hamilton, as he is depicted in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, is a brilliant example of a Power of Idealism character as their best and their worst. His striving for the best helping shape The United States of America as we know it, but also brough him unspeakable tragedy and eventually led to his own death.

Hamilton is Power of Idealism in its extreme. Even listening to the soundtrack by itself will demonstrate how far this Character Type will go for that next high, or to embrace that exaggerated drama that they crave in their life, or to acheive their grand destiny. Nobody believes in grand destiny like Alexander Hamilton, who constantly reminds us that he is “not throwing away [his] shot”.

Power of Imagination character of 2017

Paddington Brown (Ben Whishaw) in Paddington 2

Power of Imagination are commonly young naïfs who have adventure unwittingly thrust upon them and have to rise to the occasion. Paddington, star of my favourite film of the year, is a great example of this Character Type.

Another trait of Power of Imagination characters is that they often bring people together for a common good. Paddington 2 goes to great lengths to show us how much his neighbours rely on Paddington to help their street to run smoothly. When he is falsely imprisoned, his charm and good manners win over an entire jail full of hardened criminals. His adoptive family, The Browns, aren’t quite the same without him. He is the glue that holds everyone together, and they will do anything for him in the same way that The Fellowship of the Ring would do anything for Frodo Baggins, or The Rebellion would do for Luke Skywalker.

Paddington works as a character because he takes the extraordinary situations he gets involved in, and tackles them head on in the only way he knows how, no matter how out of his deapth that he feels. We could all learn something for Paddington, perhaps more than any other Power of Imagination character.

Power of Love Character of 2017

Mija (Seo hyun-Ahn) in Okja

Okja is another Netflix production, but this time a feature film. It is a great Power of Love story that may at times seem like a Power of Truth story, once it veers into a group of environmental activists trying to uncover the wicked acts of a global corporation, but at its heart, it is a love story between Mija and her bizarre giant friend, Okja.

Mija, in theory, ruins a lot of lives and breaks a lot of hearts in her pursuit of her kidnapped animal companion. She is relentless in her mission to regain Okja, whether or not Okja’s return to the city is the best thing for her or not. For a selfish journey that is ultimately selfless, Mija is this year’s best example of a Power of Love character because of her unwavering belief that Okja belongs to her, and her love is the best thing no matter who gets in her way.

Power of Reason character of 2017

Robert Mueller

Robert Mueller is a classic “G-Man” for the FBI, a conservative with traditional values who is loyal to the Bureau and has always upheld its core beliefs. He is not Power of Truth, despite his detective-like behavior uncovering inciting documents and damning evidence during the Russia investigation.

Mueller is meticulous, as he was trained to be, and his approach to the investigation has been typically Power of Reason. He is only interested in the facts, as well as cold, hard statistics. He is cool, calm and collected. This year he has proved to be someone totally neutral and only interested in finding out the truth. He is not paranoid, or unsure of himself- he has more conviction than any Power of Truth character could.

Power of Truth Character of 2017

Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) in American Vandal

My favorite Power of Truth story this year was the Netflix spoof American Vandal, who parodied true-crime documentaries like Making A Murderer and Serial so perfectly that it became every bit as good as them. At the heart of the story was its narrator, student filmmaker Peter Maldonado, who is making this “documentary” to uncover the truth behind “Who Drew The Dicks?”.

Peter displays all the flaws of a classic Power of Truth character. He doesn’t trust anyone and loses friends because of how far he is willing to go to uncover a conspiracy and solve a mystery that may not even be there. It’s surprising how a show that makes fun of the tropes from detective stories and crime investigations would provide such a great example of a typical Power of Truth character.

Power of Will Character of 2017

Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) in Peaky Blinders

Gangsters are typically Power of Will characters, and Tommy Shelby is no exception. He might just be the greatest Small Screen Gangster since Tony Soprano. For non-British viewers, Peaky Blinders is essentially The Godfather set in early 20th-century Birmingham, UK. War veteran Tommy is the patriarch of his crime family, keeping everyone in check, from his reckless brothers to the Prime Minister and King of England themselves.

Tommy is ruthless and violent but in an intelligent way. Gangsters all have different styles of management, and Tommy uses violence only sparingly, preferring to use intimidation, and controlling people through legitimate business and official channels. His methods work, and as the show has progressed Tommy has become increasingly powerful. He is an incredible success Power of Will character, and for that, he is my favorite example of this Character type from last year.

Moment of the year

#MeToo

It’s hard to choose one specific moment, because there’s been so many notable events this year. What has been happening in the real world in 2017 has been so volatile that it’s far more dramatic than something any TV Show or Film could have mustered up.

So this year, which has been so relentlessly bleak, I’m awarding Moment of the Year to something hopeful. The #MeToo movement, which was also Time’s Person of the Year. Brave women (and men) came forward and exposed an abusive culture that is long overdue to be eradicated. It’s only the start, but it’s a start nonetheless.

So to those of us who have been harassed or assaulted, the rise of #MeToo was a Moment that will define this year more than any Film, TV show or politician.

I’ll be continuing Power of Conscience month with an examination of Whistle Blowers this Thursday, much like the instigators of #MeToo who spoke out because it was the right thing to do. A great example of Power of Conscience behavior working for the better.

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Power of Idealism characters believe that life and love should involve a grand passion or an heroic destiny.  They see the world in terms of sweeping epic poetry or as a struggle of operatic proportions.  Intensity of feeling (good or bad) makes this character’s life worth living.

Power of Idealism characters believe it is better to be in intense pain than to feel nothing at all or to be simply content or complacent.  These characters are more than willing to suffer for their art, their iconoclasm or their noble or romantic gestures.  They believe pain is necessary to living a life of passion.  They embrace their pain and even tend to wallow in it.

Power of Idealism characters have high standards and seek excellence in whatever they do.  They appreciate the finer things in life and special luxuries large and small.  They strive for aesthetic perfection in all areas.  They abhor anything they consider to be coarse, gross, common, ordinary, mediocre, inelegant or ungallant.  They believe that what is perfect but unavailable or unattainable is infinitely more desirable than what is flawed but possible or achievable.  They are always reaching for the unreachable star.

A character driven by the Power of Idealism wants to stand out from the crowd, to be extraordinary, unique and special. They are youthful rebels, Epic Heroes or lovers whose passion lives forever.  In addition to the examples below, see the Power of Idealism blog posts for more examples.

Character Examples

Coming of Age characters like the title characters in Billy Elliot or Juno, “Jess” Kaur Bhamra in Bend It Like Beckham and Curt Henderson in American Graffiti are young people “finding themselves.” They don’t quite fit in and struggle to find their rightful place in the world. Learn how these characters lose their innocence but gain a more complex understanding of the adult world.

Epic Hero characters like Colonel Robert Shaw in Glory, King Leonides in 300 and William Wallace in Braveheart are warriors in a doomed but noble battle. These Epic Heroes fight courageously and sacrifice themselves for honor, glory and the immortality of story, song and legend. Learn how these characters lose their lives but live forever in our hearts.

Separated Lovers like Rick Blaine in Casablanca, Karen Blixen in Out of Africa and Zhivago in Doctor Zhivago are torn asunder from their lovers but their passion transcends time, distance or death. In Separated Lover stories learn how love becomes stronger than any other force on earth– even death.

Intense and sensitive Power of Idealism television characters include Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy, Carrie Bradshaw inSex and the City, Ryan Atwood in The O.C. and Dawson Leery in Dawson’s Creek. Learn how these complex characters keep us enthralled week after week.

Power of Idealism eBook

The Power of Idealism Character Type eBook explains how these characters are alike and how each character is made individually distinct. It will help you develop unique, original, evocative and authentic Power of Idealism characters that fully explore all the contradictions, reversals and surprises of a fully formed human being.

Discover the Power of Idealism character’s specific goals, unique emotional obstacles and very distinct responses and reactions to any opportunity, challenge or threat. Create this character’s Immediate Tactics, Long-term Orientation and Strategic Approach in a way that is recognizably “true” at every step of the story and during every moment of screen time. The audience will instantaneously recognize and relate to your character because your character is complex, three-dimensional and “feels real.”

This eBook is thorough analysis of the Power of Idealism Character Type in his or her many guises and roles as a protagonist or a member of a larger ensemble. It is packed with numerous examples from film, television and even real life! Examples from scores of scenes and dozens of quotes from film and television characters clearly illustrate this character’s motivations and psychological dynamics in a story.

Comprehensive Analysis

The Power of Idealism Character Type eBook illustrates exactly how to create and differentiate this character based on his or her:

(1.) World View (beliefs about how the world works) What are the essential core beliefs that motivate a Power of Idealism character’s ordinary actions?

(2.) Role or Function (position in the story or role in the ensemble) What do the other players look to a Power of Idealism character to do or provide in the story?

(3.) Values in Conflict (competing values that push the character to extremes) What opposing choices or goals establish the Power of Idealism character’s moral code? What is this character willing to fight, sacrifice or die for? And why?

(4.) Story Questions (emotional journey in the story) What personal issues, dilemmas and internal conflicts does a Power of Idealism character wrestle with over the course of the story? What does this character ask of him or her self? What is this character’s Leap of Faith in an emotionally satisfying story?

(5.) Story Paradox (emotional dilemma) What is the duality or the contradiction at the heart of a Power of Idealism character’s story struggle? How is the character’s internal conflict expressed in actions.

(6.) Life Lessons (how to complete the emotional journey) What must a Power of Idealism character learn over the course of the story to make a clear, satisfying personal transformation? What actions lead to this character’s emotional salvation?

(7.) Dark Side (this character as a predator or villain) What happens when a Power of Idealism character’s actions are driven entirely by fear? How might or how does the story end in tragedy?

(8.) Leadership Style (what defines and qualifies this character as a leader) How does a Power of Idealism character convince others to follow? How does this character act to take charge and command?

(9.) Film Examples (the Power of Idealism character as a protagonist)

(10.) Television Examples (the Power of Idealism character as central to an ensemble)

(11.) Real Life Examples (historical Power of Idealism figures on the world stage)

Here is what the co-author of McCain’s memoirs said about the stories McCain loves and how they connect with his own story:

The John McCain (as he describes himself in) “Faith of My Fathers,” for example, bears more than a little resemblance to the fictional Robert Jordan of “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Mr. McCain later celebrated (this Hemmingway hero) in another book (about himself) with Mr. Salter, “Worth the Fighting For,” which was named for a line of Jordan’s dying thoughts. (Jordan) was “a man who would risk his life but never his honor,” Mr. McCain wrote with Mr. Salter, a model of “how a great man should style himself.”

Each book is heavy with premonitions of mortality. Robert Jordan and John McCain each confront great tests (the temptation to escape a doomed mission for one, the offer of early prison release for the other) in the service of a lost cause (the socialists in the Spanish Civil War, the Americans in Vietnam). And in accepting his fate, each makes peace with his father and grandfather.

Mr. McCain’s admirers, like Mr. Timberg, have often puzzled over what drew him to Maugham’s “Of Human Bondage.” It is a convoluted psychodrama about a young man with a club foot; he seethes with resentment over his disability and nearly ruins his life in the thrall of a waitress-turned-prostitute who rejects him. But the character’s final realization could fit almost as well near the conclusion of Mr. McCain’s memoir: “It might be that to surrender happiness was to accept defeat, but it was a defeat better than many victories.”

“That explains it,” Mr. Salter said when he heard the line. “Perfect McCainism.”

The full New York Times article can be found at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13mccain.html?hp

Power of Idealism characters have a sense of doomed destiny.  They reject the offer of ordinary escape (and a happy life) in favor of the valiant, but doomed attempt.  They embrace glorious defeat (or death on the battle field) in order to live out their own scenario of courage and personal honor.

Here’s what a recent article by a conservative New York Times columnist said about Obama:

“(O)ver the past two years, Obama has… shown the same untroubled self-confidence day after day. There has never been a moment when, at least in public, he seems gripped by inner turmoil. It’s not willpower or self-discipline he shows as much as an organized unconscious (or I might add the collective unconscious). Through some deep, bottom-up process, he has developed strategies for equanimity…

They say we are products of our environments, but Obama, the sojourner (on his quest), seems to go through various situations without being overly touched by them. Over the past two years, he has been the subject of nearly unparalleled public worship, but far from getting drunk on it, he has become less grandiloquent as the campaign has gone along.

…It could be that Obama (as a president) will be an observer, not a leader. Rather than throwing himself passionately into his causes, he will stand back. Congressional leaders, put off by his supposed intellectual superiority, will just go their own way. Lost in his own nuance, he will be passive and ineffectual. Lack of passion will produce lack of courage. The Obama greatness will give way to the Obama anti-climax.

We can each guess how the story ends. But over the past two years, Obama has clearly worn well with voters. Far from a celebrity fad, he is self-contained, self-controlled and maybe even a little dull”

The full New York Times article can be found at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17brooks.html?hp

Power of Imagination characters are humble and self-effacing quite naturally.  They seek greatness from others and draw their inspiration and power from the bottom up (rather than display it from the top down like John McCain does).

Obama’s grass roots campaign and masses of small individual donations also displays this Character Type’s bottom up view of things.  The danger is they are always collecting allies and consensus and avoid stepping out decisively or with passion on their own, ahead of the crowd, to really lead.  They can be a bit dull and do seem quite ordinary.  Their leap of faith is to move away from the unity of the crowd and make hard decisions that could be divisive.

A Character Type is made up of three key factors:

1. Immediate Tactics: This is how a character reacts to a specific challenge, opportunity or threat.  It is a character’s immediate tactical response or maneuvers to deal with a specific problem or obstacle in the short-term.

2.  Long-term Orientation: This is how the character views the world, sees his or her role in it and is what a character believes is true about life and love.  It is a character’s overarching personal philosophy and view of self.

3.  Strategic Approach: This is how a character goes about leading or getting things done over the long haul.  It is how a character works with others overall. It is how a character takes charge or commands to achieve a larger goal.  Strategy deals with the art of of obtaining a grand overarching objective.

Each of these key factors is motivated by the fight, flight or embrace/submit response.  These are the three possible biological reactions to anything.  A character can confront something (fight).  He or she can withdraw from something (flight).  Or a character can embrace or submit to something.

Today let’s look at John McCain.  He is a classic Power of Idealism character.

1. Immediate Tactics: Power of Idealism characters embrace an opportunity, challenge or threat as a personal test of courage. They see difficulty or opportunity as an individual call of destiny. When presented with a challenge or threat, their first response is to move toward it as a mission or personal call to greatness.

These characters believe their immediate tactic must be a grand gesture or bold move. They want to display individual heroism or do something uniquely dramatic. They believe their extraordinary actions will somehow inspire others to follow their lead.

When confronted with a challenge, opportunity or threat, John McCain opts for a big “game-changing” response. When financial crisis seemed inevitable, McCain boldly announced he was suspending his campaign. He parachuted into the middle of the crisis in Washington, calling for a Presidential level meeting of the candidates and Congressional leaders. He made a dire and dramatic pronouncement that “the country could be plunged into another Depression by Monday.” He then claimed victory for himself as the leader of his party before the actual vote.

2. Long-term Orientation: Power of Idealism characters view life through a very idiosyncratic lens. They withdraw from the crowd, popular opinion or conventional wisdom to protect or promote their own individuality and special distinctiveness. Their philosophy is to follow their own personal star or individual sense of destiny regardless of the cost.

Noteworthiness, individuality or personal eccentricity is what these characters value most highly in themselves and others. John McCain proudly calls himself a maverick or an outsider. He is especially proud of his special or unique status as a Viet Nam POW.

These characters are lone wolf heroes. If they must go down in flames to prove their heroism so be it. McCain has often said: “I would rather lose a campaign than lose a war (in Iraq).” He sees his position on an unpopular war as a heroic offer of personal sacrifice for the nation.

McCain most often uses the word “I” in his campaign speeches. “I would fire the SEC chairman.” “I am suspending my campaign.” “I will follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell.” He sees leadership in terms of a singular heroic action leading the charge.

These characters believe that passion is everything. At their worst, Power of Idealism characters suffer from delusions of grandeur. They can be self-destructive and/or self-harming. In their Dark Side they are narcissistic, melancholy, self-pitying, cynical and embittered.

3. Strategic Approach: A Power of Idealism character’s overall method of working with others toward a goal is to step back or withdraw for personal reasons. These characters delay taking action until they are certain how they feel about something. They must feel sufficiently inspired, encouraged or affirmed in order to act or move forward.

When impassioned or inspired, these characters lead best in short bursts of intense activity or creativity. They engage others by a personal appeal to valor and courage or a romantic call for patriotic action. But they are not overly concerned about the consequences of their bold gesture.

They withdraw from the tedious small tasks involved in the daily execution of a command. These character’s greatest liability as a leader is that they often lack the patience to see through the practical application of their dramatic appeal. They don’t always adequately follow-up. They are often unprepared (or not inspired) to make the niggling, routine or ordinary small sacrifices long-term leadership requires.

Power of Idealism characters are rarely interested in sticking around for the clean-up after their big moment is over. They would rather withdraw into the glorious memory of the grand occasion or glorious battle. These characters need to act in the normal and ordinary course of things. They need to learn that everything doesn’t have to be individually suited to their personal sense of destiny or their passionate individual temperament.

John McCain took a long time to recognize the financial crisis. When he felt a call to action was necessary, he took the problem on personally, made a grand gesture and then said very little in the Presidential level meeting he so urgently called. His bold interjection of personal Presidential politics actually derailed an early accord that was building in Congress.Then he withdrew and left it to others to complete the task.

McCain’s actions during the crisis seem erratic because the dynamic opposites of his Immediate Tactics (embrace) and his Strategic Approach (withdraw) pull him in two different directions. He has been criticized for a lot of “sound and fury” that is followed by very little of the detail-oriented and painstaking leadership that solving a complex problem requires. He has admitted that the details of economic policy are not his strong suit. All of this has produced a whipsaw effect that makes him seem unstable.

Tomorrow I will look at the dynamic opposites in Power of Imagination Barack Obama’s Immediate Tactics and Strategic Approach. Interestingly, Obama’s dynamics are exactly the same: Immediate Tactic (embrace) and Strategic Approach (withdraw). This combination manifests itself very differently because a Power of Imagination character’s overarching personal philosophy and view of self is poles apart from that of the Power of Idealism character.

Long-term Orientation is the prism through which a character sees everything. The same tactics and approach can create totally dissimilar strengths and weaknesses, problems and opportunities because the two characters view the world so differently.

Why aren’t viewers more enthused? Want a quick take-away line: The audience needs to be actively concerned about a character’s sanity, safety or soul to be truly engaged.

Power of Idealism

Mark-Paul Gosselaar plays the show’s hero and nominal protagonist, Jerry Kellerman, a lawyer in the New York City public defender’s office. He is a classic Power of Idealism character. Kellerman is rebellious, passionate, intense, short-tempered and given to explosive dramatic grandstanding on principle. Think of a late-twenties, at the beginning of his career, John McCain with floppy (slightly greasy) hippie-length hair and a baggy suit. Not a pretty sight, and for my taste, an over the top portrayal. There’s too much flailing about and not enough deep smoldering danger, which is key to the most delicious angry young man characters.

Power of Conscience

Jane Kaczmarek, plays Judge Trudy Kessler, Kellerman’s nemesis with an Ann Coulter-style mean streak. Judge Kessler is a Power of Conscience character gone a bit to the Dark Side. She is smart, inflexible, harsh, a stickler for rules and proper conduct and very concerned with “judicial process.” She’d be much more interesting if her desire to rise in elective office were driven by duty and sense of mission rather than the desire for personal accomplishment. She’s a bit blurry right now. Hillary Clinton at her steely best would be a good model here.

Power of Ambiton

Melissa Sagemiller plays Michelle Ernhardt, Kellerman’s girlfriend, and a young prosecutor. She is a beautiful highly-motivated Power of Ambition character who will do anything for a “win.” She is willing to bend the law until it breaks, play fast and loose with the facts and wants to rise quickly in the prosecutor’s office. Not suprisingly, Ernhardt and Kellerman repeatedly clash but their arguments are predictable.

Not Enough Personal Urgency

Unfortunately, everyone is pretty much a stock character without the deep rich internal conflicts so viscerally present in Bochco’s sensational NYPD Blue. There is little personal urgency for any of the characters. The audience doesn’t need to worry for principal character, Jerry Kellerman, like they worried for Andy Sipowicz. The wrenching internal struggle for the character is absent and so the audience’s emotional bond is weak.

The setting has urgency and certainly, crime and punishment is always a high stakes arena. That’s not enough. The audience needs to be actively concerned about a character’s sanity, safety or soul to be truly engaged. The audience should be forced to tune in because personal disaster is always right around the corner. It’s like cheering for your favorite sports team– if you don’t tune in and personally “will” them to victory they could lose! And if they lose, then next time they need you all the more!!

Lack of Complexity

Equally problematic for Raising the Bar, are its rather pat simplistic stories. Everything gets wrapped up neatly in less than 44 minutes. I understand the need to have “stand alone” episodes for commercial reasons but short-cutting story and tidying loose ends in a hurry can cripple authenticity and credibility. Too often the show does this and doesn’t “feel” real. The iconic Law and Order, an endless replayed staple on TNT, does this much better.

The degree of “innocent” accused criminals also hampers authenticity. It is stereotypical to portray everyone represented by the public defender’s offfice as guilty. But it begs credulity to believe so many of those charged are somehow “not guilty.”

Most of the cases have a racial angle and reach for social significance, a Bochco trademark. But in Raising the Bar the really tough questions of racism and the wrenching struggle to protect the rights of individuals vs the safety of society are not tackled in a complex, emotionally gut-wrenching way. NYPD Blue had a much more intense, multi-layered and explosive take on racism that brought the topic alive and made it feel real and very urgent to the story.

At this stage, the show lacks sufficient authenticity and personal urgency to be a hit. I don’t feel compelled to tune in and it looks like many viewers who initially gave the show a look aren’t compelled to come back. Raising the Bar has a second season order but Bochco and company will have to dig deeper if they want a third season.

They offer a broad diverse but incredibly consistent view of the struggles, values at stake and conflicts involved in growing-up and defining one’s self as an individual.  Get out your Netfilx list!  Drop me a line if I’ve missed one of your favorites.

▪  The 400 Blows
▪    8 Mile
▪    Almost Famous
▪    Amarcord
▪    American Graffiti
▪    Angus
▪    Au revoir, les enfants
▪    The Basketball Diaries
▪    Bend It Like Beckham
▪    Boyz n the Hood
▪    The Breakfast Club
▪    Breaking Away
▪    The Chosen
▪    Cinema Paradiso
▪    Dead Poets Society
▪    Dear Frankie
▪    Diner
▪    Dirty Dancing
▪    Donnie Darko
▪    Driving Lessons
▪    East of Eden
▪    Educating Rita
▪    Endless Love
▪    Footloose
▪    Giant
▪    Girl, Interrupted
▪    The Graduate
▪    A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
▪    Juno
▪    The Karate Kid
▪    Labyrinth
▪    The Last Picture Show
▪    The Lion King
▪    A Little Romance
▪    Little Women (1949 film)
▪    The Lost Boys
▪    Love & Basketball
▪    My Brilliant Career
▪    My Girl
▪    Old Yeller (1957 film)
▪    The Outsiders
▪    Pretty in Pink
▪    Real Women Have Curves
▪    Reality Bites
▪    Rebel Without a Cause
▪    A River Runs Through It
▪    Say Anything…
▪    Sixteen Candles
▪    Sounder
▪    Splendor in the Grass
▪    St. Elmo’s Fire
▪    Stand by Me
▪    Summer of ’42
▪    A Walk to Remember
▪    Whale Rider
▪    What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
▪    The Wild Ones
▪    White Oleander
▪    Y tu mamá también

John McCain’s campaign slogan during the primaries was: “Never Surrender.”

The words McCain and others use in describing him and his campaign are:  courageous, hero, honor, valor and maverick.  When he is criticized his opponents often use words like:  hot-tempered, cranky, loose cannon, temperamental and stubborn. These are the keywords in describing or deriding a Power of Idealism character.

Power of Idealism characters often play the role of the rebel, the outsider, the iconoclast or the maverick.  That has always been McCain’s role in the Republican party. He has prided himself (whether true or not) on his independence, autonomy and straight talk.

His statement on his current campaign his website is:  “I am running for President of the United States because I believe in the greatness of this nation as a beacon of goodwill throughout the world.”

These characters often look to the greatness of a more glorious and noble past. Their stories often take place at the end of an era.  McCain harks back to what he sees as a nobler era of American world dominance.

He views patriotism in terms of traditions and symbols.  That’s what the whole flag pin controversy is about.  How can you respect flag and country unless you display it proudly?

Barack Obama is a Power of Imagination character and sees his role, the country and patriotism very differently. I did a detailed analysis of Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton in a previous newsletter.