Arnav Srivastav
6. The West Wing (1999-2006)
The English dictionary is fast running out of words to describe Aaron Sorkin’s cinematic genius and penchant to write. The writing paragon was the creator of ‘The West Wing’, a political drama that revolves around the daily work of the West Wing in the federal government. The broad ensemble included names like Martin Sheen. Allison Janney, Rob Lowe, and John Spencer. The critically acclaimed show was often praised for its interactive and practical writing by Sorkin and often came under the spotlight for predicting political events in real life.
5. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Watching the film just reminds me how much I miss Heath Ledger. The ingenious Aussie was a jewel of the industry and lit up the screen with his personality and charm whenever he took to the screen. ’10 Things I Hate About You’ is almost like an Indian movie where the time of one’s life is the only thing different. Like in India, a younger sibling can’t get married until his elder sibling does. Similarly, the movie mimics the tradition in teenhood where Cameron can’t date because his elder sister is single. He must now find a means to set things right and be unified with his true love. The young cast of actors, now A-list performers, were a surprise package and won over everyone with their exuberance and talent.
4. Mom (2013-)
‘Mom’ revolves around the life of Christy, a young mother who tries to leave behind her rebellious past which resulted in her becoming a teenage mother. Her overdramatic and independent mother, Bonnie, is her guiding force and the destructive condiment in her life. Allison Janney stamped her authority on television as a queen with this show and made history for a record number of nominations in consecutive seasons. ‘Mom’ makes sure to juggle perfectly between comedy and the integrity of the familial relationship.
3. Masters of Sex (2013-16)
You wouldn’t really expect a show today to travel back in time to the 50’s. But ‘Masters of Sex’ does so with the precision of a surgeon and conviction of Lionel Messi. The LA Times sums up the show perfectly in the following words: “The series hangs on bones of fact; it’s more useful for the viewer to think of it as all made up. Because, mostly, it is, and because to the extent it tells the story of two real people, it also adorns the telling with dramatic practicalities, invented characters, and narrative detours. Indeed, it’s down these side streets, casting a brief light on a passing character (patients, prostitutes, a provost’s wife), that the show finds many of its best moments.”
2. The Help (2011)
‘The Help’ is an underrated masterpiece of the 21st Century. Its importance in tackling themes like racism and prejudiced affluent culture of America surely isn’t measurable in words. Skeeter is an open-minded struggling writer who can’t seem to get her head around a plausible subject. Her hubris friends and cynical mother have no effect on her as she lands a job as a columnist in a newspaper and finally finds her subject matter. She chooses to account the various troubles faced by the domestic helps in white upper-middle-class households, who are usually black. Riding on stunning performances from its egregiously talented leads, ‘The Help’ emerges a triumphant social commentary on the racist and prejudiced society that is both disconcerting and eye-opening.
1. I, Tonya (2017)
Tonya Harding’s incredulous story comes to life with this exhilarating feature film. Robbie plays the eccentric world champion and uncovers the dirty and corrupt officials in the game. But it is Janney who steals the show with a sublime showing as her competitive and at times cynical mother who is also her coach. Her brazen play earned her accolades left and right fetching her a Golden Globe for her performance.
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