9/26/2007

The Starter Wife

Director: Jon Avnet

Seven-time Emmy nominated miniseries made for the USA network, based on the chick lit novel by Georgianne Levangie Grazer (Brian Grazer’s wife), The Starter Wife was adapted by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott. Debra Messing reminds us why we all fell in love with Will and Grace returning to comedy in this bright, fun, silly summer romantic comedy helmed by Fried Green Tomatoes director Jon Avnet.

Although we have to forgive the annoyingly forced cute intros to each “episode” that riff on classic Hollywood films and the beginning of the series that starts like a Hollywood version of Desperate Housewives, we’re soon enticed by the funny and topical tale of Molly Kagan (Debra Messing), the wife of a studio boss who must start her life over after her needy husband dumps her for a Britney Spears-like pop princess.

Virtually blacklisted and shunned by the community of wealth and power, Molly retreats to her friend Joan’s beach house where she finds love, a mystery with plenty of foul play and other entanglements in not only her own life but those of her close-knit circle of friends. Emmy winner Judy Davis heads up the supporting cast as Joan, who along with fellow studio head Lou (a great, understated Joe Mantegna) provide support to Molly as she comes into her own to realize what she wants in life for herself and her young daughter. Easily forgettable yet breezy and addictive as a beach read and now available in a two disc DVD set, fans of Messing and chick lit will want to be sure to check it out in time for its premiere as an official new series on USA Network, starting October 10, 2008.







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Posted by Jen Johans