Entertaining, if not entirely realistic

tlowell5

I caught this show when MTV ran a marathon on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and I was very impressed. From the previous comments and just from watching the show, it is obvious that it is scripted, but I respect that as an artistic choice.

Liz Lee (the character on the show) is a typical misfit teen with artistic leanings. She surrounds herself with other misfits, and does battle with the blonde, popular girls. In this way, the show resembles "Daria", but that's about where the similarities end. "Daria" was animated, satirical, and in every way a cartoon, while "My Life As Liz" is live-action and takes pains to show the misery and angst of teen life in a more human way.

Having said that, "My Life As Liz" is clearly not realism, although it is filmed in a cinema verite style. Liz the character is extremely pretty, brainy, witty, and talented, and yet hangs out with a bunch of overweight nerds (and one popular blonde girl who doesn't want to be pigeonholed as a popular blonde girl) and doesn't have a boyfriend. I fully understand why she is portrayed that way; it lends much more drama and pathos to the story than if she were to live among the circle of people that Liz the real person probably hangs out with. This creative choice is a smart one, and the show is much more successful as entertainment than it otherwise would be.

From reading the other comments, I understand that Burleson, TX is not as remote or dull as Liz the character makes it out to be, but I think Liz the character talks about it that way in comparison to a place like New York, where many young people of Liz Lee's talent and charisma eventually land. As an adult, I can appreciate the convenience of a well-placed Home Depot or Olive Garden, but someone like Liz, a young aspiring artist, has bigger thoughts in mind, and it is perfectly natural for her to want to get out of wherever she is to a place where she can realize them.

The style of the show is very arresting. I was drawn in from the very earliest scenes that I watched, not the least by Liz's acting ability and charm, but also by the naturalness of the dialog, the expert cinematography, and the way high-school relationships are portrayed as hopeless endeavors of non-communication and awkward silence. It's so hard to express one's feelings at that age, and the show has a marvelous way of capturing that phenomenon. This is in comparison to a show like "The Hills", where the awkward silences merely pointed out how vapid and shallow the characters were. Here, since the characters are in high school and not fully formed, it makes more sense and draws out more empathy from the viewer. Plus, when they do express themselves, what they say is smart and funny and, their failures to communicate only make the characters more likable.

I predict big things from Liz Lee, and I look forward to another season of "My Life As Liz" or whatever else she chooses to do.

score 8/10

tlowell5 25 November 2010

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2343728/