by Carol Hsu
“I like being a mess. It’s who I am,” asserts Ally McBeal, a young female professional in her mini-skirt and high heels, the title character in Fox’s TV hit, Ally McBeal. Amazingly, the fragile and sensitive lawyer, who seems unable to handle her life on the small screen, has made Calista Flockhart win many awards. You might wonder what kind of power she has to win so much applause? Well, it’s a long story. Ally McBeal, an ambitious graduate from Harvard Law school, enters a prestigious law firm in Boston. However, fate puts her in the cruelest circumstances imaginable–working with her childhood chum and ex-boyfriend, Billy, whom she always claims to have already gotten over, and with Billy’s engaging and intelligent wife, Georgia. Not only does Ally have to deal with these relationships very carefully, but she also has to cope with other unusual colleagues: Richard Fish, a senior partner of the firm, who has unbearably extreme attitudes toward women and money, which the cast call “Fishism,” and a weird fetish to tickle women’s necks; John Cage, also nicknamed Biscuit, a brilliant lawyer who likes to play confusing tricks, such as whistling through his nose and speaking in jargon; and Elaine, a gossip-starved flirtatious secretary who often comes up with weird inventions like the face-bra (a device worn to prevent wrinkles). Fortunately, Ally also has a clever D.A. roommate, Renee, who knows Ally better than Ally herself, to share with her the bitterness and sweetness of life. Interestingly, while characters with strange personalities provide the basic comedy of the show, Ally herself adds more spice through her powerful fantasies. Thanks to advanced computer technology, viewers can peer into Ally’s mind and listen to her inner voice through fantasy sequences, an ingenious gimmick created by the show’s scriptwriter, David E. Kelly. Special effects such as seeing herself flung from a dump truck, becoming smaller and smaller in an oversized chair, and putting her foot in her mouth visualize Ally’s mental reaction to certain embarrassing situations. In addition, a dancing baby, Cha-Cha, moves from fantasy to real life whenever Ally senses certain feelings for the object of her desire. In fact, fantasy sequences are everywhere in Ally’s life as a counterpart to her real life. Apart from the peculiar visual effects, audio effects also play an essential role in making this show extraordinary. Unlike the music in other TV series, mostly used for filling blank spaces between scenes and dialogue, background sounds and music in Ally McBeal often reflect the emotional state of the characters. For instance, when Ally walks alone on the street feeling forsaken by the whole world, we hear “I’ve been searching my soul tonight. I know there is so much more to life. Now I know I can shine a light,” sung by Vonda Shepard, who is also a singer in the show. Other sound effects like bells ringing and scratching also signify sudden changes in a person’s mood. However, the eccentric quality of this show doesn’t make it surreal. In fact, the unrealistic plotlines, blended with controversial subjects like the unfairness and loneliness of human relationships or the meaning of life, force viewers to think about the meaning of the funny scenes more seriously. Ally herself, who makes efforts to make her suppressed voice heard, becomes the new-age spokesperson for modern women. As a determined and obstinate, tactful and considerate, sensitive and vulnerable woman, Ally McBeal is anything but frail in a male-dominated world. While millions of female viewers identify themselves with Ally, some feminists regard this character as nothing but another stereotype, simply wrapped in a new package. To them, the erratic and neurotic character portrays not female independence in a man’s world, but the incapacity to live without man. They even conclude that Ally is merely a puppet of scriptwriter Kelly to convey his own perception of modern human life. However extreme these opinions are, it is undeniable that viewers around the world enjoy being involved in Ally’s fantasy world, and hearing their unspeakable feelings spoken out loud through such a distinctive character. She lets us see part of ourselves in her and tells us not to be afraid to show our true colors. It is who we are! a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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