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‘American Dreams’ then and now
When the third season of NBC’s “American Dreams” begins Sunday night (at 7 p.m.), the parallels between then and now will be obvious.
“American Dreams,” as you may know, is a family drama set against the backdrop of the turbulent ’60s. The Vietnam War is beginning to escalate, and the Pryor family is slowly being torn apart.
Son J.J. is a Marine fighting in the swamps of Southeast Asia. Daughter Meg is a passionate opponent of the war. The parents are agonizing over the whole mess, while their younger children are more or less oblivious.
And everyone is dealing with painful issues surrounding civil rights and women’s rights.
Today we’re in the midst of a bitter political campaign that has the country deeply divided. Is the war in Iraq justified? With more than 1,000 American soldiers dead and the casualty count rising, is the sacrifice too great? Hate crimes are on the rise, and individual rights are being whittled away.
“American Dreams” succeeds on many levels: the brilliantly re-created music from the Dick Clark TV show, the combination of realistic family tensions and abiding familial ties, and the willingness to delve into controversy. Besides the war, the show has dealt with birth control and abortion in this devout Catholic family.
Sunday night’s episode finds J.J. in a hospital in Vietnam and Meg heading for trial following her arrest during an anti-war demonstration. Whatever happens to her, it won’t be half as bad as what is bound to happen to her African American friend Sam, who also has a court date.
Singer Brandy plays Gladys Knight in the “Bandstand” sequence, singing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” Other musical numbers include Gavin DeGraw doing Smokey Robinson’s “The Tracks of My Tears” and Ben Taylor doing the Beatles’ “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.”
In many ways, “American Dreams” is the soundtrack of our lives then and now. If you’ve been longing for a television drama with heart, warmth and meaning, this is it.
Stop the presses!
Bill O’Reilly confesses to Mike Wallace on this Sunday’s “60 Minutes” (6 p.m. on CBS) that he may not vote for President Bush this time around. The 37th season premiere of the newsmagazine sounds like a big ol’ bombshell.
O’Reilly, the love hound of conservatives everywhere, says in an interview with the Associated Press that he’s known Democratic nominee John Kerry for 25 years and considers him “a patriot. I’m listening to what he has to say.”
Yikes! Rush Limbaugh is gonna have O’Reilly’s commie-pinko hide!
O’Reilly also told this stunned Associated Press reporter, who was just writing a little advance for the “60 Minutes” opener, that he is pro-gun control, anti-death penalty and favors gay adoption over state custody of children.
Any minute now, pigs are going to fly.
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