Stone Cold

For some reason Sunday night, my VCR didn't remember everything I'd programmed into it. So at 8:47 when I glance at the VCR to see what time it is, I panic (well, semi-panic)...it's not recording! And Stone Cold has been on for 47 minutes! ACK. (note to Mrs. WhiteNoise, if you got a second job we could afford TiVo and never have to worry about this again)

But I was able to collect myself long enough to hit the record button for later viewing. And I'm very glad I did so. I've seen every episode of Spenser: For Hire that I can (think just about all), ditto for A Man Called Hawk, watched every one of the movies made for Lifetime where they butchered a Spenser novel, and every A&E Spenser movie. And now, most of Stone Cold. I can say without hesitation, that this is the best rendition of a Robert B. Parker character on the small screen.

As I say that, I should point out that only one or two of the principal actors come close to the way Parker described them (Suitcase Simpson and maybe Rita Fiore)...Molly, Jesse, Abby (not too far off, tho)...casting guys missed there. But, doesn't matter--they owned the parts. Never a Magnum fan, but I'm becoming a huge Selleck fan--he nailed Jesse in every way that Joe Mantegna was never able to nail Spenser. And whoever it was playing Molly made the character just as endearing as the novels do. Bravo.

The writers did a very able job of adapting the novel--dropping some good stuff that could afford to be dropped, tweaking some things to fit their needs better, pasting in huge amounts of Parker's dialogue, and changing the end enough to be satisfying to a TV movie audience but in a way that shouldn't tick off Parker fans.

In the end, we got a well written, nicely paced film. You saw the physical violence and the sickness behind the serial killers (portrayed very well by people I know better from sit-coms); you saw the emotional violence suffered by a rape victim, and saw a flawed, yet controlled Jesse Stone. Trying to come to grips with his life, and not letting it interfere with his work. He's a person "in progress" I guess you could say (if you wanted to sound all Oprah-ish), and Selleck and the writer's grabbed his essence perfectly.

Bravo.


Footnote: my VCR did remember to tape the big gay marriage Simpsons episode. Was rather disappointed. Not because of the acceptance message (had to know that was coming), just didn't think it was up to their standards. There were some great lines in it, however. And I wish Smithers had been around somewhere...oh, and guess it was good for some confirmation on my suspicions re: Patty.