Susan Granger’s review of “A GIRL THING” (Showtime TV miniseries)
Aptly named because of its appeal to a female audience, this star-studded, four-hour mini-series revolves around the troubled patients of a savvy, perceptive Manhattan psychiatrist (Stockard Channing). In the first story, an confused, uptight attorney (Elle Macpherson) with a fear of intimacy is unexpectedly attracted to a bisexual advertising executive (Kate Capshaw). Written and directed by Lee Rose, it’s sensitive, spirited and spunky – as are the subsequent stories. But this is the most intriguing with its insightful dialogue and daring, nude seduction scenes. The second segment centers on three estranged sisters (Rebecca DeMornay, Alison Janney, Glenne Headley) with unresolved issues who are forced by their dead mother (Elizabeth Franz) to confront the real meaning of family. In the third tale, a wife (Lynn Whitfield) suspects her husband (Scott Bakula) is cheating, so she hires a “top-of-the-line decoy” (Linda Hamilton) as bait but, instead, discovers he’s having an affair with a waitress (Mia Farrow). A bottle of tequila later, the three furious women plot their revenge. In the final episode, an unstable, seriously disturbed woman (Camryn Manheim) threatens the doctor and a fashion model (Peta Wilson). All four stories deal with challenges of love, trust, vulnerability, betrayal and our fragility as human beings trying to establish and maintain relationships despite our own insecurities. In a memorable supporting role, the caustic owner of a coffee shop (Margo Martindale) provides another link as another “ambassador of lost souls.” On the Granger Made-for-TV Movie Gauge, “A Girl Thing” is an engaging 8, airing in two parts – Sat., Jan. 20, and Sat., Jan. 27 – at 8 PM on SHOWTIME TV with additional play dates Jan. 29 and 30th, at 8 PM. If this were a continuing series, like “Sex and the City,” I’d watch every week.
