Kinda Like A Rough, Over-acted Draft of Juno

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United States of Tara Pilot Review

One wonders how much clout a Steven Spielberg created series has based on the pilot of United States of Tara. The idea is okay, and certainly fits easily into the “edgy” family subgenre popular on channels like Showtime, HBO, and FX.

But something is lacking in the execution.

Maybe it’s Diablo Cody’s writing. Her trademark hip verbosity is present here as it was in Juno, but occasionally jars with the show’s desire to give a somewhat realistic portrayal of a family living through this situation.

It may be the characterizations. Cody and the extended team of writers have given Tara’s personalities the most grating of stereotypes, in the pilot we are introduced to a horny teen personality as well as a homophobic trucker.

And these stereotypes are not helped by the performance of Toni Collette in the lead role. Whenever she assumes a personality Collette overacts to such an extent it is laughable. She’s a talented actress, you can see that even in the few minutes she has as “normal” Tara, the choices in portraying her character are just not working.

Not grating or stereotypical are husband Max, played by John Corbett as long-suffering but still understanding, and son Marshall (Keir Gilchrist).

Indeed Marshall is probably the best marriage of writing, performance, and tone. He is quirky enough to fit into Cody’s writing niche (he bakes “muffins of triumph” for his sister’s dance performance and has a Cabinet of Dr. Caligari poster in his room and all this while giving off a minituare professor vibe). And Gilchrist’s performance is comic but restrained enough to register as real and plausible, he fits the semi-real tone most of the show seems to be going for.

But of course it is called The United States of Tara and much of the shows success will hinge upon viewers wanting to see Collette overact through her personalities.

My suspicion is it won’t take.

-Dan Benamor