"EVERWOOD: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Treat Williams as ANDREW BROWN Gregory Smith as EPHRAM BROWN Emily VanCamp as AMY ABBOTT Debra Mooney as EDNA HARPER John Beasley as IRV HARPER Vivien Cardone as DELIA BROWN Chris Pratt as BRIGHT ABBOTT Tom Amandes as HAROLD ABBOTT Not Rated Available on DVD June 16 WBTVonDVD.com Studio: Warner Bros. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
In their second year of rebuilding their family in Everwood, Colorado, the Brown family faces a new set of challenges. After recovering from their mother’s death, new tragedies come their way. Dr. Brown (Treat Williams) is facing the guilt of a whole town after the death of Colin Hart while undergoing surgery. Amy (Emily VanCamp) refuses to forgive him, which drives a wedge into her friendship with Ephram (Gregory Smith), who finds solace in someone else.
WHAT I LIKED
Right now, as a parent, I am more likely to watch old episodes of “Tom & Jerry” or “Power Rangers” with my kids rather than a classic family drama like “Everwood.” This is mainly due to the fact that my kids are all under the age of 10, and they are all boys. However, the time will come down the road that I will be seeing more of these ensemble dramas with the family in our living room.
“Everwood” is a realistic, if not overly angst-filled, drama that has strong storylines for both the parents and the kids. Unlike some other shows that have been given the “Family” label, which feature dramatic arcs for only those under the age of 18 (such as “The Secret Life of the American Teenage” or the sci-fi drama “Kyle XY”), “Everwood” has a much more even setting.
This bodes well for a series, which can capture the interest of not just the teenagers in the house, but also the adults. Of course, the subject matter in this series is a little heavier and darker than some (including death, AIDS and teen pregnancy), so it might not be suitable for the youngest of viewers.
“Everwood” has the feel of the classic family shows like “Little House on the Prairie” and “The Waltons,” and not just because of its somewhat rural setting or location west of the Mississippi. Think of it as a “Brothers & Sisters” show that you can safely watch with your teen... as long as you don’t mind having a family discussion of some issues after choice episodes.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Having not reached the point of watching these family dramas with my entire family, the teen-centric angst did get on my nerves a little bit during this season. In particular, I was tired of the character of Amy, whose emotion (while justified) almost always got in the way of the right thing.
Similarly, as nice as it is to see a series that offers up a slate of gray characters, they did not always take the righteous path, and that was sometimes hard to swallow. In particular, the town blaming Dr. Brown for the death of Colin – from the adults to the youngest kids – was uncalled for. This show presents characters (including the heroic leads) that don’t always do the right thing, and that can be frustrating albeit realistic.
Finally, the show does tend to look down its nose at fly-over country. In particular, there’s some jabs at the community, suggesting that they don’t know the difference between bagels and donuts, which is just downright insulting to anyone living in Colorado.
DVD FEATURES
The six-disc set includes all 22 episodes from the second season. Half of the episodes are presented with scenes not included in the original broadcast.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Families who like classic dramas that parents can watch with their teenagers.
