Jessica

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Thread starter #1
I watched it, though I'm still uncertain as to why.

Perhaps it was a yearning for my youth when an Australian period mini series was a real television event.

Whatever the reason , the outcome was a wasted four hours.

One dimensional characterisations, variable acting, and often strange editing resulted in a final product that was disappointing in the extreme. As the final credits rolled I actually laughed out loud which is odd as I was alone in the room.

The story was bleak and grim. I'm told that the book is too, so I guess it's hard to criticise it for being relatively faithful. So I'm left with wondering at the subject choice.

On face value I applaud Network Ten for making Australian mini series. But their choices leave me cold.

Last year's After the Deluge was well acted and directed but again provided little more than a bleak commentary on contemporary relationships. Jessica, a period piece, was just plain bleak with the heroine experiencing an unfortunate and lonely death at the end of night two.

Ten made much of its recruitment of Sue Masters from the ABC. But the results IMHO have been pretty ordinary. Ultimately as a commercial network its Australian content is going to live and die according to their ratings.

It's my view the vast majority of people watch a mini series (or any movie or series for that matter) for escapism. For the most part people will sit through a tale of woe provided the ending is uplifting. But what is Ten serving up? Grim, gritty pieces that reinforce the notion that life is a bleak experience.

After the Deluge was critically acclaimed, but a ratings disappointment. I suspect Jessica will not even achieve the former.
 

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Freo Big Fella

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#2
Originally posted by Wicked Lester
I watched it, though I'm still uncertain as to why.

Perhaps it was a yearning for my youth when an Australian period mini series was a real television event.

Whatever the reason , the outcome was a wasted four hours.

One dimensional characterisations, variable acting, and often strange editing resulted in a final product that was disappointing in the extreme. As the final credits rolled I actually laughed out loud which is odd as I was alone in the room.

The story was bleak and grim. I'm told that the book is too, so I guess it's hard to criticise it for being relatively faithful. So I'm left with wondering at the subject choice.

On face value I applaud Network Ten for making Australian mini series. But their choices leave me cold.

Last year's After the Deluge was well acted and directed but again provided little more than a bleak commentary on contemporary relationships. Jessica, a period piece, was just plain bleak with the heroine experiencing an unfortunate and lonely death at the end of night two.

Ten made much of its recruitment of Sue Masters from the ABC. But the results IMHO have been pretty ordinary. Ultimately as a commercial network its Australian content is going to live and die according to their ratings.

It's my view the vast majority of people watch a mini series (or any movie or series for that matter) for escapism. For the most part people will sit through a tale of woe provided the ending is uplifting. But what is Ten serving up? Grim, gritty pieces that reinforce the notion that life is a bleak experience.

After the Deluge was critically acclaimed, but a ratings disappointment. I suspect Jessica will not even achieve the former.

Was that meant to be her son and one of the Aboriginal Woman's daughters walking off together at the end??:confused:

Other than that, I didn't think it was too bad. I'm a sucker for a period piece though.;)
 

Weagle8

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#3
I watched it too and was quite disappointed by the ending. I'd always wanted to read the book ( simply because my daughter's name is Jessica, silly hey?) but I never got around to it, so I dont know how faithful the mini series was to Bryce Courteney's story.
Often stories that don't have the traditional "happy ending" where everyone gets the joy or misery they deserve, get more critical acclaim because they are more real. But like someone mentioned above, usually we want escapism with an acceptable resolution. I know the ending was unpredictable, but I just felt like it was a let down. I wanted to see her evil mother get her comeuppance and it didn't happen.
 

Weagle8

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#4
Re: Re: Jessica

Originally posted by Freo Big Fella
Was that meant to be her son and one of the Aboriginal Woman's daughters walking off together at the end??:confused:
I thought it was her son and Mary Simpson, the girls' mother but you've got me thinking now, maybe it was one of her daughters.
 
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Re: Re: Re: Jessica

Originally posted by Weagle8
I thought it was her son and Mary Simpson, the girls' mother but you've got me thinking now, maybe it was one of her daughters.
That's what I initially thought. But then Mary Simpson would have to have been early to mid tewenties at least when Jessica had little Joe so I couldn't work it out either.

So maybe it was meant to be one of Mary's daughters.
 

puddingfactor

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#7
Originally posted by Wicked Lester
After the Deluge was critically acclaimed, but a ratings disappointment. I suspect Jessica will not even achieve the former.
Critics were mixed but it rated well - around 1.5 million on both nights.

The dramas which Sue Masters have comissioned could arguably be seen as 'too ABC' for the same network which broadcasts Idol and Big Brother - CrashBurn being an example.

She's doing an okay job but like the rest of the networks, Ten need a big Aussie drama which can perform week in, week out - not just a couple of mini series or telemovies a year.
 
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#8
Originally posted by Weagle8
I watched it too and was quite disappointed by the ending. I'd always wanted to read the book ( simply because my daughter's name is Jessica, silly hey?) but I never got around to it, so I dont know how faithful the mini series was to Bryce Courteney's story.
Read the book about 5 years ago, and from memory the program was pretty accurate, although I couldn't remember that last bit with Joey and presumably one of Mary's daughters being at the end of the book.
 

P_D

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#10
Bleak and Grim??? Pity that's someone's life story :(

Some stories just present themselves. The story of Jessica came to me via a letter from a delightful lady named Margaret Duff. "I'd like to tell you the story of my Aunt Jessica," the letter began and continued for the next ten pages. I was so intrigued that I caught a plane and went to visit her in the small town where she lived. Then, over several weeks, I researched the story of one of the most remarkable young women (hitherto completely unknown) to come out of the early part of the 20th century. After that Jessica (the book) simply wrote itself. It remained the number-one best-seller for the next two years and was voted Australia's most popular book twice. I'd be surprised if you didn't love the character Jessica
http://www.brycecourtenay.com/book-jess.asp
 

choc_a_holic

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#11
Re: Re: Re: Jessica

Originally posted by Weagle8
I thought it was her son and Mary Simpson, the girls' mother but you've got me thinking now, maybe it was one of her daughters.
Yeah I think it was Jessica's son.
Yeah when I first saw the previews I thought it was going to be one of tose series which I hate and don't understand LOL but my mum ended up watching it and so did I. It seemed pretty interesting, and it was so unpredictable! People always suddenly dying!
The ending, I thought was a surprise and let down also, like..all she went through, and she ended up dying from a snake...:eek:...for a mini series which they made it sound, that was definetely not the ending I expected.
In the end, it was pretty sad anyway.

Also, don't ya think Meg looked like Jack LOL Same eyes. And that Jessica has been in Blue Heelers or something hey?
 

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DIG

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#13
I haven't read the book but found the plot a bit far-fetched from watching the mini-series. I get annoyed that Courtenay always seems to kill off characters when they lose their relevance to the plot, or get in the way of it... Plus it's not the first time he's twisted the plot away from the "happy" ending it's headed toward, simply by killing off one of the main characters in unlikely circumstances, in fact it's just about to be expected from him.

Shame too, he is such a good storyteller, I just don't like the way he ends them - endings don't have to be feelgood, but I don't like it when they're unsatisfying (the mum not getting her just desserts) or annoying.

The lass who played Jessica was terrific, direction was a bit average in parts.
 

BomberGal

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#14
I thought it was good. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for sad stories, who knows. ;) I didn't think it was overly unrealistic. I'm gonna have to read the book now.

As for the plot...it's based on a true story. Because I knew that when I watched it, perhaps that's what captured me.

P_D...thanks, that's where I've seen her! (Looking for Alibrandi)

Oh, someone mentioned After the Deluge. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of this? I watched the first half and a small part of the second half, then my sister taped over it (I taped it off TV), unaware that I hadn't watched it. :mad: I really wanna see the rest of it.
 
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