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Radha Mitchell’s quickening careerI have mixed feelings about this week’s news about Radha Mitchell’s upcoming TV show.
On the one hand, I have wanted to see Mitchell featured ever since I saw her in High Art.
Sure, the movie was depressing, but the relationship between Syd (Mitchell) and Lucy (Ally Sheedy) was, well, hot.
So initially, I loved the idea of Mitchell as LAPD detective Maggie Bird in an A&E series, The Quickening. And the show’s pedigree — it’s written by Jennifer Salt who produces Nip/Tuck — gives the promise that the series will be well done.
However, the premise presents a bit of a conflict for me. Here’s how the press release describes The Quickening: Mitchell’s character faces the dilemma of having to choose between her meds and her profession. She’s a brilliant detective — so long as she doesn’t take the medicine that regulates her bipolar disorder. That screech you heard was me, slamming on the brakes. If you know anyone affected by bipolar disorder, you already know why. I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, so I can’t speak to the physiological causes and effects of the illness. But I can tell you this: the myth that medication for bipolar disorder takes away creativity is not one that needs to be perpetuated. Saying that is somewhat hypocritical, of course, since I love United States of Tara. In that show, Toni Colette plays a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder who decides to go off the medication that keeps her personalities united. The premise gave me pause, but Tara and her family understood the consequences of stopping her meds and are still struggling with whether those consequences are too great.
Perhaps The Quickening will deal with bipolar disorder realistically and show that just because Maggie believes she’s functioning well doesn’t mean she is. And perhaps the show will give equal weight to the depressive side of the illness that tends to stop functioning altogether. I hope so, because not watching Radha would make me feel like a heel.
What do you think of The Quickening? Will you watch? Do TV shows make light of mental illness or do they help remove the stigma of such conditions? Submitted by on October 16, 2009 - 3:00pm. |
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I willlll watch! shes
Rahda Mitchell
I love Rahda Mitchell. I loved Silent Hill and I didn't think Surrogates was as bad as critics did. It was a fun sci-fi action movie. I will give Rahda's new show a try. The bipolar aspect is a personal issue for me so I hope they do it well on the show. If not I might not stay tuned in
WOOHOO!!! I love her!!! but
WOOHOO!!! I love her!!! but um... "The Quickening" If this show isn't about immortals running around chopping off each others head because there can be only one then they need to change the title and fast.
-I speak in random thoughts
Highlander!
Luna- I give you MAD PROPS for the 'Highlander' refrence! :0)
And yes- I will be watching this show b/c (1) there aren't enough women in starring roles on TV; (2) this character sounds complex; (3) the premise sounds interesting and (4) ever since seeing Radha in Silent Hill, I am convinced she has the best legs this side of Tina Turner.
Arrgh. I was excited about
Arrgh. I was excited about this show until I read the full description. The last thing we need is more negative stereotypes about meds hurting creativity. I am also speaking from personal experience, and just have to say BLEH. Before I was diagnosed, my manic episodes were deeply hurtful to my family, while my depressive episodes were deeply hurtful to me. I am so lucky I was diagnosed - I feel like myself again.
I love Radha Mitchell, but this whole non-medicated bipolar premise is part of the reason I stopped watching Six Feet Under.
Yep, she's fine.
But being a fellow one of those people whose name is spelled wrong constantly, I feel like I need to point out her name is Radha, not Rahda.
Like, Rad-Ha!
Yikes!
Love and other catastrophes
I like her ever since "Love and other catastrophes" (even though I had a little crush on Frances O'Connor, who played her girlfriend in it):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1zJHHjWpnE
The verdict's still out onn whether I'm going to watch The Quickening... I might give it a shot.
_ _ _ _ _
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss)
Love that movie!
I'd say it was actually one of the first movies with lesbian characters I saw, when I was in my early teens. It's pretty Aussie, the typical uni experience here, but I recommend anyone who can get their hands on it to check it out. I feel like it represents a lot of uni life pretty well :P
Plus, you get to see Radha Mitchell and Frances O'Connor make out. Total win there! I was also going to point out her name is spelled Radha, but I see someone already did :)
Yes!
Right There With You...
It was after seeing Radha Mitchell in Love and Other Catastrophes that I first took notice of her and then again in the short film, Sleeping Beauties where she starred opposite Clea Duvall.
If done right The Quickening does sound like one that I'd be interested in watching.
Mara, I'm right there with you on the Frances O'Connor train... loved her in Love and Other Catastrophes, especially when she was on the bench singing the song "Shivers". She was also fantastic in Kiss or Kill, Mansfield Park, and Iron Jawed Angels among others.
♡OTALIA Forever!♡
"I have a simple philosophy. Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches." -Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Although I've seen High Art,
Although I've seen High Art, she's still mostly Catherine from Neighbours to me.
I do like the pose she's striking in the last picture!
ok....
so anyone got any idea when it starts showing, cause i need to when to start trawling isohunt *cough* I mean when to start waiting around for it to be shown in the uk hehe So im not the only lesbian that has a bit of a thing for radha mitchell :)
~sarah
House
Wow.
I don't even care who's starring in that show - the whole concept's pretty offensive. Just by the summaries that the linster included, it really seems like they're playing on the whole meds=crutch thing, along with the dr. jekyll/mr. hyde thing of mental illness/mood disorders.
Mood stabilizers don't work instantly, and it can take time to find a good one. Saying that she has to choose between "her meds" and her career makes it seem like it's more about a chemical dependency than a chemical imbalance - it's like saying that someone's "addicted" to their wheelchair. I'm glad that the linster also drew attention to the depressive side of manic depressive; it does tend to get ignored in media representations because it's not as dramatic as CRAZYCRAZYCRAZY.
On the other hand, at least they're not making her a serial killer.
Wow I'm so glad I read this
Wow I'm so glad I read this article, not only do I know another show I don't have to bother to watch but it totally reminded me to take my meds... oh and I should get back to my painting... that's right kids meds and creativity, watch out!
Ok maybe a bit harsh since I don't know how the show will deal with it, but the premise just sounds lame.
Love Radha though I can just watch Love and other Catastrophes instead of any random thing she is getting paid to do.