Simply A Masterpiece

People are voting emotionally.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Dharma Freedom Finkelstein (Jenna Elfman) comes from hippie parents, Larry Finkelstein (Alan Rachins) and Abby O'Neil (Mimi Kennedy). Greg Clifford Montgomery (Thomas Gibson) comes from rich conservative parents, Kitty (Susan Sullivan) and Edward Montgomery (Mitchell Ryan). Dharma and Greg met as children riding on the NY subway. They meet again on the San Francisco subway. They go out on a date and get married in Vegas before the date ends. Greg works with his sleazy friend Pete Cavanaugh (Joel Murray) in the DA office. Dharma often goes out with her wild neighbor Jane (Shae D'lyn) with fake accents. Greg moves in with Dharma and her dog Stinky and Stinky's dog Nuncio. Celia is the Montgomery maid. Marci, Claire, and Susan are some of the teachers at the alternative learning co-op. Marlene is the grumpy legal secretary. Donald is the nerdy neighbor and George is the dead Indian.The first season is simply hilarious. Jenna Elfman was a revelation at the time. She's a wacky flighty giraffe. Thomas Gibson is a great foil. The parents are great. Jane and Pete are terrific sidekicks. The show is set up to run on that formula for many years. The first three episodes of the second season takes a huge swing with Dharma and Greg adopting the cashier girl's baby. It may be commendable but it's too big of a swing. It's too serious and throws the show off balance. It's a move that should be done only when a show gets stale or builds up a reserve of audience patience. The third season has Greg quitting his job. It changes the couple subtly and changes the dynamics of the show. Even the elevator stops at the right place and Greg loses his workplace. It takes the rest of the season to reconstitute his workplace with Pete and Marlene. The forth season starts with another dark story of a miscarriage scare. The series works brilliantly as a wacky comedy but Chuck Lorre seems intent on peppering it with some darker material. Dharma's fleeting kiss with college professor Charlie is the last straw. That damages the heart of the show which is the love between Dharma and Greg. Even Lorre's vanity card mentions the declining ratings. The fourth season ends with an ill-fitting cliffhanger. The ratings continued to plummet for the fifth and last season and the end was inevitable.

I absolutely adore this show! I can't find anything else that quite compares. It's romantic, it's funny, it's witty, it's silly and it's fun. It's brilliantly written and acted perfectly with characters that actually make me laugh, unlike other sitcoms. It's the perfect example of how opposites attract and the comedy that ensues as the characters react to lifestyles or situations they wouldn't otherwise encounter. Above all, it's a show about love, respect and open communication. Dharma and Greg epitomize the perfectly imperfect fun loving relationship. I love watching re-runs (I bought the whole series) in my kitchen while I make dinner. It's light hearted, makes me feel good and entertains me while I cook. I only wish there were more episodes!

The charm of this show,built around the "Opposites Attract" construct of two disparate sorts--a sexy,pretty,"Flower Child" Messeuse and Yoga Instructor(Jenna Elfman)and a button-down,conservatively raised lawyer(Thomas Gibson)--had almost four seasons of wit,charm and good pacing and energy(about a season or two more than the ensuing show from producer Chuck Lorre "Two and a Half Men")before the show's character relationships seemed to hit a wall. Not surprisingly,the show went off the air not long after that. Very good supporting turns by Mitchell Ryan(as Greg's dad),Alan Rachins(as Dharma's dad)and Susan Sullivan(As Greg's mom)kept the show running(sometimes flat-out stole the show)augmented the show's make-up,so it was able to sustain some momentum WELL after the initial disconnect was established. Not as populous in syndication as I initially believed it might be,it's worth some looks.

This show is on our list for the best TV comedy show and rates a BIG FAT 10.We know the premise is unrealistic and the characters are a lot off-center but the show ALWAYS makes us laugh out loud. There are a lot of shows that make us chuckle, but it rare to find a show that can consistently produce real laughter. Even when we see the same show again and again, we still laugh. What a treasure and a treat.As goofy as this story is the actors make it work. Now if we can only get seasons 2-5 on DVD we will be happy campers and we will never have to have a day without a laugh again.