Undescribable Perfection

So much average

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Another Norman Lear hit detailing the problems that African Americans had to go through in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s.With Esther Rolle and husband along with 3 children living in a Chicago high-rise project in a predominantly black neighborhood, the show depicted what black people were going through with a landlord (black agent Mr. Bookman) as well as prices and the day-to-day problems of just existing.The 3 children depicted how people seem to face their problems differently- from the comical JJ to the militant Ralph Carter, to their daughter who also aspired to attain success, this show was a perfect description of African-American life.

Knock on any door in the low-income areas of America and you will find the Evans family - black, white, hispanic, etc.This was an accurate account of a family living week-to-week. It was the 70s, but the problem still exists today.Just the right amounts of comedy and drama made this show believable. It stood above the other African-American-type shows because it was real.I think John Amos, as the family patriarch James Evans, was the cornerstone of the show. Would he be happy or mad when he walked through the door? If mad, it was only because he had to struggle with racial problems and low-income jobs in order to support a family of five. I thought Amos was truly superb in his role. Esther Rolle as Florida and the rest of the cast could draw tears from the audience as easily as they could draw laughter.The fact that they could show comedy through the drama makes it, I think, one of the top 10 television series of all time, even though it declined after John Amos left.

Back in 74 Eric Monte made the classic T.V show Good Times. JJ has always been my favorite and I love watching the Reruns on T.V Land. Jimmie Walker always seemed to be the star and not Esther Rolle. John Amos most of the time felt a little jealous of Jimmie Walker's popularity winning millions of fans time to sit and watch Good Times. The show would have been dead if JJ would't have been there to save it with his always Kool Aid attitude. Drinking KOOL AID was like his favorite thing on the show. I was 3 when it came out and 8 when it ended. Instead of 1974-1979 it should have went longer like in the 1980's when I was just growing up.

The lives and times of the Evans family living the projects of Chicago.I saw this on TV originally when I was a kid. Being a white kid from a suburban neighborhood I found the show quite disturbing. It WAS funny but they didn't soft peddle (too much) what it was like growing up in poverty. The language was tame, there was no violence and no sexual talk at all but it still addressed serious issues like racism, sexism, gang violence, death, living in poverty etc etc. It was all treated within the bounds of TV--but "All in the Family" and "Maude" were pushing the envelope of what could be said (and shown) on TV at that time so "Good Times" got away with some pretty hot issues.Seeing it again it still holds up...but I don't find the laughing at some REAL serious issues that funny anymore. Still they could probably only get it on TV that way back in the 1970s.The acting is mostly excellent. Esther Rolle is WAY too goody-goody as the mother--but she pulls it off. John Amos is loud, belligerent and obnoxious--just like a real father. Ralph Carter wasn't that good as the youngest Evans kid Michael--I was always aware he was acting. Jimmie Walker was profoundly annoying as JJ. Stanis was GREAT as the only girl--the insults she let loose as JJ were hysterical.The show started out well but when Amos left after the second season (purportedly over a salary dispute) the show fell apart. Obnoxious JJ (who acted like a TOTAL idiot) took center stage and it became "The JJ Show". Rolle quit in disgust but, after her complaining LOUDLY about JJ, she came back after a year. JJ was toned down considerably and acted more adult. Then next door neighbor Wilonna got Penny (Janet Jackson--yes THAT Janet Jackson) who wasn't needed and the show steadily fell apart. However Ben Powers was a welcome (and drop dead handsome) addition during the last season and it did all end happily with EVERYBODY getting out of the projects. Unbelievable but happy.Still the first two seasons are great and even the last few with Rolle are pretty good. But when it was JJ, Wilonna and the kids it was NOT good--just loud and stupid. So it's well worthing catching the first two seasons and last few.