HBO photo: Michael Tackett
I received a copy of Terminal City in the mail sometime in early August. I have to admit that after glancing at the accompanying promotional materials, I had little to no interest in viewing the ten hour mini-series. It was about a woman with cancer, who somehow how ends up with her own reality series. I thought the subject matter was too depressing and I set it aside. Later that day, I decided to give Terminal City a try, because I’m a fan of Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal) who plays the husband of the cancer patient in the series; I’m glad I did, because Terminal City turned out to be one of the most provocative, emotionally gripping dramas about family relationships I’ve seen in a long time.
Terminal City originally aired on Canadian television in 2005. The Sundance Channel ran the series in the United States beginning in March of 2008. Katie Sampson (Maria Del Mar) is an attractive, if somewhat sarcastic, forty-something wife and mother. Married for 18 years to architect husband Ari (Gil Bellows), the couple have three children: eldest child Sarah (Katie Boland), who at that awkward stage between teenager and adulthood is dealing with her new found sexuality; middle child Nicky (Adam Butcher), is the slacker, experimenting with drugs and battling raging hormones; and the youngest child, Eli (Nico McEown), has a strange fascination with death–and Christianity, which baffles his Jewish family. Also in the mix is Ari’s father Saul (Paul Soles), a Holocaust survivor still dealing with scars–and mounting anger.
From the start, we realize something is wrong with Katie. Her family is concerned because she’s drinking more, refusing phone calls and developed an obsession with golf. Soon, Katie reveals a recent diagnosis of breast cancer to her family. Understandably, the news has a different emotional effect on each family member. While most dramas about cancer or any potentially terminal illness focus on the patient and/or family, this is where the makers of Terminal City took a whole different tact.
On a visit to the hospital for follow-up exams, Katie accidentally stumbles onto the set of Post-Op, a ratings-deficient reality TV show about “real accidents, real life, real injuries” that brings the pain of patients into Canadian homes. Perhaps it was Katie baring her breast and swearing on live television that did it, but she becomes a media sensation, suddenly drawn in (over the course of the first couple of episodes) as host of her own reality series documenting her cancer fight. Granted, a bit of creative license is taken to make this story plausible, I thought it was totally unbelievable that any hospital would allow live television cameras to broadcast dying patient interviews. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that in this day and age of reality television and our 24-hour news cycle mentality, anything is possible.
As the popularity of Katie’s show grows (now retitled No Show), her family struggles to come to grips with her potential death. Sarah and Nicky further explore their potentially catastrophic sexual urges and Saul’s frustration reaches a boiling point. The series really comes off like Terms of Endearment meets Network; you have all of the family dynamics and issues on one side, but on the other, you have a group of network executives who are more concerned about ratings and money than compassion and understanding.
I have to say, the visual style of Terminal City is amazing. The series uses frequent dream sequences that add a real sense of potential death to the proceedings and employ a layer of darkness when needed. Aside from that, the production design, art direction and cinematography are stunning, with the camera, lights and sets always used perfectly. The visuals pop, constantly catching your eye. (The DVD package design is fittingly gorgeous.) Both Boland and Butcher give strong performances as the two older children and their storylines add unexpected strength to the series. However, the star here is Maria Del Mar, who is allowed to be completely mercurial as a woman on the verge of death.
The 1.78:1 transfer is non-anamorphic, and while there are intentional stylistic approaches to the visuals–frequently colorful yet dark, with brown tones alternating with colder blues and grays–you’ll notice some grain, and the black levels aren’t always balanced well.
The 2.0 surround track is average; some scenes feature lines of dialogue that are too low. You’ll also notice a few scenes, especially in the first two episodes, with a mild white-noise, lines that have a slight echo-effect. English subtitles are also available.
The special features are limited.
• Interviews (45 minutes) – Cast and crew discusses making the series and what they believe is its biggest impact. Interviewees include: Series creator/executive producer Angus Fraser, director Lynne Stopkewich, actors Maria Del Mar and Gil Bellows.
