Searching for Soul in Television and Movies

After watching yesterday's second episode of the new MacGyver reboot, Mark and I had a mini-discussion in the comments of my recap post regarding the show's search for a soul.  Mark called the episode "generic, boilerplate CBS action show fare" which led me to wonder if that was actually the goal: to pattern something after other commercially successful shows in hopes that it will follow.  That may make sense from a short-term, financial perspective, but I would hope that most of the people who work in television also aspire to create art that has a soul -- something that will stand the test of time and be talked about 30 years later, just like the original MacGyver.

This discussion led me to wonder: what makes a tv show (or movie) soulful?  Clearly this is a subjective question and what is soulful for one person will not be soulful for another.  And what do I even mean by soulful?  How about this? It's a show or movie for which in 30 years from now:

• There are websites with fans from all over the world still talking about it.
• You will insist on showing it to your children when they are old enough because of its quality, its distinctiveness, and how much it meant to you.
• You will occasionally (or even frequently) watch it yourself.
• There are plenty of rewatchable moments that you look forward to seeing again and again. 
• You will have wallpapers on your computer, t-shirts, and other momentos to remind you of the show.
• You may even read some crazy blogger who is still talking about it 30 years later.

So back to my question: what makes a tv show (or movie) soulful?  In particular I'm focusing on drama and action/adventure (rather than comedy), and I've come up with 4 key pieces:

1. Setting -- Where does the story take place?  Is it memorable?  Is it distinctive?  Do you like the place?  Are you immersed to the point where you feel like you're really there and can touch it?
2. Antagonist -- How strong is the antagonist in the story?  Is it a villain who seems unstoppable? Is there a task that seems impossible?  The harder the journey, the more rewarding the triumph.
3. Problem Solving -- How does the hero overcome their obstacles?  Is it something clever and impressive, or is it unrealistic and uninspiring?  At some point you should be saying to yourself, "I can't see how he's getting out of this."
4. Music -- Is the music mediocre, memorable, or iconic?  Would you listen to it on your iPod or in the car while driving?

There are two more pieces right below my top 4 that are worth mentioning.  First (or fifth) is the likability of the hero -- the more likable the hero, the more invested you are in the story.  This is normally pretty standard since most heroes tend to be likable, but not always.  For instance my parents tried to get me to start watching Person of Interest, but I found Jim Caviezel's character to be robotic and uncharismatic, and his computer savvy friend was equally uninspiring.

Second (or sixth) is the seriousness of the show and the situation. A little humor in a drama or action/adventure can be a good thing, but is the tone of the show still serious or does the humor or the plot itself become silly enough that it becomes more like a joke?

So now it's time for some case studies!

MACGYVER -- THE GAUNTLET OPENING GAMBIT

I guess the greatest moment in world history is as good a place to start as any.

1. Setting -- The producers went all out in creating an Arabian desert town, and the sand dunes at Pismo Beach create a perfect setting for the second part of the gambit.
2. Antagonist -- Nothing memorable about the bad guys here -- in fact, they're pretty inept (except for the one soldier that actually hits the giant balloon with a bullet).
3. Problem Solving -- the epitome of MacGyver's problem solving prowess.  Using a map in 5 different ways to solve 5 different problems. 
4. Music -- one of the greatest scores of all time, possibly written by God himself.  If I had a CD of this music, I'd play it every day.

Final Verdict: 3 out of 4.  But this is a great example of how strengths in one criteria can compensate for deficiencies in other criteria.  In this case the antagonists are weak, but the problem solving and music are at such a world-class level that it can safely be referred to as the best 5 minutes the universe has ever known.

MACGYVER -- METAL SAW

Let's turn our attention to last night's episode.

1. Setting -- The bulk of the story takes place in Venezuela.  But does it ever really feel like we're in Venezuela? The answer is no, it doesn't. There are a lot of factors that go into this, from location scouting to set design to music, and there needed to be at least one scene that really felt like we were in South America, even if it meant flying Lucas and George to Mexico or Central America for a day of filming.  Capturing that authenticity would have been money well spent.
2. Antagonist -- We basically know nothing about Barrios the arms dealer and only see him right at the very end.  We have no idea how threatening or competent he is, and there's little satisfaction in capturing him when we don't know him.
3. Problem Solving -- it's clear from everyone I've heard from that the MacGvyerisms move way too fast in the reboot.  It's only meaningful if we know and can process what MacGyver is doing, and it made him more relatable when in the original version he looked around the room for a minute and thought about what to do.  But so far in the reboot I can't appreciate where he's finding all the materials or how he's able to put them together because it's happening too quickly.  One more note about the reboot -- I think they should get rid of Riley (sorry, Riley).  She's a fine character and a good actress, but what is the fun in seeing someone push a few buttons on a computer and then say, "We found the bad guy in San Francisco" or "I shut down the cameras in the compound." There's no challenge in that which we as the audience can relate to, so it's not compelling.
4. Music -- I've heard many MacGyver fans talk about wanting a CD with the original MacGyver music.  In fact, you could fill at least 5 CDs with the amazing scores that aired on that show. Was there any part of the Metal Saw score that you'd listen to in the car on your way to work? I don't mean to be too hard on the musicians working on the show -- it's much easier said than done to create memorable soundtracks on an episode by episode basis.  That said, if I was in charge of the reboot, I'd call Randy Edelman or Ken Harrison and say, "Name your price."

Final Verdict: 0 out of 4.  

A few other MacGyver Notes:

The Prodigal (my #2 episode): 4 out of 4, with world class problem solving and music.

Mask of the Wolf / Ghost Ship: the setting is everything for me.

Honest Abe / The Mountain of Youth: My two least favorite episodes fits my 6th corollary.  When the plot and/or the dialogue drifts into the farcical, then the house of cards comes swiftly tumbling down.

THE ROCKETEER
An underrated movie that didn't do well at the box office but has many devoted fans (and is in fact in the process of being remade).

1. Setting -- 1930's Hollywood.  Fantastic locale which you feel like you're a part of.
2. Antagonist -- The hero, a down-on-his-luck pilot,  is only up against the mob and the Nazis. No big deal!
3. Problem Solving -- Great ending when he's surrounded by the mob and the Nazis (at the Griffith Park Observatory, no less) and you're wondering how in the world is he getting out of this one.
4. Music -- One of the best Disney songs ever.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 4.

TOMORROW NEVER DIES
Let's talk about my favorite Bond movie!

1. Setting -- My favorite are all the Germany scenes.  Feels like a great place for a spy movie.
2. Antagonist -- The lead bad guy is a little kooky ("I'll destroy the world and then cover it on the evening news!") but Stamper, his big blond henchman, is a great villain.
3. Problem Solving -- One of my favorite things about the movie.  Lots of memorable escapes by Bond, including the pilot ejector seat in the beginning, the ingenius use of the cell phone to thwart Soft Touch's Vincent Schiavelli, and the clever removal of Stamper's knife from his body to cut his vest loose at the end.
4. Music -- An incredible soundtrack and one that I still listen to.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 4.

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
Now let's talk about the greatest movie of all time!

1. Setting -- Utah red rocks, Venice canals, Austrian castle, German countryside, Middle Eastern desert and temple.  Sounds good to me.
2. Antagonist -- "Germany has declared war on the Jones boys!"  You want long odds, menacing villains, and high stakes?  How about battling the Nazis (including a face to face meeting with Hitler himself) for the Holy Grail with the fate of the world at stake?
3. Problem Solving -- I'd say the end of the movie has that covered.
4. Music -- Perfection.

The entire movie is literally one immensely rewatchable scene after another, and the underrated opening (where Indy is a young kid looking for the Cross of Coronado) is brilliantly crafted and sets up the entire movie.

Now compare that to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which was panned by just about everyone. The acting is fine and the dialogue is ok (I like some of the banter between Indy and Marion). But in trying to think of even one scene that I would really look forward to watching again, I can't think of a single one (though I did only see the movie twice and don't remember everything).  The setting and action scenes are overly CGI'ed, the villains are underdeveloped (like Indy's sidekick who turns on him, but we barely know who he is to begin with), and there aren't any memorable or clever escapes at least that I can remember.  Probably doesn't help that Harrison Ford was 66 at the time.

Other TV Shows

• Burn Notice -- I'm currently watching it for the first time and just started Season 5. Michael is a competent and likable hero, and the Miami setting is a big draw.  There are lots of colorful bad guys too including Carla, Larry, Simon, Vaughn, Strickler, Gilroy, Kendra, and Brennen. On the other hand, the "Westenisms" move too fast (similar to the new MacGyverisms), and there haven't been too many episodes that have really resonated with me emotionally.  So I'm not sure that I would rewatch it again, but I'm still enjoying it.
• Hawaii Five 0 -- similar to Burn Notice in that the setting is a major selling point and a way to differentiate the show from anything else currently on tv, and the characters are great and work well together.  Also like Burn Notice, I don't see myself rewatching it again once it's off the air.  Other than the episode about the Japanese internment camps which I brought up with Peter Lenkov, there aren't enough truly memorable moments where I could see saying to my kids someday, "You gotta go back and watch this series."
• 24 / Prison Break -- I put these two in the same category.  Both are a bit on the dark side for my tastes, but they're so smartly written that I would go back and watch them again some day (and in fact I rewatched the first 5 seasons of 24 a few years ago). And the villains are such bad people that it's satisfying to see them taken down.
• Quantum Leap -- I'm almost two-thirds through my rewatch of the series, and it's been a real pleasure.  The major selling point for me on this show is the likability of the hero.  Sam Beckett is just such a good guy, and his friendship with Al makes for a great partnership.  Add that to unique settings for each episode, compelling storylines, and significant challenges, and you have a recipe for a soulful show.

If you've made it this far, then God bless you and thank you for humoring me by reading my stream of consciousness.  I could go on and on and cite the seemingly all-powerful army of techno bad guys in Enemy of the State, or the incredibly clever, against all odds legal maneuver of Lt. Caffee in A Few Good Men, the colorful setting and music evoking 1840's Spanish California in The Mask of Zorro, and the beautiful farmland in Field of Dreams which was shot on location in Dyersville, Iowa, but I've rambled for long enough.  If these 10,000 words on the topic aren't enough, check out Mark's post on what makes a great MacGyver episode.

At the end of the day, this is just one man's opinion.  And I live in a society where The Bachelor is a ratings juggernaut and Donald Trump could be weeks away from being the leader of the free world, so maybe my opinion isn't representative when it comes to tv networks trying to find the right recipe to appeal to the American people.  But I still believe that there's a place for good storytelling on television and that quality and ratings need not be mutually exclusive.