Chicago Tribune | `Close to Home’ pilot is stuck on the dark side

And so it does. On her first day back at her job as a prosecutor, that new mom, Annabeth Chase, learns that the fire that she spotted from her living room window was set by a woman who purposely set her home ablaze — with her two children inside.

Chase, who has a perfect record as a prosecutor, is determined to put her neighbor in jail, until Chase learns that there is much more to the story of the unfortunate woman and her two kids, who, as it turns out, have been the victims of years of domestic abuse.

“Close to Home” is a product of Jerry Bruckheimer’s hugely successful television production company, an efficient machine that has given us the three “CSI” shows as well as “Cold Case” and “Without a Trace.” “Home” shares the top-notch production values of those programs, and Jennifer Finnigan, star of the short-lived NBC sitcom “Committed,” is well cast as a lawyer who frequently alternates between stressed-out new mom and driven seeker of justice.

The trouble with this drama is that it doesn’t veer much from the often dark tone of the other procedurals from the Bruckheimer TV factory. It’s not exactly another “CSI” — it’s more of a “CSM” (“Crime Scene Mommy”) — but the material in the material in the pilot, anyway, is grim.

Hmm. Based on the previews I saw, I was prepared to watch this show, but the setup in the pilot guarantees I won’t identify much with either Suspected Murderer Mommy or Prosecutor Mommy. And although it’s the same night as TAR, I’ll probably watch something else tonight.

Dorothea sighs

All the cool kids are going to see Serenity. And I’m not. Because public transportation around here sucks beyond belief, especially on weekends.

Sigh.

We saw the Big Damn Movie earlier today. After all the lead-up, it was satisfying to see it all on screen, although David warned me the ending might not be completely to my liking. And he was right, but it also wasn’t the standard neatly wrapped package devoid of loose ends.

There was one sequence that seemed kind of unnecessary, and it’s not giving a spoiler away to mention that once again the climax of an SF TV show or movie ends up with a big action scene in a circular shaft containing a spinning spindle thing. However, even this convention did not turn out in the usual manner. What am I talking about? Think Tron. Think Empire Strikes Back. More movies than I can think of right now.

I went to the show wearing a purple corduroy shirt and brown pants. And there was Mal, wearing a burgundy shirt and brown pants. I felt like such a subtle fangirl.

The theater was only about a quarter full (or less). The music was pretty good, the sound effects great, the dialogue as good as the series. Before the previews, the interminable “videos” and ads played with the sound off. This gave us the opportunity to notice that the animated AMC Entertainment Card appears to ejaculate popcorn over the snack bar counter. We’d never noticed it before, because usually there’s music and the sound of popcorn popping.

There was a new “fake movie” trailer that’s actually a PSA for turning off cell phones. We were totally faked out; it started out to be a Lion King ripoff except with bald eagles. Not as good as the Russian peasants crying over their potatoes or the Native American warriors hunting buffalo.

After the movie was over, we drove back in the late afternoon sunlight, and I noticed a lot of people in pure white clothes playing some sort of game on a large stretch of grass near the theater. As we went by, I could see that it was cricket, and that everyone playing was in brilliant white, very correct and proper. There weren’t very many spectators, but the players seemed to be having a good time. Something happened as we passed and they clapped; I imagined they were all saying “Oh, well played” in a variety of different accents.

Oh, and then later we caught the Saturday repeat of “Commander In Chief” and put that on a season pass so we can watch it if it doesn’t conflict with Amazing Race. I liked it a lot, but was distracted by all the little bits that the conspiracy theorists are going to pick apart, looking for pro-“Hillary Clinton in ’08” fodder. It’ll be interesting what actual political independents think of the main character’s stance, since President “Mac” is supposed to be one.

Good thing her momma gave her such a good name, though. President “Buffy” wouldn’t go over so well.