Dunder-Mifflin Bids Michael Farewell in Season Seven of The Office

Several years ago, my brother received the first four seasons of The Office on DVD for Christmas. I’d never watched the show before, but a series of January marathons turned me into a certified fan. Recently, I’ve been catching up on what I missed during season seven, wherein Michael Scott, the lovably clueless boss played by Steve Carell, departs from the series.

The Office is a mockumentary-style office sit-com set at the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder-Mifflin, a company that specializes in paper products. As the seventh season begins, two newer characters are beginning to play a larger role. One of them is sniveling Gabe Lewis (Zach Woods), a liaison with the corporate headquarters of Sabre, the company that bought Dunder-Mifflin. He’s a bit annoying, but his vulnerable nature is also endearing.

The other is cheery Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper), the receptionist who took over for Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) during her season five absence. It’s fun to see her settling into being a more regular part of office life, especially since she is probably the character I relate to most. Though she’s a bit ditsier than I am, I think we share a childlike outlook on the world and a general sense of goodwill. I also appreciate her because she is perhaps the only member of the office staff who is genuinely on Michael’s side all the time without hoping to gain something from her support. That allows for several nice moments as Michael’s days on the show draw to a close.

Meanwhile, another newer character returns mid-season to stir things up and is ultimately the catalyst that leads to Michael’s exit from Dunder-Mifflin. This arc is handled in a very satisfying way and allows Michael some of his most mature moments on the show (as well as some of his most ridiculous along the way). All of the other office denizens are up to their old tricks and have added a few into the mix.

Tireless prankster Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and plucky Pam are now married with a daughter, so this season involves a lot of adjustments to their new role as parents, from finding a trustworthy babysitter to getting little Cece to sleep to determining the saturation point at which their coworkers are sick of hearing about their new addition. One of the most interesting episodes involves the christening, which sparks an exploration of meaning for several characters. Meanwhile, Jim’s nemesis, assistant regional manager Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), continues to do everything in his power to bring his rival down and to elevate himself, and we actually get to see what a Dwight regime would look like in one of the season’s most memorable deviations.

Preppy Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) participates in a community theater production of Sweeney Todd in one of the season’s most entertaining episodes, allowing Helms a chance to show off his great voice. The ongoing tension between him and Erin and the budding friendship between him and Daryll Philbin (Craig Robinson), the sage, no-nonsense warehouse manager who now has an upstairs office, adds to the fun of the season.

Accountant Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) demonstrates his intelligence as Erin’s Scrabble tutor but is horrified when Michael temporarily outsmarts him in another episode. Elsewhere at the accountants’ table, sweet but slow-witted Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) experiments with toupees and finds favor with newcomers through his simplistic approach to the world and snippy Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) finds a new romantic prospect in a state senator. Chatterbox Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) sounds like she knows a thing or two this season after undergoing special training, and Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) has ceased to be weirded out by Michael’s excessive attentions and is instead determined to use them to his advantage.

Little has changed for sad-sack public relations man Toby Flenderson (Paul Liebersten), perpetually grumpy Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker), frequently drunken Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) or soft-spoken, sweet-natured Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith), but they all contribute to the general amusement of the season. Elderly oddball Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) is just as peculiar as ever, and his brief reign as temporary manager is deliciously bizarre. Guest roles and cameos from such comedy greats as Will Ferrell, Ray Romano and Jim Carrey are very entertaining, as is Michael’s rendez-vous with Ricky Gervais’s David Brent, Michael’s counterpart on the British version of The Office.

This show draws its strength from its diverse cast of quirky characters, and season seven showcases each of them just as well as the previous seasons. It’s also a significant season because it brings Michael’s time to a close, and as he is arguably the central character, this packs quite an emotional whallop. Michael is one weird individual, but he also has a whole lot of heart, so this farewell season is especially touching. He may not quite be the world’s best boss, but he’s certainly one of the most unforgettable.

Jordin Sparks Takes the Spotlight in Sparkle

During a recent girls’ night out, my friends and I went to see Sparkle, a movie that marks the end of Whitney Houston’s movie career and the beginning of 2007 American Idol winner Jordin Sparks’. Directed by Sam Akil and written by Mara Brock Akil and Howard Rosenman, the movie deals with the formation of a fictional girl group in the late 1960s.

The head of the group is the tempestuous Sister (Carmen Ejogo), who has a beautiful voice and arresting stage presence but is dogged by bad decisions, particularly involving men. Its heart, however, is the titular Sparkle, whom Sparks plays. The younger Sparkle is used to living in the shadow of her sisters , not only the glamorous Sister but the studious Delores (Tika Sumpter), who aspires to be a doctor. While Sparkle has plenty of musical talent, particularly as a composer, she feels uncomfortable in the spotlight and doesn’t want to upset her mother, washed-up singer Emma (Houston), by following her into an industry that nearly destroyed her.

Sparkle has its light moments, and certainly Sparkle herself is meant to be an inspirational figure as she goes from surreptitiously scribbling song lyrics in a book only she sees to performing her own music in front of appreciative crowds. She also gets glammed up, which of course means losing the geeky glasses she sports at the beginning of the movie, something that this proud four-eyes always finds annoying in geek-to-chic-type movies. But the clothes are a minor detail. The important thing is that she is finding her way in the world, with some help from romantic interest Stix (Derek Luke), who knows the music business and thinks she ought to be a part of it.

Because this is a movie about three sisters and their mother, there is a strong family element to it. Each sister is distinctly different but has been heavily influenced by Emma’s strict rules, as well as her troubling missteps. As the oldest who suffered most from Emma’s early mistakes, Sister seems in greatest danger of repeating them, and her storyline is the darkest, delving into issues of domestic abuse and drug use. Because of this, the movie does get a bit gritty at times, but not enough to be a challenge to the PG-13 rating.

For the most part, the music is done well, though I didn’t find any of it particularly memorable. What I enjoyed most were the songs Sparks tackled alone or with back-up, rather than the group songs in which she is relegated to the background. Sadly, Houston’s voice is not in fine form here; she appears unwell throughout the film, which is somewhat appropriate for the character but still difficult to watch in light of the pop idol’s untimely demise.

The cast on the whole is solid, with Sparks and Luke particularly standing out to me. I also enjoyed Curtis Armstrong as Larry, the kind but slightly acerbic executive at Columbia Records who expresses an interest in Sparkle’s group. All told, it’s a fairly forgettable but nonetheless enjoyable movie that is well suited to those who like Motown or Jordin Sparks.

Bill Murray Heads to Summer Camp in Meatballs

Last week, my friend Julie came over for a movie night, and we decided on Meatballs, a 1979 summer camp movie starring Bill Murray toward the beginning of his career. Neither of us had seen it, while my boyfriend has seen it several times and counts it as a favorite. It proved a fun flick that also sparked some discussion about our own summer camp experiences.

Murray plays Tripper, a camp counselor and practical joker who particularly relishes picking on square counselor Morty (Harvey Atkin). At the same time, he truly cares about the kids under his supervision, even if his laconic comments might sometimes suggest otherwise. Many of these kids are return campers, so he already has them pretty well figured out and knows just how to push their buttons. This year, however, he has taken a special interest in a lonely, insecure young man named Rudy (Chris Makepeace).

The friendship that develops between Tripper and Rudy really becomes the heart of the movie, but there are all sorts of side stories going on as this is a camp full of quirky characters, most with goofy nicknames to boot. Among the older campers, the members of the opposite sex are the prime preoccupation. Girls compare chest sizes and read smutty novels; boys spy on the girls and dissect the possible meanings in their interactions with them. As the end of the summer draws near, they also become increasingly focused on beating their slick rivals from a nearby summer camp in the annual multi-event competition, and they don’t care if they have to play dirty to win.

As summer camp movies go, this is pretty typical, though most of the movies of this type that I have seen came afterwards so it may have helped set the standard for them. The movie is full of the sort of hi-jinx one would expect from a bunch of youngsters thrown together for several weeks in a vast outdoor playground, as well as the bonding that occurs as a result of these close quarters. It was filmed on the site of an actual summer camp in Canada, and the scenery is gorgeous. While the camp has a reputation for being a bit on the ramshackle side, the kids couldn’t ask for more idyllic surroundings.

This movie is probably most suitable for the summer months. It left me wanting to jump in a lake and go for a swim, but it’s gotten a little cold for that now that we’re firmly in fall. Still, whatever time of year you watch, it’s a funny, nostalgic look at the joys and traumas of summer camp that makes for good light-hearted viewing.