MovieChat Forums > Who Do You Think You Are? (2004) Discussion > Kim Cattrall - awful

Kim Cattrall - awful

posted 15 years ago by knife_of_justice
9 replies | jump to latest

I was already annoyed at this series being a vehicle for celebrities to excorcise their own family demons, but the Kim C. episode was the straw that broke the camel's back. It didn't expose anything about her roots, her emigration or even her father's side.. it was just a hour long self-satisfied vilification of one person. And am I the only one who thinks that repeatedly calling a 35-years-dead and possibly mentally ill person a "selfish bastard" is a bit in poor taste?

Well, it was refreshing to see the Sex and the City star looking just a little bit out of place in a granny-annex in a deprived Durham surburb, at least. You don't get to see many faces like Maisie Oliver's in New York.

[–] BlueGreen 15 years ago

Ah, but the REAL point of genealogy is precisely to exorcise the family demons. ;)

Anyway, I haven't seen it (yet), but I suppose you're right.
There is something to be said for the old custom of not badmouthing the dead.

[–] suessis 14 years ago

I've seen it and I disagree. One of the points of doing this is to find out about your family history. She certainly did that.
"These are only shadows of the real world..."

[–] avalhon 14 years ago

Sorry to say this, but the OP is totally wrong. When you have a situation like that in your family past, you have to find out the truth and heal the wounds. As for saying only good things about the dead, she was very decent and civilized talking about that biped creature called George Baugh. I doubt many people could have been as calm and civilized as she was. I sincerely doubt.
I can't believe that there are people like the OP saying she was awful in that situation. I'm not even a fan of her or that annoying Sex and the city. But she did incredibly well in a situation when many would have exploded and for good reasons too.

[–] Prelude_in_C_maj 14 years ago

Well there's a similar story unfolding for Bruce Forsythe. I'm watching it now, and he's discovering that a great grandfather of his did something similar -- abandoned one family, started another elsewhere, and abandoned that one too.

Seems there's a lot of it about. I think any person has the right to call even a long dead abandoner nasty names. It's a crummy thing to do. I don't care if they're dead -- their actions were dishonorable and it's fair game to get pissed off about. And as others here have said, it's only by confronting this stuff, discovering it, getting angry about it, and processing that, that you CAN get past it and move on from the initial reaction of being pissed off.

When I think up a decent sig...I'll let you know.

[–] avalhon 14 years ago

Agreed. But try tell that to the OP. Apparently, he or she disagrees.

[–] Irishdrummer007 11 years ago

I thought the Kim Cattrail Episode was really good. One of the best. I really felt for the Sister's after learning what their father did.

[–] shaggydoo1 9 years ago

If I remember rightly, this was about when I lost interest in the whole series. I haven't watched this episode for a while but all I remember of it was how she spent a lot of time travelling about the north and having everything done for her, family research wise. I have done some of my own and it takes more than a few minutes on a laptop and next day a big fat envelope arrives with all the story complete. Pretty much at this point I realised that the family research/history had been dumped to be replaced with travelogues and celebrity weeping.
I started doing my family history, to find out who they were, and where I fit into it. Not to get angry and pass sanctimonious judgement on their lives. Unfortunately this is what the series has turned into and even more sad is it now more popular for doing so.

[–] Prelude (1443) 5 years ago

I wouldn't say the show has become more popular for this - it's not like it happens every week. The Catrall "angry judgement" is the only time I can recall that kind of reaction, actually.

And the show ALWAYS "does everything for them" in regards to family research - did you know that the producers of the show do the research first in order to even find out if there's anything interesting enough to make an episode out of? Of course they "do it all" and don't just let the celebrity do it. It's all prepared in advance because that's how the show works. Rolling my eyes, here....

[–] popedon1 8 years ago

But, don't you admire her honesty? Rhetorical question. Obviously not. But think about it: hasn't she been through enough? All those years looking at Sarah Jessica Parker's ugly mug -- BEFORE make-up!!! -- she deserves a friggen medal.