Wednesday October 6, 2004 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily.com xJbe IGtn g t ART s 7 KING OF THE 'HILL NEW UPN DRAMEDY SHOWCASES THE CHARIS- MATIC TAYE DIGSa By Amanda McAllister For the Daily THE HOTTEST PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT FROM A DAILY ARTS WRITER "Shark Tale" - The top-grossing movie in theaters over the past weekend, this fish story takes the under-water setting of "Finding Nemo" and spices up the plot with "Shrek"-like humor. Chock-full i of famous voices, this story of an unlikely alliance between a fish and a shark is sure to hook your attention. "Desperate Housewives" - One of ABC's newest programs, "Desperate Housewives" brings surprisingly fresh humor to net- work television. Taking the Sunday timeslot normally filled by "Alias," this new show is filling the void until its predecessor returns in January. "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" - The first work of playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis, "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" is a story of six acquaintances brought together by their addictions. Containing mature content and adult situations, this play utilizes a bleak, dark humor to examine the gritty, raw nature of living on the streets. UPN seems to have developed a knack for pro- ducing likable but bland programs this season. This trend ends with "Kevin Hill," a conventional drama that benefits from a strong central character and a solid script to create one of UPN's better fall shows. Set in New York City, the focus of the show is its title character. Young and arrogant, Kevin Hill (Taye Diggs, "Chicago") is a hotshot attor- ney at a successful law firm. Hill has the same approach in both work and play; a no-nonsense guy, he demands rather than requests and always gets what he wants. His bachelor ways are put on hold, though, when his cousin's death leaves him to care for a baby. Hill's life is turned upside-down by the new arrival which ultimately Courtesy of UPN "I should know not to breast feed in public..." Kevin Hill Wednesdays at 9 p.m. UPN causes him to quit his prestigious job and set up shop at a small, entirely female law firm. With the help of his friends, Hill must find a way to balance his social and professional lives with his unexpect- ed role as a father. Although it plays more like a Lifetime movie than a series, "Kevin Hill" is, at its worst, too heartwarming. Luckily, the sweetness is dispersed with humor; scenes of former flings refusing Hill's request for babysitters are juxtaposed with him dancing around in a hopeless attempt to enter- tain the baby. There are constant comparisons of Hill the bachelor and Hill the father, and as they progress, the scenes of fatherhood gain momen- tum and validity. Even before he learns of his inheritance, Hill is portrayed slightly differently than his friends; he's just as slippery but also more human. There are a few stereotypical characters, includ- ing the gay nanny George (Patrick Breen, "Radio") and the smarmy, but good-intentioned friend Dame (Jon Seda, "Bad Boys II"), but they're established well enough to allow for further development. Diggs oozes charisma and manages to make even the unyielding arrogance of Hill pretty charming, and his performance could easily carry the show. The supporting cast is nondescript, but serve their purpose well. Scenes between Diggs and Breen have the most convincing rapport, while interac- tion with the new boss Jessie (Michael Michele, "ER") points toward promising future chemistry. Solid but unexciting, "Kevin Hill" can boast smart writing, an excellent lead actor and a strong base of supporting characters, but there is little else notable about it. Diggs turns in a strong performance, and every established character and relationship seems to have the potential to go somewhere; whether they make it there is up to the writers. 2f "I Heart Huckabees" - A story of crossed paths, tangled fortunes and strange coincidence, "I Heart Huckabees" is one of the most antici- pated films of the fall. Boasting the talents of Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Mark Wahl- berg and Naomi Watts, this film has the potential of being as good as advertised becauase of the many star cast members who are leading in the film. Paul Taylor Dance Company - One of the giants of the dancing community, Paul Taylor brings his troupe to Ann Arbor this weekend for an event full of rhythmic beauty. The performanc- es will feature pieces including Cloven Kingdom, Eventide 4 and Promethean Fire. Courtesy of the Paul Taylor Dance Company I ABC finds heart in'Sap By Nick Kochmanski For the Daily Yes, it's true. Defying all expectations, ABC's "Wife Swap" - the latest version of the old "My mom sucks, get me a new one" - is actually enjoyable. More than that, the show is surprising good, mixing some funny moments with a poi- gnant message of love. Audiences will be captivated by the antics of the two families as they struggle to deal with Wife Swap the absence of their loved one and the Wednesdays presence of a foreign, sometimes crazed, at 10 p.m. replacement. ABC The basic premise behind the show is really rather simple. Two families swap mothers for two weeks. During the first week, the mothers must adhere to the rules of the family. The second week, however, the new mothers get a chance at revenge, forcing the family to live by their new, often comical, rules. While the basic idea may seem simple, the drama that unfolds is what makes the show worth watching. In the first episode, Lynn, a rural mother who operates a log splitting business, and Jodi, a rich heiress who spends her days working out and shopping, must switch families. Right off the bat, the two ladies feel uncomfortable in their new environment. Jodi immediately begins to battle the rural- minded Brad over everything from cleaning duties to wood cutting, while Lynn attacks workaholic Steven for spending only one hour a day with his kids. The two ladies then introduce their own set of rules, meant to teach the families a lesson. In Jodi's case, Brad is forced to do all of the domestic tasks and help with the log splitting business. He complies with the rules and learns something about himself in the process, above all that he really loves his own wife. Steven, on the other hand, acts completely child- ish. Deciding that spending more time with the family is just too much to bear, he visits the gym after work, completely blowing off the family dinner Lynn had planned. In addition to this, Steven mocks and otherwise ridicules all of Lynn's beliefs. The poor woman is actually forced to leave the apart- ment. Steven retains his wife, but the expression on his face when Jodi proclaims her wish to spend more time with the family is priceless. Audiences can expect this sort of situation every week. When the families are reunited, it becomes painfully clear that all of the parties have learned something from the endeavor - except, perhaps, Steven. It's these lessons that make the show so enjoyable. Simply put, despite being overly dramatic at times, "Wife Swap" actually has a message behind it, which sets it apart from the other trashy reality TV shows out there. By Lindsey Bieber Daily Arts Writer What happens when a train full of legendary rock 'n' roll performers do nothing except make music and feel the highs of life for five straight days? The result is shown in a behind-the-scenes documentary about the lesser known Canadian Wood- ______________ stock, "Festival Festival Express." Icons Express such as Janis Jop- lin, the Band and At the the Grateful Dead Michigan Theater were just a few of Think Films the musicians per- forming at the event. The tour had its first show in Toron- to, where it was met with thousands of delighted supporters at an open theater. However, the mounted police officers were met with less than pleased fans outside the gates. Believing that the $14 tickets were too expensive, they began to riot. They demanded to be let in for free, so Jerry Garcia came to the rescue by creatinga free show in a nearby park. The troubles at Toronto did not in any way damper the musicians' 24- hour party. Full of laughter, the clink of glasses and music, the festival rambled on to the next show in Win- nipeg. The bands played another flaw- less show, without getting more than a couple hours of sleep if any at all. Drummer Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead explained, "This train was not for sleeping. It was for a lot of other things but not for sleeping." The biggest catastrophe of the tour occurred halfway to their last show in Calgary. The last drop of alcohol dis- appeared, and the musicians refused to go on any further without drinks. The entire train came to a halt. Fortunately, in the town of Saskatoon, liquor stores are right across from railroad tracks, and the musicians pitched in $800 to last them through their last performance. While "Festival Express" does a fine job displaying the fans' inebri- ated swaying to the music, the movie could have included more cinema ver- ite-style footage of the musicians on the train. The clips of Garcia playing his guitar with Joplin and others sing- ing and laughing along are far more appealing than the clips of the concerts themselves. Fans who come to see this movie already know what the artists' music sounds like. They want to see the magic that takes place behind the scenes and feel like they are on the road with the bands. Janis Joplin's performance saves the film. Singing "Cry Baby" and "Tell Mama," Joplin talked directly to the audience and drew the listener on stage with her. Her stage presence, intoxicat- ing to fans and new listeners alike, is a reminder of why she went down in history as one of the greatest musicians of all time. Garcia summed up the overall feel- ing of the tour when he said it was "the best I've had in rock'n'roll," meaning that the entire tour was a musicians' convention. There was no "show biz bullshit." It was a rare opportunity for the bands to be in each other's com- pany for long periods of time without the media, fans or celebrity schedules. With an explosive set list that included the Band's "Slippin' and Slidin' " and "The Weight," the Grateful Dead's "Casey Jones," "Don't Ease Me In," "Friend of the Devil," and many more classics, "Festival Express" proved to be a fun step back in time, when "a train of insane people careened across the Canadian countryside, making music night and day and then occasion- ally got off to play a concert." Get back on the bus with 'Express' the michigan daily SMALL ANIMAL VET Hospital seeks full or part time receptionist, candidate must be a motivated, team oriented animal enthusiast. Send resume to Washtenaw Vet Hospital 4618 Packard, Ann Arbor 48108. 7 START AT $9.5IHR. and make new friends while supporting your University. MICHI- GAN TELEFUND now hiring students for flexible night and weekend schedules. Awe- some Resume Builder! Work Study / Non- Work Study. Apply online: www.telefund.umich.edu or 998-7420. P/' CHILD CARE for 2 young girls, wknds. & eves. 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