By Curt Schleier
When a critic says a television show or film is quirky, it means that the show is odd, difficult to describe and he or she likes it. If s/he didn’t like it, the performance wouldn’t be called quirky; it would be called stupid.
JOHN FROM CINCINNATI (Sundays, 9 p.m., HBO) definitely is quirky. It is the brainchild of David Milch, and for those of you who follow these things, he was the guiding light behind NYPD BLUE and, more recently, DEADWOOD. He created this show with Kem Nunn, slacker/surfer-turned-author who is considered a kind of Raymond Chandler of the boogie set; Nunn made his reputation writing noir novels about people who ride the waves. For the record, if you saw it, the film POINT BREAK was based on one of his books, but so loosely as to be unrecognizable.
What they’ve come up with here is something totally different and unexpected. It’s not a wet DEADWOOD or a dramatization of the Beach Boys gone HBO. It is fascinating, thought-provoking and, well, quirky.
JOHN FROM CINCINNATI is the story of three generations of the surfing Yost family; they live in a rundown Southern California resort town just north of the Mexican border. It includes a youthful grandpa Mitch (Bruce Greenwood), a legend in the sport who blew out a knee. His son, Butchie (Brian Van Holt), was also a great surfer, but was spoiled by success and turned to drugs. Butchie’s son, Shaun (played by Greyson Fletcher, a real surfer and natural actor), is just 13 years old and already shows the potential to outshine both. But, Mitch, his guardian, scarred by what happened to his son, won’t allow Shaun to compete in surfing meets. Mitch’s wife, Cissy (Rebecca De Mornay), perhaps seeking redemption, insists that he will.
On the surface, this seems like a typical family drama — the stuff old movies of the week are made of. But, enter John (Austin Nichols), a mysterious figure who seems able to produce from nowhere whatever anyone needs — whether it’s cash or a Platinum American Express Card. His mantra: the end is near.
Strange things start to happen. Mitch levitates a few inches off the ground. Shaun brings a dead bird back to life.
It’s a tribute to HBO and Milch that the show was able to attract so many well-known names. In addition to the Yosts, Luke Perry plays Linc, a sports agent/manager who may have been responsible for Butchie going on drugs; Ed O’Neill plays Bill, a retired cop with a bad memory, and Luis Guzman portrays Ramon, a motel caretaker.
Milch and Nunn, who wrote this episode, whet your appetite just enough to leave you panting for more. It’s a limited-run series — just 10 episodes in which to start addressing unanswered questions such as: What does the levitation and raising of the dead mean? Will things finally work out for the Yosts, who seem to have been athletically gifted but cursed? And, who is John and why is he here?
Oh, yes, two other questions: Will the series fulfill its role of replacing THE SOPRANOS in the hearts and minds (and DVRs) of fans? Will it live up to the promise of the first episode? See you next week.