Maybe Monica Potter isn’t just a poor man’s Julia Roberts

Way back in 2001, there was a little movie starring Morgan Freeman called Along Came a Spider. It co-starred Julia Roberts. Okay, actually it didn’t. It starred some random, blond, WASPy lookalike named Monica Potter. You guys, she wasn’t very good. She blended into the background and was one of the factors that contributed to making that film utterly forgettable, despite the fact that it was released during a particularly hot point in Morgan Freeman’s career.

Potter bopped around in movies for several years after this, and honestly, I rarely thought of her. I just figured she’d fade into obscurity– another blond actress who looked like another actress but wasn’t nearly as compelling. Then, Trust Me happened. Maybe I’m alone in this, but I loved the Eric McCormack advertising show. Sure, it was a pretty transparent ploy to capitalize on the success of Mad Men, but I adored it anyway. Sure, Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh are dreamy, but I was incredibly impressed with Miss Sarah Krajicek-Hunter herself, Monica Potter.

Sure, a beautiful, yet bumbling insecure blond is a dime a dozen on TV these days, but Potter managed to make Sarah relatable. I’ve never been divorced, but I could totally see myself hanging on to my ex-husband to a disturbing degree, much as she did on Trust Me– just as I could also see myself making out with my future boss in an alley after a Christmas party.

Now, on Parenthood, she continues that likable vulnerability as Kristina Braverman. As a stay-at-home mom who is trying to care for her young son with Asperger Syndrome, she manages to make what is for many, an unfamiliar situation, familiar. My life isn’t like hers, but she makes me understand. I can identify with the crushing sense of failure she feels, even though logically she knows that her son’s diagnosis and his resulting behavior isn’t her fault.

Because she and the writers did such a good job setting up the emotional turmoil that Kristina is going through, her melt-down at the playground a couple of weeks ago was that much more heartbreaking. When she was watching Gaby accomplish what she could not in such a short period of time, you could see the fight between the relief, the sadness, and the anger that accompanied the deceptively simple act of her son playing ball with another kid.

I know that not everybody loves this show, and that Bob gave up on it, and I understand why. The first few episodes were loaded with awkward transitions and contrivances. However, in the past few weeks, the truth has outweighed the histrionics and convenient situations. The show is finding its footing, and Monica Potter is carving out a nice niche for herself that doesn’t involve fading into the background or looking like Pretty Woman.

Clacked by Kona Gallagher
on Apr 28, 2010 @ 16:30 EST5EDT