NEXT-BEST THING TO ERIN BROCKOVICH.Byline: David Kronke TV Critic PAX'S NEW LEGAL drama ``Just Cause'' is not to be confused with the 1995 Sean Connery potboiler pot·boil·er n. A literary or artistic work of poor quality, produced quickly for profit. [From the phrase boil the pot, to provide one's livelihood. of the same name. It's to be confused with the 2000 Julia Roberts Oscar winner ``Erin Brockovich.'' Even the down-on-her-luck-but-wildly-idealistic character's name is vaguely reminiscent: Alex DeMonaco (Elizabeth Lackey), an ex-con (her husband framed her for fraud, then vamoosed with their daughter), who got a law degree while in the slam and used it to help inmates and guards alike. Because she's an ex-felon, she can't become a lawyer, but that doesn't stop her from pestering patrician Hamilton Whitney III (Richard Thomas Richard Thomas is the name of:
Tonight's two-hour premiere finds Alex getting way too emotionally involved in a convoluted wrongful-termination affair involving a scuzzy See SCSI. scuzzy - The usual pronunciation of SCSI. corporation, offshore banks and drug dealers. Next week, Alex gets way too emotionally involved in a far more straightforward plot, a typical screed screed n. 1. A long monotonous speech or piece of writing. 2. a. A strip of wood, plaster, or metal placed on a wall or pavement as a guide for the even application of plaster or concrete. b. against pharmaceutical companies. Lackey is a charming performer who brings conviction to even her worst lines (``I'd rather be me - a girl with a record - than to be some rich, heartless, spoiled snob like you!''); she pretty much has to carry the show. Thomas is becoming the Pax poster boy, starring in not only this but a reality series and an upcoming TV movie, but here he's fairly miscast mis·cast tr.v. mis·cast, mis·cast·ing, mis·casts 1. To cast in an unsuitable role. 2. To cast (a role, play, or film) inappropriately. as a charismatic, thrice-married legal eagle with a mysterious past and the ability to dazzle leggy leggy said of animals that appear to have legs longer than normal for the species, breed and age. Feds. Warning: Not five minutes into tonight's debut, Gloria Gaynor's ``I Will Survive'' breaks out, marking approximately the 648th use of the song in a Hollywood entertainment in the past decade. JUST CAUSE - Two and one half stars What: Drama about a feisty legal aide kicking up dust at a San Francisco law firm run by Richard Thomas. Where: Pax. When: 9 p.m. Sunday. In a nutshell: Elizabeth Lackey's wry and heartfelt performance elevates fairly hokey hok·ey adj. hok·i·er, hok·i·est Slang 1. Mawkishly sentimental; corny. 2. Noticeably contrived; artificial. hok material. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Richard Thomas plays a high-profile lawyer who hires an idealistic ex-con (Elizabeth Lackey) in Pax's ``Just Cause.'' |
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