If you seek compelling psychological programming that straddles the line between family drama and comedy, then binge-watch the three excellent seasons of The United States of Tara.
Title: The United States of Tara
Year it began: 2009
Where it can be seen: Showtime; Amazon; Hulu
Who’s in it: Toni Collette; John Corbett; Brie Larson; Keir Gilchrist; Rosemarie DeWitt
Typical episode length: 30 minutes
Number of episodes to date: 36
Brief plot description: In suburban Kansas, Tara Gregson, a talented artist, suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder. Along with her husband, Max Gregson, her teenaged children Kate and Marshall, and her sister Charmaine Crane, Tara tries to manage the chaos wrought by her multiple personalities.
People are also reading…
Why it’s worth watching: Created by Diablo Cody and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, The United States of Tara dramatizes both the suffering brought by mental illness and the coping mechanisms that keep families together. While in less talented hands a protagonist suffering from multiple personalities could be an exploitative gimmick, Collette’s consistently breathtaking performances movingly convey both the tragic and comic effects of her condition. Having built a system of alters (alternative personalities) to cope with an early trauma that eludes her memory, Tara plays host to other selves, many of whom are all too familiar to her family. Collette’s fearless acting brings poignant life to such alters as Alice, a prim and proper woman who loves to bake, pray, and offer advice; T, a hypersexual teenager who spends money and causes trouble at alarming rates; and Buck, a crass Vietnam veteran who smokes, drinks, and fights with the best of them. Far from being merely a star vehicle for Collette, the wonderfully written show succeeds by offering rich storylines for its talented cast, who each lead full lives haunted by Tara’s condition. Standout performances include Corbett’s long-suffering, but optimistic Max, who never misses a beat as he interacts with Tara’s alters; Larson’s Kate, a witty and wise teenager who longs to escape her dysfunctional surroundings; and Keir’s sweet, intelligent, and sophisticated Marshall. While tracking how this beleaguered family holds itself together, the United States of Tara offers consistently witty scripts that feature fascinating commentary on such issues as same-sex relationships, feminism, teenage sexuality, drug abuse, and marriage pressures.
– Randy P. Schiff