My So Called Life is a cult 90s teen drama with an embedded realism that it’s safe to say we no longer see in many shows depicting adolescence today.
Claire Danes stars as Angela Chase, and acts as the show’s protagonist and sole narrator. The show engages cleverly with her reflections and teenage thought processes: “My parents keep asking how school was. It’s like saying, how was that drive-by shooting?” You don’t care how it ‘was’, you’re lucky to get out alive.”
Generally speaking, the story lines feature the kind of issues you would expect from a coming of age series: arguing with parents, alcohol, drugs, rumours, skipping geometry class, sex. But it is also a show that depicts struggle, both for Angela as she comes up against the difficult aspects of growing up, as well as for her parents who also struggle in watching it happen.
But what makes the show’s writing truly unique is the focus that is still given to other characters; giving you a full picture of the crucial people that make up her world. The dynamics shown between her and her parents are arguably the most interesting to watch. As Angela points out, “My dad and I used to be pretty tight. The sad truth is, my breasts have come between us.”
The show also features a young Jared Leto complete with Backstreet boy hair, and way before he started wearing eyeliner as Angela’s love interest and eventual “boyfriend” (if you can call him that).
But perhaps one of the most charming aspects of the show is the close friendship Angela shares with her two best friends: the loveable and sensitive Ricky, and the wild and fascinating Rayanne.
The show sadly only lasted one season, but the short duration seems fitting – Angela’s year in high school was a finite story to tell. Just like real life, some relationships mend, and sometimes friendships surprisingly come to an end. Rather than morphing unnaturally over many seasons, our “so called” lives move on.