"I don't want to be the one to pick out the new couch. I want to be the one to spill the fruit punch."Laura Linney is so good on The Big C that she helps elevate the series' pilot and make it stronger than it might have been otherwise. There's never a dull moment - and from the very first scene, it is clear this is a one-woman show: Laura dominates the screen every scene she's in, whether opposite her supporting cast or talking to a dog on a couch in an empty pool. Her presence is so strong it is felt even in the rare moments when she isn't on screen.
It only takes a few seconds of screen time for Laura to make it very clear that Catherine Jamison is a people pleaser (the first thing she said to her doctor after being diagnosed with cancer was: "It's okay!"). She doesn't like to go against anyone, and doesn't want to be seen as difficult. She wants a pool in her backyard, to teach her son her famous Banana Split and Dive, but she settles for a hot tub, because the constructor guy is able to convince her that that is less troublesome.
From this scene on, we realize Cathy Jamison is a woman living in a world of ungrateful people, who see her as a push over and make no apologies for making her life miserable. Her son is spoiled and bratty, and likes to pull distasteful pranks on her, and her husband is even more childish and immature. Her brother is a fundamentalist environmentalist who lives on the streets, causing Cathy to worry over him and acting ungrateful when she tries to help.
"I want you to be happy!"
Her neighbour Marlene and her students at the school where she teaches are no less annoying: everybody seems to think Cathy it is okay to disrespect Cathy. The only breather: doctor Todd, the only person Cathy feels comfortable confinding in.
Laura does a very thorough job of portraying Cathy as a woman on the edge, but never as a victim. She hasn't told anyone she has cancer. She knows how to defend herself against snarky comments from her students and unsympathetic neighbors. We never pity Cathy, but instead, we root for her and thrill in excitement when she stands up for herself.
Laura never disappoints and this pilot is a true tour de force for her. She carries the show on her shoulders and makes it seem effortless. There is true subtlety in some of the scenes (like her heartbreaking reaction when she finds out her son doesn't like hot tubs), but for the most part, this is a showy performance - luckily, Linney understands that and is able to tone it down just enough to avoid it from becoming annoying.
Cathy Jamison is a woman who bottles up her feelings inside, and Laura does an exquisite job letting her emotions out without ever making the script seem soap opera-y. The monologue at the end more than proves her abilities as an actor: it defines a character played by a woman who not only understands it, but plays it to its strengths.
"I'm here all year! Performing at stage four..."
