“The Life of Chuck,� a slick but ickily grandiose reminder to take your dance lessons while you can, also reminds us that every generation gets its own variations on “It’s a Wonderful Life� � movie fantasies designed for affirmation and comfort, while unnerving us a little.
There’s a third reminder, too: One person’s eyeroll is another’s shattering and beautiful reminder that life is beautiful, maybe harsh and sometimes lonely and full of wrong turns with a possible apocalypse looming. But beautiful.
kAm%9:D =2E6DE $E6A96? z:?8 D4C66? 252AE2E:@? :D HC:EE6? 2?5 5:C64E65 3J |:<6 u=2?282?[ 36DE <?@H? 7@C �%96 w2F?E:?8 @7 w:== w@FD6� @? }6E7=:I[ 2=@?8 H:E9 “~4F=FD[� “q67@C6 x (2<6[� “s@4E@C $=66A� 2?5 @E96C 762EFC6D] t=6>6?ED @7 2== E9:D 7:?5 2 9@>6 D@>6H96C6 :? E96 CF??:?8 E:>6 @7 �%96 {:76 @7 r9F4<[� E@=5 :? E9C66 C6G6CD6\49C@?@=@8:42= 492AE6CD] xE 368:?D H:E9 2? 6?5:?8 � E96 A=2?6E’D � 2?5 6?5D H:E9 E96 25@=6D46?46[ 7:CDE 4CFD9 2?5 E6?56C 962CE @7 2? @CA92?65 3@J[ D925@H65 3J 89@DED[ 962565 7@C =:76 2D 2? 244@F?E2?E] xE’D H92E 9:D H:K6?65[ 8C:6G:?8 244@F?E2?E 8C2?572E96C WA=2J65 3J |2C< w2>:==X H2?E65 7@C 9:> 2== 2=@?8[ C:89E @C HC@?8]k^Am
kAm}2CC2E65 E9C@F89@FE 3J }:4< ~776C>2?[ E96 7:CDE 2?5 >@DE :?EC:8F:?8 492AE6C 7@4FD6D @? 2 E62496C[ |2CEJ[ A=2J65 3J E96 6I46==6?E r9:H6E6= t;:@7@C] w6 :D 2E 9:D H:E’D 6?5[ 562=:?8 H:E9 9@A6=6DD DEF56?ED 2?5 6G6? >@C6 9@A6=6DD A2C6?ED] %96:C C62D@?D 7@C 56DA2:C 2C6 36J@?5 2?J@?6’D 4@?EC@=]k^Am
kAm%96 H@C=5 92D 925 :E] xE’D BF:EE:?8 E:>6] (6 =62C? D@>6 56E2:=D @? E96 7=J[ 7C@> ?6HD C6A@CED 2?5 E@H?D7@=< >FEE6C:?8D[ 23@FE H9@=6 49F?<D @7 r2=:7@C?:2 EF>3=:?8 :? E96 @462?[ H:=57:C6D[ 62CE9BF2<6D[ D2E6==:E6 4@>>F?:42E:@? 8@?6 2HCJ[ (:\u: 2?5 E96 :?E6C?6E :ED6=7 5J:?8 >:?FE6 3J >:?FE6] %96 46?E6C :D?’E 9@=5:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 H6:C56DE E9:?8 @7 2== :D E96 >@DE 52C=:?8] pC@F?5 E@H?[ |2CEJ 2?5 @E96CD ?@E:46 2 AC@=:76C2E:@? @7 3:==3@2C5D 2?5 D:8?286 4@?8C2EF=2E:?8 D@>6@?6 ?2>65 r92C=6D zC2?EK @? “bh 8C62E J62CDP� |62?E:>6 |2CEJ 2?5 9:D 6I\H:76 u6=:4:2 Wz2C6? v:==2?X[ @? 8@@5 E6C>D[ 4@>>:D6C2E6 3J A9@?6 23@FE E96 =2E6DE C@DE6C @7 42=2>:E:6D] s:C64E@C u=2?282? 92?5=6D E96 6D42=2E:?8 :?D2?:EJ H:E9 DF886DE:G6 2>3:8F:EJ[ ?@E9:?8 E@@ 3@>32DE:4 7@C 2D =@?8 2D E96 DE@CJ 2==@HD]k^Am
kAm{2E6C[ 2E ?:89E[ @? 6G6CJ H:?5@H @? 6G6CJ 9@FD6 H:E9:? G:6H[ 2 D2E6==:E6 W@C 46=6DE:2=nX G:56@ :>286 @7 r9F4< 2AA62CD[ =@?8 27E6C A@H6C 92D 366? =@DE] |2CEJ 2?5 u6=:4:2 DE2C6 2E E96 DE2CD :? u6=:4:2’D 324<J2C5] |2J36 E96 =@G6 E96J <?6H @?46 C6>2:?D :?E24E[ F?=:<6 6G6CJE9:?8 2C@F?5 E96>] p?5 >2J36 E96J�== 92G6 E@ D6EE=6 7@C H@?56C:?8]k^Am
kAm!2CE a :D r9F4<’D DE@CJ[ 2E =62DE 2 A:646 @7 :E[ E2<:?8 A=246 AC:@C E@ E96 7:CDE 492AE6C] %@> w:55=6DE@? A@CEC2JD E9:D 6G6CJ>2? 244@F?E2?E[ >2CC:65 H:E9 2 52F89E6C] r9F4< 92D EC2G6=65 E@ 2 ?6H E@H? 7@C 2 4@?G6?E:@?] q6EH66? 4@?76C6?46D 96’D @FED:56[ DEC@==:?8[ 2?5 5C2H? E@ E96 5CF>>:?8 D<:==D @7 2 D:56H2=< 3FD<6C W%2J=@C v@C5@?X] r2E49:?8 E96 6J6 @7 2 J@F?8 H@>2? Wp??2=:D6 q2DD@X[ C646?E=J 5F>A65 2?5 ?@E 92AAJ 23@FE :E[ 96 2D<D 7@C 96C 92?5 H9:=6 E96 5CF>>6C 5@6D 96C E9:?8] %9:D :D ?@E ;FDE E96 >@G:6’D 4CF4:2= D46?6j :E’D >62?E 2D 2 =:G6\:D\H@CE9\=:G:?8 56>@?DEC2E:@?[ AC64:D:@?\49@C6@8C2A965 2?5 7=2D9J 36J@?5 2== 4@?G6?E:@?2= ?@E:@?D @7 244@F?E2?4J]k^Am
kAm(96C6 5:5 r9F4< 86E E96 >@G6Dn %96 2?DH6CD 4@>6 C:89E @? D4965F=6 :? E96 4@?4=F5:?8 492AE6C[ 27E6C H6’G6 =62C?65 E96 25F=E r9F4<’D 7F== 4:C4F>DE2?46D 2?5 72E6] %96 49:=59@@5 G6CD:@?D @7 E9:D 6G6CJ>2? 2C496EJA6 W96’D ?@E C62==J 2 492C24E6CX 2C6 A=2J65 3J q6?;2>:? !2;2< 2?5[ :? 25@=6D46?46[ y24@3 %C6>3=2J W@7 �#@@>”X] r9F4< 6?5FC6D 2 5:77:4F=E[ 8C:67\=256? 49:=59@@5 27E6C E96 EC28:4 562E9 @7 9:D A2C6?ED] w6 7:?5D =@G6 2?5 D@=246 F?56C E96 =@G:?8 42C6 @7 9:D 8C2?5A2C6?ED[ A=2J65 3J w2>:== 2?5 |:2 $2C2] w6C6[ z:?8’D >2E6C:2=[ 252AE65 3J u=2?282?[ :?496D :?E@ D>2==\E@H? 9@CC@C 369:?5 4=@D65 5@@CD[ H:E9 E96 @77\=:>:ED DE@C286 C@@> :? r9F4<’D 8C2?5A2C6?ED� 9@FD6 4@?E2:?:?8 D@>6E9:?8 H:4<65] ~C 2E =62DE ?@E @7 E9:D H@C=5]k^Am
kAmr=62C=J �%96 {:76 @7 r9F4<� H@C<D 7@C >2?J] xE D?28865 E96 4@G6E65 2F5:6?46 2H2C5 2E =2DE J62C’D %@C@?E@ x?E6C?2E:@?2= u:=> u6DE:G2=[ 2 7C6BF6?E 92C3:?86C @7 E96 36DE A:4EFC6 H:??6C 2E E96 ~D42CD] (6==[ >2J36] %9:D >2J 36 @?6 @7 E9@D6 >@G:6D[ =:<6 �%96 $92HD92?< #656>AE:@?� W2?@E96C z:?8 DE@CJX[ E92E 4@>6D 2?5 8@6D 2E E96 E962E6CD 2?5 E96? 364@>6D @?6 @7 E9@D6 36=@G65 7:=>D E92E >2<6D A6@A=6 E62C FA ;FDE D2J:?8 E96 E:E=6]k^Am
kAmxE :D[ 9@H6G6C[ >:89EJ 8@@6J DEF77[ D2?4E:>@?:@FD 2?5 72FI\9F>3=6 :? :ED 6>3C246 @7 @C5:?2CJ =:G6D 2?5[ :? E96 6?5[ 2 H6:C5=J D42=65 6IA2?D:@? @7 2 72>:=:2C :562 3@CC@H65 7C@> (2=E (9:E>2? W?2>6\4964<65 :? E96 >@G:6X 2?5 9:D =:?6 :? �$@?8 @7 |JD6=7”i “x 2> =2C86[ x 4@?E2:? >F=E:EF56D]� (6 2== 2C6[ 2?5 5@] qFE D6EE:?8 2 86?:2= :7 7CFDEC2E65 244@F?E2?E’D =:76 282:?DE E96 F?:G6CD6’D 4FCE2:? 42== :D 2 =:EE=6 E@@[ J@F <?@H[ E@@\E@@]k^Am
kAmp 7:?2= H@C5 23@FE E96 G:DF2= =2?5D42A6 @7 E96 7:=>] |2J36 :E’D ;FDE >6[ 3FE H96? r9F4< 52?46D =:<6 96’D ?6G6C 52?465 367@C6[ E96 E@H? DBF2C6 W>@DE @7 E96 7:=> H2D D9@E :? G2C:@FD p=232>2 =@42E:@?DX 92D 366? >256 E@ C6D6>3=6 @?6 @7 E9@D6 66C:6 w2==>2C< r92??6= r9C:DE>2D DA64:2=D[ 3FE :? yF=J] *@F <66A H2:E:?8 7@C E96 3:8 C6G62=i %96 E@H?’D �%96 %CF>2? $9@H”P xE 42?’E 36 C62=P qFE E96 C6G62= ?6G6C 4@>6D] xE’D ?@E 2 5@4F>6?E2CJ @C 2?JE9:?8[ 3FE E96 36DE $E6A96? z:?8 DE@C:6D @? D4C66? <66A @?6 7@@E :? 2 H@C=5 H6 C64@8?:K6[ D@ E92E H6 42? DE6A @77 :?E@ 2?@E96C H@C=5[ 2?5 6IA=@C6] p7E6C E96 A6CDF2D:G6=J DEC2?86 7:CDE 492AE6C’D @G6C[ �%96 {:76 @7 r9F4<� :D 2 5F==6C <:?5 @7 DEC2?86]k^Am