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Review: A Class Act |
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This is a review and commentary on the 1992 special Tracey Ullman: A Class Act In 1992, Tracey Ullman made what turned out to be the first of two pilots for her Tracey Takes On... series. The title of the special: A Class Act. While Tracey is definitely a class act, the title refers to the subject matter, a commentary on the foibles of the English class system. During the course of the 42 minute program, we are introduced to several now-familiar Takes On characters: flight attendant Trevor, Member of Parliament Timmy Bugge and wife Virginia, and future editor Janie Pillsworth as a schoolgirl. The first and last sketches take place on board a Class Air flight, where your seat is determined not by the money you paid for your ticket but by your social class. If you talk like a Cockney, it's to the back of the plane for you. Among the features of the aircraft is an intercom that can make anyone sound like an urbane, sophisticated bon vivant -- in other words, the ideal trans-Atlantic pilot. This is where we first meet Trevor, though he is barely recognizable, possessing a beefier build than the one he will have in the Takes On series. The passengers we see include an American who isn’t sure where to sit, a middle-class couple who insist on an upgrade, an upper-class mother who watches carefully for signs of slippage in her children, etc. "37 Up" is a parody of the series of films by Michael Apted where he follows a group of people from age 7 to ages 14, 21, 28, 35, etc. This segment focuses on three individuals, including Kelly (Tracey) of the working class and Timmy (Michael Palin) of the upper class. We hear about their hopes, their dreams and aspirations, which are all very much tied to their class status. As they get older, we see how the class system has shaped their lives. By age 21, Timmy is close to graduation from Oxford, and Kelly is in a going-nowhere relationship with a bum (Michael). By 28, Kelly’s been in some more bad relationships, while Timmy’s married to Virginia (Tracey) and his life seems to be on track. At 35, it’s more of the same. The other main sketch, "Hethers," introduces us to the Pillsworth family: Frank (Michael), Jacqueline (Tracey) and their daughter Janine (Tracey). The Pillsworths want their daughter to receive the very best schooling, so they arrange to send her to Hethers, a very exclusive and expensive school. Janine does not want to attend, but her parents insist, so she arrives on campus. Her working-class background makes her stand out in sharp contrast to the other students, who have upper-class backgrounds. She is subjected to ridicule and scorn. She becomes a "slush," or a lackey, for one of the upper-form girls. This involves doing all sorts of menial work for her – shine the shoes, wash the windows, etc. Gradually, she’s accepted by the other girls. Several years later, her parents arrive on campus for a visit. When they ask one of the girls where they can find Janine, she asks if they mean Janie Pillsworth. It seems that Janine has become Janie. She has concealed all remnants of her original background and upbringing and invented an upper-class background for herself. Her "parents" were killed in a skiing accident, she tells people who ask. When she sees her parents, she sees that her cover is in danger of being broken. Taking them aside in a secluded area, she says she never wants to see them again. And what is their reaction? "Yes!" Their purpose in sending her to Hethers was to transform her into an upper-class woman who could truly get ahead in life. It appears they have succeeded. In between the two main sketches is a sequence in the ladies’ room at a London department store. No matter what class you are, everyone has to use the facilities, so you see all sorts of people there – an upper-class twit, a parsimonious Scotswoman, a clerk from the makeup counter, a cab driver, etc. (all Tracey). The picture we see of the British class system is not a pretty one. We see how it shapes people’s expectations and aspirations, how it can work against people who don’t fit in. We see the price Janie’s parents paid for trying to help her transcend the limitations of her class – she ends up despising them. Fans of TTO will enjoy this look at how Janie and the other characters came to be who they are. Page written by Roger
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