If you missed the inaugural season ofKiddingon Showtime, now’s the chance to rectify that mistake. The 10-episode dark comedy centers on Jeff Pickles (Jim Carrey), a children’s television host and face of a multimillion-dollar brand who starts a downward spiral when tragedy strikes his family. Now, this little gem of a dark a twisted and somehow still hopeful story is available on DVD for your viewing pleasure.
Kiddingis a binge-worthy tale that is hard to look away from, even when you desperately want to do so. The well-developed characters, anchored by Carrey but rounded out by phenomenal supporting players likeJudy Greer,Frank Langella,Catherine Keener, and newcomersCole AllenandJuliet Morris, are easy to love despite their myriad mistakes and misadventures. Carrey’s Jeff is both the patriarch of the family and the beating heart of the Mr. Pickles brand, though he’s often criticized by friends, family, and co-workers for being too weak-willed to properly wrangle either his personal life or his business. And since the Mr. Pickles IP is a family affair–Jeff’s father Seb (Langella) is a manipulative and ruthless executive while his sister Deirdre (Keener) is a gifted puppet maker with dreams of becoming more–the lines between the two blur and become entangled to unhealthy extremes. As if all that stress wasn’t enough, the tragic loss of a child threatens to fracture the foundation of the family and the business, possibly taking Jeff’s sanity down with them.
If you want a full review ofKidding, do yourself a favor and check out our ownVinnie Mancuso’s takehere. I have a sunnier opinion of the series than even Vinnie’s praiseworthy review, but that might just be becauseKiddingticks all possible boxes for me. It’s a dark take on a light-hearted character, more Mr. Rogers than Dexter but caught somewhere in the vast gray area between the two. There are cracks in the facade of Mr. Pickles that are easy to spot throughout the season if you’re looking for them, but also easy to overlook if you don’t want to believe that some darkness lurks in the heart of such a good man. Carrey is perhaps the perfect choice for the role as he’s able to keep his iconic mania in check while delivering a touching performance that reaches down deep to connect with that innocent child in all of us. So if you’re a kid, you’re safe with Mr. Pickles; if you’re an adult who crosses him but manages to be touched by his innocence and pure idealism, he might just change you for the better … but if you get in his way, watch out.
Kiddingis absolutely worth the pick-up on DVD if you’re at all interested in the premise of the work work Carrey, creatorDave Holstein(Weeds),or directorMichel Gondry(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). It’s a solid dark comedy from beginning to end. Plus, it comes with some rather creative bonus features to fill out the home release.
Special Features:
Meet Mr. Pickles (~2 minutes)
Meet the Pickles Family (~2 minutes)
Shooting Shaina’s Sequence (~2 minutes)
HowKiddingCame to Be
