Come with us to the world of the "ABC Weekend Special" again as we dip once again into the world of ABC's historical specials series, (this or the Afterschool Special) Today we dip into season 7, with a special I found just recently (meaning I could watch it now) and decided, eh why not?
This time we are taking a look at "A Different Twist" which first aired on ABC on March 10, 1984.
Our main character is a girl named Christi who seems to be a good singer and also there's an audition for "Oliver!" at the community playhouse. It's being done by a movie star named Phil Grey. Christi is played by Allison Smith, who later have a role in the good sitcom "Kate and Allie" as Jennie Lowell, she's also done other roles into adulthood as well. Grey is played by Peter Gallagher, whom you might know from The OC or Covert Affairs.
One time the credits match up and help us!
Christi is very interested in the idea of the play, but there's one problem: it's boys only, and she's a girl. (Very well said, there) Christi really wants to be in this play, and we have like 18 minutes left, so she's going to do something. Well since she's a going to be an actress, might as well act as a boy, so double acting. (This is a plan)
Christi dresses like a boy using her friend's brother's clothing, she also seemed to have cut her hair. She also made up a name of Chris. (took forever to think of that?) She seems to have been able to come in very well, and there's of the course the boy for school named Tony and she has to make sure he doesn't figure it out. (I wonder if he will figure it out)
Meet our new main character , Chris
She also has to be careful in what she says because whoops. There's a moment where she slips and says Phil Grey is cute and had to find away to that. Also some are suspicious about her thinking s/he a snob. Also when a boy has a mouse, she doesn't want to hold it. (squeak!) Also she's wearing a hat and if you remove that hat, Tony, would figure out that it's her, even with the haircut. (It's like Clark Kent or Perry the Platypus apparently)
Hard to tell really
Phil tries to help "Chris" get over some nerves thinking that he had some nerves. Tony did help out too, and they seem to have a nice bond. Some other boys show up and they are going to play video games, and now it's funny to hear "Oliver!" music while some kids are playing at an arcade. There's a montage of Christi doing "boy stuff" as well.
In their habitat, boys challenge each other for dominance
I do have a question that runs through my mind during the scenes she's with her friend, they're still going to school right? So wouldn't someone notice her shorter hair, or uhh something? It's a thought that popped into my mind. (yes it did) Christi also says that maybe she and Lizabeth misjudged boys and maybe they aren't as bad they thought. Lizabeth says that Tony only likes her because he thinks she's Chris not Christi then stomps off. (why?)
I'm going to leave
That doesn't matter, because later Lizabeth is called by Christi because she needs a boy shirt , since she forgot one and oooh, I wonder what will happen. Christi hides, instead of keeping her jacket on because that's how one gets found out. Tony and couple other boys go into the same prop room where she's hiding and start faffing around, thankfully, she doesn't get found out. She is also having doubt about doing all this and wants to quit this act. (There's also like 3 minutes left, so we have to wrap this thing up)
Well... I mean the play has to go on so... you can stay
Christi decides on this the day of the dress rehearsal to reveal she is a girl. She explains herself and then explains that she made a mistake on prejudging boys before pretending to be one. Also Grey is impressed with this, and he asks the boys what do they think, Tony vouches for her as well and everything ends up working out in a nice little box, isn't that nice?
It's a simple story, girl dresses like boy to get boy part , but it's not bad. I like how she learns her pre-convinced notions of boys weren't right and that she got to have fun and do stuff, and maybe the boys, though not as much focused on, learned something too. It does feel it has to get to resolution a little too quickly near the end.
I think some may find in our CURRENT TIMES (tm) that it might feel a little dated , but there is still some value to the story and there are still differences people have that understanding each other, or attempting to, is always a good timeless message. Christi is not that much of a character to stand out, but she fills the role pretty well, and you can see her plight. They showed her being a good singer at the start and was interested in the play, and did well in acting as a boy and as a boy who also is acting as another character, even more layers if you add in that this is an actress acting as a kid who acting as another kid to be another kid. (stop that)
There's not much of anything I'd fine bad in this special, maybe the pacing at the end, because they wanted to fit in a music number from "Oliver!" but otherwise it was pretty well done and interesting.
That's it for now, tune in next time, when we dress up as Abe Lincoln and scare people as they think he's back for revenge.
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