Calista Flockhart (2001)
by Joe Steiff

Intimate Portrait looks at the talented star
of the hit series Ally McBeal.

Which leaves us with "what is it about Calista?" From a professional standpoint, that is the focus of the summer 2001 season premiere of Lifetime Television's Intimate Portrait series.

For an hour each weeknight, Intimate Portrait profiles women of distinction. Some are historic figures, but many are women currently living and working in a variety of professions. Certainly there is a bias towards women in entertainment, but as a whole the series serves as a reminder of the many contributions made by women to our society, many of which we may take for granted. Role models abound. The show's 7 p.m. time slot (et/pt) makes it perfect for younger adolescents to watch, and in my mind the series is ideal family viewing. That doesn't necessarily equate to "easy" viewing, because some of the women's lives touch on issues that could require some explanation to younger viewers and occasionally interviewees may use language that has to be bleeped out.

Just looking at the season's first two episodes gives you a general sense of the series' range. The second night looks at boxer Laila Ali, the daughter of Muhammad Ali, who was too young to see her father fight in person though she has watched tapes of his bouts. The owner of a nail salon, she initially picked up boxing as a form of exercise, and she has to be one of the most fascinating people to join the sport. Articulate, beautiful and talented, she speaks openly about her childhood impressions of her father as well as her 1998/99 decision to box. She is an example of someone who, if she wants to do something, will do it regardless of what other people think.

Kicking off Intimate Portrait's first night, Calista Flockhart's professional acting career is summarized through a broad overview of basic biographical information. Interviews include Calista herself (notice how informal I already feel, as if somehow I know her and can presume to use her first name), her ex-boyfriend from high school and several of her acting colleagues, such as Julie Harris (from Broadway's The Glass Menagerie) or college friend (and current Ally McBeal co-star) Jane Krakowski. While much of her personal life is only hinted at, Calista seems like someone you would want as a friend. Not nearly as neurotic as her television alter ego, she comes off as warm, ironic and self-aware.

Several of the interviewees comment on her small stature deceptively hiding an incredibly strong woman, both physically and emotionally. She and her ex-boyfriend both talk about his picking her up and throwing her down into snow banks, marveling at how "durable" she was. She compares auditioning to the insecurities and pains of dating. She talks of traveling to Africa with Eve Ensler (playwright of The Vagina Monologues) and interviewing women about female genital mutilation. And she speaks of her new perspectives as a result of adopting her son, Liam.

In many ways, it's less about the specific words and more about how she presents herself that begins getting at "what is it about Calista Flockhart." She seems real. Experiencing the full gamut of life. Despite all that fame entails. In fact, my favorite quote from the episode has to do with her thoughts on fame: "I don't know how to measure how famous I am. It's really different when you're the person who is famous. I just feel like me, and I don't feel famous. I know what it means to be followed by the paparazzi. I know what it means to be scrutinized. I know what it means to get special treatment when you don't deserve to get special treatment. It's embarrassing and awful."

Several months ago, I saw the video production of Neil LaButte's stage play, Bash. Calista's performance as a woman accused of killing her children is some of the finest acting I have seen. Though hard to watch, it was when I first began to realize what Intimate Portrait already knows - Calista Flockhart is a talented actor. Her work on David E. Kelly's television show is only a small part of the picture, and Intimate Portrait helps expand the frame just a little more.

As such, Intimate Portrait falls somewhere between pop-culture consumption and some Grand Purpose. Just as it should. As a show, it follows the principal of "leave them wanting more." If I had a daughter, I would certainly want to watch this series with her. Yes, there is the occasional "bleeped" word or difficult subject matter. But to hear women talking about their careers, accomplishments and (to varying degrees) their own families and dreams overshadows any of the discomfort that might be generated by a censored word or impetus for an after-the-show conversation about some of the real issues facing women in our world.