She makes an impression.
Amazon’s Fall 2015 “Pilot Season” is underway in the US, UK, and Germany. The way it works is that those with Prime memberships can stream a handful of new pilots for free, and the ones that wind up getting the best audience feedback have a chance of getting a first season pick up. Past pilots that have been picked up for series include Transparent, Bosch, The Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks, Sneaky Pete, and Mad Dogs. You can check out the current Pilot Season episodes here.
One of the more interesting concepts in Amazon’s Fall 2015 Pilot Season is Z: The Beginning of Everything. As a biopic about Zelda Sayre — eventually Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald — it’s the sort of the thing usually suited for a two hour film or maybe a miniseries. Amazon’s intent is to serialize it in 30 minute installments. At least as far as the pilot is concerned, half an hour isn’t enough. Christina Ricci’s performance makes Zelda leave an impression, but the writing doesn’t go deep enough and draws a loose sketch of the character instead of beginning a compelling portrait.
And there’s little about Zelda that isn’t compelling. She was a force of nature, the first American Flapper, and an icon. She’s much more than Fitzgerald’s wife. The story centers on her tempestuous nature as she rebels against social conventions and her conservative father, and her charisma does indeed radiate off the screen. Ricci, who is magically able to portray a very young woman, is dynamic and wonderful as Zelda and makes her magnetic. She’s the center of the galaxy, and everyone else rotates around her. Ricci is the best part of the pilot; she just needed more to work with.
Christina Ricci in Z: The Beginning of Everything
The way Zelda is characterized felt trite and was punctuated by boring dialogue. The time period came with a certain vocabulary and tone, and since the opportunity was there, they should have capitalized on it but instead listening to Z was like listening to a modern drama. The visuals put the story in the right timeline, at least.
There’s not quite enough momentum either. Zelda throws aside the rules and wants a bigger and better life than Montgomery, Alabama, and she’s on the look out for an escape route. It’s not a new tale, but it doesn’t have to be a boring one. Unfortunately, in this case, it’s not a plot driver. I’m not on the edge of my seat waiting to see the next chapter, and the pilot doesn’t do anything to convince me Z has the necessary elements to create that sort of excitement.
David Strathairn plays Zelda’s stern father Anthony, and he manages to make strides as an antagonist despite little screen time. Gavin Stenhouse shows up briefly as F. Scott Fitzgerald but didn’t exude personality — you’re left wondering why Zelda’s intrigued by him. His creepy-stalker like staring at Zelda didn’t win me over either, but they did have a turbulent relationship so perhaps it’s setting the stage. It was smart to leave their meeting until the end of the pilot. It put the emphasis on Zelda and presumably, the emphasis would stay there if the series continued.
Amazon’s pilot for Z: The Beginning of Everything is indeed a beginning. It doesn’t go far enough into Zelda’s personality and motivations beyond the superficial level. Ricci is riveting in the lead role, but the character needs to be presented more strongly since the series hinges on her.
