American Crime. 2015-2017. Netflix Three Seasons

Strong stuff. I find it amazing that this series originally aired on ABC considering the frankness and language that flies off the screen and punches you in the face. I think it was cleaned up somewhat for the bible belt but running and streaming on Netflix, its boiling hot liquid thrown in our faces. I could call it a trilogy since it is made up of three separate complete stories and stars a group of actors that kinda makes up a repertory cast. Most of the actors appear in all three stories, and three of the actresses who star are among our very best and they are simply wonderful. Felicity Huffman, Regina King and Lili Taylor play sisters, wives and moms who are stretched and torn to the breaking point with their families and children, and right off the bat I will have to say that it would be a shame if Huffman’s brilliant career was thrown down the toilet for her foolish actions of last year involving her daughter and college admissions. Actually her story could easily be dramatized for this series. The stories are about addiction, violence towards women and children and how the justice system fails many of us. The stories are about children who are tossed away, who are abused and violated by adults and also by each other with each story having a layer of racial intolerance. The stories are about adults who are abusive to immigrants and migrant workers. One is about young closeted gay students who are victimized by the system and each other, and one is about a young couple, one who is brutally murdered and the other who is put into a coma where death and life come and go and whose secret life comes undone in the glare of the light and one is about the terrible things that happen to workers both in the vegetable and fruit fields and motels of America where they are taken advantage of. There is nothing really new or original here, but they are told with compelling writing and acting and are filled with terrific actors and actresses including Timothy Hutton, Penelope Ann Miller (how good it is to see her), Hope Davis, Sandra Oh and Cherry Jones. Besides Laura Linney I can think of no other actress who shows coldness and calculated nastiness better than Cherry, who by the way nearly ran me over on her bike on Hudson Street many years ago. She apologized. Also of note are two young actors, new to me who are also terrific.  Joey Pollari who plays one of the closeted gay high school students and Connor Jesup who appears in two episodes. Both are heartbreaking and beautiful. Highly recommended especially for the fine performances.