Monday Memories: Blue Dress, Beret and Cigars

If you understand the title's reference, congratulations! You survived the Clinton Administration! This post will be a review of the series we recently finished watching: Impeachment: American Crime Story. Some of you may remember when I reviewed The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Neither disappoints!

Going in, I always wonder how much of the script is true, so what I really liked about this series is that Monica Lewinsky is one of the producers. I think it's safe to assume that the show was from her point of view, but it didn't hide her flaws or her culpability in the affair with Bill Clinton. Let's look at the cast, which is truly what made this series so phenomenal:

Beanie Feldstein portrayed Monica Lewinsky, who had an affair with Bill Clinton while she was a White House intern and Pentagon employee. I was not familiar with this actress, but I enjoyed her in this role. She obviously had coaching from Monica, whom she played as rather naive, but also as a young woman who actively pursued the President. 

Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp, disgruntled former White House employee who met Monica as a co-worker in the Pentagon. Linda secretly recorded conversations with Monica and then turned in the tapes as evidence, in both a vendetta against the Clintons and in hopes of a book deal. This was by far our favorite character. Paulson had previously played Marcia Clark in the OJ series. You couldn't help but dislike Tripp for taking advantage of her friendship with Monica, as well as her general demeanor, which I would describe as haughty and rude. Paulson is brilliant!

Annaleigh Ashford played Paula Jones, former Arkansas state employee who sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment during his time as governor. A tragic figure, we see her lose her marriage and all sense of dignity during her lengthy court battle. She elicits both sympathy and laughs as the unsophisticated hick who is easily swayed by her husband, lawyers, and the media.

Cobie Smulders as Anne Coulter, conservative media pundit who supports the impeachment of Clinton. Cobie had the nasal twang of Coulter down pat, but gave off a sexy vibe that we didn't feel Coulter has in real life. Still, an amazing performance.

A minor role, Judith Light played Susan Carpenter, the advisor/spokesperson for Paula Jones. A pushy character who did everything she could to change Paula's image, including braces and a nose job. I had not seen Judith Light in years, so it was fun to watch her again in this series.

Billy Eichner portrayed Matt Drudge, founder of the Drudge Report and first one to break the story of the scandal. It was interesting to watch how he gathered information in the very early days of the internet. In one scene, he actually goes through a dumpster. Billy gave his usual sarcastic edge to the character.

Edie Falco in the role of First Lady Hillary Clinton. I personally thought Edie played a more current day Hillary than the 1990's Hillary, but her performance was top notch. Devoid of warmth and emotion, we were shown the cold and calculating side of the former First Lady. Rather than be devastated by her husband cheating on her, Hillary is most concerned about the loss of power for both of them.

Lastly, the unusual choice of Clive Owen as Bill Clinton. Just as I wasn't enthused with Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the role of OJ Simpson, I wasn't overly impressed with Owen's portrayal of Bill. First, there seemed to be too much of an age difference. Secondly, it seemed like Owen was giving Bill the same exact personality as Hillary. The reason that Clinton was so popular and was able to 'bag' so many women was his warmth and charisma. He is said to remember every personal piece of information he learns about those he meets. So, while some of his scenes with Monica he is shown giving her personal gifts, for the most part, he is quite detached. In no way did Owen represent Clinton as the affable pervert that he was. However, his perfection of Clinton's drawl was uncanny!

We were fascinated by the relationship between Monica and Linda and how they bonded over their insecurities. Both struggled with weight issues (we are constantly shown Linda eating Lean Cuisine dinners in front of the TV) and their lack of both male and female companionship. It was painful to watch Monica divulge the details of her sexual relationship with the President, first to Tripp, and then to Kenneth Starr's panel, attorneys, and jury. We had forgotten how Lewinsky was vilified in the press and how she was likely the first person to experience cancel culture and how it has undoubtedly affected the rest of her life. And we were amused by the bizarreness of Paula Jones. Her husband, a struggling actor, was originally the one to push her to sue Bill Clinton. However, rather than money, Steve Jones was hoping to gain a role in the sitcom, Designing Women. In a strange twist, the creator of the television show was good friends with the Clinton's, so Jones thought he could essentially blackmail his way into a part.

Overall, we enjoyed traveling back to a time before 9/11 and social media and revisiting names like Vernon Jordan, Vince Foster, Jim & Susan McDougal, and Whitewater. Have you watched any American Crime Stories or similar anthologies?

**Photo credit: Elle.com**