‘Shameless’ provides plenty of laughs and heart
Frank Gallagher, played by William H. Macy, surrounded by his children in HBO’s “Shameless.” Photo by moviepilot.com
By Julie Burkett// Staff Writer
Fiona, Ian, Carl, Lip, Debbie, and Liam are siblings that live on the south side of Chicago in the television show “Shameless,” which debuted in 2013 on the Showtime network. They make ends meet by doing whatever they can to survive. Fiona, the oldest, takes care of her younger siblings and works menial jobs to try provide income and put food on the table for her siblings. Even with the weight of the world on her shoulders, she still manages to do a good job at raising these children, a job that should not even be hers. Fiona may be performing the job of a parent but she doesn’t act like one; she is still a 20-year-old and gets into a fair amount of trouble. However, this mischievous conduct doesn’t hold a candle to everyone else.
Lip, short for Phillip, is a 16-year-old who acts as the brains of the group, but this doesn’t stop him from trying to find ways around the system. Lip is usually involved in something illegal or dangerous, but it’s probably both. Ian is a 15-year-old at the top of his class in the Reserve Officers Training Corps and wants to go into the army. He has the same mentality as his brother, and is usually the accomplice to his brother’s plans.
Carl is nine, lacks the brains of his brothers, and because of this, his brothers get him into trouble often. He has always been a bit different from the rest of his family. Debbie is a 10-year-old and is the sweetheart of the group; she tries to help take care of everyone. The kids are unable to rely on their alcoholic father, Frank, as he is usually nowhere to be seen or slumped on the floor of a bar. Their crazy mother, Monica, ran off years ago and hasn’t been seen since.
“Shameless” runs on a constant stream of conversation which can be so fast that you will sometimes miss the deep emotional moments that you have been waiting for. This doesn’t differ from the overall quality of the acting, plot, or cinematography of the show. “Shameless” isn’t famous for its cinematography but it does have its moments. The beautiful Chicago skyline is shown many times throughout the course of the show. The way the camera moves is unnoticeable in a perfect way. There are no shakes or awkward angles, it seems as if you are peaking into this family’s life with perfect views.
The acting in this show is stellar. Emmy Rossum, who plays Fiona, portrays the ‘girl who is forced to take care of her younger siblings’ with such accuracy that you never question the authenticity of her character. This also goes for Jeremy Allen White, who plays Lip.
The show starts out being mostly light and fun with a focus on humor and relationship drama. Toward the end of the second season, the focus takes a turn – the plot lines get more serious and darkened. What were simple relationships develop into decisions that could end in turmoil or even end the Gallaghers as we know them. “Shameless” will make you laugh as much as it will make you cry.