Customer Reviews

Star Trek / TIME Cover: November 28, 1994, Movie Print by TIME Magazine

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first heard that Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart were going to do a remake of "The Lion in Winter" for Showtime I figured that they were sure bets for Emmy nominations and could easily envision the pair walking off with awards. But then I actually saw "The Lion in Winter" and was rather surprised that Close was going so far out of her way to make sure none of her lines sounded like the ones Katharine Hepburn uttered in the theatrical film version and that Stewart was underplaying the role of Henry II so much. So Close got nominated and Stewart did not, which apparently put an end to the idea that a "Star Trek" actor could ever win an Emmy. But then William Shatner not only was nominated for Guest Actor in a Drama Series, but also won the award for his portrayal of Denny Crane, the character who went from being a guest on "The Practice" to a starring role on the "Boston Legal" spin-off (along with James Spader who won the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series).

Shatner won the award over some heavy competition: Bob Newhart on "ER," James Earl Jones" on "Everwood," Matthew Perry on "The West Wing," and Martin Landau on "Without a Trace." The award really should not have been a surprise even if the performance was for those who remember Shatner from "Star Trek" and "T.J. Hooker," where his mannered performances became a staple for countless imitators. The Shatner who became infamous for warbling "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and poking fun at himself at "The MTV Movie Awards" and all those commercials for Priceline would not seem suited to a dramatic role. But if you saw him on "The Practice" as the brilliant lawyer Denny Crane, plagued with memory problems but capable of concentrated moments of legal brilliance in the courtroom (or most memorably, in a judge's chambers in an off-the-record dressing down of his opposing counsel), you would have to be impressed.

William Shatner was once a pretty good young actor. He might be best remembered in those pre-"Star Trek" days for have a nice supporting role with Spencer Tracy in "Judgment at Nuremberg" and the classic "Twilight Zone" episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," but if you want to see Shatner at his best you want to see his earlier "Zone" performance on "Nick of Time" and what he did for director George C. Scott in the television play version of "The Andersonville Trial." "TV Guide" named Patrick Stewart the actor of the decade for the 1990s, but Shatner had his moment as well.

Of course, all of this is moot because as this "Time" cover from November 28, 1994 indicates the way these two actors will be remembered is for their roles as James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard, the captains of the Starship "Enterprise" on "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Not that Trekkers (or Trekkies if you so desire) needed the validation of "Time" cover to recognize the established place of the "Star Trek" universe in the world of pop culture. Obviously the appeal of this movie print is going to be for "Star Trek" fans, but now when we think about what else these two actors have done, Shatner has a bit of hardware to help balance out Stewart's credentials with the Royal Shakespeare Company.