Titanic was a made for television mini series that was released one year prior to James Cameron’s blockbuster of the same name. The mini series starred Peter Gallagher, Catherine Zeta Jones, George C. Scott, Eva Marie Saint, Tim Curry and Marilu Henner amongst other talented actors and actresses. There are multiple storylines going on aboard the ship including two romances and some evil sinister behaviors. Although not one hundred percent factual, this mini series takes you on a ride from beginning to end.
The two romances that occurred onboard the ship represented two classes of society – first class and steerage. Peter Gallagher and Catherine Zeta Jones were the performers of the first class love story of two former flames reconnecting. Having two more well known performers lead this love story was a smart decision by the producers as it brought in a viewership for the mini series. The chemistry was there between them and I felt the conflict of if they could actually be together outside the ship. The steerage romance was performed by two lesser known performers and was more of a bad boy thief falling for the sweet innocent girl. They had a couple of sweet scenes but unfortunately their romance was taken over by a more sinister character and event.
Tim Curry portrayed this more sinister character and while I adore Tim Curry as a performer, I hated this character. He was a member of the crew and was just creepy. He had obviously stolen from passengers and yet somehow continues to get work. And now he’s aboard this luxury liner? He may be a god liar but something does not add up here. Tim Curry is so good at portraying evil characters though and I have to give him credit for giving me the creeps. There is one scene in particular with this character that was incredibly cringeworthy and could be very triggering for some viewers. I know I was not expecting it when it happened.
This mini series has all the more well known individuals that were aboard the Titanic. This included Captain Edward J. Smith, Margaret (Molly) Brown, First officer Murdoch, Second officer Lighthouse, J. Bruce Ismay. Fifth officer Lowe and John Jacob Astor (wealthiest man aboard the ship). There were some liberties taken with the portrayal of these individuals. The Allison family is also portrayed as a subplot of the miniseries albeit with much embellishment. This family was a first class family story – mother, father, young girl, and infant boy. Their story is significant because only the infant survived and the mother and daughter deaths were the only noted ones in first class. I find their story to be very interesting and am always excited to learn more .
The Titanic mini series should not be compared to James Cameron’s block buster even though there are a few similarities. The mini series embellishes certain facts and characteristics in order to create a certain atmosphere. Even with the embellishment, the difference between the classes were well presented. This is very important in terms of the romances and other events that occur during the mini series. It helps bring everything together for a ride of a life time.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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