’’Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers; the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul’’
--- Kevin Arnold
The memories of this long lost, beloved TV serial raised their beautiful heads during a recent conversation at the Airport. I had 2 hours to kill, and was at the bar with my colleagues, when all of a sudden Rachel said, “that guy looks like Kevin Arnold”. Zap! I mean, you could literally have knocked me over with a feather. [Nah, kidding. You would need a crane at the very least], for the oh-so sweet memories came flooding back.
That first kiss, the agony and anticipation of getting the driver’s license and the subsequent delight and feeling of power; all these milestones of our lives are so wonderfully depicted through the eyes of the main protagonist Kevin Arnold [played brilliantly by Fred Savage]. It’s the ability to identify with our journey from puberty to adolescence and adulthood, which makes The Wonder Years seem like a tapestry of OUR life.
The Wonder Years charts the life of a boy through the 60s and early 70s. Kevin’s universe comprises of his best friend Paul Pfeiffer, his first love Winnie Cooper, his bully of an older brother Wayne, his hippie-rebel sister Karen, his quiet and strict father Jack, and his mother Norma.
Ah, Norma. The very picture of an ideal mother of the 60s, whose sole concern is to make sure her children are fed properly, who takes great pains to make the lives of her children and her husband Jack as comfortable as possible, who is always there to listen to Kevin when things are wrong, who is always the bridge between a rebellious Karen and Jack, and who also drives Kevin nuts about her behaviour when Winnie comes home!! [constantly bugging him with “more cookies dear!”]
Most episodes of the Wonder Years started with a black and white [or, in some cases, colour] news reel showing the events that took place in that year. This element of a link between the major events of the era [the Vietnam War, the Flower Power, The Advent of the Beatles etcetera] It was a powerful and nostalgic emotion for the people who grew up in these times. For me, it was a look at the times which defined a generation.
The Wonder Years starts with an Adult Kevin remembering his childhood. All 115 episodes of this Television masterpiece are in a flashback, with the voice of the grown up Kevin Arnold providing the voiceovers. Over the following episodes, we meet other cast members. Jack, Kevin’s father, is the archetypical stern father, but he has his softer sides too! Jack [Dan Lauria] loves his kids to death, and his most agonizing moments are when his daughter rebels against everything he believes in. Jack has served in the Korean war, and Karen, “the apple of dad’s eyes”[in Kevin’s baritone] has joined the hippies! She believes in free sex, drugs, and freedom in general, which are an anathema to the family man that Jack is. The best episode between Karen[Olivia D’Abo] and Jack is the one Karen wants to leave home and move in with her boyfriend pot-smoking, Jimi Hendrix listening boyfriend. It’s the last straw for Jack. But in a particularly moving episode, Jack and Norma flip through pictures of Karen and realise she has grown up. Jack lets her go. Very Moving.
Jack does have some really funny moments with Kevin and Wayne, and this male bonding is one of the highlights of the show. In one episode, Kevin and Jack are building a tree house, but they never get to do anything on account of their neighbour sun-bathing in the skimpiest of bikinis!! Hilarious episode this! Jack and Norma’s[Alley Mills] relationship is depicted beautifully in one particular episode in which Norma loses the tax receipts and Jack yells at her and they have this tiff! The episode end with Jack and Norma dancing, drinking champagne and laughing about the adventures they have had. Soul stirring stuff.
I simply loved Wayne, Kevin’s brother!! He reminds me of some facets about me. No, I never bullied my brother, but there is something about him that I and my brother agree is ashish-ish :-) Maybe it’s his way of slouching in a comfy armchair and ordering Kevin around to fetch him things….I don’t know! :-) Wayne is this spitting image of an older brother. Constantly fighting with Kevin and bullying him around, and generally popping up to spoil Kevin’s day. Oh, and he calls Kevin Butthead affectionately! Heh Heh. Wayne, [Jason Harvey] is this super-confident “dude” whose sole mission in life is to make Kevin’s life as miserable as possible. At least that’s what it seems like to Kevin! Wayne is my God.
Kevin’s best buddy is Paul[Josh Saviano] is this nerd, wearing absurdly thick glasses and is allergic to everything under the Sun!! Paul also wears braces, and is the kind of person you would want as a best friend. Paul is always there for Kevin, and in some really touching moments, he is the shoulder fro Kevin to cry on.. Paul is also the conduit between Kevin and Winnie, [Danica McKellar] smuggling love notes between them.
Winnie. The girl-next-door. The one with whom you shared that first kiss. The one with whom you walked hand in hand, her soft hand fitting perfectly in yours and when she smiled, everything was right with the world and all your worries melted away. Winnie and Kevin have grown up together, right from when she was a gawky kid with braces to when she is this lissom lass later on. In the last episode of the Wonder Years, Winnie is coming back from Paris after studying art history there, and at the Airport to receive her are Kevin, his wife and his son. Winnie and Kevin never marry, but she remains the girl he first kissed. A truly touching moment.
All our young lives we search for someone to love. Someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance to a song of heartbreak and hope... all the while wondering if somewhere, somehow, there’s someone perfect... who might be searching for us.-- Kevin Arnold
There are also other cast members like Becky, [who can out punch most guys and who socks Kevin in the Jaw when he ditches her…he was only making Winnie jealous!] and Chuck, Randy and Jeff who are buddies of Kevin and Paul, and the various teachers. There are many funny episodes with the teachers, particularly with Mr. Cutlip, the Gym teacher. As Kevin Says,
Fortunately, we in the free world need never worry about a totalitarian military, because all our totalitarians are busy teaching junior high school.
I cannot end this review without touching on the music. In the series, there use of songs from the 1910’s to the 1970s, truly lit it up. The choice of “’’With A Little Help From My Friends’’ by Joe Cocker as the tittle song was great! The original song, of course, is by the Beatles.
What would you do if I sang out tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song
I will try not to sing out of key, yeah
Writing this review has been a trip down the memory lane. We can relate to most of the experiences with this series, those friends, that first love, growing up with Dad and Mom and brothers and sisters…. truly, they were the Wonder Years; gone and never to come back.