MovieChat Forums > Six Feet Under (2001) Discussion > Margaret

Margaret

posted 8 years ago by NinetyPercentGravity
5 replies | jump to latest

All analysis or deep theological ventures aside, and from a place of pure entertainment, I really have to say that Margaret Chenowith was one of the most fantastic characters in this series.

She obviously may not have had the exploration and depth as any of the main characters, but if Joanna Cassidy didn't absolutely steal every single scene she was in. Amongst the pantheon of masterful performances and nuanced characters in the series, I feel as though Margaret and Cassidy seem to get overlooked, but she really was one of the highlights of the series. Almost every word out of her narcissistic and self-obsessed mouth makes me laugh.

That being said, one of my favorite scenes of the series is the scene she and Brenda shared in the Season 5 premiere, A Coat of White Primer, when they discuss Brenda's miscarriage. While to be fair, it does seem somewhat out of place, I think that relationship growth between the two of them was subtle but nevertheless present over the course of the series. This scene showcased a nurturing and bizarrely maternal side to Margaret that we rarely ever were allowed to see.

Brenda of course talked a big game about detesting her mother and being endlessly resentful of her upbringing, which she clearly was, but I do think there was some reluctant admiration there. Not that she'd ever admit to it, but Brenda obviously cared greatly about the opinions of her parents, trying endlessly to prove that she wasn't like her mother, when in reality they were both painfully similar. They both knew each other so well, Brenda was so begrudgingly in-tune with her mother's motives and behavior, that she spent every day trying to convince herself that they were nothing alike.

While nobody would argue that she was anything close to the mother of the year, there was little doubt in my mind that she loved and adored the both of her children in a very warped and lab-tested way. Brenda and Billy were undoubtably Chenowiths, too self-aware and too intelligent to ever let themselves be happy, and oddly enough I always saw a proud Margaret in that regard.

And of course, you can't beat the Tranquility Spa scene.

[–] moi_craxy 8 years ago

It's good to see a refreshing opinion here ! Yea Margaret was a fantastic character that being said ! I completely disagree that Brenda was like her mom

If the finale tells us anything it's that brenda changed and became a better person while her mother was well you know . . . . .

[–] NinetyPercentGravity 8 years ago

Fair enough, I should have clarified that I believed Brenda pre-Season 3 to be marginally similar to her mother.

I watch her coyly walk back into the funeral home and walk back into the series during The Trap, and see a completely different character having emerged. It's funny because I remember watching this series for the first time and having a severe dislike of Brenda by the time the second season ended, but the time the finale rolled around, she (along with Claire) was essentially my favorite character.

[–] LetsDriveSomewhere 8 years ago

Brenda was just like her mother at first. Completely neurotic and caught up in herself. Same reason she disliked her mother so much. Then, as she grew (and grew apart from Billy, too), she became a better and more likable person. Her relationship with her mother got better as well.

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[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 8 years ago

Well put. I thought Cassidy/the writers came up with a very original way to play this type of character: she didn't waste much time trying to defend her choices in raising her children. If she was confronted with anything by the kids, she just kinda went with the flow, trying to be there for them NOW, giving the impression she really did care for them, and at the same time, coming across as self-serving. Brilliant portrayal!

[–] flaiky 8 years ago

Good comments. Yes, she's a great character and I think the writers realised that as they went on, and made a point to give her more screen time. She's mostly a vile woman IMO, and an absolutely toxic mother, but she feels authentic thanks to Cassidy's great performance. We understand her as a narcissist who simply couldn't do any better. What's especially clever is the way Margaret's character helps us understand Brenda on a deeper level. The writers and actors really nailed that, showing how deeply we're effected and shaped by our parents and ultimately making Brenda more sympathetic. I think it was done even better in this relationship than any of the Fisher children and Ruth, which didn't always track so perfectly...But then, I think Brenda is the most complex and interesting character of the whole show, so maybe I would say that.

I don't think Margaret and Brenda are as similar as you suggest, but they're certainly closer than Brenda would like to admit.

Speaking of underrated characters/performances, on my most recent viewing I really felt this about Vanessa. Justina Machado is so good in the role. Whenever she's given emotional or challenging scenes (the depression and divorce storylines), she knocks it out the park. Another instance, I think, of the writers realising that they had someone great at their disposal who they needed to use more.

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