In understanding the stages of being human, it’s safe to say that it’s great to be at either end of the spectrum. When you’re young, the world is yours to explore–there’s nothing that can challenge the curiosities and dreams that you aspire to discover. When you’re old, you get to look back at the trials you triumphed at and cherish the memories and accomplishments that formulated your present wholesome self.
Even so, to get from Point A to Point B, the “quarter-life” and “midlife” crises exist: the years in between are a series of messy miseries. And the case study that we fortunately follow is our titular character Mr. Corman.
Joshua Corman (writer, director, and producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a fifth grade school teacher struggling to understand what it means to be and feel alive. His interactions with his family, friends, and students–with a wide cast including Arturo Castro, Bobby Hall aka Logic, Debra Winger, Juno Temple, Jamie Chung, Alexander Jo, Hector Hernandez, and Shannon Woodward–provide him with various, reflective viewpoints. Over the course of a ten, thirty minute episode dramedy series, the audience witnesses Josh exploring existential questions that commonly ravage the minds of many young adults today.
What is unique about Mr. Corman is that it delves into the perspective of a hopeless protagonist who has been drained to be a glass half empty: to list a few of his problems, his dreams to be a rock star musician never came into fruition; his attempts in his love life could use a little help; and his relationship with his family still needs to be amended. His feelings of emotional uncertainty are excellently reflected in the smallest details by all of the possible film conventions. For example, Josh is usually seen wearing dark or dull tone apparel that stands in stark contrast to the other characters’ sometimes brighter, colorful, or vibrant outfits as an extension of their personalities. Cinematic wise, employing the use of a shaky camera provides an immersive experience witnessing Josh’s mindset as he navigates in socially awkward and anxious interactions with others. Its soundtrack, composed by Nathan Johnson, further underscores Josh’s feeling of overwhelmed confusion and anxiety, which is a theme Joseph Gordon Levitt was aiming to unravel with his character. The ways in which the show interchanges between following shots and edits allow us to feel when connections are made or severed. With a few moments of avante garde sequences sprinkled in with some musical numbers, the advantage of making Mr. Corman’s journey in a slow-burn mini series is that each episode allows us to meddle in these uncertain waters and slowly understand how the multiple intricacies of Josh’s life formed into the man we witness today.
And what makes us drawn to Josh’s character is that the audience has either felt or have been in his situation before. With these said problems, we have the pleasurable opportunity to witness how he chooses to handle these problems: how can he reconcile his tumultuous relationship with his parents? What does it mean to be a good parent? How do you wrestle the pursuance of dreams versus the limits placed by reality? Josh’s perspective ends up being a safe space for viewers to confide in with his experiences validating the biggest, overwhelming question we all want to answer–with the cards that life has dealt to us, where, when, and how are we able to truly discover our fullest potential in obtaining our truest happiness? And although the answers he reaches are as open-ended as these questions that are presented, the culmination of his journey is well exalted in the series’ grand finale.
Even though the series is currently available on Apple TV+, the streaming website has decided not to reprise the show with a season two, which I find as a shame. It’s hard to find a show where it doesn’t have to depend on intense action sequences, jokes that are cracked left or right, or an intensely dramatic plot build up. For anyone that is looking for a show that centers upon the mundanity of life while wrestling the social anxieties and expectations of defining and making oneself an immediate success, which may vary from person to person, then Mr. Corman will provide a great outlet to explore these ideas.
Rating
8.7/10
Would I Watch Again?
Sure! But probably in the later future. The experience of watching the series delivers food for thought that deserves to be reflected upon.
Would I Recommend?
As someone who went on hiatus for almost a year due to some stressful life events, this show definitely will provide comfort and perspective that, as cheesy as it sounds, that we will all eventually face the internal struggle of finding what is best for ourselves while facing the unexpected adversities that come your way. This truly is a story of resilience, adaptation, and blossoming from your darkest of times.
Christine's Cinema Corner 