Once and Again

Once and Again is worth viewing again and again. This subtle family drama has recently risen to greater heights of emotional richness.

[Herskovitz and Zwick] have transcended their occasional tendency toward both pretension and sentimentality to come up with a brave, bracing show — one that is, like their previous work, unafraid to make white, middle-class, suburban people look like the infuriating, interesting wrecks they so often can be.

Once and Again can be self-conscious in its sensitivity, especially when characters confide their innermost thoughts to the audience. ... But I'm still impressed by the drama's respect for the complexity of life.

Though the characters endure some familiar embarrassments... the honest performances and perceptive writing will have you feeling freshly empathetic.