Back in July 2016 my friend Stephanie (who is an author and screenwriter) recommended I read Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. I devoured it (read that book review here) and couldn't wait for the HBO limited series to debut. At the time I was reading the book, the series had already been cast, but I tried not to read anything about production until I was finished with the book.
For those who aren't familiar, the story centers around three mothers who all have children in the same kindergarten class - Madeline, Celeste and Jane. The book takes place in a seaside town in Australia. For the HBO series, they bumped the kids up to first grade and they changed the location to Monterey, California.
The way the series is shot, the town of Monterey - the windy roads, the picturesque bridges and the churning, wave-crashing ocean - plays a critical role in the show, much the way New York City was integral to Sex and the City. The beach almost felt like another central character.
Reese Witherspoon (an executive producer on the series) plays Madeline, the uptight, queen bee of the PTA. When I first learned Witherspoon was taking on this role, I was annoyed. I was worried she would bring too much Tracy Flick to the character (her famous alter ego in Election). I am pleased to report she was excellent. She had just the right amount of compassion and loyalty, mixed with a dash of psycho grudge-holding.
Madeline's ex-husband Nathan is played by James Tupper, who I can only picture as Emily Thorne's father on Revenge. His new wife, Bonnie, is brought to life by Zoe Kravitz's (yes, Lenny Kravitz's daughter) which is beyond perfect casting.
In present day, Madeline is married to Ed, played by Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation. I don't remember feeling this way while reading the book, but Madeline and Ed's marriage is a sad one. A relationship devoid of passion. It was uncomfortable watching them try to get on the same page emotionally and physically.
Another member of the trio, Celeste, is played by Nicole Kidman (also an executive producer for the series). Celeste, according to the book, is a head-turning, jaw-dropping beauty. While Kidman did look stunning in every scene, particularly two scenes where she was wearing floor-length gowns, she wasn't what I pictured while reading the book. Her husband on the other hand, Perry, turned out to be exactly what I had imagined.
Alexander Skarsgard (who will always be Eric from True Blood to me) breathes life into Perry, Celeste's abusive husband. His scenes brought me back to all the moments in the book where my heart raced, thinking he would raise a hand (or worse) to Celeste.
The last mother of the three, Jane, is played by Shailene Woodley. When I first heard she got this part, I was skeptical. She felt so much younger than the other two actresses (though Jane is younger than all the other mothers in the book too). In the end, I thought she did it justice, though I wish they had given more screen time to her budding romance with coffee shop owner, Tom.
The screenplay was adapted for television by David E. Kelley, who is also the co-creator of Goliath, which I just watched on Amazon. Like Shonda Rhimes, he has a knack for the dark and twisty characters.
The cinematography in the series was gorgeous - the landscape shots of Monterey, the luxury homes, the fashion and the constant blue / green hue giving that waterfront tint to each and every scene.
If you are on the fence about watching the series, it's definitely worth it, whether you've read the book or not. It's only seven episodes, each one hour long. You can binge the entire series on HBO on demand or HBO Go.
After I watched the finale, I fell down a rabbit hole of recaps. Here are the three best articles I found if you want more Big Little Lies:
- Why Big Little Lies' 2 Huge Changes From The Book Matter (Refinery29)
- The Cathartic Finale of Big Little Lies (The New Yorker)
- Which Big Little Lies Mom Are You Most Like? (Buzzfeed)
Comments
toronto wiring
Fri, 10/11/2019 - 09:12
Much obliged to you since you have been happy to impart data to us. we will consistently welcome all you have done here on the grounds that I realize you are worried about our.
Noix
toronto wiring
Sat, 10/12/2019 - 03:44
enchanting post, stay aware of this interesting work. It really regards comprehend that this subject is being checked in like way on this site so cheers for setting aside time to talk about this!
Pistaches
Jodi W. Brown
Wed, 10/16/2019 - 02:41
i read a lot of stuff and i found that the way of writing to clearifing that exactly want to say was very good so i am impressed and ilike to come again in future.. Holm Law Group San Diego
Brittany M. Lemay
Wed, 12/25/2019 - 03:22
Ihr Blog hat uns wertvolle Informationen zur Verfügung gestellt, mit denen wir arbeiten können. Alle Tipps in Ihrem Beitrag sind fantastisch. Vielen Dank für das Teilen. Bloggen Sie weiter .. wie viel black jack tische stehen im casino interlaken
Brittany M. Lemay
Fri, 02/07/2020 - 03:57
I am hoping the same best effort from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me. Interested in free cell phones? have a peek here getfreestuffonlinenow.com
Jodi W. Brown
Fri, 03/06/2020 - 04:10
I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post. Now you make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. Thank you for the post. Click here
Jodi W. Brown
Fri, 03/06/2020 - 04:10
I am definitely enjoying your website. You definitely have some great insight and great stories. Wedding Gift
Jodi W. Brown
Wed, 03/11/2020 - 03:55
Our Platform Links Taskers With Clients Who Want To Hand Over Their Daily Chores To Someone Else So They Can Have All The Time They Need To Engage In Those Things That Make Them Happy. With Our Revolutionary App, Clients Can Book For Services 24/7. Clients Can Choose From List Of Several Tasks Or Search For A Task On The TaskEngine Dashboard. With The One Single App Designed Specifically For Both Tasker And Client, You Can Be Rest Assured That There Isn't Gonna Be Any Lag. App of the Week
Jodi W. Brown
Wed, 04/08/2020 - 03:03
You know your projects stand out of the herd. There is something special about them. It seems to me all of them are really brilliant! vpndays.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:16
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:19
Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. I can't wait to read lots of your posts. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:38
I love the way you write and share your niche! Very interesting and different! Keep it coming! bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:38
You know your projects stand out of the herd. There is something special about them. It seems to me all of them are really brilliant! bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:43
thank you for your interesting infomation. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:44
Very nice article, I enjoyed reading your post, very nice share, I want to twit this to my followers. Thanks!. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:47
Interesting post. I Have Been wondering about this issue, so thanks for posting. Pretty cool post.It 's really very nice and Useful post.Thanks bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:47
I really loved reading your blog. It was very well authored and easy to undertand. Unlike additional blogs I have read which are really not tht good. I also found your posts very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he ejoyed it as well! bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:53
Nice blog and absolutely outstanding. You can do something much better but i still say this perfect.Keep trying for the best. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:56
Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:58
Thanks for the nice blog. It was very useful for me. I'm happy I found this blog. Thank you for sharing with us,I too always learn something new from your post. bestfamilypets.com
Brittany M. Lemay
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 06:59
I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post. Now you make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. Thank you for the post. bestfamilypets.com
karlax 123
Thu, 03/25/2021 - 14:06
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly comeback. https://war-fighters.net
karlax 123
Thu, 03/25/2021 - 14:06
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly comeback. https://war-fighters.net
karlax 123
Mon, 03/29/2021 - 06:25
I am very happy to discover your post as it will become on top in my collection of favorite blogs to visit. Cici4d LiveChat