Book to Television Done Right

HBO has become notorious for creating and airing brilliantly written, directed, and acted out television shows. Westworld took its own place as an original idea brought to life by a great production team, and Game of Thrones lifted off the pages of a book to a screen, as a show that often many prefer over the books. But HBO did not just stop there. One of its recent books to television has made splashes for its realistic depiction of domestic abuse, marriage, and struggles of parenthood.

Big Little Lies is a mini-series about a community set by a beautiful beach town. Stories of murder, rumours, and fractured relationships dominate the narrative, as do mischief, friendship, and adorable children. Focusing specifically upon the stories of three mothers - Madeline, who is struggling with her kids growing up and her ex-husband; Celeste, who on the outside seems to constantly keep up the image of having the perfect life, but the reality seems to echo differently; and finally, Jane, a single mother recently moved to town who seems to have something to hide. Although, the description may make the show to look like a serious drama, that's not what it presents itself as. The show at its heart tries to present the story in a comedic light, and it succeeds due to the strong cast and crew holding it up.

The mini-series features a star studded cast, taking the roles of the three mothers are Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley. Even the supporting cast features well-known faces such as Alexander Skarsgård, Adam Scott, and Zoë Kravitz. From the cast alone the mini-series shows to have big ambitions, but it is especially seen in the storyline it delves into, which involve other violent narratives along with that of domestic abuse.

The mini-series has been continued to be lauded for its portrayal of the violent scenes – especially of abuse, and another instance of a violation. This seems to be for valid reasons as well. The director, Jean-Marc Vallée, crafts each scene in a way that clearly echoes the feelings of the characters in question. Instead of letting dialogues do all the talking, Big Little Lies approaches a lot of the emotions through juxtaposition with the ocean. The oceanic setting gives the show an edge in terms of the cinematic value.

Moreover, as someone who has had loved Desperate Housewives, I felt the mini-series was a take on a concept such as that of Desperate-Housewives-meets-an-Agatha-Christie-novel, but without a detective. 

The characters and how they grow are the main focus of the mini-series rather than the plot – which ultimately is a murder mystery. But by the end of the show, it does not become about who the murderer is, but the influences the characters have had on each other, and the children. And it is the little nuances that have made Big Little Lies stand out in the time of great television.