Big Little Lies in the Media

[Mabinogia]

After reading that article and seeing her body of work laid out like that, I get the impression Nicole couldn't give two shits about being a "star". If she did, she would be taking different projects. She seems to take a job, now that she's free from the albatross that was Tom, we can't be apart so you can only take jobs near me, Cruise, that appeals to her personally rather than what she thinks will be a hit. I love that about her. She takes risks. She's got an amazing body of work but it really isn't splashy media grabby work. It's not the kind of stuff that gets as much buzz as a superhero franchise or action series. It's just the way it is. If she had wanted to, I'm sure she could have gone that route but she chose to make herself happy rather than make herself "validated" whatever that's supposed to mean.

[hisbunkie]

On 4/2/2017 at 9:40 PM, Eliz said:

On another note, I actually hope there isn't another season.   I loved that they were all together at the end and the person who had been excluded throughout literally struck a blow for the sisterhood and was included.  

I'm not sure why there is a question of a second season?  This was a mini-series based on a book, the story has been told. 

[JBC344]

3 hours ago, hisbunkie said:

I'm not sure why there is a question of a second season?  This was a mini-series based on a book, the story has been told. 

There has been talk from some sources that if Lianne Moriarty agreed to write an overarching storyline for another season Reese and Nicole would be willing to come back to produce, act and get the gang back together so to speak.  My understanding is that a possible "second season" would only happen if Lianne was willing to write/set up another storyline with these women.

Personally I would much rather see this exact same cast come back and adapt another one of her books.  My understanding is that BLL is one of her bests but I think that would be a perfect opportunity to take one of Lianne's "lesser" books, to beef up and enhance for another mini-series.  I'm partial to The Husbands's Secret.  I would love to see what the cast could do with that one.

[Razzberry]

I used to think she was somewhat overrated, but came to appreciate what a talented and fearless actress she really is.  Another amazing female-centric film I loved is The Hours.

Scene at the train station with Nicole Kidman and Stephen Dillane.

How HE got shut out of the noms is another story.

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 4/8/2017 at 0:22 PM, hisbunkie said:

I'm not sure why there is a question of a second season?  This was a mini-series based on a book, the story has been told. 

Because it was popular.  Sex and the City was based on a tiny little book (which I loved) but it went on for 6 seasons and 2 movies, didn't it?

[Irlandesa]

I think there's a significant difference between Sex and the City and Big Little Lies.  Sex and The City, the book, was a collection of columns written by the author.  The series told stories based on those columns but there was room to tell more and it was meta in the fact that the main character was a columnist herself (like Bushnell.) Big Little Lies made changes but was more faithful to its source material.  More importantly, we found out who died, who killed him, who Jane's rapist was and removed the biggest thing terrorizing Celeste.

That's not to say that it's impossible to have a second season but it's easier to introduce more relationship issues in a show like Sex and The City than it is to recreate the tension not knowing who one's rapist is or when one's husband will snap next.

[Sayla Vee]

I doubt the little boy who plays Ziggy would be able to return.  Although I'm not sure the series has been picked up as yet, he is set to play young Sheldon Cooper in a spin-off of Big Bang.  I doubt he could do a series, go to school, and still fit in another series (even if short) without sacrificing any little boy time.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I think it's possible to create new storylines for a second season. Shows like Veronica Mars and Broadchurch centered on a huge mystery for the first season and then they came until with another central storyline for their second seasons. 

The question is really whether the actors want to commit to another 4-6 months of shooting and how quickly the writers could come up with a workable script. 

I don't think it's necessary for every single actor to return if there is a second season. People move or go out of town. And since this season covered a very short period of time (unlike the book which covered almost an entire school year), it's even more believable if some people are out of town for one reason or another. Jane and Ziggy could be back in Santa Cruz visiting her family which would give a reason for them to not be on screen for some or all of S2. Or it could take place during summer vacation when people are traveling/out of town. 

[SusanSunflower]

fwiw, nyrb weighs in  with ‘Sex and the City’ in Hell" 

Edited April 10, 2017 by SusanSunflower

[Stella]

1 hour ago, SusanSunflower said:

fwiw, nyrb weighs in  with ‘Sex and the City’ in Hell" 

Thanks for posting this link SusanSunflower.

I'm curious as to what you and others think about the author's take. I felt like it was thoughtful, obviously intelligently written but also weirdly missing some marks. For example:

Quote

Ultimately, though, what’s most upsetting about Big Little Lies is not the way the adults bully and abuse one another, but the way in which these loving parents treat their children.

I certainly didn't agree with some of the parenting going on in this series. But I can't say this was the MOST upsetting aspect of the series!

[Razzberry]

Many successful series start off based on books but come into their own in a visual medium, and the book becomes less important. I feel like they've barely scratched the surface with these characters and I'd love to see what the writers come up with next.  Even if others can't commit, I think Reese Witherspoon's Maddie could easily carry the show.

All I know is I won't be paying HBO to see Will Ferrell in another comedy, Ballers 2, or whatever else they've got in development. 

[SusanSunflower]

I've only seen the first episode so I have no "insight" beyond that episodes depiction of SAHMs self-consciously ferrying their children to school, dressing and "speaking up" to impress the other moms. So, in some ways, I can understand seeing the children a proxy game pieces on the game board or at least being so preoccupied with the maternal war games that the children come second. We all see these things through our own experiences and mine (as a boomer child with a career-level working mom dealing with quite disapproving working class SAHMs as neighbors) don't transfer much, except for the extraordinary projection of themselves onto their children that so many parent indulge in (even when they should know better). 

I really cant see a second season as anything but a downer ... and doubt Maddie and her marriage (and ex-husband and family) would be "enough" ... Celeste and the boys will have a lot of adjustments to make, but so will Jane and Ziggy, now that the big-bad-wolf is dead and Jane is left with just the post-trauma of being a rape victim (now that the hypervigilence is in reality "inappropriate") and Ziggy is left with a mom adjusting to a new normal, quite possibly being demoted, no longer Maddie and Celeste's new BFF new single-mom project.  YMMV.  Celeste still has her looks and her reputation as an ACE laywer.  Maddie is also likely to feel left behind -- wailing"everybody got a new improved life but me!" 

Edited April 10, 2017 by SusanSunflower

[Mabinogia]

11 minutes ago, SusanSunflower said:

no longer Maddie and Celeste's new BFF new single-mom project.  YMMV.  Celeste still has her looks and her reputation as an ACE laywer.  Maddie is also likely to feel left behind.

I could actually see the friendship shift to Celeste and Jane bonding with, yes, Maddie being left behind. Since Jane and Celeste share a baby daddy, and war stories, I could see them kind of forming a tight bond that doesn't include Maddie who's biggest disappointment was that her husband walked out without raping or beating the crap out of her. I wonder if she'd try to shift to Renata, just to have her own BFF. OMG that would be hilarious! I can just see the look on Ranata's face, though she might just be desperate enough to accept Maddie's friendship. I wonder if Bonnie would join with Celeste and Jane in the anti-Perry trinity or if she and Maddie would become tight and start ganging up on Nathan. Poor guy will have two wives.

I think there is a lot of story they still can tell. The worst thing they could do is try to make another murder mystery because it's always pretty absurd when people keep mysteriously dying in small towns like that. Just ask the Cabot Cove folks. Or turn another one of the husbands into a monster. Just tell the story of women rebuilding their lives after rape/domestic abuse/killing a man/whatever Maddie's issue is with not wanting her husb

[SusanSunflower]

I think Maddy felt considerably socially elevated by her triple-A rated friend Celeste.   Judging from Nate and Bonnie, Maddy married up (waaaay up) when she with Ed ... again, I dunno, what does he think about her own fairly competitive, even "snobby" social climbing ways.  No, wait, being competitive isn't attractive... so it's not that she's competitive, she just wants to be better than everyone else ... but I haven't seen the series so I don't know.  I took Maddie refusing to take off her high-heel after spraining her ankle as over-the-top self-conscious ... anyone else would have (and just for safety's sake, she should have) ... but, yes, I think Maddie has insecurity and backstory to be mined. ... and she's going to have to deal with the fact that Celeste, her BFF, in fact did not confide in her ... 

Edited April 10, 2017 by SusanSunflower

[Ms Blue Jay]

23 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I think there's a significant difference between Sex and the City and Big Little Lies.  Sex and The City, the book, was a collection of columns written by the author.  The series told stories based on those columns but there was room to tell more and it was meta in the fact that the main character was a columnist herself (like Bushnell.) Big Little Lies made changes but was more faithful to its source material.  More importantly, we found out who died, who killed him, who Jane's rapist was and removed the biggest thing terrorizing Celeste.

That's not to say that it's impossible to have a second season but it's easier to introduce more relationship issues in a show like Sex and The City than it is to recreate the tension not knowing who one's rapist is or when one's husband will snap next.

Sex and the City, the book, had an arc.  Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha, Big, and even more characters, all existed in the book.  They were introduced in the book.  Carrie meets Big and falls in love with him in the book.  The book ended.

Then writers were able to take that book and make 6 seasons and 2 movies with entirely brand new stories based on all of these characters.  Season 1 of SATC followed the book somewhat and kept a lot of its characters, but by Season 2 the slate was wiped clean.  Plus, SATC and BLL are both HBO, and both are headed by a lot of female actors.   Perry being gone from the show does not a catastrophe make.  To me the analogy is great.  The major difference is the genres, but I really don't think it's a big deal.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Ms Blue Jay

[chocolatine]

46 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Then writers were able to take that book and make 6 seasons and 2 movies with entirely brand new stories based on all of these characters.

Exactly. I don't think the BLL writing team will have any trouble coming up with new storylines, especially if it's true that Liane Moriarty is on board to co-write.

The only real constraint IMO is the schedule/availability of the main actors.

[CofCinci]

I think they can lose any of the cast except for Reese Witherspoon, Adam Scott, Lenny Kravitz's daughter and Anne Heche's husband.  The series can continue with this cohort and their children at the core. 

[Mabinogia]

It could, but I have no interest in watching that show. lol

[Stella]

Tom & Lorenzo are starting costume analysis with Madeline's.

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2017/04/big-little-lies-style-hbo-costumes-madeline-martha-mackenzie/

[SusanSunflower]

from AV club 

The author of Big Little Lies has plans for season 2

[Stella]

Tome & Lorenzo on Celeste's costumes.

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2017/04/big-little-lies-style-celeste-nicole-kidman-hbo-costume-analysis/

Very insightful. I first discovered their site through their Mad Men recaps and costume analysis, which was amazing.

[SusanSunflower]

I thought it was interestingT&L made little mention of Renee's consistent use of both jewel necklines and long (or 3/4 length) sleeves ... and the lack of jewelry and "garnish" ... all useful tricks for a tiny person like Witherspoon... tiny people easily look like children wearing "mom's" wardrobe or suffer the "clothes wearing the wearer" syndrome being overwhelmed by too-big earrings, necklaces, bows, ruffles, even lace.  The long sleeves and solid color blocking also give her presence, and make her "stand out". I was also interested at the size of the flower/prints.  

Maddie also dresses young and energetic, while Celeste is more elegant, soignee and demur ... but neither flash much skin.  Maddie would become invisible in most of Celeste's clothes.  With her tanned and toned look, Maddie and her clothes could easily suite a teenager (with very good taste), yet, she is kept from the "dressing like a teenager" slur because everything is so perfect and perfectly proportioned.  Love her use of cardigans.  

(yes, I'm 5'2' -- barely -- and it took me years to discover all the things that I just couldn't successfully wear, not matter how much I wanted to) 

[chocolatine]

5 minutes ago, SusanSunflower said:

(yes, I'm 5'2' -- barely -- and it took me years to discover all the things that I just couldn't successfully wear, not matter how much I wanted to) 

Same here.

[SusanSunflower]

T&O:  Celeste

enjoy

[Stella]

Renata

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2017/04/big-little-lies-style-fashions-hbo-renata-laura-dern-costume-analysis/#prettyPhoto

[SusanSunflower]

With Renata, I was impressed at how much her posture and clothes cried out a quite masculine (but not "butch") long-and-lanky, exhaustingly demonstrating her physical dominance.  She even appeared taller than or equal to her husband, with all that "man in black" just emphasizing her "new sheriff in town" dominance, even aggression.  All those cropped tops, threatening to expose her very tanned and toned midriff, more challenge, oh and much more deep v-necks and body-hugging silhouettes.  Excellent presentation of a status-conscious (obsessed) high level career woman. 

 

eta:  Dern is 5'10" and Kidman is 5'11" per google 

Edited April 14, 2017 by SusanSunflower
add

[Stella]

Jane

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2017/04/big-little-lies-style-fashion-jane-shailene-woodle-hbo-costume-analysis/

And Bonnie

http://tomandlorenzo.com/2017/04/big-little-lies-style-bonnie-zoe-kravitz-hbo-costume-analysis-fashion/

[NutMeg]

Thank you very much indeed to all who linked to Tom and Lorenzo analysis, each comment was very interesting and gave me even more insight into characters that I though I knew by then. And it's amazing to realize how much works goes into outfit design, I'm very impressed because yes, indeed, so much is said just looking at the clothes. I was particularly impressed with the analysis about Celeste (I guess somehow, unconsciously, we got it, but this was a masterful step by step trip over mental states thought clothing; Maddie's was amazing too, mostly because I had missed most of it :D; Renata's style really resonated with me, because her clothes would fit right at home with mine :)

[Soobs]

A sad but realistic season two could have Celeste meeting another Perry type and her friends have to decide to cut her loose or keep trying to rescue her.

[NutMeg]

Please no!

[Mabinogia]

Personally I'd like to see the dynamic between Jane and Celeste, now that they know Celeste's husband was Jane's rapist and the father of Ziggy. I think it would be interesting to see how that affects them both. It would have to, in some way. And the kids. Would the twins welcome a half brother? Would they tell the kids? Would they become a strangely blended family?

And in other news, how is the relationship between Madeline and Bonnie going to be changed by the events of that night.

I think there is plenty of story to mine from the fallout of Perry's death. Guilt, freedom, relief, sorrow, so many emotions that death must have dragged up in these women. And Madeline's sense of losing her friends perhaps, since they will all share something she doesn't, Perry. Bonnie killed him, Celeste was married to and abused by him and Jane was raped by him. Madeline's story could be about trying to find her place in this new dynamic.

Renata has the least storyline now, though she could be trying to push her way into the friendship. That's how they could keep her there, because I love me some Renata I want her to stick around.

[spankydoll]

Please don't do a second season. It's going to be like shitty Desperate Housewives with better acting.

[SusanSunflower]

The Atlantic on the show's parenting 

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/04/how-big-people-shape-little-kids-in-big-little-lies/523536/

[MerBearHou]

Anyone see Reese Witherspoon's Instagram today?  It was a photo of Laura Dern, Nicole Kidman and Reese and the caption said they're just spending a Girls' Sunday together, working on some new little lies or something to that effect.  Yesssss!  We shall see what they come up with.

[kj4ever]

I saw Reese on Ellen yesterday and she said her and Nicole are discussing a possible season 2 with the writer of Big Little Lies.

[sugarbaker design]

Emmy nominations are in:

Lead:  Kidman, Witherspoon

Supporting:  Dern, Woodley

Supporting:  Skarsgaard

Edited July 13, 2017 by sugarbaker design

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Full list of Emmy nominations:

Best Limited Series

Limited Series Actress - Nicole Kidman

Limited Series Actress - Reese Witherspoon

Limited Series Supporting Actor - Alexander Skarsgard

Limited Series Supporting - Laura Dern

Limited Series Supporting - Shailene Woodley

Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama - Jean-Marc Valleé

Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama - David E. Kelley

Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or Special  - David Rubin

Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie - Yves Bélanger

Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Limited Series or Movie - Alix Friedberg, Risa Garcia & Patricia McLaughlin

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie - Veronique Barbe, David Berman, Justin LaChance, Maxine Lahie, Sylvain Lebel & Jim Vega

Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie - Michelle Ceglia, Nickole C. Jones, Lona Vigi, Frances Mathias & Jocelyn Mulhern

Makeup for a Limited Series or Movie (Non-Prosthetic) - Steve Artmont, Nancy Artmont, Angela Levin, Molly R. Stern, Claudia Humburg

Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie - Gavin Fernandes, Louis Gignac, Brendan Beebe

Music Supervision - Susan Jacobs ("You Get What You Need")

Edited July 13, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Uncle JUICE]

Can someone please explain why Adam Scott isn't on this list? I didn't think Skaarsgard's performance held a candle to what the series asked Adam Scott to balance. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies), Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan), Oprah Winfrey (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks), and Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) at The Hollywood Reporter's drama actress round table:

[formerlyfreedom]

THR interview with Reese Witherspoon;
 

Quote

 

Ever since Big Little Lies wrapped its critically lauded run on HBO in April, there have been rumblings of a possible second season of the limited series.

Reese Witherspoon tells The Hollywood Reporter that those conversations are ongoing, and that she's "optimistic" about doing more of the drama, which is based on Liane Moriarty's book of the same name.

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

David E. Kelley on Big Little Lies season 2

Quote

I have to ask the season 2 question. What are your thoughts on doing one?
We don’t know yet. We’re kicking it around. If we feel that the material warrants it, we’ll do it. Everybody’s game for getting the band back together, but we want to make sure that we’ve got the music to justify it. That decision hasn’t been made yet, and it’ll be story-driven when it is.

From what Reese and other people have said, it sounds like it’s up to whether Liane Moriarty has a story idea.
Correct.

With Mr. Mercedes and with Big Little Lies, the authors weren’t really involved in your adaptations. But would season 2 end up more collaborative if it’s based on a new story from Liane?
It could be. I’m certainly open to it. I think [Moriarty], for the book, was game to say, “Okay, it’s your baby. Run with it now.” But she’s a great writer, and she also writes excellent dialogue, so if she wanted to jump over to the screenwriting side of the fence, we’d welcome her.

[carrps]

On 4/2/2017 at 0:13 PM, Mabinogia said:

Yikes! If Madeline is in a "lower economic standing" I must be poverty stricken. Even in my moderately desirable for the area town a condo on the water is half a million. A house with a kitchen like that on our crappy little Long Island Sound beach would be several million. They need to stop pretending that Madeline isn't filthy rich.

Ha! I'm in a condo three blocks from the beach, and our next door neighbors just sold theirs for three-quarters of a million. It's insane.

[DEM]

On 7/13/2017 at 2:20 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or Special  - David Rubin

Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Limited Series or Movie - Alix Friedberg, Risa Garcia & Patricia McLaughlin

Music Supervision - Susan Jacobs ("You Get What You Need")

Congratulations to these winners (from the Creative Arts ceremony), esp. to Susan Jacobs for winning the first ever award for the new Music Supervision category!

[ProudMary]

Huge night at the Emmys for Big Little Lies but I need some Academy members to explain to me how they could possibly have awarded BLL with Emmys for Best Series, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Directing and Casting and NOT awarded an Emmy to David E. Kelley for Screenwriting.  Do they think this series wrote itself?  

[chocolatine]

Did anyone else find it super awkward that Nicole Kidman talked about her two younger daughters as if they were her only children? Do the two children she adopted with Tom Cruise not count?

[MerBearHou]

1 hour ago, chocolatine said:

Did anyone else find it super awkward that Nicole Kidman talked about her two younger daughters as if they were her only children? Do the two children she adopted with Tom Cruise not count?

I thought of her other 2 kids as well but I suspect she's been cut out of their lives due to Scientology.  

So glad Nicole won. That was an excruciating role to play and she was perfection IMO.  Also glad for Alexander.  Tough competitors in every category and I'm so pleased BLL won as much as it did. Reese has a great eye for material.  

[Artsda]

Love the Emmy love. Congrats to the show & everyone!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Complete list of Emmy wins for BLL (for some reason, the list I saw did not list specific episodes for Nicole Kidman and Jean-Marc Vallée's wins):

Outstanding Limited Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie - Nicole Kidman
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie - Alexander Skarsgård (Episode: "Living the Dream")
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie - Laura Dern (Episode: "Once Bitten)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special - Jean-Marc Vallée

Creative Emmy wins from last week:
Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
Outstanding Costumes for a Contemporary Series, Limited Series, or Movie - Episode: "You Get What You Need"
Outstanding Music Supervision - Episode: "You Get What You Need"

[scarynikki12]

11 hours ago, chocolatine said:

Did anyone else find it super awkward that Nicole Kidman talked about her two younger daughters as if they were her only children? Do the two children she adopted with Tom Cruise not count?

She isn't allowed to see them.  They're deep into the cult, she's marked a Suppressive Person, and remaining cult members aren't allowed to associate with SPs.  Not being allowed to associate with SPs is also why Tom hasn't seen Suri since Katie escaped.  If Connor and Isabella ever leave I fully believe that Nicole would be over the moon to have them back and meet their sisters.  For all we know one or both secretly want out but, as the various cult docs have demonstrated, cutting ties with family who want to stay makes escaping incredibly hard. 

I was so happy to see the show clean up at the Emmys!  I love that Reese has recognition for production now and Nicole's speech was great.  They're both halfway to EGOT, which is a fun thing to say even if it's unlikely to happen (unless Reese starts producing plays...I can actually see that so maybe). 

[MaryWebGirl]

I'm pretty stoked that  BLL, VEEP (Best Comedy), and The Handmaid's Tale (Best Drama) are all shows centered around women.