Big Little Lies in the Media

[chenoa333]

I just watched Seadon 1 and I'm hooked. So June 9th is the beginning of Season 2 with Meryl Streep? Hope so!

[Friendly kitty]

Big Little Lies: Season 2 | Official Trailer | HBO

I'm waiting!👀

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Kathryn Newton and Laura Dern briefly discuss Big Little Lies (the full interviews are in the Big Little Roles thread):

[endure]

Here's a video from Nightline last night.....interviewing the cast of Big Little Lies

https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/stars-big-lies-dish-working-hit-show-63469036

[VCRTracking]

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Douglas Smith discusses S2 of Big Little Lies:

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Rent the beachfront property used for Maddie's house on Big Little Lies (it's actually in Malibu)

[chenoa333]

On 6/18/2019 at 5:58 PM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Rent the beachfront property used for Maddie's house on Big Little Lies (it's actually in Malibu)

I wonder why the rental price is "$3000.00- $5000.00". Probably $5000.00 in the summer and $3000.00 in the winter. I could afford the $3000.00 a day price if I brought 20 other people to come along/pay and then we could only spend a couple nights! 😁

[Umbelina]

Quote

In fact, the more we find out about the pasts of these perfect-on-the-surface women—Madeline’s parent’s marriage, Celeste having no family to speak of—it helps explain so much about their current efforts to keep the facades as perfect as they are. The one-wrong-move syndrome could send them right back where they came from. It’s why, undoubtedly, as we see briefly in a Bonnie flashback at the beginning of the episode, the group’s immediate response to Perry’s fall was to cover it up and not say anything. It was a methodology that they were already experts at.

https://tv.avclub.com/the-end-of-a-relationship-feels-like-the-end-of-the-wor-1835792471

[scrb]

Has anyone heard what the ratings are like?
 

Maybe they'd be tempted to do a third season.  Though Reese is doing a show for Apple too.

[jeansheridan]

I haven't but there feels like a lot less buzz. Reese has her other show and Nicole has Goldfinch in December. I feel like their steam is gone. But David E. Kelly shows often fade in the 2nd season. I think conditions were perfect last year for a culturally relevant hit. Not so much this year. Chernobyl is the water cooler show at my workplace.

[nb360]

Very interesting twitter post on Meryl Streep’s look on “Big Little Lies.” Apparently Mary Louise looks like Pauline  Kael, a famous NY Times movie reviewer that Streep disliked (or Kael disliked Streep)

Janet Maslin (another prominent NYTimes movie reviewer) thinks Streep is channeling Kael.  Similarities are striking.

https://mobile.twitter.com/JanetMaslin/status/1145572657779347456

See also this essay on Streep and Kael: https://karinalongworth.tumblr.com/post/74848476123/meryl-streep-vs-pauline-kael

Edited July 2, 2019 by nb360
Added link

[ProudMary]

Here, from The Hollywood Reporter, is an interview with Alix Friedberg, costume designer for Big Little Lies.

'Big Little Lies' Costume Designer Sources Luxury Consignment From The RealReal

Quote

With each character’s closet comprising as many as 60 to 75 costume changes in seven episodes, Friedberg tries to source designer looks from the past seasons so it “feels like a real person’s closet.” Her favorite source is the online luxury consignment site The RealReal. "The RealReal is great for sustainability," says Friedberg. "I love that the clothes can be a few seasons old; therefore, they have a bit of history and the closets don't feel like every item is brand new. I shop for all the ladies on the site."   Expect to see Celeste in Ralph Lauren, Joseph and Max Mara, Renata in Alexander McQueen, and Madeline in Dolce & Gabbana this season.

If you're into BLL fashion, definitely read the whole article.  There are also several photos.

[ApathyMonger]

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/07/big-little-lies-season-2-andrea-arnold-lost-creative-control-jean-marc-vallee-1202156884/
 

Quote

Right from the first episode something has felt slightly disjointed about the second season of “Big Little Lies.” When the show isn’t in the flow of its recognizable style, there is a strange editorial tension – scenes are choppy, lacking any sense of internal rhythm. As it turns out, that friction was the product of a behind-the-scenes struggle that grew out of an attempt to remove the style of its director in post-production.

When the executive producers and HBO approached Andrea Arnold about directing the second season of “Big Little Lies,” the pitch was simple: They not only wanted the British filmmaker (“American Honey”) to direct the entire season, they wanted an Andrea Arnold version of the show and all that entailed. It wasn’t just lip service. From prep, through production, and into post-production, Arnold was to get free rein. But a significant part of HBO and showrunner David E. Kelley’s plan was not shared with Arnold.

According to a number of sources close to the production, there was a dramatic shift in late 2018 as the show was yanked away from Arnold, and creative control was handed over to executive producer and Season 1 director Jean-Marc Vallée. The goal was to unify the visual style of Season 1 and 2. In other words, after all the episodes had been shot, take Arnold’s work and make it look and feel like the familiar style Vallée brought to the hit first season, which won eight of the 16 Emmys it was nominated for in 2017, including Outstanding Limited Series.

…

While there was a significant reworking of the show’s story through additional photography and an increased reliance on Season 1 flashbacks, a large part of what guided Vallée’s reconfiguration of the second season was removing Arnold’s signature contributions. Sixty-page scripts were slashed down to 40-plus minute episodes, sources say, largely by chopping up a scene to remove what one source described as Arnold’s character exploration and “ephemeral stuff.”

When elements of Arnold’s work do remain on-screen – especially in the first episode – the scenes seem truncated, the editing especially choppy. As the season has progressed (episode 5 premiered last Sunday), the show has increasingly settled into the familiar S1 style and rhythm. Eleven editors are currently credited on the show.

What a mess.

[stagmania]

That Indiewire piece explains so much about this season. What a horrible way to treat Andrea Arnold, and it didn't result in a better show.

[slowpoked]

This is horrible. I loved (and still do love) the show, but I can see the stark difference from S1. I thought at first, this just can't be because they scrapped the Greek Chorus. I was just going to complain that the season just doesn't feel up to par, and I was wondering if AA was to (partly) blame, but now this. Yeesh. 

I thought there was something highly unusual going on at the last scenes last episodes. The reason why the Corey "reveal" didn't hit me at first was because everything was so choppy, why did it have to keep cutting hastily back and forth between Ed in the restaurant and Bonnie by the police station, and the way the last episode ended just seemed huh(?) to me, instead of I'm-blown-away-by-this-reveal, that I had to actually rewind and see what happened again. Choppy editing (by whom?!) strikes again. 

[jeansheridan]

I don't really feel a major tone difference. If the story is accurate it is a pity and unfortunate any director was treated that way. She is getting good performances out of everyone. It may explain why Renata is all the place but everyone else makes sense to me.

I just think there wasn't enough story for a second season. I am enjoying it but Kelly clearly loves courtroom dramas which is my least favorite television trope. I don't think Moriarty has any courtroom stuff in any of her novels. She is much more domestic/doctor focused.

I deeply hated what the director did to Sharp Objects in the cutting room. How he ended that show was a serious error in judgement. 

[Razzberry]

I wonder if Andrea Arnold feels like Jane the morning after her rape?  

I would have liked more character development scenes, which I understand now were cut.  The flashbacks added nothing of interest.

edited to add:    Fans Respond to HBO

I was listening to Vallee's director's commentary on Sharp Objects. It's full of technical details about the sets, lighting, tone, etc. but he seemed oddly disconnected from the actual story. Given the themes of rape and domestic abuse in BLL, I'm not sure a male who is more concerned about his "visual style" than character development is the way to go.

Edited July 14, 2019 by Razzberry

[scrb]

Is there any chance they're going to do another season?

Like if HBO backs up the Brinks trucks?

I think Reese has other shows lined up and I'm sure the other actresses can get gigs.

Maybe the adulation they got in the first season is a big motivation for them as well.  I don't think it's being as well-received as season 1.

Then again, it actually has a higher RT score than season 1.  I would never have guessed.

[Blakeston]

 

 

1

 Advanced issues found

▲

 

 

 

11 hours ago, scrb said:

Then again, it actually has a higher RT score than season 1.  I would never have guessed.

I have to wonder how many episodes were given to critics in advance. I seem to recall hearing that the reviews that went into this season's Rotten Tomatoes score and its Metacritic score were based only on the first four episodes.

[Umbelina]

On 7/13/2019 at 11:43 AM, Razzberry said:

I wonder if Andrea Arnold feels like Jane the morning after her rape?  

I would have liked more character development scenes, which I understand now were cut.  The flashbacks added nothing of interest.

edited to add:    Fans Respond to HBO

I was listening to Vallee's director's commentary on Sharp Objects. It's full of technical details about the sets, lighting, tone, etc. but he seemed oddly disconnected from the actual story. Given the themes of rape and domestic abuse in BLL, I'm not sure a male who is more concerned about his "visual style" than character development is the way to go.

I agree, he showed no interest in the actresses, or even story, he was all about technique, I found it disturbing really, and I felt he was so completely impressed with himself.  I was actually shocked by the two short commentaries he did, ALL about himself.

AV Club

Quote

Last week, IndieWire released an article called “Big Little Lies Season 2 Turmoil: Inside Andrea Arnold’s Loss Of Creative Control.” The article states that Jean-Marc Vallée took over post-production of BLL season two from director Andrea Arnold, which explains a lot of things. Why this season looks so much like season one. Why some of these episodes are so short, as Vallée apparently cut out some of Arnold’s scenes. Why there are so many flashbacks to season one. Why there are so many editors listed in the credits. Possibly why we didn’t get to see Madeline throw that ice cream cone at Mary Louise. (HBO released a statement in response, saying, “As with any television project, the executive producers work collaboratively on the series and we think the final product speaks for itself.”)

(review of this episode follows)

We know that Liane Moriarty wrote the treatment for season 2.  We know that Arnold's original work was cut to ribbons by Vallee, which honestly, leads me to believe that the main reason this season has issues is the decision to hand it over completely to Vallee after the filming was complete.  We didn't need flashbacks to his season, and frankly, I would have been completely happy with a new "tone" and vision.  The whole thing is just bizarre to me.  Especially of course, that this show, so outspokenly powered by women?  Was completely taken over at the last minute by a man, who apparently gutted the work of a woman to make it look more like "his vision."  His DVD commentaries have influenced my opinion of this whole situation with season two.

I suspect we will hear more about this entire mess, because how can the female executive producers not comment on this.  What a bizarre decision, and how can it be handled or explained away, unless they throw Arnold (and her work) on a bonfire, which would also backfire IMO.

[slowpoked]

17 hours ago, scrb said:

Is there any chance they're going to do another season?

Reese and Nicole were both on record stating this is it for them. 

But then again, whoever thought there would be a Season 2 after Season 1 actually finished the entire book. 

[scrb]

8 minutes ago, slowpoked said:

Reese and Nicole were both on record stating this is it for them. 

But then again, whoever thought there would be a Season 2 after Season 1 actually finished the entire book. 

Well maybe if their next few projects don't pan out that well, they might have more interest a few years from now.

I believe Reese's last couple of movies didn't do so well and they're both of a certain age where leading roles in big mainstream Hollywood movies are probably starting to get away from them.

May be one reason they were willing to look at doing TV.  Now Reese at least has some other TV projects lined up.

The tech companies are throwing a lot of money, not just Netflix but Amazon and Apple are trying to find big hits, though more in the sci-fi/fantasy/action vein -- everyone is looking for the next GoT.

But they're willing to probably pay for movie stars, even if their heydays at the box office are well over.

[nb360]

7 hours ago, slowpoked said:

Reese and Nicole were both on record stating this is it for them.  

Yes, but fortunately Liane Moriarty has written other books. I'm starting Truly, Madly, Guilty in a few days.

[tabularasa]

Honestly, the ending would be rushed so maybe they needed half season.

[Razzberry]

On 7/15/2019 at 11:13 AM, Umbelina said:

I agree, he showed no interest in the actresses, or even story, he was all about technique, I found it disturbing really, and I felt he was so completely impressed with himself.  I was actually shocked by the two short commentaries he did, ALL about himself.

That was my impression as well.  I'm not in love with his artistic vision or the writing, I'm watching primarily for the top notch acting performances.  Really hope there's a 3rd season, but who'd want to direct now?

from Vulture:

"From the start, something about this season felt off. Kelley’s writing always leaned on saucy exposition, but here it sometimes seemed as if every scene was delivering payloads of pertinent facts. And the show’s copious art-house-style flashbacks — a Vallée signature — often felt intrusive or obligatory; at the very least, they were less intriguing than some of the long close-ups that observed the characters in moments of distress, at times even staying on a woman’s face without cutting to the person talking to her (as in a therapy scene that ends with a long reaction shot of Celeste processing questions asked by her therapist, played by Robin Weigert, whom we barely see). The latter is more common in Arnold’s work, whereas Vallée is more restless with his images."

[MamaMax]

I would love to see Reese, Nicole et al wrestle this back from Kelley and do a WOMAN only produced final season!

[sashayshante]

On 7/13/2019 at 2:43 PM, Razzberry said:

I wonder if Andrea Arnold feels like Jane the morning after her rape?  

I would have liked more character development scenes, which I understand now were cut.  The flashbacks added nothing of interest.

edited to add:    Fans Respond to HBO

I was listening to Vallee's director's commentary on Sharp Objects. It's full of technical details about the sets, lighting, tone, etc. but he seemed oddly disconnected from the actual story. Given the themes of rape and domestic abuse in BLL, I'm not sure a male who is more concerned about his "visual style" than character development is the way to go.

Yikes. 

[Umbelina]

Vanity Fair

Let's see if this link works.

Quote

When asked about the possibility of a third season of Big Little Lies—which Kidman has said is a very real one—Jagannathan expressed surprise at the season two finale’s cliff-hanger ending, which saw the Monterey Five all walking into the town’s police station together in solidarity. “I read the script and I watched yesterday’s episode and I was like, ‘Oh my god there might be a season three!’” she said. “It’s not the script I got! One character doesn’t even make it. One character dies. It’s a different script. This version left the door open on something I thought was definitely closed.”

Edited July 23, 2019 by Umbelina
bolded

[Umbelina]

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/still-watching-big-little-lies/id1328561705

Good podcasts, very astute, but yes, they generally rip the show apart, but only for excellent reasons.

[txhorns79]

16 hours ago, Umbelina said:

“It’s not the script I got! One character doesn’t even make it. One character dies. It’s a different script. This version left the door open on something I thought was definitely closed.

That's fascinating.  It did feel like they were telegraphing Bonnie's death throughout the season, so perhaps she was the one who originally died. 

[Razzberry]

4 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

That's fascinating.  It did feel like they were telegraphing Bonnie's death throughout the season, so perhaps she was the one who originally died. 

I think so too.  The excessive amount of chair time watching a comatose patient was a little weird, but this would explain it.  Could also mean that a season 3 is not out of the question.  Despite the problems, the show gets a lot of buzz and Emmy noms, so  I'd be more surprised if they don't stay with it.

[Umbelina]

5 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

That's fascinating.  It did feel like they were telegraphing Bonnie's death throughout the season, so perhaps she was the one who originally died. 

Yeah, I think Vallee cut Bonnie's plot to ribbons, so her mother even being there ended up making no sense.  IF Bonnie died the story probably would have been better, though I do question making this show all about BAD MOTHERS.  Why wasn't her father or stepfather the abuser, we already have the whole Mary Louise thing.

1 minute ago, Razzberry said:

I think so too.  The excessive amount of chair time watching a comatose patient was a little weird, but this would explain it.  Could also mean that a season 3 is not out of the question.  Despite the problems, the show gets a lot of buzz and Emmy noms, so  I'd be more surprised if they don't stay with it.

I think the actresses love working together, but they are still all busy people.  Acting and producing, and things are in the works as well. 

How much of not killing Bonnie was to leave the possibility of another season in (Nicole seems open to that) and how much was just Vallee wanting to slash and burn anything that didn't support his season one vision?

We may never know.  I hope a least a few of the actresses talk about the director controversy...it's so odd, especially in this case, a show planned and mostly run by women.

[TwoBitUsherette]

Entertainment Weekly has a new interview with Reese and Nicole where the address the possibility of season three.

Quote

Did you know at the beginning of the season, before you started, that all the women would turn themselves in to police?
KIDMAN: It’s so important not to discuss all of the intricacies of this, because if we do a season 3, there’s going to be things that will be explained. It’s probably better to allow just a little mystery. I know the voracious appetite for knowledge and to leave no stone unturned. But I’m always going to fight for just a little bit…there can be a few mysteries and secrets held intact.

WITHERSPOON: I totally agree! If there are conversations still to be had, I think that’s really what determines if we can tell a season 3. Is it as good as season 1 and 2? Does the audience still have questions? Do we have answers?

Casey left it in your laps. So is season 3 up to you now?
KIDMAN: It’s a collaboration. We work as a group. We are incredibly tight; we talk to each other, and we are on each other’s side. So, we will decide as a group. We listen to the way in which people react because so much of TV is a very immediate medium. Every single person who has made this has said this show is bigger than any single one of us.

Between interviews like this and the fact that season two finished with series high ratings, I'm betting HBO will do whatever it takes to make sure season three happens.

[Summerday]

When the executive producers and HBO approached Andrea Arnold about directing the second season of “Big Little Lies,” the pitch was simple: They not only wanted the British filmmaker (“American Honey”) to direct the entire season, they wanted an Andrea Arnold version of the show and all that entailed. It wasn’t just lip service. From prep, through production, and into post-production, Arnold was to get free rein. But a significant part of HBO and showrunner David E. Kelley’s plan was not shared with Arnold.

a large part of what guided Vallée’s reconfiguration of the second season was removing Arnold’s signature contributions. Sixty-page scripts were slashed down to 40-plus minute episodes, sources say, largely by chopping up a scene to remove what one source described as Arnold’s character exploration

It sounds like the plan the entire time was to bring Vallee back in after filming and let him take over. Basically reducing Arnold to a videographer to allow him to put his vision on the second season. It sounds like they completely misled Arnold from the very beginning.

I just can't believe that they planned it out that way, it just seems so unnecessarily cruel and hurtful. Maybe she wouldn't have signed on if they had told her, but why hire someone if you want to use post production to rework everything they created? If they like her work enough to hire her, then why did they come up with this plan to replace her before work even began? Why not just hire Vallee to do the whole thing or hire someone whose vision/style you like?

I have no idea who Arnold is or anything about her previous work, but I feel really bad for her that they did this to her.
 

[scrb]

21 hours ago, TwoBitUsherette said:

Entertainment Weekly has a new interview with Reese and Nicole where the address the possibility of season three.

Between interviews like this and the fact that season two finished with series high ratings, I'm betting HBO will do whatever it takes to make sure season three happens.

HBO called it a season finale.

Yeah it's probably going to be a matter of whether HBO pays them enough.

Thing is, HBO didn't have a reputation for paying high salaries but now with so many venues for shows (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.), I think they had to become more competitive.

When you have highly-rated shows like GoT, they had to pay.

Not sure BLL is anywhere near GoT in ratings but they probably like to feature stars, especially if BLL Season 2 gets its share of Emmies.

Then again, AT&T is the new boss so who knows what their approach would be. 

[Razzberry]

On 7/19/2019 at 4:36 PM, MamaMax said:

I would love to see Reese, Nicole et al wrestle this back from Kelley and do a WOMAN only produced final season!

I was just thinking about what a shame it is to have these great actresses held back by somewhat shallow treatment of women's issues, but I can't see Kelley sharing any writing credits.

If there is a season 3 I hope to see no more hand-wringing over Perry's death and the books closed on that deal.  Mary Louise can stick around though.

[scrb]

Reese interview on NPR Fresh Air:

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/14/778863995/from-book-to-script-to-screen-reese-witherspoon-is-making-roles-for-women

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Golden Globe nominations!

Best Television Series – Drama
Nicole Kidman: Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Meryl Streep: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Edited December 9, 2019 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Critics' Choice Award nominations!

Best Actress in a Drama Series – Nicole Kidman

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Laura Dern

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Meryl Streep

 

Screen Actors Guild Award nomination:

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

[chenoa333]

On 7/29/2019 at 10:31 AM, scrb said:

HBO called it a season finale.

They can call it whatever they like. But I'm confused. Is this show over for good? I enjoyed it's very short life and was hoping for more. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Cast at the Golden Globes:

The Monterey Five:

Reese:

Zoe:

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Oldernowiser]

So all those nominations but no one from BLL won?

 I quit halfway through season two. I just didn’t care anymore and watching all those women, who had been so strong in the end of the first season, just kinda fall apart just depressed me.

Ms. Streep was truly menacing in her calculated passive aggression, but...meh. Seemed like the same episode over and over.

 I wonder if Meryl knew about the screwing of Ms. Arnold? 

[ProudMary]

Some very sad news. 😥

Jean Marc Vallee, Dead at 58

Jean-Marc Vallée, the Quebecois director of films including “Dallas Buyers Club” and TV projects such as “Big Little Lies,” died at his cabin outside Quebec City, Canada. He was 58.

The cause of death was not immediately known.

 

 

[SunnyBeBe]

So, this series is completely done. Is that right?  

[MaryAnneSpier]

Confirmation there will NOT be a third season. I think we all assumed it was done because of how much time has passed since the end of season 2 anyway.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/big-little-lies-wont-season-210829478.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

[Snazzy Daisy]

Big Little Lies season 3 Is a GO!

[aghst]

HBO has no comment.

But she's an EP so maybe they haven't done much with the script yet or pre-production planning work.

Could be 2025 or something.

So the kids won't be so young any more.  Some of them might be insufferable tweens or worse.

[MadyGirl1987]

Yikes. Can't say I'm excited for this to return. If season 2 was unnecessary, this is even more so. 

[mojoween]

Can’t just leave well enough alone, can they.