REVIEW: ‘Big Little Lies,’ season 2 available on DVD and Blu-ray
Image courtesy of HBO / Provided with permission.
Big Little Lies, the HBO limited series that deservedly received a second season, stars an incomparable cast of talented actors, including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz and Meryl Streep. To say this is the ultimate acting class is an understatement. The series, created by David E. Kelley and based off the novel by Liane Moriarty, deals with important issues that have rightfully come to the forefront of the national conversation: discrimination, rape and sexual assault, feminism, parenting, divorce, relationships and love.
The first season of the series is certainly memorable. Kidman plays Celeste Wright, an attorney who has decided to spend time at home and raise her two sons. She must also deal with the physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband, Perry (Alexander Skarsgård). She seeks the help of a psychiatrist (Robin Weigert) and plots a move to rid her life of Perry once and for all.
Witherspoon plays Madeline Mackenzie, who is very involved in the life and community of Monterey, California, where the series is set. She works behind-the-scenes at the local theater, is a common presence at her younger daughter’s school and lives an agreeable life with her second husband, Ed (Adam Scott). Her first husband, played by James Tupper, is now married to Bonnie Carlson (Kravitz). They try their best to keep the relationship healthy and civil, for the sake of their shared daughter, Abigail (Kathryn Newton).
Woodley portrays Jane Chapman, the new person in town. She’s a single mother to Ziggy (Iain Armitage, the best of the child actors on the show). Her backstory is quite scary and saddening. She was raped by a man a few years back, and the image of this crime still haunts her memories and dreams. Madeline and Celeste, her new friends in town, offer what support they can.
Dern is Renata Klein, a successful businesswoman who adores her daughter and finds herself often opposing Madeline when it comes to their children’s schooling and the community’s controversial staging of Avenue Q at the local theater. Streep plays Celeste’s mother-in-law and is only featured in season two — the reason of which should be kept secret for those who have not binge-watched this extremely bingeworthy show.
The dialogue in the conversations that go back and forth between and amongst these characters is fascinating, authentic and revealing. They hold much hurt in their hearts, but they are also quite strong and determined. On the surface, to some of the peripheral community members, they come off as privileged residents of an exclusive zip code, but Kelley and his creative team offer up many examples of how complicated, complex and confounding their lives actually are. There’s a lot under the surface, and diving into each of these characters is simultaneously a joy and a difficult venture. The topics that are discussed are serious, with violence and anguish around every corner.
Of the actors, there’s probably no one who could match the skill of Kidman. Her role is pivotal to the series’ overall arc. Her sessions at the psychiatrist, where she divulges Perry’s abuse and the complicated feelings that subsequently materialize, are difficult to sit through but so necessary to hear. There’s also a lot to appreciate and respect in Woodley’s monologues and her interactions with the members of this newly adopted community. She plays the outsider role, both physically because she’s new Monterey and also emotionally because of the nightmares that still plague after what happened years before.
Witherspoon and Kravitz are both enjoyable additions as well, although perhaps there needs to be more understanding of their respective characters. With such a large ensemble, some subtext is lost on Madeline and Bonnie. That’s an interesting feeling because Madeline is the closest to being a protagonist, yet she remains an enigma for much of the series. The many ups and downs of her role are never fully explored, and her motivations are largely left out of the script.
Then there’s Dern and Streep. Dern’s Renata is a fascinating character. She is a strong leader who loves being rich and putting on a show (two episodes deal with extravagant birthday parties she throws for her daughter), but she’s also extremely human and living a complicated life of inflated wealth and social standing.
Streep is her Streep best as Celeste’s mother-in-law, although, truth be told, season two of Big Little Lies comes nowhere close to season one’s magnificence. At times, her character seems like a convenient addition to move along the plot, and she’s never explored to the same degree as the others.
Big Little Lies is the type of television that is sorely needed during the #MeToo generation. Authentically and resoundingly, the HBO series shows the many complex relationships and feelings of several strong central characters. It’s not perfect — and there’s an argument to be made that these women are far from typical when considering society, diversity and economy — but still there’s so much to discover beneath the surface. These episodes, now available on DVD and Blu-ray, will fascinate.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Big Little Lies, season one and two, are now available on DVD and Blu-ray from HBO. Click here for more information.
