Does anyone else here watch Big Little Lies? I read the book first (and by 'read the book' I mean that I listened to the audiobook) and then watched the show. It was...an interesting interpretation. There were some things I was a big fan of, like the soundtrack and change of location, but I think they did a wretched job with Madeline's character. They ruined her for me. That being said I still thought it was an enjoyable watch and I'm looking forward to the second season. I'm not sure what they have planned for it since they're going off book. What direction do you think they'll take?

If it's on Netflix I'll check it out. (Is it?)

 

Could you give a quick synopsis of what it's about? I'm not in front of the T.V. right now.

It is kind of a "Who-Done-It" centered around 3 women in southern California. A murder investigation involves them as does mental issues. Big name stars are in it like Nicole Kidman. I think it's good.

@Greylien, the last time I checked it wasn't available on Netflix. Like Classified said, it's big-name cast. I can only think of one of the more central actors that I hadn't heard of before. It's a whodunnit of the small town variety with a female focus.

 

@Evie, I didn't like what they did with Madeline's character either. There was one thing that bugged me in particular but I won't mention it since there are some who haven't seen it. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about though. It was something that definitely wasn't in the book! I think I recall reading that Reese wanted to revamp the character to make her more "interesting".

Edited June 26, 20186 yr by Maya

I actually haven't read the book yet. How much does the show differ apart from the changes they made to Madeline's character? I was worried the book might be spoiled for me now that I know how everything ends, but that might not be the case if it's significantly different.

The new season will have Meryl Streep joining the cast.

 

I wonder if I'd dislike Madeline if I had known her in the book. I thought the mistakes were within logic. I enjoyed watching these women support each other and find the circle they belong to. It was executed in style despite the occasionally uncomfortable content.

 

I've heard that the book author is involved in writing the new script. Maybe we will see more about the girls' personal affairs and the children's lives until they can truly come into peace.

@North, I'd forgotten about Meryl Streep joining! She'll be great, of course.

 

I'm wondering the same thing. The style of the show is really what struck me. The cinematography and soundtrack were so freaking beautiful. It makes me want to move to Monterey.

 

I'm glad that the author is involved. I'm sure she wouldn't want to just hand over her characters and tell them to do whatever they want. I think we're going to see more of the investigation. The cops seemed suspicious.

@The Wild Things, the book is different enough that I think you could still enjoy it. It adds some depth to characters, especially Bonnie. I will say that the show did add depth to certain characters that are lacking in the book, such as Renata. However if the mystery was the only thing that enthralled you, then it might not be worth it because the end game is still the same. I think motives are explored more fully in the book though.

 

@North, Meryl will be fantastic in it, I'm sure. Madeline's mistakes in the show do make sense in the context the show gives. However some key characters are altered in order to make her mistakes seem justified.

I guess it's a give-and-take approach. Some characters step up to take the spotlight while others are left behind. I feel that the changes didn't hurt the storytelling, so they made good decisions overall.

 

I'm still thinking about Meryl Streep's role. We know that she will star as Perry's mother, but we don't know what kind of chaos the character will bring. I say chaos because I feel that it will be an antagonist, most probably made to replace Perry.

That does typically happen in adaptations, @North. In this case, there were some things that were left behind that I think play a key role in the story overall. Given that there's a second season I'm sure it will be explored unless they go in a different direction, of course.

 

I can only imagine she's supposed to be an antagonistic force. Like begets like, after all. I imagine she will also be suspicious about how everything went down.