Written by Poppy Treadaway
After its TV debut on HBO in February 2017 and its star-studded line up of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley, Big Little Lies took its audience by storm. But what is it about watching women and their seemingly ordinary lives during the school run that is so captivating for an audience?
Having read the book by Liane Moriarty prior to watching the series, the storyline is most certainly gripping from page one. Set in Monterey, California, a coast lined with glass terraces and penthouses, by the end of the story it is clear that even such luxury and indulgence cannot save the women from their demons. The story is narrated from three different viewpoints, Celeste, Madeline, and Jane, each of them young mothers. Celeste is married to Perry with two twin boys, while Madeline is divorced and her ex-husband is now married to a yoga instructor, and then Jane Chapman is a single mother harbouring a harrowing secret about her son Ziggy’s father.
The series begins with scenes of a murder, which of whom the audience does not yet know, and it incorporates police witness statements into each episode. The book follows a similar structure and it allows the reader and audience to follow both past and present at the same time, while capturing the essence of the humorous, murder-mystery drama of which this story embodies. Chapter by chapter and scene by scene, the women’s secrets unfold, with their lives becoming more entwined than they could have ever imagined…
What is done so well by both Moriarty and Jean-Marc Vallée, the director, is capturing the simplicity of parent-children playground antics, while incorporating the complexity of childhood into teen-hood and the struggles shared by women, not to mention love and relationships.
Within the first episode an incident in the playground immediately establishes Ziggy as an outsider, whilst seamlessly integrating the topic of domestic violence into the plot line—one which remains at the forefront. Inter-parent competitiveness and motherly bitchiness forms a foundation for this storyline, which eventually transforms into female solidarity. The shared problems of women, alongside Vallée’s humorous presentation of motherly competition for the best birthday party, accompanies the complex issues faced by each woman.
Later in the storyline, it is revealed that Celeste is a victim of domestic violence from her husband, Perry. Caught between the passionate temptation of her husband and her own safety, Celeste seeks solace in buying her own apartment away from him. As the plot progresses, Celeste becomes even more torn between what is right and what she feels, mirroring the struggle of 12 million men and women each year in the US who are victims of domestic abuse.
Each woman battles her own personal demons: Celeste’s domestic abuse, Jane facing up to the truth behind Ziggy’s father (no spoilers here), and Madeline’s feelings of inadequacy as a mother. But despite having their own demons, in the end, the shared struggle is what unites them with their friends and their enemies.
The power of Big Little Lies and the reason behind its success is quite simple: it’s relatable. These are real problems faced by real people and without any spoilers, in the end, it’s women standing together which allows them to battle and defeat these demons once and for all. This is something which could not have been more apt alongside the growing prevalence of sexual abuse and domestic violence, which was combated by the ‘Me Too’ campaign.
So, if you haven’t seen it or read it already, do it! It’s summertime and what a better chance to indulge yourself in a book of drama, comedy and most importantly, togetherness.
