Big Little Lies (HBO)

analysis
#1

Has anyone seen the HBO mini-series or read the book? I just finished watching the mini-series with my wife, totally loved it. Great characters. Some of the “reveals” you could see coming, but it was still awesome.

Anyway, I’d love to discuss the storyform. I almost think we might have three MCs sharing the same throughline (similar personal issues, same perspective on them).

  • Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), whose IC is her husband Ed and sometimes her daughter Abby
  • Jane Chapman, whose IC is the faceless man who raped her, sometimes reflected in her son Ziggy
  • Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman), whose IC is her abusive husband Perry

I’d guess at Holistic MC Style for this story – a lot of balancing forces and relationships, not much linear thinking that I could see.

Note: I have no idea how close the book is to the mini-series.

#2

Agreed! I loved this show though it wasn’t the easiest things to binge watch. I’ve never seen a series analysed using Dramatica so I’m not certain how the whole assignment works, but I agree that the three most prominent candidates for MC are Madeline, Jane and Celeste.

Not sure if their personal issues all are in the same throughline though. I can see Jane and Madeline occupying a similar Domain with regards to their perspectives but Celeste is a harder one to pin down.

Is the Series OS about the investigation itself or about the fact that it’s about a school parents all living in Monterey?

I agree that the MC Style is Holistic, none of them seem to be thinking linearly in terms of cause and effects. I think they are all Changed MCs as well.

Also what made you think that the women were not ICs for each other?

#3

Well, I was looking for someone who challenges the MC with a different perspective and represents an alternate path.

Now that I have a bit of distance from the show, I’m not sure about my choices for Jane and Celeste’s ICs. Celeste’s most influential IC was probably the counselor, but you’re right, the other women may have played the IC role for her as well.

And for Jane, I’m guessing Madeline was the biggest influence? I’m not sure why I suggested the rapist since that’s totally just part of Jane’s MC throughline!

I agree on the Changed MCs. I think the OS is definitely about the lives of the Monterey school parents, with the investigation being a part of it (mostly a commentary).

#4

Ah ok, I follow. Have you thought about the RS names for each possible MC and IC?

#5

I have to be honest, I think I made my initial assertion about the three MCs all having similar issues and perspectives (thus sharing the same MC throughline) after coming up with an initial storyform. But that’s putting the cart before the horse because that storyform might not be correct.

So, I think the best way to proceed with this might be to try to focus on one MC (probably Madeline - Reese Witherspoon). And assume there could be another substory or two OR that it might all fit in a single storyform.

What do you think of that?

#6

I did a similar thing haha, and had a tentative Storyform in place, but I’m not sure if it maps out properly.

That’s a good idea. Juggling three possible MCs each with (at least) two possible ICs is a lot of mental work.

So, working from the MC being Madeline I think the strongest candidate for IC is probably her partner Ed. Jane is a possibility and it could be a handoff scenario, but I think that Ed challenges Madeline most in her personal Throughline.

Sidenote: I mis-remembered how early the therapist was introduced and she does seem like a stronger candidate for influence character for Celeste than I thought. But I digress.

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#7

Great! I was also wondering it the teenage daughter might fulfill some of the IC role for Madeline. She definitely has an important Relationship with both her daughter and Ed.

Do you want to try to work through the normal process of analysis together? I’m a bit worried that I’m forgetting this story faster than I thought I would, although some distance from the story does often help.

So far I think we’ve got an MC Resolve of Change, and a PS Style of Holistic (though we should come up with a couple quick examples of each).

#8

Not certain about the daughter, from what I can remember she has a good relationship with Ed and they seem to understand each other. A lot of her views: not going to college, patriarchal standards, hanging out with her friends in a stranger’s car(?), doing something more for the community; seem to be reflections of Bonnie’s views and opinions. She may be part of Madeline’s throughline with regards to what Madeline views the problem to be wrt her husband and Bonnie or she could be a mouth piece for Ed challenging Madeline on her opinions on Bonnie. Her relationship to her daughter is important yes, and signals what I think is the start of the resolve the relationship problem, but I’m not certain if the daughter has her own clear enough throughline.

Is the normal process identifying the throughlines, main character dynamics, plot dynamics then domains?

Change:

  • Madeline stops looking at Bonnie as the enemy at the start of the story she never would have let her youngest play with Skye (Bonnie’s daughter) and would have remained antagonistic to her.

  • She starts viewing Ed as he is and starts to show greater appreciation for his presence, rather than just stating it. She also stops seeing Ed as an object to demonstrate superiority over her husband or in the community and starts seeing Ed’s specific strengths and as a person with an interior life. (?)

  • She changes how she interacts with her eldest daughter and is less prone to snapping and lecturing her (?)

Holistic

  • The only thing I can think of right now is the birthday party problem. When Madeline finds out that Ziggy was the only person in the CLass to not be invited to Amabella’s party, instead of going directly to Renata and forcing her to invite Ziggy, she instead hosts another party at Disneyland at the same day and time and invites Amabella’s closest friends. To me this is the clearest indication of shifting the power dynamic through indirect relationships.
#9

@mlucas @Harsylka just found this thread and am sad to see you stopped. I’m still curious about the storyform of the series… any interest in reviving this thread?