I watched the premier of Big Love on HBO yesterday night. I didn’t have super high hopes for it because I knew the hurdles it would have to overcome to be compelling. But I was looking forward to seeing how they tackled things like polygamy in the Salt Lake valley and the relationships between the wives. Sadly, I think it isn’t very realistic but maybe that makes for better TV. There are only 7 kids, first of all. Only 7? 3 wives? I think there would more like 12. And they didn’t wear garments. And the idea of the daughter Sarah Henrickson (played very well by Amanda Seyfried, who I loved in Mean Girls) working at a fast food joint and being teased by other girls her age was a little too staged. The exception being Tina Majorino‘s character who is obviously playing the friend that will try to activate Sarah back into the mainstream Mormon church. She came through as very true and likeable and completely indoctrinated like most of the girls her age that are active Mormons.
The scenes where they go to the ‘compound’ and you get to see where the polygamists live is a little harsh. I’ve been to Colorado City and haven’t seen that kind of squalor. Again, maybe just better TV that way. I do know the homes are unfinished and when you live there you have to give everything you own over to the community but they portrayed something 3rd world country-ish or something out of a Steven King novel. Also, the Roman character, the head guy going to collect tithing money from Bill Paxton‘s character, who plays the father Bill Henrickson, was a little too mafia-ish for my taste. I don’t think that really happens but I don’t really know. I never lived among the polygamists. It could all be true. I just doubt it. Except for the part where the 14 year old girl marries the prophet. That really does happen. The best moment? Boss wife #1 says, ‘Oh my heck!’ at the table speaking to the other 2 wives. That part was true.
But the winner of things about the show that bothered me: the scene where the 3rd wife, played by Ginnifer Goodwin, uses the bathroom, wipes, and then it cuts to her attacking her husband in bed without washing her hands. Eeeeew. That is so fake. All polygamist women wash their hands…….
I heard a great interview last week on NPR’s “Day to Day”, “Real-Life Polygamists React to HBO’s ‘Big Love'”.
Listen here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5256391
I heard that Oh my heck! And boy did I think of you! I’ve also heard “snarky” lately. Your language is slowly creeping into the mainstream!
I too watched Big Love, although I am living in SLC, not a Mormon, and having actually known a polygamy family, I can believe the wives would have that kind of relationship. The two wives I knew were best of friends, of course they weren’t that way in the beginning.
As for the amount of children, it’s not hard to believe there are only 7 considering length of marriages and the fact that the first wife had cancer.
As for all polygomous families coming from a Mormon background is untrue. Polygamy was popular in many religions, the Mormon’s obviously popularized it. However, I believe they call themselves FLDS, Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints.
As for the tithing thing, it seems mafia-ish because the prophet mentioned that 15% of the business was his, so I assume money was borrowed; besides, I think tithing is only 10%.
mike – did you laugh out loud? i almost snorted soy milk out of my nose. also, i heard ‘shnikes’ in a movie a few weeks ago that was playing on a screen at Fry’s. i have no idea what the movie is but i never thought i would hear that word anywhere.
jayne – it sounds like you have much more information based on actual experience with polygamists than i do. i defer to your knowledge.
I started to watch it but I couldn’t get into it. I guess because I’m not married, don’t want to get married, don’t have or want to have children, and I’m not religious…I’m not sure why I thought I’d be interested in a tv show about a big religious family!
🙂
I heard that NPR thing about it as well, they had some people from the actual Mormon church watch some of the first episodes and then they expressed their concerns about how certain things were portrayed. And they were adament about making it clear that polygymy had been outlawed by the current LDS Mormon church many moons ago.
Anyway, I may give it another try. Sometimes shows just take awhile to grow on you. Of course, I already watch too much TV so maybe I should just leave it at that and spend more time in the studio!
Ditto on the too much t.v.! I was hooked on LOST, but my Read & Critique writing group meets on Wed. so I’m never home in time to watch… and when I did get home in time it was a repeat. and NO I don’t have TIVO. The point is I don’t care anymore about LOST. But the real point is that I too watch too much t.v. I am weaning myself off slowly, and adding new programs, though they may sound interesting, is definitely a No-No at this stage. I hope to get to the point where I don’t watch any television, but I’m being unrealistic I think.
i used to watch hardly any tv. now i hate reality tv but i can’t stop watching it. there may be something wrong with me. a week without tim and project runway? noooooooo!
Where’s Andre?
I’m having Project Runway withdrawals too. Project Jay helps a little.
Your comment about the handwashing killed me. This point also bothered me in “Jersey Girl” with Ben Affleck. They tried so hard to make things real by adding the detail of how he made sure his daughter flushed the toilet, but he never told her to wash her hands!