Big Love on HBO

[canadian_angel]

I didn't see a thread for this show, perhaps because no one is going to watch? Or perhaps, I'm just blind and didn't see it.

But anyways, Big Love aired on Sunday on HBO following the Sopranos, or if you're in Canada on the Movie Central station.

Anyways, Big Love is

Think having three wives is a dream come true? Meet Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton), a modern-day Utah polygamist who lives in suburban Salt Lake City with his three wives, seven children, and a mounting avalanche of debt and demands. The owner of a growing chain of home improvement stores, Bill struggles to balance the financial and emotional needs of Barb, Nicki and Margene (Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin), who live in separate, adjacent houses and take turns sharing their husband each night. While managing the household finances together and routinely sharing "family home nights," they try to keep simmering jealousies in check and their arrangement a secret — polygamy is illegal in Utah and banned by the mainstream Mormon Church. Adding to Bill's woes are a series of crises affecting his parents (Bruce Dern and Grace Zabriskie), who live on a fundamentalist compound in rural Utah, and his ruthless father-in-law, Roman (Harry Dean Stanton), the powerful head of the polygamist commune where his parents live. Bold, funny and wholly original, Big Love explores the evolving institution of marriage through a typical atypical family. The new series airs Sundays at 10pm beginning March 12th, immediately following Season Six of The Sopranos®.

The executive producers of BIG LOVE are Playtone's Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and series creators Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer (writer of HBO's "In the Gloaming"), who produced the independent feature film "Easter."

Big Love stars Bill Paxton ("Twister," "A Simple Plan"), Jeanne Tripplehorn ("The Firm"), Chloë Sevigny (Oscar®-nominated for "Boys Don't Cry," "Dogville"), Ginnifer Goodwin ("Walk the Line," "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!"), Harry Dean Stanton ("The Green Mile," "Anger Management"), Bruce Dern ("Monster") and Grace Zabriskie ("Twin Peaks"). Other regulars include Amanda Seyfried ("Mean Girls"), Shawn Doyle ("Don't Say a Word") Daveigh Chase ("Lilo & Stitch"), Joel McKinnon Miller ("After the Sunset"), Douglas Smith ("Sleepover"), Melora Walters ("Cold Mountain") and Jolean Wejbe ("Gilmore Girls"). Also featured: Mary Kay Place ("Sweet Home Alabama"), Matt Ross ("Good Night, and Good Luck") and Tina Majorino ("Napoleon Dynamite").

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- According to a joint report issued by the Utah and Arizona Attorney General's Offices, July 2005, "[a]pproximately 20,000 to 40,000 or more people currently practice polygamy in the United States." The Mormon Church officially banned the practice of polygamy in 1890.

The Official Site Link: HBO: Big Love

I saw the episode. I definitely thought it was interesting. Admittedly I don't know a lot about he practice of Polygamy or the rules/laws surrounding it so I have no idea how accurate the show is, but it was intriguing. I thought there was some good acting in the first episode and I heard it does get better.

It's definitely not for an older audience, but it follows Sopranos, so I think that's pretty clear.

Anyways, thoughts? Opinions?

[Google]

 

[misskitty]

Sorry, fellow Canuck. I don't get HBO or Canadian cable. . So I can't watch it. It could be interesting though. I'm checking out At The Hotel, Godiva's, and Conviction (which was the rerun of the first episode). I also can't see Sopranos which sucks.

[FireStorm]

I just watched the "Big Love" pilot "On Demand"....I liked it & was intrigued enough to watch the entire episode, I don't quite get the thing about what the poisoning is all about, or what it has to do with anything other than the old mom being totally crazy, but anyway, I will watch again.

[MissThing]

The ads for this look interesting, and I'll be following anyone who posts about the show. I don't get HBO (I'm tempted to rent all the Sopranos, though, never seen a single episode).

A and E has run a 2 hour show on polygamy several times in the last month or so, it's been pretty interesting, although one-sided. While I can't think of many upsides to the practice, surely there are some, since it's still practiced, and it would be of interest to hear someone express any positives they see.

[Rattus]

I'm another Canadian who won't be able to watch, but reviews depending, I already plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD as I am the biggest Bill Paxton fan going, and Mr. Rattus is the biggest Harry Dean Stanton fan going.

[FireStorm]

I already plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD as I am the biggest Bill Paxton fan going,

FYI--If you like Bill Paxton, you'd love the show, he's in his underwear in every other scene practically, he has a pretty good bod for an older guy ...(I'm assuming you're female!)

[Brandy]

TiVO taped part of it - it doesn't look like something I'll like, but, it did have one sexy scene and I'm not into Paxton at all. But yowsers! Lol.

[FireStorm]

But yowsers! Lol.

That's what I'm sayin'.

[Yardgnome]

I just got done watching this show and it was good. I think it will pick up a little after this first episode because they had a lot of introductions to do.

Bill Paxton's character is different than what I thought he would be, he is not as controlling and high-handed as I thought a man with three wives would act like. They are definitely trying to get the audience to like these people even though they are involved in such a different relationship.

I enjoyed this show and will definitely be tuning in for future ones.

[Harvest]

Originally Posted by FireStorm

FYI--If you like Bill Paxton, you'd love the show, he's in his underwear in every other scene practically, he has a pretty good bod for an older guy ...(I'm assuming you're female!)

Lol, aside from that, we think he is a very likeable actor. We definitely watched the show because of him, and I think that is a brilliant casting decision. The subject matter is so creepy that if the main guy was not likeable, the audience would not stand for it long enough for the show to develop a viewership. I think most Americans would feel as I do that harems are not a good form of "marriage"! At least put some extra husbands in the mix to pick up the slack, lol

I also like Jeanne Tripplehorn, and I have always disliked Chloe Sevigny, which is probably the right emotion they want the audience to feel for those characters.

From the HBO preview "Making Big Love," I thought I would really feel uncomfortable with the youngest wife, since in the preview she seemed like a teenager asking her parents to buy her a car, and the idea of a man his age with a teenage girl completely creeps me out. But in the pilot episode she seemed a little bit older, plus I felt sympathy the way she was overwhelmed with all those kids when the selfish middle wife dumped hers off just so she could go back to visit her friends and family at the compound, and to make sure the older wife did not get time alone with the husband, lol.