| 'Big Love' is about the family | |
|
By Scott D. Pierce Deseret News | |
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Last year, when polygamists were all over the news because of the raids in Texas, HBO's show about a family of polygamists was off the air because of the Hollywood writers' strike. But the creators/executive producers of "Big Love" aren't exactly mourning that they lost what might have seemed like a golden opportunity to promote the show. (The third season premiere repeats tonight at 2:20 a.m.; Episode 2 airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on HBO. "No, we weren't (upset)," said creator/executive producer Mark V. Olsen. "HBO publicity was, but we weren't. There was a lot of hay to be made out of what was happening down in Texas ... but we've always felt that it's a mixed blessing that, to a certain extent, when people regard the show as just 'the polygamy show,' there's still that ceiling that we're trying to break through. So we were pretty happy not to be coming on the air immediately within the shadow of that." The weird thing is that, as "Big Love" enters its third season, you can almost forget that this is a show about polygamists. Even the show's lead actors are surprised that "Big Love" is, in a bizarre way, about "classical family values," as star Bill Paxton put it. Jeanne Tripplehorn, who plays first wife Barb, said, "When I was originally approached about this show about a polygamist family called 'Big Love,' I thought it was a comedy. And then, as I read it, I couldn't believe the depth. ... And now having finished (filming) Season 3, it's nuances are richer. "I still have questions concerning Barbara and why she stays or why she doesn't. ... But it's not about polygamy anymore.' "I've grown to admire the character I play greatly," said Paxton, who stars as Bill Hendrickson — the Utahn with three wives. "He's a man after my own heart in terms of what he's taken on to try to keep this family together and to grow his family." "Big Love" is, as Ginnifer Godwin (youngest wife Margene) put it, "a character-driven show" that is "about a love that works." "And I think once we all got past what everyone has now phrased as the 'ick factor' ... the polygamy sort of became, not an insignificant detail … but I think the work for us is really all just the dynamics of a family love that none of us have ever experienced. I don't think any of us play the polygamy, if that makes sense." Which is not to say that polygamy isn't intrinsic to "Big Love." But that's in the context that every story line is tied to this marriage — marriages — and this family. "Every story has to go back into it being about marriage," said creator/executive producer Will Scheffer. "We won't do something that's lazy and kind of plot-driven if it doesn't come back and hit the theme of marriage and family. We have very strong guidelines on what we do." Even when they do "bigger stories" about the polygamists in the compound — stories that were inspired by events in Texas — it still has to "feed back into our family or we won't touch them." And that story line "increases both the pressure and the stakes on our family," Olsen said. On the other hand, "There's no glib stories about polygamy. There's no easy answers about it," Scheffer said. "We're always trying to dig into that material deep." Keep an eye out: There are some things in the third season of "Big Love" that will catch the attention of local viewers even if most others across the country don't quite catch them. For example, second wife Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) is working in the prosecutor's office, echoing something that echoed actual events. (I don't want to give too much away and spoil it.) And then there's an upcoming story line that echoes a huge case that made headlines here for years. But I can't tell you what it is or Scheffer and Olsen will have me killed. OK, they won't kill me. But I promised I wouldn't tell. Just keep watching. Whoops: The attention to detail on "Big Love" is amazing, but sometimes things do slip through that will make locals laugh. For example, Barb's sister lives on East Temple in Salt Lake City. And, of course, while we have North, South and West Temple, there's no East Temple. E-mail: pierce@desnews.com | |
|
DeseretNews.com Originally published Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009 | |
| Back | |
| For more information email: | |
