History Literature / BigLittleLies

It was adapted into an Emmy-winning miniseries on Creator/{{HBO}} with Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon and Creator/ShaileneWoodley in the lead roles.

A miniseries is airing on Creator/{{HBO}} with Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon and Creator/ShaileneWoodley in the lead roles.

* AdaptationDeviation: Among the most significant deviations from the book is Madeline and Ed's marriage. In the series, Madeline has an affair and their marriages lacks much passion, while the book alludes to no such problems. [[note]]This is because Reese Witherspoon [[http://www.vogue.com/article/reese-witherspoon-big-little-lies-madeline-mackenzie felt Madeline's life]] was too perfect and wanted the character to have some personal conflict.[[/note]]

* AdaptationDeviation: Among the most significant deviations from the book is Madeline and Ed's marriage. In the series, Madeline has an affair and their marriages lacks much passion, while the book alludes to no such problems.

** [[spoiler: Subverted in the end when Celeste meets a man who was abused by a woman]]

* BumblingDad: Madeline's two husbands are both this to some extent. The first was absent during their daughter's formative years and the second is friendly but .

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Celeste goes to one when Perry's back is turned and gradually gains the confidence to stand up to him.
* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:The miniseries ends with Madeline, Bonnie, Celeste, Jane, and Renata sharing a beach play date together, bonded by their experience with Perry and moving on with their lives. However, Detective Quinlan doesn't buy their story and is watching them from afar.]]
* TheStarscream: Harper. Renata at least has the excuse that Ziggy allegedly choked her daughter to be wary of him, Harper is just a little sycophant bitch AND [[spoiler: the one who starts the petition to get Ziggy suspended]].

* AdaptedOut: Fred, Madeline and Ed's son and Renata's French nanny Juliette in the miniseries.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Celeste's conclusion is portrayed the most tragically, with her husband dead she can no longer afford to live among her friends and moves to a cheaper part of Sydney. Her sons and in-laws are all grieving for a man that they dearly loved. But Celeste is ultimately shown to be doing much better.]]

* BumblingDad: Madeline's two husbands are both this to some extent. The first was absent during their daughter's formative years and the second seems a little apathetic.

* FreudianTrio: Madeline is TheId, Jane is TheEgo and Celeste is TheSuperEgo

* HappyMarriageCharade: Celeste and Perry

* MysteriousParent: The identity of Ziggy's father. [[spoiler: It's Perry]]

* BigBadEnsemble: Renata and Perry are portrayed as the biggest antagonists, though the plot is too grey for either to be considered villainous. [[spoiler: When it's revealed that not only did Perry cheat on Celeste with Jane - but that he abused and impregnated Jane - he becomes as close to evil as the story will allow.]]

* Fandisservice: The miniseries has lots of this, despite starring Creator/NicoleKidman and Creator/ShaileneWoodley; there's an intentionally creepy [[spoiler: and often physically violent]] tone to Celeste's {{{Fanservice}} scenes. And Jane's butt gets an airing [[spoiler: as Perry's raping her]].

* FreudianTrio: Madeline is the Id, Jane is the Ego and Celeste is the SuperEgo

* RapeIsaSpecialKindOfEvil: Madeline reacts this way when she finds out that Jane was sexually abused and impregnated, which derailed her future.

* AlloftheOtherReindeer: Jane and Ziggy get this from the other parents, save for Madeline and Celeste.

* RapeIsaSpecialKindofEvil: Madeline reacts this way when she finds out that Jane was sexually abused and impregnated, which derailed her future.

A miniseries is airing on HBO with Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon and Shailene Woodley in the lead roles.

''Big Little Lies'' is a comedy-drama story by Australian author Lianne Moriarty, first published in 2014.

* AdaptationalHeroism: Renata's husband is very loving in the miniseries, while he's barely there in the book and [[spoiler: it's revealed he cheated on her for a long time with the french maid Juliette]].
* AdaptedOut: Fred, Madeline and Ed's son and Renata's french nanny Juliette in the miniseries.

A miniseries is planned with Creator/NicoleKidman, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon and Shailene Woodley in the lead roles.

* DrowningMySorrows: Jane's reaction to losing her first boyfriend. This ultimately leads to her being taken advantage of.

* GoodParents: All the characters have this in common, bar Madeline's ex-husband who only recently decided to take some responsibility.

* HippieParents: Madeline's ex-husband and his much younger wife.

* ParentalNeglect: Madeline's ex-husband used to be a negligent father before meeting Bonnie. It agitates Madeline that Abigail still favours him over her for this very reason.

** Her 14-year-old daughter Abigail feels pretty strongly as well [[spoiler: to the point where she'd auction off her virginity for charity]]
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Celeste goes to one when Perry's back is turned and gradually gains the confidence to stand up to him.

* ForWantofaNail: [[spoiler: In the end, it's revealed that Perry is the nail. He impregnated Jane, which caused her to be a single mother before she was 20 and subsequently give up her future to raise her son Ziggy. He also beat Celeste in front of their sons, who would follow their father's example and bully little girls. Ziggy and Jane copped the blame for this and struggle to fit in. Bonnie puts all of this together and pushes Perry off a balcony, causing the death that the story's been building up to.]]

* BlondesAreEvil: The clique of mothers who turn on Jane and Madeline are known as the "Blonde Bobs", due to their identical hairstyles.

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Celeste goes to one when Perry's back is turned and gradually gains the confidence to stand up to him.

A miniseries is planned with NicoleKidman and ReeseWitherspoon cast as two of the leads.

* AbsurdlyYouthfulMother: Jane is only 24 but has a 5-year-old son.
** Bonnie is shy of 30 and is step-mother to Abigail
* AffablyEvil: Perry's a violent man, but he's also a devoted father who lives for his two boys and genuinely hates himself for beating his wife. [[spoiler: becomes more FauxAffablyEvil when it's revealed that he also cheated on Celeste.]]

* AlphaBitch: Renata comes across as this, being able to juggle both motherhood and a corporate position.
** Madeline, if you think about it objectively. A lot of her attempts to stand up for Jane come across as a power play against Renata.
* AngerBornofWorry: Renata's response to her daughter Amabella being bullied.
** Madeline when she finds out her 14-year-old daughter might be prostituting herself

* BerserkButton /BewaretheNiceOnes: [[spoiler: Bonnie has a BIG one, concerning Perry's treatment of his wife.]]

* TheBully: Renata and her kiss-up friend Harper

* CoolBigSis: Madeline acts like this for Jane
* DomesticAbuser: Perry
* DontTellMama: Abigail's plan to auction off her virginity is played very discreetly, but Madeline finds out anyway.

* GlamorousSingleMother: Jane becomes this after a makeover.
** [[spoiler: Celeste, after Perry's death]]
* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Jane got pregnant out of rape, but kept the baby.

* GranolaGirl: Bonnie, the woman Madeline's first husband left her for.
** Madeline's daughter Abigail tries to be this, to her mother's chargrin.
* HairTriggerTemper: Perry will attack Celeste as soon as no-one's looking.
* HateSink: Harper uses Ziggy's [[spoiler: false]] accusation of hurting Amabella as a reason to alienate Jane, who has done nothing to her. Harper then tries pushing Jane's buttons in an attempt to make her snap and vilify the poor woman and her son even further. What's more, her character doesn't have a FreudianExcuse like the other antagonists. She's just bitchy for the sake of it.

* InformedAttractiveness: Celeste is considered breathtakingly beautiful even by her female friends.
* TheIngenue: Abigail, which raises some more drama.
* JealousParent: Madeline's resentment of Bonnie is less about taking her ex-husband from her and more about her influence over Abigail.
* {{Jerkass}}: Renata's friend Harper is the biggest one, having little-to-no reason for being so nasty to Jane
* JerkassWithaHeartofGold: Renata is this ultimately, considering she's just looking out for her daughter, even with her full-time job.
** Perry is portrayed as this [[spoiler: but is ultimately revealed to be a JerkwithaHeartofJerk]]

* KicktheSonofaBitch: [[spoiler: this is ultimately how Bonnie deals with Perry]]

* [[spoiler: MistakenforGay]]: [[spoiler: Tom is assumed to be gay, but to Jane's delight is not]]
* LikeFatherLikeSon: [[spoiler: Perry's sons emulate their father's violent tendencies]]

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Perry's reaction every time he attacks Celeste.
** [[spoiler: Renata when she realises that Ziggy never hurt her daughter.]]
** Abigail has this immediately after advertising her virginity and getting scolded for it.
* NiceGuy: Tom, the cafe owner. Most definitely the sweetest character in the whole story.

* TeenPregnancy: Jane

The plot revolves around three main things:

2. Jane's son Ziggy has been accused of beating a girl, but no-one is entirely sure if it's true.

* ForWantofaNail: [[spoiler: In the end, it's revealed that Perry is the nail for the most part. He impregnated Jane, which caused her to be a single mother before she was 20 and subsequently give up her future to raise her son Ziggy. He also beat Celeste in front of their sons, who would follow their father's example and bully little girls. Ziggy and Jane copped the blame for this and struggle to fit in. Bonnie puts all of this together and pushes Perry off a balcony, causing the death that the story's been building up to.]]

* HateSink: Harper uses Ziggy's [[spoiler: false]] accusation of being a bully as a reason to alienate Jane, who has done nothing to her. Harper then tries pushing Jane's buttons in an attempt to make her snap and vilify the poor woman and her son even further. What's more, her character doesn't have a FreudianExcuse like the other antagonists. She's just bitchy for the sake of it.

* MenDontCry: For the most part. A single aversion coming from Perry, of all people.

* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Celeste goes to one when Perry's back is turned and gradually gains the confidence to stand up to him.

* GranolaGirl: Bonnie, the woman Madeline's first husband left her for. Madeline's daughter Abigail tries to be this, to her mother's chargrin.

*

** Madeline, if you think about it objectively.

* TheIngenue: Abigail, which raises some more drama.
* JerkassWithaHeartofGold:

*

* GranolaGirl: Bonnie, the woman Madeline's first husband left her for. Her daughter Abigail tries to be this, to Madeline's chargrin.