Why ‘Big Little Lies’ Is A Brilliant Display Of Feminism
Just last weekend, millions of fans tuned into Big Little Lies for what was possibly the last time. The incredible hit drama returned for the season finale of its second season, captivating viewers once more. Centering around the lives of five women, the show is a compelling commentary of friendship, trauma, and motherhood. At its core, the show is feminist in nature, putting women at the forefront of the plot and placing them in the center of the action. Rather than using women merely as accessories to men, the Monterrey Five are instead the focal point of this HBO classic.
Feminism ftw
What makes Big Little Lies so intriguing to watch is the juxtaposition between the five (six when you count Mary Louise and who could forget about her) women. Each of them have wildly different personalities, faults, and insecurities, yet they still find a way to support one another. What’s more, is that by displaying a wide array of women, the audience gets to experience different types of challenges and triumphs all woven within the overlapping theme of womanhood.
Viewers have truly resonated with the variety of women on the show. After all, we all know a Renata Klein as well as a Jane Chapman. Fans’ strong connections to the show’s unique characters has been one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience for the cast.
The cast weighs in
“I think with the success of the show, we feel the audience behind us. That’s what really matters: the people who took the show to heart and care deeply about these five very different women, their parenting styles, the way they think about relationships, and how they deal with trauma, violence, and sexuality,” Reese Witherspoon confessed in a recent interview with InStyle.
Season two
In fact, it was the audience’s support that allowed the cast and creators of Big Little Lies to push the story into a new realm and really dive deeper into the experience of what it means to be a woman navigating female friendships. “I think it emboldened us to push those story lines even further and push the edges of what female friendship really is. Is it group hugs, or is it conflict that’s very honest? We have some great fight scenes this season. We get mad at each other in the way you do with your friends,” Witherspoon said ahead of the second season.
The show is also succesful because there’s a wide diversity of age and perspective. The actresses that serve as the six mothers range in age from 27 and 70. This stretch of 43 years makes for a more robust understanding of what motherhood looks like at different stages of life.
“What’s extraordinary is that because it’s a multigenerational show, we get to hear feminism from different waves and perspectives. So there’s some second-wave feminism and some fourth-wave feminism in there. The perspective on sexuality and the idea of women’s roles in the world is vastly different between the generations” says Witherspoon, who is on her second marriage on Big Little Lies.
Bring on Big Little Lies Season 3
We’re so glad to be living in a time where a unique show like Big Little Lies is being so well-received. Each episode of the show easily passes the famous Bechdel test and truly give an honest depiction of what a woman’s lived experiences can look like. We don’t know about you, but we’re still holding out hope for a third season.
