Entertainment Forums

Chris · Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 11:03 am Post subject: HBO Series: Big Love

Has anyone heard about this series yet? It is getting a fair bit of heat from people in Utah as I guess it it loosely based on the Mormon religion. I think Jay Leno said it best. What is the downside of having three wives? Three mother in laws.....

Here is the premise behind the new HBO series Big Love. Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton), is 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.

I guess the question is.... have they finally gone too far? The latest movement by TV executives to promote a new night time soap opera with controversial topics might just be going over the edge. TV series like the L Word, and Big Love might just be the norm soon. Can people honestly say this is the programming they want to watch on a nightly basis?

I am not condemning it... each to their own I say but I just wonder where TV is heading and are we ready for it.

Mad Girl · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 65 Location: Mad World

Nice to have a topic about this here. Well, I watched this series ever since it began showing on HBO. I don't really agree with polygamy but like the man said before to each his own. I certainly watch the series every time I can catch it (HBO shows constant reruns) and I must admit that I enjoy it. I think the characters are quite greatly interpreted and they are very much in tune with reality. I think it's a really interesting show since it's something that hasn't been done before. Smile

Chris · Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:13 pm Post subject:

Mad Girl. I admit when I first heard about Big Love I thought it was going to be a show thats was going to use controversy to bring people in... once people were there they would not be impressed. I was wrong. Big Love is actually a pretty good show. The charector development is good and there are some quality actors on set.

After watching a few episodes, I would recommend it to almost anyone. It is funny at times, dramatic at times and well written. Check out Big Love if you are sitting on the fence, I think it is worth it.

darth tader · Member Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 175

I just hope that they dont try to imply or outright say that these people are Mormons. If anyone in the Mormon church is found to be practicing Polygamy then they are excommunicated out of the church as it is against church belief. I concern would be that the people watching the show, that dont know anything about the Mormon religion, could be misled to believe things that are just not true.

Chris · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:30 am Post subject:

Actually Darth, if you watch the show they are very careful to point out that this is a cult like religion. I think they were concerned about that aspect enough to make sure viewers realize that polygamy has no more to do with the Mormon Church than any other religion.

When I first heard of Big Love I thought they were talking about the Mormon Religion but when I read up on it, then watched it, I realized it wasn't. Basically, the "Church" in Big Love is a cult like religion founded by Bill's father. Families that belong to this "Cult" live in a compound away from society, and the practice a bizarre lifestyle. Anyone who watches the program quickly realizes that they are not Mormon by religion, but rather a misguided group of individuals.

Here is are some quotes from the HBO Big Love website found in the link below.
"Polygamy is illegal in Utah and banned by the mainstream Mormon Church."

"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."

http://www.hbo.com/biglove/about/index.html

Mr Film · Member Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 1245

I will have to check it out someday. Twisted Evil

Mad Girl · Member Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 65 Location: Mad World

I don't know if they're a cult. I haven't really understood what they are or whatever. Um... but I do know that they're somehow related to the Mormon religion cause they've made references to people like Joseph Smith. Most likely they're like a group of people who separated from the Mormon church when they banned polygamy. So yeah I guess they could be called a cult. Confused