TV series Triple Crown: Acting, Writing, Directing - Olive Kitteridge

Let me join the chorus in praise of the HBO/Cholodenko series (4 parts) Olive Kitteridge, a rarity in that it's an American series based on serious literature and manages to bring the book up to a higher level - most American TV adaptations - think Empire Falls - that attract an entourage of stars earn a bunch of Emmys from TV industry inferiority-complex types who are just thrilled to have a movie star step into their world for a moment, a bit of media slumming. This one's the exception - there are a # of pretty high-caliber stars - Macdorman, Jenkins, Bill Murray notably - and they only add to the quality of this excellent series. I have a few quibbles w/ the ending of part 4 - a little too pat in how it brings us back to the beginning point, and maybe a little too cute-meet and too optimistic when OK seems to find a new relationship (w/ Murray), although of course we have to wonder, as she says about her husband's flirtation, it wouldn't have lasted two weeks. That said, so many strengths in the series, esp in the big 3 components - writing, acting, directing - but also beautiful yet never flashy cinematography and art direction that captures a period and place, evocative but never overwhelming musical score. The scenes in the last 2 episodes between mother and son, especially OK visits her son's family in Brooklyn, could be worthy of study and emulation in a screenwriting class - and in fact would make great exercises for an acting class as well. Part of the strength of this series is the complexity of character, Olive's especially (but not exclusively): she's blunt almost to the point of being "on the spectrum," seeming to have no understanding of the effect of her observations and recriminations on others (her son painfully calls her out on this), yet she's not exactly unlikable - she's witty and most (not all) of her critiques are on the money and justified. We shake our heads in wonder; she's the teacher you hated but respected (and feared), grudgingly. As her husband, Henry (Jenkins, in maybe his best performance ever) says: How fortunate I am to have you, Olive, to always tell me what I'm thinking.