On May 25, the miniseries 'Love and Death' starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons concluded on the streaming service Max (formerly HBO Max). David E. Kelley's true-crime project about a high-profile murder in the quiet town of Wylie conveys the s...
'Love and Death' is not the first screen adaptation of the horrific events that occurred on June 13, 1980, in the American heartland of Texas. Before the miniseries by David E. Kelley, there were two other versions of the story — the TV film 'A Killing in a Small Town' in 1990, which earned actress Barbara Hershey a Golden Globe, and last year's five-episode series 'Candy,' presented on the streaming service Hulu. I should note right away that I haven't watched any of the previous projects, so this text won't contain any comparisons with them. You also won't find conclusions or answers to the question of which adaptation is better, more accurate, or more interesting here. The discussion will focus solely on the pros and cons of the new miniseries, so keep that in mind while reading.
ATTENTION! THE TEXT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, SO IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT, ALL RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH YOU!
What's the Plot?
In the small town of Wylie, Texas, people live a quiet and peaceful life. It's a true paradise for family happiness. Almost everyone knows each other and socializes. Most people are very religious, so they attend the local Methodist church and actively participate in various events organized by the congregation.
One day during a volleyball game, Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen) and Allan Gore (Jesse Plemons) literally bump into each other, and a spark flies between them. Later, at a bar, Candy will tell her friend Sherry (Krysten Ritter) that Allan 'smelled of sex,' so she's now thinking about a secret affair with him, which she will soon directly propose to the man. Stunned, Gore initially hesitates and doubts, but eventually decides to agree. Before starting the affair, the future lovers carefully plan everything and even develop a set of rules they must follow while the fling lasts.
Naturally, some rules quickly fall by the wayside because Candy and Allan are very comfortable with each other. During their meetings, they fill the void of feelings and emotions missing at home. The lovers talk, have nice meals, share secrets, and enjoy their time together. But everything changes after the birth of the Gores' second child. Allan decides to end the affair and devote more time to his wife Betty (Lily Rabe) and children, as it was initially agreed that the affair should not harm either family. Candy lets the man go, albeit with difficulty, and tries to rebuild her family life with Pat (Patrick Fugit).
Everything returns to normal; the lovers no longer communicate, and everyone around is happy, until Friday, June 13, 1980, arrives. On that day, Allan flew off on a business trip, and Candy stopped by Betty's to ask if the Gores' daughter could go to the movies with her kids. An ordinary housewife conversation suddenly turned to the topic of the secret affair, after which one of the women grabbed an axe. In the end, the quiet town of Wylie was shaken by a brutal murder that would be remembered there for a long time.
From Love to Hate
The events of the miniseries 'Love and Death' take place in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the creators have perfectly managed to recreate the atmosphere of that time on screen (Ben Affleck achieved similar success in his film 'Air'). The interiors, costumes, cars, and the town itself are recreated with such meticulousness that if it weren't for the digitized modern picture, one might think the series was filmed right after the real crime, hot on its heels. The life of housewives, whose duties included creating a cozy home and raising children, is shown through the prism of a 'gilded cage.' Women lacked self-realization and independence in life, while society was convinced that female happiness lay precisely in a strong family and wonderful children. Divorce was a stain on one's reputation, so they tried to preserve the marriage by any means necessary.
On May 12, the digital release of Ben Affleck's new film 'Air: The Big Leap' took place. The Amazon Studios film about the revolutionary contract between Nike and the great basketball player M
Open material
Also, at that time in America, science fiction and disco were flourishing. 'Love and Death' is full of pop culture references: children drag their parents to see 'The Empire Strikes Back,' newspapers write about Kubrick's 'The Shining,' and the authors themselves insert visual Easter eggs to Hitchcock's 'Psycho.' But the religious theme reflects that period the most. Churches, sects, cults — the miniseries is packed with them. The characters' church life is shown even in more detail than their daily lives and professional activities. Residents regularly attend services, sing in the choir, are preoccupied with building a new House of God, and constantly pray. The church is the center (if not the backbone) of this small American backwater. But despite all their righteousness, the main characters never stop thinking about affairs and sex.
The show pits these two themes against each other. Candy and Allan develop rules (of Fight Club) for their meetings, but constantly talk about how they don't want to harm their families, how they love their spouses, and how important family happiness is to them. In contrast, the characters complain to each other about how tired they are of their daily routine, the lack of intimacy, and problems at home. The lovers are simply confused about their feelings and can't sort them out, so they see the affair as a solution to their problems, even though a secret romance always leads only to the worsening and destruction of family idyll. And in this story, the consequences of betrayal are the worst.
The chemistry that arises between Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons is commendable. She is beautiful, strong, and calculating, while he is shy, awkward, and unassuming. Opposites, as they say, attract, and watching these two on screen is a pleasure. Overall, the acting here is simply excellent. Olsen is not new to portraying a mentally unstable mother, Plemons is already accustomed to playing men in troubled relationships, Patrick Fugit looks good as a sensitive husband whom most people don't want to reckon with, and Lily Rabe performs the paranoid and unpleasant Betty Gore extremely convincingly.
Winners Are Not Judged
The miniseries 'Love and Death' is divided into two parts, which can be titled accordingly. The first three episodes, released on premiere day, are 'Love.' The story of how Candy and Allan plan their affair, how they spend time together, how happy they are, and how their fling ends. The finale of the third episode brings us close to 'Death' — the remaining four episodes, where Candy kills Betty and faces the consequences of her actions.
There are seven episodes in total, so it seems a bit drawn out. The story of what happened is told in such detail that it sometimes becomes boring to watch. This is especially noticeable in the backstory. Before getting to what many watch true crime for, i.e., the murder and the events after, the viewer must watch three hours of background in the form of a drama. The birth and development of the relationship, endless dialogues, playing on emotions, and an almost complete lack of intrigue. It's likely that fans of tense thrillers and crime dramas won't like 'Love and Death.'
The events are so evenly distributed that each episode logically fits into a specific time period. For example, the creators allocated two episodes for the trial. One for the prosecution, one for the defense. And still, it sometimes seems that some things could have been cut without losing quality, while better maintaining viewer interest.
If you believe the information on the internet (finding the real case and protocols is still difficult), then David E. Kelley conveyed the events quite accurately. In some moments, of course, questions arise, but each viewer's subjective perception is different, so someone might not pay extra attention, for example, to how good the lovers are together. They are much more comfortable with each other than in their own families. Such a demonstration of happiness 'on the side' can lead to the idea that the creators are justifying the characters' actions. Like, look, if there are problems in a marriage, the solution could be an affair, where you can start living for real. In reality, infidelity is an extremely vile and disgusting act that is in no way worthy of justification.
On top of this, the creators made Betty Gore a negative character. The woman is annoying throughout all the episodes. She has a very nasty temper, constantly 'nags' her husband, manipulates him, throws hysterics, and is generally dissatisfied with everything around her. Allan tirelessly says he loves his wife, but at the same time complains about her to his mistress. How can one sympathize with such a victim? Apparently, the authors of the miniseries 'Love and Death' sided with Candy Montgomery in this story. Of course, the real Betty suffered from postpartum depression and was a very difficult person, but making it so that viewers feel no sympathy for her at all seems somehow wrong. She is, after all, the victim of a brutal murder.
In the end, the one you feel most sorry for here is Pat Montgomery. He simply didn't do anything bad to anyone, but ended up dragged into an extremely nasty story. Candy's husband becomes the most likable character. Yes, things weren't entirely smooth in their relationship either, but that was only because the man didn't pay enough attention to his wife and didn't know how to listen to her. As soon as the affair was revealed and the couple discussed everything, their family life improved, so Pat is the only ray of light in this dark plot.
What's the Verdict?
'Love and Death' is unlikely to enter the lineup of the best series from HBO and the Max service, but it is a good miniseries, built on acting and the atmosphere of the American heartland in the late 70s and early 80s. Even though the show is a bit drawn out and slightly lacking in suspense, it is capable of thoroughly introducing the viewer to the story that shook Wylie. The creators took their side, but that doesn't mean viewers have to agree with it, because the case, after all, can be viewed from several angles.
Nowadays, people understand the importance of mental health and pay a lot of attention to it, which is why many projects on this topic are being released. In the past, America was repeatedly shaken by high-profile court cases where verdicts were based on psychiatrists' conclusions (a striking example is Billy Milligan), so the story of Candy Montgomery was not accidentally brought to the screen right now, and certainly not twice in such a short period.
Comments
0No comments yet.
Sign in to join the discussion.