Olive Kitteridge | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama |
Based on | Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout |
Screenplay by | Jane Anderson |
Directed by | Lisa Cholodenko |
Starring |
Frances McDormand Richard Jenkins Zoe Kazan Rosemarie DeWitt Martha Wainwright John Gallagher Jr. Devin Druid Jesse Plemons Bill Murray Peter Mullan |
Theme music composer | Carter Burwell |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 4 |
Production | |
Producer(s) |
Gary Goetzman Tom Hanks Frances McDormand Jane Anderson Steve Shareshian David Coatsworth |
Cinematography | Frederick Elmes |
Editor(s) | Jeffrey M. Werner |
Running time | 233 minutes |
Production company(s) |
HBO Miniseries Playtone As Is |
Release | |
Original network | HBO |
Original release | November 2 | – November 3, 2014
External links | |
Website |
Olive Kitteridge is a 2014 four-hour miniseries based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Elizabeth Strout. Set in Maine, the HBO miniseries features Frances McDormand as the title character, Richard Jenkins as Olive's loving husband Henry Kitteridge, Zoe Kazan as Denise Thibodeau, and Bill Murray as Jack Kennison. The miniseries is divided into four parts, each depicting a certain point of time in the novel.
Olive Kitteridge debuted in the United States on November 2, 2014, on the American premium TV network HBO, which aired the show's first two episodes back-to-back that evening; the third and fourth episodes aired back-to-back the following evening. The miniseries was shown in a similar format in the United Kingdom on Sky Atlantic, on December 14 and December 15, 2014. It premiered in Australia on showcase from 13 January 2015. At the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards, the miniseries won eight awards including Outstanding Limited Series.
Olive Kitteridge is a misanthropic and strict, but well-meaning, retired schoolteacher who lives in the fictional seaside town of Crosby, Maine. She is married to Henry Kitteridge, a kind, considerate man who runs a pharmacy downtown, and has a troubled son named Christopher, who grows up to be a podiatrist. For 25 years, Olive has experienced problems of depression, bereavement, jealousy, and friction with family members and friends.
Olive Kitteridge has received acclaim from critics, particularly for its writing, cinematography, directing, and Frances McDormand's central performance, along with co-stars Richard Jenkins, Bill Murray and John Gallagher, Jr. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the miniseries a 96% "fresh" rating based on 46 reviews with an average score of 8.4 out of 10. The critical consensus reads: "Olive Kitteridge's narrative slow burn enhances fascinating performances -- and a story worthy of its source material." On Metacritic, the show has a score of 89 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".