statuskuo You could watch this series along with "Terms Of Endearment" and get a really good dose of dysfunctional family dynamics. And learn something about growing old. And that we're not all that different. You can learn a lot from tough ol' broads. Or you can resent them. The one thing we know is, they will outlive their supposed time on Earth.The titular character is played pitch perfect by Frances McDormand. Already an old soul when we first seen her in the Coen Brothers movies, she is the epitome of hard as rock stubborn New Englander. Educated by life experiences, her harsh reality is that tragedy has shaped her into a flawed diamond. Indestructible in her set ways, she lives with regret and unknowing to her (but every clear to us) projects her resentment towards the people who actually love her. Unfortunately, in her path is her kind hearted husband Henry Kitteridge (Richard Jenkins), in a stunningly sympathetic and patient man who reaches out to help lost young girls, but does so with the distancing manner of a father. There appears a sexual predator is a foot, but that isn't Henry's nature. He is the town pharmacist who we can see may have had bigger dreams in life, but is content to fulfill his duties to the community. He's seen first as a step rug, then a sounding board, but finally…a man. All the parts of which make up a marriage in a small town community dynamic. We could've/would've/should've is pushed so far into the backburner as to cause conflict. And the developments of our youth are shaped by the overwhelming need of parents to control. You will reap what you sow. There wasn't a false moment in this mini-series. It's often painful, a lot of humor, bittersweet moments, tragedy and a lot of moments as I watched the outcome of their history turn to foreshadowed misery that I mutter "Damn…that sucks that happened." Not out of pity, but that it is a universal storyline that we all get sickened by.There are a lot of moments of grimness. In particular, the ease of resolution and mental issues. Even as late as my own generation, mental illness was seen as an embarrassment. People were considered spazzes if they were hyperactive. Or if their parent had drug addiction or drinking problems, they'd be ignored. The kids tend to shrug that off. That's the issue though. Cause life will give us obstacles in the form of relatives or spawn. We are owed nothing, but seem to carry on this notion we're suppose to be living someone else's life. We suppress our needs, if we genuinely care about people. Lost are the times when we hold back, now is the time when people often give up too soon. Is Olive's decision to power through life unhappy the right course for you? Probably not. But it's something to be admired. This mini-series is amazing.

mb-155 So I am just about getting in to this fairly 'masochistic' drama, which is pretty good, but had to pause to point out not every very clever person is depressed and mean spirited. Being mean spirited Olive Kitterridge has to smugly point this out near the start. In my opinion life is not as black and white as that Olive.There is a continuing run on creating drams where to be clever somehow or other equates to snide remakes, sarcasm, and people with mean spirits and so on and are also 'dysfunctional' in some way. Step forward the character Bill Murray always plays. He was brilliant in Groundhog Day and for me that's where it ended. He always plays that sort of part. Well good let's balance the books when the world appears to need 'negative' dramas like this roll them out and that is what people now like.But she made this point about cleverness and depression in the first part of the film. I am sorry but this is not true. This trend is typified in other dramas like 'House' where the lead also happens to be a 'mean' person who is clever etc and in Doc Martin where, through no fault of his own, the lead character has a psychological illness but often has a 'mean' character. Reading the reviews on here people love this sort of drama. So be it.All I want to do is make is a small point and that I know a person, very close to my wife and I who is very clever IQ 130 at junior school tested by county psychologist and both my wife and I have had to deal with his huge depressions but he is not always making snide remarks and is not prone to sarcasm either. He has had huge issues settling down in life though.He has pitch perfect hearing and plays brilliant improvised classical music when he is very sad. He is never as good on the piano when he is happy. I would hate to think being clever equates to being spiteful to one and all. Don't get hoodwinked into believing this. There are plenty of low IQ nasty people and high IQ sarcastic people but also lots of 'nice' people with very high IQs. This film is set from the 1980s onwards heading towards the me, myself and I world. I guess very different from the post war era from when they were rolling out films like James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life altogether a much easier film to watch for a sentimental person like me - even if it's in black and white.

Devon Seunarine I'm sitting watching this movie because I'm supposed to be writing an essay for school. At first i didn't bother with actually looking at the movie, but as the show progressed I realized what an interesting movie this is. Olive kitteridge is a classic old woman who is very sarcastic and uses sarcastic (hurtful) comments to hide her feelings. This movie displays her 'faults' and how the events after her husband falling ill and passing causes her to look at how she lived and to face her emotions and the wrongs she made in life. It's a very interesting movie to just sit and watch. Basically it's about and old mean woman who say hurtful things only because she is afraid of sharing her feelings. The movie depicts her journey to righting her wrongs against her son and as she meets a kind stranger who she can relate to about feeling. Summary: If you are a person who appreciates a slightly romantic bibliography that is not fun but touching then this is for you. However if you like an adventurous/action/sci-fi/comedy/romance then this is not for you.

margweeks If you liked McDormand's performance in Fargo, Olive Kitteridge will surely not disappoint. I look forward to reading the book now and only wish that perhaps I'd read it before watching the mini-series. I loved much about this mini-series but most especially the straightforward way that depression is handled. Olive is a complex character (not all bad or all good) and while her behavior might be tough to swallow, McDormand treats us to a realistic portrayal of the disease of depression and how is affects every facet of her life and those around her. Some well played foreshadowing moments and times of contradictory behavior make the plot and characters more interesting. I gave it a 10/10 because this is the kind of movie I enjoy, but know that it might not appeal to everyone, especially if you just want to watch a feel good or relaxing movie. This one will challenge you to think a bit more and examine your own dysfunctional behavior (and/or that of your family) which may not be too comfortable. Also enjoyed the other characters, especially Henry and Christopher.