Big Love


Big Love is an American drama television series created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer that aired on HBO from 2006 to 2011. It stars Bill Paxton as the patriarch of a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah that practices polygamy, with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin portraying his wives. The series charts the family's life in and out of the public sphere in their Salt Lake City suburb, as well as their associations with a fundamentalist compound in the area. It features key supporting performances from Amanda Seyfried, Grace Zabriskie, Daveigh Chase, Matt Ross, Mary Kay Place, Aaron Paul, Bruce Dern, Melora Walters, and Harry Dean Stanton.
The series premiered in the United States on March 12, 2006, following the sixth-season premiere of the HBO series The Sopranos. Big Love was a success for HBO, running for five seasons before concluding its run on March 20, 2011.
Big Love received widespread critical acclaim, and earned several major awards and nominations throughout its run. The third season was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, and the first three were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Drama. For acting, Chloë Sevigny won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in the series' third season, and Bill Paxton was nominated three times for his leading role. At the Emmys, Ellen Burstyn, Bruce Dern, Mary Kay Place, and Sissy Spacek were all nominated for their recurring roles, while series' creators Olsen and Scheffer won the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama.
The series has been the subject of articles in academic journals, including the Columbia Law Review, Law and Contemporary Problems, and Michigan Journal of Gender & Law. Several publications listed the series's first three seasons as among the best television of the decade 2000–09, and its final season ranked among the best-reviewed scripted series of 2011.

Development

Concept and writing

Big Love was created by Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, who also served as executive producers. Olsen and Scheffer spent nearly three years researching the premise of the show, with the intent of creating a "fair, non-judgmental portrayal of polygamy in America." Olsen said that the family dynamics were key to the series' narrative, mixing family affection with tensions. "It's that combustion, negotiating that mix of feelings that I think keeps an audience coming back for more."
The fictional fundamentalist group the United Effort Brotherhood has characteristics similar to the historic United Effort Plan established by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and taken over by the state of Utah in 2005. The FLDS is one of the most prolific and well-known polygamist groups and identifies itself as the legitimate successor of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which officially discontinued polygamy in 1890.
Creators Olsen and Scheffer included a drive through the twin FLDS towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, as part of their research for the show.
The UEB has built its own temple on its Kansas compound. The raid on Juniper Creek is reminiscent of the Short Creek raid in 1953 when Arizona state police and National Guard troops took action against polygamists in Colorado City. Many of the businesses owned by the UEB are similar to businesses formerly run by FLDS members under the non-fictional UEP, which managed financial holdings of the FLDS. The creators read a single 2003 article published in Utah on the Darger family who are Independent Fundamentalist Mormons.

Filming and sets

Although set in Utah, the series was primarily filmed at the Santa Clarita Studios in Valencia, California. The location used for filming "Henrickson's Home Plus" scenes was The All American Home Center in Downey, California.
The exterior scenes of the three homes that Bill owns were filmed on location on Shady Lane, in the small town of Fillmore, California.
The mall scenes from season one were filmed in the Fox Hills Mall, in Culver City, California. Other exterior shots were filmed in Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sandy, Utah, as well as northeast Los Angeles, California.

Music

During the first three seasons, "God Only Knows", by The Beach Boys, played during the opening titles. The musical score for the series was composed by Anton Sanko. Mark Mothersbaugh composed music for the first season, while David Byrne was in charge of music during the second season. The theme song for the final two seasons of the series was "Home", by the band Engineers.

Cast and characters

Overview

Leading cast

  • Bill Paxton as Bill Henrickson – Husband to Barb, Nicki, and Margene. He is a practicing polygamist and, at the end of season 4, is elected to the Utah State Senate.
  • Jeanne Tripplehorn as Barbara "Barb" Henrickson – Bill's first wife and the only wife to whom he is legally married; mother of Sarah, Ben, and Tancy.
  • Chloë Sevigny as Nicolette "Nicki" Grant – Bill's second wife, Barb's former caretaker during her bout with cancer, and Roman Grant's daughter; mother of Wayne and Raymond with Bill, and Cara Lynn with J.J.
  • Ginnifer Goodwin as Margene "Margie" Heffman – Bill's third and youngest wife; mother of Aaron, Lester, and Nell.
  • Amanda Seyfried as Sarah Henrickson – Bill and Barb's first daughter, struggling with her father's polygamy. She marries ex-Mormon Scott Quittman despite her parents' initial reservations.
  • Douglas Smith as Ben Henrickson – Bill and Barb's son. In the third season, he expresses his sexual attraction and love to Margene, his third mother, who pacifies him as she loves him as a son. He has stated his desire to follow The Principle—to practice polygamy, as his father does.

    Henrickson family and friends

  • Branka Katić as Ana Mesovich– Bill's fourth wife. She and Bill marry, then she divorces the family.
  • Jolean Wejbe as Tancy "Teenie" Henrickson – Bill and Barb's younger daughter.
  • Keegan Holst as Wayne Henrickson – Bill and Nicki's older son.
  • Garrett Grey as Raymond Henrickson – Bill and Nicki's younger son.
  • Hayden Zachery Nelson as Aaron Henrickson - Bill and Margene's son.
  • Gavin Kent / Ethan Kent as Lester Henrickson - Bill and Margene's son.
  • Ailish as Nell Henrickson – Bill and Margene's daughter.
  • Aaron Paul as Scott Quittman – Sarah's boyfriend and eventual husband.
  • Tina Majorino as Heather Tuttle – Sarah Henrickson's co-worker and best friend.
  • Bonnie Bedelia as Virginia "Ginger" Heffman – Margene's alcoholic mother.

    Extended Henrickson family

  • Shawn Doyle as Joey Henrickson – Bill's brother, Wanda's husband. Former professional football player with the Dallas Cowboys. He attempts to enter into polygamy like Bill and his forefathers, albeit reluctantly at first.
  • Melora Walters as Wanda Henrickson – Bill's sister-in-law, wife to Joey Henrickson, and sister of Nicki's first husband, J.J. Wanda's psychological problems surface when she poisons people who cross her or her family.
  • Bruce Dern as Frank Harlow – Bill's abusive and domineering father, who exiled Bill from Juniper Creek at age 14. In a strong, perennial, and sometimes violent feud with his wife Lois.
  • Grace Zabriskie as Lois Henrickson – Bill's mother. In a long-time feud against Bill's father, Frank Harlow that included attempted homicide.
  • Brian Kerwin as Eddie Henrickson – Lois' younger brother, Bill's maternal uncle.
  • Aidan Gonzales and Andrew Gonzales as Joey Henrickson Jr. – Joey and Wanda's son.
  • Christopher Randazzo and Zachary Randazzo as Joey Henrickson Jr. – Joey and Wanda's son.
  • Mireille Enos as JoDean Marquart and Kathy Marquart – Kathy is Joey's second wife-to-be until her death in a car accident while being chased by Roman Grant. She lived in Joey and Wanda's home and assisted with the care of their infant son. Her twin sister, JoDean, marries Frank as his newest wife.

    Dutton family

  • Ellen Burstyn as Nancy Dutton – Barb's semi-estranged mother.
  • Judith Hoag as Cindy Dutton-Price – Barb's sister.
  • Patrick Fabian as Ted Price – Cindy's husband.
  • Philip Baker Hall as Ned Johanssen - Barb's new stepfather.

    Grant family

  • Harry Dean Stanton as Roman Grant – Nicki and Alby's father, self-proclaimed Prophet, and leader of the Juniper Creek compound. He is smothered to death by Joey Henrickson to avenge his involvement in the death of Joey's fiancée Kathy.
  • Mary Kay Place as Adaleen Hallstrom Grant – One of Roman Grant's wives and mother of Nicki and Alby. Although sixth wife to Roman, Adaleen is his most trusted confidante and is able to influence his political decisions. After Roman's death, Alby sends Adaleen to be a wife of J.J., against Adaleen's and Nicki's wishes.
  • Daveigh Chase as Rhonda Volmer – A teenage sociopath who was to be married to Roman Grant. During Roman's trial, Rhonda was bribed to go away so she could not take the stand and damage the defense's case.
  • Matt Ross as Alby Grant – Roman Grant's closeted gay son and the heir-apparent 'Prophet' of Juniper Creek. Takes over the compound after Roman dies.
  • Anne Dudek as Lura Grant – Third and favorite wife of Alby. She helps Alby try to kill Roman in both the second and third seasons.
  • Željko Ivanek as J.J. Percy Walker – Nicki's first husband and father of Nicki's firstborn, daughter Cara Lynn. J.J. is domineering, and with Alby's pull, forces the widowed Adaleen to marry him.
  • Cassi Thomson as Cara Lynn Walker - Nicki and J.J.'s daughter.

    Bill's business partners and associates

  • Joel McKinnon Miller as Don Embry – Bill's business partner and best friend. A polygamist until two of his wives ran away, leaving him a monogamist both in spirit and in fact. Bill asked him to take a 'bullet'by confessing his polygamy to a reporterto allow Bill's state senate candidacy to move forward.
  • Wendy Phillips as Peg Embry – Don's wife, Home Plus' head bookkeeper.
  • Kyle Gallner as Jason Embry – Don and Peg's son, Ben's best friend. Jason isn't fond of polygamy.
  • Annie Fitzgerald as Verna – Don's second wife.
  • Renee Albert as Julep – Don's third wife.
  • Lawrence O'Donnell as Lee Hatcher – Bill's attorney.
  • Jim Beaver as Carter Reese – Business acquaintance of Bill.
  • Jodie Markell as Wendy Hunt – Bill's secretary and the company's junior bookkeeper.
  • Adam Beach as Tommy Flute – Jerry Flute's son and a manager of the Blackfoot Casino.
  • Luke Askew as Hollis S. Green – Patriarch and proclaimed Prophet of a rival polygamist group. Hollis serves as one of the show's antagonists. His sect frequently uses violence and kidnapping for its ends.
  • Sandy Martin as Selma Green – Hollis' first wife and partner, Roman's youngest sister. A masculine-deep-voiced woman who usually wears male clothes and hairstyles.
  • Gregory Itzin as Senator Dwyer – The Republican Senate President of the Utah State Senate.
  • Sissy Spacek as Marilyn Densham - A powerful political lobbyist who becomes Bill's enemy.