25 book adaptations that surprisingly lived up to the books they’re based on

Big Little Lies

Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies is one of those novels that packs a surprising punch. Though on the surface the story is about three mothers who appear to have first-world problems, it eventually delves into the darker topics of domestic violence and sexual assault. And of course, the story centers around a murder that occurs at the beginning.

HBO’s adaptation of Big Little Lies gets the story right, maintaining a pretty rigid hold on its plot and its characters. The series begins and ends in the same way as the book, and though there are a few deviations in between, it never loses sight of Moriarty’s novel. In fact, it does an impressive job of piecing together the different parts of the story, revealing the twists and turns with as much success as the author does.

The casting of Big Little Lies is another one of the series’ accomplishments. Directors Jean-Marc Vallée and Andrea Arnold really scored a home run in landing Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley as its leads—and not just because of their acting skills. The three women almost perfectly fit Moriarty’s descriptions of their characters’ physical appearances, and they also embody the three main characters’ personalities impeccably.

Witherspoon emanates Madeline’s perky and confident attitude easily, while Woodley is naturally down to earth, making it easy to replicate Jane’s demeanor. And Kidman was an obvious choice for the sophisticated and strong Celeste.

On top of the stellar casting, Big Little Lies also handles the hard-hitting topics the book addresses with care—and that’s important when it comes to the more serious scenes.