This New Drama Produced by Nicole Kidman Is a Must-See for All Fans of Big Little Lies
And Nine Perfect Strangers.
The miniseries The Last Anniversary is based on the novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty, who brought us Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers.
Moriarty's works tend to have a large number of characters, and each new page does not so much explain what is happening as it throws in mysteries and plunges deeper into the whirlwind of events.
Not surprisingly, in the case of The Last Anniversary, it is necessary to initially focus on several family relationships.
What Is The Last Anniversary About?
Sophie makes a living as a journalist. She draws inspiration from bad dates and women's fiction, but in her heart she has long dreamed of a quiet family life.
Changes came with the decision to freeze her eggs. At the same time, Sophie unexpectedly learns that she has inherited an impressively large house from Connie, an elderly relative of her ex-fiancé, Thomas, whom she barely knew.
In the accompanying letter, Connie asks Sophie not to refuse the gift. The transfer of property becomes the starting point for a series of events that intertwine the present with an old tragedy – the mysterious disappearance of Alice and Jack in the late 1960s.
The Last Anniversary Is a Touching Drama With a Brilliant Female Cast
Of course, Last Anniversary is first and foremost a detective story, but the deeper the viewer dives into the story, the clearer it becomes that the series is not so much about Alice and Jack's disappearance as it is about memory, legacy, motherhood, loneliness, and finding one's place in a family of one's own choosing.
The narrative centers on an ensemble of female characters. The lonely heiress of the house, Sophie; the once-lost child, Enigma; and her daughter, Grace, a young mother and children's author who is quietly drowning in postpartum depression.
The tough representative of the younger generation, Veronika, is initially hostile to Sophie, but gradually reveals herself to be one of the wittiest and most vulnerable characters.
Veronika's mother, Margie, dreams of running away from home and taking up photography. And then there's Connie, whose final act forces Rose to confront the need to talk.
The Last Anniversary Will Hook Even Those Familiar With the Story
The screenplay by Sarah L. Walker and Samantha Strauss does not follow the original text, so even readers familiar with the novel will find some surprises.
The plot of The Last Anniversary unfolds slowly, offering less opportunity to follow the investigation than to immerse oneself in island life and get to know the characters.
The themes of the series are also timeless – the emotional closeness of women and motherhood in its many forms: social role, instinct, trauma, an unattainable dream.