Release Date: August 4, 2015
Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 182 minutes
The Casual Vacancy, a three-part mini-series, centers on Pagford, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade, however, is a town at war. The rich at war with the poor, children at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils.
The Casual Vacancy is a three hour/three episode mini series adaptation of the novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling who we all know from the beloved Harry Potter series. I, myself grew up with the series and when The Casual Vacancy released, I admit, I wasn’t ready to read something completely different from Jo. I still wasn’t even when the TV mini series was announced…then premiered…then showed up in my mail on blu-ray. While 95% of the time, I read books before watching their adaptations, this mini series was the nudge I needed to start reading. So I did watch this mini series before reading the book but I’m actually really glad that I did. I have no regrets. I loved the adaptation as a piece of its own with nothing to base it on but the first chapter of the novel, which I read before deciding what I wanted to do first. And I loved this adaptation so much.
First, the cast. I love movies and TV shows with ensemble casts so this was perfect for me. I fell in love immediately. I loved how the various lives and the stories of each character were so interwoven. That was beautifully executed! I also really enjoyed the pacing of the character depth and arcs. It’s always such a treat and I love works ten times more when I see that the cast is a mix of old timers and newcomers. Abigail Lawrie, who plays Krystal has such range, oh my goodness and this was her first audition! Go, girl!
Then there’s the story. Oh man. The balance between comedic and dramatic was absolutely superb. One moment, I’m laughing, the next, my heart is racing, the next, I’m wondering if I’m going to need a Kleenex. Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. One of the best. I love that through these characters, we see human nature, we see pain, we see compassion, we see desire and forgiveness and bitterness deceit and ultimatums and the ability to make the right choice and oh so many more things. It’s such a light on this human experience and I’m so, so happy that the screenwriter captured so much of that because that’s the story people need to see.
Yes, the overall tone of this story is a bit dry but once you’re sucked into the story, you’re in it until the end because these characters will sing to you and they each have such gripping voices that you’ll want to listen to until the last note. Another element that I love about this story is that the ending isn’t completely happy. It’s a true reflection of life and the good guys losing and the bad guys and co winning and the after. What a fascinating and it’s so right, I can’t help but laugh tale. I also must say that I really love the score and will be getting the soundtrack soon because it was fantastic. And I can’t wait to watch this again after I finish reading the novel to either love the two as separate and amazing works or love the mini series even more!
An Introduction to The Casual Vacancy (8 minutes) – This is a great overview of the story, which is part synopsis from the cast and crew, part the cast talking about the complexities of the characters and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s a short featurette, so if there’s someone you’d like to watch this mini series with and they are on the fence, maybe make this an impromptu trailer or something to watch in addition to a promo.
Appearing in this Feature:
Screenwriter, Sarah Phelps
Director, Jonny Campbell
Producer, Ruth Kenley-Letts
Cast Members, Rufus Jones, Lolita Chakrabarti, Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Abigail Lawrie, Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie
Adapting The Casual Vacancy (9 minutes) – Though there was a small bit of repetition from the feature before, the new footage outweighs that and makes this feature just as captivating and interesting as we see the crew talk about the enormous challenge of adapting to screenplay and shooting this almost 500 page book by one of the greatest British authors of all time. What a daunting task and how exhilarating it was for all involved!
Appearing in this Feature:
Executive Producer, Paul Trijbits
Screenwriter, Sarah Phelps
Director, Jonny Campbell
Casting The Casual Vacancy (13 minutes) – Yes, there is a bit of repetition here as well but again, the new footage here outweighs that. I especially loved watching the cast and crew talk about the wide range of actors who are both the best of the best and newcomers as well as young actors all excited and eager to learn. Especially as a young person, there’s nothing more satisfying to see people you admire noticing your hard work in your craft and acknowledging you for it so that was wonderful to see. I do wish there had been a bit of talk of making sure the cast was diverse but that’s my only disappointment here.
Appearing in this Feature:
Producer, Ruth Kenley-Letts
Director, Jonny Campbell
Executive Producer, Paul Trijbits
Screenwriter, Sarah Phelps
Cast Members, Abigail Lawrie, Rory Kinnear, Michael Gambon, Julia McKenzie, Keeley Hawes, Rufus Jones, Simona Brown, Joe Hurst, Brian Vernel
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