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.

HBO mini-series, Olive Kitteridge takes place in a small New England town. The story bases on a small town Mid-school math teacher's cross section life story of her 25 years. The interesting plot took my attention, having its humoristic and sarcastic semiotic as a tribute to the Olive Kitteridge character (Frances McDormand) contains sarcasm on its own personality. Olive and her husband live with their children. As a husband figure Henry Kitteridge (Richard Jenkins) approaches the nonsense acts of his wife (which wind the plot and making it both humoristic and sarcastic while telling her story) in an easy going and modest way. The situation that he faces is simple. Living with a hard woman, without her knowing that she is ruining her environment because of her desire of reaching the mathematical perfection in her personal life. The not cruel but annoying egoist life of Olive gave me the same impression she gives her husband and son. The snappishness creates the tease and humor at that point. Henry (her husband), Cristopher (her son), simultaneously give the feeling of distress they face and Olive's acts seem funnily annoying, both to them (Olive's environment) in the movie, and to us (the audience). And creates the catharsis of feeling the fury, pity and not to take her seriously with a glimpse to her behaviors.Emotions, for instance, feeling sorry for Olive, for not accepting the happiness, the love or, for wasting her time to be just perfect and critical until her elder age.The happiness seeker father's (Henry) sympathetic acts, giving the recipe of living the decent but content life, without thinking to run away from his hard-boiled wife and son. The funny parts of Olive's obsessed acts.And the naturally flowing expressions on the plot, such as natural death and getting old in a small town, the increase of the loneliness by being apart from children, losing the closest ones. Anger and tactless accusations of family members depicted in the some scenes of mother and son arguments.Yes, these emotions and plenty other everyday life feelings that we all live in our short life.The eclecticism of the sarcasm, the happiness, the obsessions, the funny moments. All of them are the human peculiar acts. And all of them are global, even you live in a countryside or in a big city. Olive Kitteridge teaches us to try to live every moment of our life in joy. Without giving up our duties or put ourselves in a hopeless position we should esteem our good life deserved rented bodies, by esteeming our spirits and the others around us.As a mini-series that has a narration that reflects the real-life human behaviors, both individually and cooperatively in such a short time, with great psychological analysed fixings, I must admit Olive Kitteridge has deserved the awards that it has reached so far. And maybe, could have win a few more.

While watching this, the first thing that popped into my head was how glad I am that I did not spend my adult life in a small town.The second thing I thought was how glad I am that I'm not married...at least to a woman like Olive Kitteridge.The third thing I thought was what a fine actor Richard Jenkins is. Despite what some people seem to feel, for a character actor, Jenkins has gotten a fair amount of acclaim...all well deserved.Frances McDormand is a very talented actress. But somehow I have yet to see her in a single film that I really liked. All I can say is that she has a strange taste in movie parts.Zoe Kazan as Denise Thibodeau was interesting as a slightly odd young lady.There are films in which Bill Murray impresses me. This is not one. He just seems to be walking through the part.John Gallagher is a young actor that impresses me each time I see him, and he does here.One segment which I felt was particularly well done was where Kevin Coulson returns from being a medical student in New York City, and is contemplating suicide, which Olive realizes, and she prevents it from happening. Very effective segment showing the difficulty of mental illness.I have to admit that I don't quite understand the purpose of the hospital terror scene. It just seems out of place. But, this isn't exactly a film with a script, per se.I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this film. Is it to show that a mean-hearted woman got the life she deserved? If so, it succeeded. It was very slowly interesting to watch...once...but I would have no interest in watching it again. 4 hours was too much. Needed some distinct editing.

Excellent acting is marred by hateful characters and little character development. Every time there is an opportunity for warmth it is destroyed by the unremitting nastiness of one or more of the characters. If you want to watch a series that will convince you not to move to Maine, this is it. Bill Murray gets high billing, but except for a cameo, he appears only in the last episode. He too is inexcusably nasty, but that's the script's fault, not the actors. Generally the acting is fine. But if you hope to learn something about life from this, you will be disappointed. Your reaction will be to do your best to avoid anybody who behaves like the characters in this series. I watched it to the end to see how they could possibly resolve the unpleasantness of the story, but it never happened. Some writers had great fun putting together all the unpleasant verbal exchanges they could think of. Every time the interaction of the characters indicates that there is some hope, it is dashed by arbitrary nastiness. Whew! The only reason I didn't give it a 1 is the good acting. I think HBO must have been disappointed, and decided to put it out quickly, over 2 consecutive days. Critics seem to like it. Well, critics often like depressing stories; they mistake misery for subtlety.