There’s a dreamy, ethereal vibe permeating throughout Tiny Beautiful Things that’s fueled by memories, emotions, and contemplating life decisions. This is a refreshing adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s collection of essays, created and executive produced by Liz Tigelaar (Casual, Little Fires Everywhere). The new series stars Kathryn Hahn (Agatha: Coven of Chaos) in a Hulu outing that floats back and forth through time as Hahn’s frenetic Clare desperately attempts to get a grip on her fractured life and manage the grief that began so long ago.
True, we’ve been seeing a lot of frustrated and, shall we say, over-reactive middle-agers lately. At times, it’s welcome, as we’ve experienced in Physical and Little Fires Everywhere. Elsewhere, it becomes tiring. (It’s not you, Jennifer Aniston, it’s the writing in The Morning Show). But here, Hahn, an expressive actor if there ever was one, does justice to Strayed’s compelling work, offering viewers a character they can both relate to and root for in Clare.
If you’re looking for a heartwarming, real, and raw romp that illuminates the human condition, this is it. Tiny Beautiful Things is one of the most moving outings to hit Hulu in early 2023. Take a peek at the exclusive clip below.
Oh, The Grief
Seven words: Just get through the first few episodes. Trust us. That’s when Tiny Beautiful Things begins establishing a welcome cadence. Prior to that, it’s understandable to be concerned that all we’d be experiencing in this outing was a series of reactions and retaliations from the series main character, a fictionalized version of Strayed. To my surprise, shades of warmth and relatability truly emerge by episode three, you’re pretty much invested.
In Tiny Beautiful Things, we’re introduced to two Clares — a teenager in the past (Sarah Pidgeon in fine form) and the 49-year-old (Hahn) whose work and home life have gone off the rails. In present day, Clare’s marriage to Danny (Quentin Plair) has soured — she’s moved out of the house but desperately wants back in. Her relationship with her teenage daughter Rae (Tanzyn Crawford) has gone off the rails. Deep sighs, fits of frustration, and arguments are plentiful here.
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Meanwhile, let’s go back to when things were a bit more joyous (ish). Teenage Clare enjoys her remarkably rare bond with her lovely mother Frankie (Merrit Wever in another winning performance) and brother Lucas (Owen Painter). Things shift considerably when Frankie receives a cancer diagnosis. You can sense where things are headed. Desperate to keep her mother alive, and, in turn, their bond, Clare goes into panic mode.
We experience all this through Clare’s flashbacks in present day while she’s searching for an emotional lifeboat. Quite serendipitously, Clare, who’s long been a struggling writer hanging onto a ho-hum job at an elder care facility, finds herself accepting a gig to be an advice columnist for something called Dear Sugar. She thinks she’s the last person to handle such a thing, but soon enough, she’s answering letters, which also allow her to revisit the most pivotal moments in her life—from the death of a dear mother and the fallout with her brother to all her bad choices.
The series mirrors Stayed’s real-life. As a memoirist and advice columnist, her celebrity soared by combining both art forms into one embraceable package. But there are many other reasons why Tiny Beautiful Things works.
Big Beauty in Tiny Moments
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Across the board, the cast in Tiny Beautiful Things stands out. Hahn, always exceptional, wins us over in a three-dimensional role that’s bound to deliver her an Emmy nomination. The actor has a knack for playing relatable characters at their wit’s end. And by episode six and seven, we begin to see shades of a Clare you’d like to get to know even more.
Plair and Crawford fair very well here, too. They lose themselves in their roles of Clare’s husband and daughter, respectively. Plair delivers range, depth, and believability playing a husband who’s endured his wife’s uncontrollable spirals. There’s nuance in how the actor and Hahn handle some of their tougher scenes, too—no couple is immune to confronting the daunting truths that can strain their relationships. It’s also a hoot to see SteVonté Hart take on the 20-something version of Danny when he and Clare first meet.
Related: Kathryn Hahn’s 9 Best Performances, Ranked
Crawford, thankfully, is given a wide range of material from the writers to make her something other than the angry, eye-rolling teen we’ve come to see all too often. She breathes likability into a character who is battling her own vulnerabilities in intimate friendships and potential relationships and understanding her place in her family’s fractured fairytale.
Lighter moments arrive at the right time, too. Most of them related to Clare’s day job. Midway through the Tiny Beautiful Things experience, the past and the present appear to be colliding. It’s a nice effect… for the more Clare in real time deals with her lingering grief, something has to be integrated. One is also left to conclude that Strayed, who serves as an executive producer alongside Hahn, Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern, has created quite a compelling tapestry.
Tiny Beautiful Things manages to extract just the right amounts of beauty, hardship, and humor that we all experience in life to illuminate that none of us are not beyond rescue, and that ultimately, it really is our stories that “save” us and bring us back “home.” Tiny Beautiful Things is now streaming on Hulu.
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