Tiny Beautiful Things is an American comedy drama television miniseries that premiered on Hulu on April 7, 2023. It is based on the 2012 book of the same name by Cheryl Strayed. It has been adapted by Liz Tigelaar and produced by Best Day Ever Productions, Jaywalker Pictures, Hello Sunshine, and ABC Signature. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
The show received two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Kathryn Hahn and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Merritt Wever.
Synopsis
The show centers on Clare, a writer who reluctantly becomes a popular advice columnist during a period of turmoil in her life.
Cast and characters
Main
Kathryn Hahn as Clare Pierce
Sarah Pidgeon as younger Clare
Quentin Plair as Danny Kincade, Clare's husband
Tanzyn Crawford as Rae Kincade, Clare and Danny's daughter
Recurring
Michaela Watkins as Amy Adler, Clare's friend
Owen Painter as younger Lucas, Clare's younger brother
Nick Stahl as older Lucas
Tijuana Ricks as Mel Green, Clare and Danny's couples therapist
Merritt Wever as Frankie Pierce, Clare's late mother
Elizabeth Hinkler as Shan, receptionist at the nursing home
Julien Marlon Samani as Zach Charles, an uber driver
Johnny Berchtold as Jess, Clare's first husband
Aneasa Yacoub as Montana, Rae's friend
Marlow Barkley as Little Clare
Episodes
Production
Cheryl Strayed had discussed adapting her book of essays Tiny Beautiful Things with Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon while they worked together making the 2014 film Wild, adapted from Strayed's memoir.
Liz Tigelaar serves as series creator and writer on the project which is being produced by ABC Signature and Hello Sunshine. Tigelaar is also executive producer, alongside Witherspoon, Dern, Lauren Neustadter, Stacey Silverman, Jayme Lemons, Cheryl Strayed, and Kathryn Hahn. Tigelaar described the show as depicting an alternate version of Strayed "that hadn't hiked the Pacific Crest Trail" in Wild.
Hahn was revealed to be playing the role of Clare when it was announced for Hulu in June 2022. In August 2022, Sarah Pidgeon and Tanzyn Crawford were added to the cast.
Release
The series was released on Hulu on April 7, 2023. It also premiered on the same day on Star+ in Latin America and on Disney+ in international territories. In India, the series premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on April 9, 2023.
Reception
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 90% approval rating with an average rating of 7.5/10, based on 31 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Tiny Beautiful Things is littered with cumbersome narrative choices, but Kathryn Hahn's soulful performance is one big plus that keeps this adaptation firmly compelling." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
Joel Keller of Decider asserted, "Kathryn Hahn makes Tiny Beautiful Things a compelling watch, mainly because she’s so good at playing someone barely holding things together. But the rest of the series, especially the flashback sequences, give us a pretty full picture of why her character continues to spiral." Taylor Gates of Collider, gave the series a grade of A-, praised the performance of Kathryn Hahn, and complimented the humor of the series, writing, "Tiny Beautiful Things uses specificity to offer commentary on universal experiences and has the unique ability to strip the most complex topics down into their simplest, most resonant parts. And so for that, I have to say: Thank you."