tv review: 'tiny beautiful things'

By @nadreviews

Kathryn Hahn in "Tiny Beautiful Things" (2023)

​With a performance as sublime as Kathryn Hahn’s in Hulu’s “Tiny Beautiful Things,” every second of screen time is precious. Every expression and inflection carries the weight of a life lived, lessons learned and unlearned. Her raw and unfiltered performance rests at the emotional core of “Tiny Beautiful Things,” a moving and sensitive portrait of universal themes that make one feel less alone. Through the exquisite range, poignancy, and humor of Hahn’s work, the story shines with the most human brushstrokes. From strong character development and focused direction, to an impressive balance of tones and time periods, “Tiny Beautiful Things” poses the delicate question of what it means to heal and move on.
 
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling 2012 novel, which extends to “Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar,” the eight-episode miniseries centers on Clare, an accomplished writer who hasn’t accomplished it yet. The story finds her in barely holding herself together. Her marriage is floundering, and relationship with her daughter is strained. She just about holds down an administrative job at a care home, a faraway land from her early passion to become a writer. Adding salt to the wounds, Clare continues to grieve the loss of her mother, who had passed when Clare was 22 years old. So when a writer friend asks her to take over the anonymous advice column Dear Sugar, Clare asks, why her? Who is she to give advice when her life is in shambles? How did she get so far from the writer her mom believed she could be? She gradually comes to realize that self-help is born out of not knowing all the answers, and gives herself the grace period to step into columnist mode.
 
Showrunner Liz Tigelaar lovingly brings Strayed’s novel to the screen with an acute understanding of the daily echoes of grief. It’s a state of mind that has no end, but calls on you to endure and sift through the residue. The character of Clare personifies the feeling of not having a right to beautiful things, or happy experiences, after losing a loved one. The healing process shapes a narrative around her that is easy to identify with, in large part thanks to Hahn’s openness as an actor, and the delicate generosity of the writing.
 
“Tiny Beautiful Things” offers mostly fruitful albeit repetitive grounds for the talented ensemble of actors, mainly Hahn in the lead role. The Kathryn Hahnaissance has been long overdue. Following years of brilliant performances, from 2008’s “Step Brothers” and “Revolutionary Road,” to 2018’s “Private Life” and the Agatha Harkness phenomenon in 2021’s “WandaVision,” Hahn’s layered work in “Tiny Beautiful Things” is the gift that keeps on giving. In playing a shell of a person, Clare is faced with many triggers of the past that remind her of a former self. Hahn navigates that space beautifully, and gives a lot of emotional resonance to the mother-daughter aspect of the series.
 
Hahn brings grounded humor to the role; in an amusing one-night-stand scene, Clare reacts to hopping onto an unexpected waterbed and questions if she’s trapped in a Steely Dan song. The beauty of her performance is that she is everything all at once, and that level of realism also builds a foundation where her chemistry shines with the other actors. Tanzyn Crawford gives a strong performance as Clare’s daughter Rae; you can feel the open wounds of their relationship dynamic and some of the internal conflict that Rae herself faces. Quentin Plair stands out as Clare’s husband Danny, who she had met when she was in her 20s. Plair’s performance in the present-day is also complimented by Stevonte Hart, who plays the young Danny. The flashback scenes add welcome context to the highs and lows of their relationship, and what keeps their relationship still somewhat intact.
 
Among the supporting cast, Sarah Pidgeon shines as younger Clare. She adopts similar mannerisms and personality traits as Hahn’s adult version of Clare. The balance of present-day and flashback scenes pieces together an interesting character that you get a nearly full-circle understanding of. The series cuts to younger Clare around the time that her mom was diagnosed with cancer, and in the aftermath of her mom’s death. In some of the flashbacks, Merritt Wever makes an appearance as Clare’s mom, Frankie Pierce. While underused and mostly playing a one-note role, Wever is always an endearing presence, and still makes a resonant impact with limited time.  

A piece of advice that echoes through “Tiny Beautiful Things” is that when a gift is given, say thank you. The sentimentality of the story can be heavy-handed at times. But the combination of great direction, writing, and acting holds everything together with a nurturing reassurance that most things will be okay eventually. The series finds success in the specificity of its characters and their experiences, which makes expansive themes feel impressively grounded and tangible. Led with a soulful performance by Kathryn Hahn, “Tiny Beautiful Things” offers a gentle reminder of storytelling as a powerful tool of self-expression and healing.

"Tiny Beautiful Things" premieres on Disney+ on April 7.