It’s always exciting when a good book is turned into a movie or TV show, and Reese Witherspoon has been hard at work adapting many great literary works. Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, is behind the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere, based on the popular book by Celeste Ng.
Fans will have to wait until March 18, 2020 to be able to watch the first season, but in the meantime, there’s a trailer that sheds some light on the story. Read on to find out 10 things that we learned from the Hulu trailer for Little Fires Everywhere.
Reese Witherspoon’s Character Elena’s House Burns Down
The Hulu trailer opens to Reese Witherspoon’s face, looking scared and sad as she watches her house literally burning. The sound of fire and sirens is in the background, and a man’s voice says, “Elena, someone burned down your house with you inside. Do you know anyone that would do this?”
This is quite a powerful way to open a trailer, and this definitely makes people want to tune in to the show. Who did this? Does someone have a problem with Elena? Did she do something terrible? There are so many questions.
The Setting Is Perfect Shaker Heights
The trailer also shows that the setting for the show is a perfect small town called Shaker Heights. It’s definitely worth reading the book as there are many beautiful, well-crafted descriptions of this place, which is located in Ohio.
Shaker Heights has some Stepford Wives and Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives vibes as it seems like the kind of place where people really, really care what others think. Elena Richardson is the embodiment of a typical resident as she’s shown wearing a sweater set and pearls in the trailer.
Kerry Washington’s Character, Mia, Is Hiding A Secret
Kerry Washington plays Mia Warren, who has just moved to Shaker Heights and who seems to be hiding a big secret. There’s a moment in the trailer when she’s shown driving with her young daughter and in another scene, she’s crying while looking a photograph of a pregnant woman who seems to be her younger self. She asks, “Did I do the right thing, running from the truth?”
Those who have read the novel know her backstory, but anyone who hasn’t yet can probably put the pieces together that this has something to do with a baby that she had.
7. Mia Goes To Work For Elena
Another scene from the trailer is Elena asking Mia if she would work for her. She says, “I meant more of a house helper” when Mia thinks she means hiring her to be a maid.
Even just this simple and quick scene sheds light on the difference between these two characters: most notably, their financial situations. Elena doesn’t feel any awkwardness asking Mia to be “a house helper” and could probably never understand why someone could take offense to that.
The Story Focuses On What It Means To Be A Mother
In the Hulu trailer, Elena says, “A good mother makes good choices” and Mia replies, “You didn’t make good choices. You had good choices.”
This is a fascinating subject to think about, and just like the book, it seems like the Hulu adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere will focus on what it means to be a mother. Since Elena and Mia come from different backgrounds in terms of how much money they have and how many opportunities they have had, that is going to create a lot of interesting tension between them.
It’s Also About Identity
The trailer also features a voiceover from Elena saying, “One day you wake up and your life is settled and you know who you are. Or at least you think you do.”
While it may not be totally fresh and new for a wealthy character to have everything but also have a rich inner life where it’s clear that she has struggles like everyone else, Elena is still a compelling character. And it seems that the Hulu show will explore identity and how you become who you are and how you merge a tricky past with the present.
Elena’s Husband Seems To Pass Judgement On Mia
In one scene, Elena is at the dinner table with her kids and husband (played by Joshua Jackson) and he says, “Do you even know anything about this woman?” She said, “I saw her sleeping in her car” and he responds, “You rented to a homeless person?” She says, “You know what felt good? Helping.”
The Hulu trailer is really well-done because although this is such a brief scene, it proves that Elena’s husband isn’t being very nice to Mia and that perhaps other Shaker Heights residents aren’t going to be so welcoming. And this also tells viewers more about Elena who feels that Mia needs to be helped… which is a bit problematic in itself.
A Big Part Of The Book Is Briefly In The Trailer
In the book Little Fires Everywhere, Mia, Elena, and the whole town of Shaker Heights become caught up in a difficult situation that brings up a lot of moral questions. A Chinese woman named Bebe is having a tough time taking care of her baby and decides to put her outside a fire station. A rich couple starts taking care of the baby as they have struggled to start a family, and everyone has a varying opinion on who should take care of the child.
Near the end of the Hulu trailer, there’s a quick montage and a woman is shown holding a baby. This is such a big part of the book and it’s only shown briefly in the trailer, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out on the show.
2. Mia Has A Teenage Daughter
Also shown briefly in the trailer is a moment between Mia and a teenage girl, who is her daughter, Pearl (Lexi Underwood).
These two characters appear to have a pretty good mother/daughter dynamic in the book since it has always been just the two of them, but it remains to be seen how they will relate to each other in the show.
The Series Will Also Focus On Class Differences
Finally, another thing that seems clear from the Hulu trailer for Little Fires Everywhere is that there are a lot of class differences between the characters, and that causes a lot of drama. It also seems like Elena and Mia have some power struggles as they find it really hard to understand the other person’s perspective.
Whether we’ve read the book or not, chances are after seeing the awesome Hulu trailer, we’re so excited for the Hulu series.
