April 2’s Big Little Lies finale, “You Get What You Need,” wrapped up several on-going storylines, merging them into one with an important pro-life message at the helm.
We were introduced to main characters, Jane (Shailene Woodley) and her son born of rape, Ziggy (Iain Armitage) from the beginning of the limited series, and the storyline centered around Ziggy being accused of hurting and bullying a little girl at school.
The opportunity for an overall pro-life message – that mothers who give birth to a child conceived by rape can go on to live a normal, healthy life – was a bit overshadowed by the bullying accusation and the possibility of Ziggy being a violent creature by nature because of his father. Even his mother worried at times, in the dark of night when left alone with her thoughts, that he might really be the bully due to his father being a rapist.
Until Sunday night’s finale, when we discover that it was Max Wright (Nicholas Crovetti) who was the real bully. Max was one of Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and Perry (Alexander Skarsgard) Wright’s twin sons.
The Wrights had been living a seemingly perfect life to the rest of the world, but from the start, we saw that Celeste was a victim of Perry’s domestic violence.
Though they thought they had hidden their secret from their children as well, it turns out that Max knew more than he let on, leading to his violent tendencies at school. Celeste suddenly realized just how much her “secret” had cost her and her child when Jane revealed that Max was the real bully:
Celeste: Hey.
Jane: Hi. Thank you for meeting me.
Celeste: What is it?
Jane: Ziggy... Ziggy told me this morning that... Apparently, it was Max who choked Amabella at orientation. And apparently, it's been him who's been bullying her all along.
Celeste: What?
Jane: Yeah. Amabella told Ziggy, but made him promise not to tell because Max threatened to hurt her more if it got out, so he's just been keeping the secret.
Celeste: You're sure about this?
Jane: I mean, I definitely considered that he could be lying just to protect himself. And I have to face the fact that violence could be in his DNA, given who his dad is. I think he's telling the truth. He said also that Max pushed Skye down the stairs, um, and that he's been a little aggressive towards her as well. I'm so sorry, Celeste, to tell you this. They're kids, though, you know. They bully. It's human nature. They grow out of it.
Celeste: Sometimes they don't.
...
Celeste: Kelly, can I just have a moment please?
Kelly: Yeah, of course.
Celeste: Max. Come here.
Max: What?
Celeste: You need to tell me what you've been doing at school. You're not gonna get in trouble, but you gotta tell me the truth. Do you understand? We all do bad things sometimes, all right? I can help you with them, but you need to tell me.
Max: (Sniffling)
Celeste: It's all right, baby. It's all right.
Max: (Crying)
In an ironic twist, though we were first led to believe that Jane had confronted her rapist with a gun in a prior episode, it turned out Perry was the man who raped her and impregnated her with Ziggy.
So Ziggy ended up being a sweet, innocent little boy after all despite his DNA, proving that what is lost in an abortion is far more than just a “blob of tissue.” But Big Little Lies went even further to show that violence is more likely based on nurture rather than nature by making Max the bully. A message that is vital to any woman pregnant by rape who may be fearful of choosing life out of concern that her child may one day become violent like his/her father.
This pro-life message was a perfect ending for a series that also touched on the issue of guns as well as abortion-giant Planned Parenthood, both from a conservative perspective. This was surprising, given that it was co-produced by Reese Witherspoon, who, though usually quiet on the topic of abortion unlike many other celebrities, came out in support of Planned Parenthood and abortion in general at an awards ceremony in 2015.
Perhaps co-producer Nicole Kidman’s many difficulties with pregnancy loss and conception, and her outspoken love of children (though she did state that she’s “very, very committed to women’s issues,” she did not name abortion specifically), rubbed off on Witherspoon. Kidman called the one child she was able to conceive and carry to term “the miracle of her life.” She also knows the benefits of adoption first-hand, having adopted two children during her marriage to Tom Cruise.
If Kidman was behind the pro-life messages in Big Little Lies, let’s hope we see more productions from her in the future so that other little miracles might have a better chance at life.
