Alias Grace (miniseries)

2017 Canadian television miniseries

Alias Grace is a Canadian drama television miniseries directed by Mary Harron and written by Sarah Polley, based on Margaret Atwood's 1996 novel of the same name. It stars Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft, Rebecca Liddiard, Zachary Levi, Kerr Logan, David Cronenberg, Paul Gross, and Anna Paquin. The series consists of six episodes.^[1] It premiered on CBC on September 25, 2017, and appeared on Netflix on November 3, 2017.^[2][3][4]

In advance of the series premiere, the first two episodes received a preview screening at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in its Primetime lineup of selected television programming.^[5]

The series was the third adaptation of an Atwood novel broadcast on television in 2017, after The Handmaid's Tale (adapted for Hulu) and Wandering Wenda (adapted for CBC Television's CBC Kids lineup).^[6]

Cast

Main

• Sarah Gadon as Grace Marks^[7]
• Edward Holcroft as Dr. Simon Jordan, a psychiatrist
• Rebecca Liddiard as Mary Whitney, Grace's friend
• Zachary Levi as Jeremiah the Peddler^[8]
• Kerr Logan as James McDermott, Kinnear's stableman
• David Cronenberg as Reverend Verrenger, a committee member who wants Grace acquitted
• Anna Paquin as Nancy Montgomery,^[9] Kinnear's housekeeper
• Paul Gross as Thomas Kinnear, a wealthy man who hires Grace

Recurring

• Martha Burns as Mrs. Parkinson
• Will Bowes as George Parkinson
• Sarah Manninen as Mrs. Humphrey
• Stephen Joffe as Jamie Walsh
• Michael Therriault as Mr. McDonald
• Margaret Atwood as old woman at church (Cameo)

Episodes

Production

Public domain paintings from Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK - the national gallery of Denmark) decorate central locations in the series, among them the house of the Parkinson family where Grace Marks works as a maid, and the governor's mansion where she meets with Dr. Jordan. SMK provides free access to its public domain collection, and the scenographers have used a range of the museum's paintings, primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries.^[11][12]

• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: Christen Købke, View of a Street in Østerbro outside Copenhagen. Morning Light, 1836.
• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: Jens Juel, Niels Ryberg with his Son Johan Christian and his Daughter-in-Law Engelke, née Falbe, 1797.
• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: C.A. Jensen, Cathrine Jensen, née Lorenzen, the artist's Wife, Wearing a Turban, c. 1842–44.
• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: Johan Thomas Lundbye, Kolås Wood. Vejrhøj, 1846.
• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: Constantin Hansen, The Arch of Titus in Rome, 1839.
• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: Jens Juel, The Dancing Glade at Sorgenfri, North of Copenhagen, 1800.
• 
  Seen in Parkinson's house: Carl Gustaf Pilo, Portrait of Frederik V in Anointment Robe, about 1750.
• 
  Seen in the governor's mansion: Rembrandt's workshop, Willem Drost?, Young Woman with a Carnation, 1656.

The prison scenes were shot on location at Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston, Ontario where the real Grace Marks, who formed the basis of Atwood's character, was incarcerated. Scenes were also filmed at the Correctional Service of Canada Museum in the old Warden's residence.^[13]

Reception

On Metacritic, the series received a score of 81 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[14] The miniseries has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.00 out of 10 based on 82 reviews. The site's critical consensus is: "Biting social commentary and Sarah Gadon's hypnotic performance make Alias Grace a worthy addition to the Margaret Atwood adaptation catalog".^[15]

References

1. Maane Khatchatourian (June 21, 2016). "Netflix Nabs Sarah Polley Miniseries Based on Margaret Atwood True-Crime Novel". Variety. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
2. "CBC, Netflix to screen miniseries based on Margaret Atwood novel Alias Grace". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. June 21, 2016.
3. "Netflix Debuts First Look Images from New Miniseries based on Margaret Atwood novel, Alias Grace". Netflix Media Center. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
4. Alias Grace Teaser Netflix. YouTube. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
5. "Vince Carter documentary and a preview of CBC’s Alias Grace join TIFF’s 26-title Canuck lineup". Toronto Star, August 9, 2017.
6. Wong, Tony (June 6, 2017). "City TV unveils a Canadian 'Sopranos' for the fall". The Hamilton Spectator. Last month, CBC announced its fall lineup, doubling down on Canadian author Margaret Atwood with the historical drama Alias Grace, which joins children's show Wandering Wenda on the network.
7. Lesley Goldberg (June 28, 2016). "Sarah Gadon to Star in Netflix's Margaret Atwood Drama 'Alias Grace' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
8. Michael Ausiello (July 22, 2016). "Zachary Levi Joins Alias Grace, Netflix and CBC's 6-Hour Miniseries". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
9. Nellie Andreeva (August 16, 2016). "Anna Paquin To Star In 'Alias Grace' Netflix & CBC Miniseries". Deadline. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
10. Bill Brioux [@BillBriouxTV] (September 26, 2017). "MON o'nites CTV #BigBang 2952k YoungShel 2553k MeMyself&I 952k GoodDoc 1820k CBC #MurdochMysteries 978k #AliasGrace 442k GLO #TheBrave 874k" (Tweet). Retrieved May 20, 2018 – via Twitter.
11. Sanderhoff, Merete (November 8, 2017). "Danish art takes Netflix". SMK Open. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
12. "Dansk kunst på Netflix". www.b.dk (in Danish). November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
13. Grubbs, Jefferson. "Is Kingston Penitentiary A Real Prison? 'Alias Grace' Filmed On Location". Bustle. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
14. "Alias Grace". Metacritic. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
15. "Alias Grace: Miniseries". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 30, 2021.

External links

• Official website
• Alias Grace at IMDb
• Gilbert, Sophie (November 11, 2017). "Alias Grace Is True Crime Through the Female Gaze". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 12, 2017.