Tiny Beautiful Things - A Hulu Series Review

Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be.

Tiny Beautiful Things is a 2023 Hulu series based on Cheryl Strayed’s acclaimed book. Clare Pierce has experienced more pain in life than she wanted to endure. Continuing to overcome obstacles with her family and herself, Clare reluctantly becomes the author of Dear Sugar, an advice columnist.

I had mixed opinions about the Hulu series Tiny Beautiful Things. The series exhibits themes about family, empathy, and self-discovery. Bringing to life another influential story by Cheryl Strayed, the series contains too many similarities to her other work, Wild, hindering its originality.

I have seen Kathryn Hahn in other media, but her involvement in this series presents a strong and raw enactment. Hahn’s performance aside, her character is a miserable person who doesn't do much to help her situation.

The supporting cast is remarkable, some delivering heartwrenching performances. Sarah Pidgeon is the real standout of the series as the younger version of Clare. Hahn and Pidgeon look so similar in physical appearance that you’d believe they’re related.

Clare’s family is so hostile to one another that it’s uncomfortable being around them. Clare and Danny (Quentin Pare) struggle to find any romance in their relationship. As for Rae (Tanzyn Crawford), she is constantly in the war field, fighting with her mother.

There’s no tenderness shared in any of the character’s relationships. Characters deserved further character development, like Rae. It’s one fight after another. There’s clear animosity in this family and I didn’t like experiencing that in each episode. Although, there is a bit of a resolution by the end.

Tiny Beautiful Things weaves between the present and the past. I was more invested in scenes that took place in the past than the story itself. It doesn’t help that the flashbacks are told out of order. The tone was inconsistent, disrupting the story’s transitions. Unless the series was trying to do a creative approach, the flashbacks should have been presented in order.

Fair warning, the series discusses heavy topics like death, illness, and family matters. Tiny Beautiful Things is not the happiest series. Another aspect that really got on my nerves from this series was the foul language. Almost every word that flew out of Clare’s mouth was a cuss word. The excessive use of swearing overshadowed the depth of any storytelling,

What drew me into watching this series was the segment involving Clare writing ‘Dear Sugar’ columns. Her writing is deep and effective, but we didn’t focus enough on this storyline. There could have been more room for creative exploration.

If you have seen Wild, another film based on the critical acclaim of Cheryl Strayed, you will notice several similarities, particularly the entire segment involving the mom’s illness. If I were you, I would watch Wild before Tiny Beautiful Things. It presents a more congruent angle of storytelling and is more authentic in its presentation.

Tiny Beautiful Things could have benefited from balancing moments of intensity with lighter, more uplifting scenes. By incorporating moments of hope, humor, or joy amidst the character's emotional challenges, the series would have provided a more emotionally fulfilling experience. I admit that I was happy with the ending.

Liz Tigeloar resonates with a wide audience by diving into themes about compassion, vulnerability, and self-reflection. Nobody is ever alone in their struggles. Share your story. You never know what impact your story or advice will create.

Tiny Beautiful Things is a rollercoaster of emotions. Again, it’s not the happiest series but if you are looking for something new to watch, find it on Hulu.