What's the Gracepoint?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Earlier this year I watched the British ITV series Broadchurch, which deals with a murder in a small seaside town.
The show apparently did very well so a remake was made for the American market. This time set in the USA, with a different cast, apart from David Tennant who reprises his role. Albeit with a different character name and accent.

At first I actually didnt see the point. I mean despite the English setting and maybe some particularities regarding English law-enforcement there isnt anything about Broadchurch that would make the show unsuitable to watch as is.
Also, as the youtube clip shows, stylistically the two look almost identical. Even down to the wardrobe of the Olivia Colman/Anna Gunn character.
Both series actually share the same directors.

So i did kinda dismiss this show and didnt really plan on watching it.

But apparently they changed the ending, which kinda makes sense for a murder mystery show.
And that is actually quite interesting because I had some mixed feelings about the Broadchurch ending.
It works, and it packs a suitably emotional whallop. But I did have some issues with it.

It's a bit too telegraphed that the ending will wreak havoc with the shows main character. I saw that coming just a bit too soon. And also, Even though the show spends a great deal of time on the investigation, in the end the murderer simply turns himself in.

Broadchurch, while being quite a good series, mainly because of the excellent cast and the decision to spend considerable time on the aftermath of the murder, not just the investigation, but the emotional side, didn't feel quite as good as I wanted it to be. There was quite a lot of hype surrounding it, and I just wanted it to be a bit better.

So maybe this remake makes sense after all. It's 10 episodes long instead of the 8 of Broadchurch. Anna Gunn does look like a very safe bet when it comes to doing a different version of the excellent Olivia Colman role. Nick Nolte will be in this, in the grumpy old man role played by David Bradley (Harry Potter's Filch), and David Tennant looks even more world-weary and tired in the American version (though when it comes to dour, nothing can beat a Scottish accent).

Remakes in general are frowned upon. Usually they are of established classics. But Broadchurch was never that IMO.

Maybe they can do just a little bit better this time.

[Richard Penna 3,665]

Wouldn't be the first time. The Americans remade Life on Mars, and the first episode at least was almost identical to the UK's, with most of the rest of the series following suit. They did a completely different ending though.

From that trailer, Tennant's American accent, while solid, doesn't do it for me dramatically. It's probably because I know he's putting it on. Although somehow that wasn't a problem with Freeman in Fargo, I show I absolutely loved.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Well I had to get used to Tennants native Scottish accent a bit after his years as The Doctor with a London accent.

Judging from the trailer it does sound a bit like a British actor doing a generic American accent.

[Wojo 2,453]

Spoiler tags, not spoilers tags. No second S. Your text was clear as day.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Judging from the trailer it does sound a bit like a British actor doing a generic American accent.

That's usually the problem when Brit actors do American accents. They play the accent rather than the character. You hear it on radio plays all the time.

[Ricard 2,242]

Spoiler tags, not spoilers tags. No second S. Your text was clear as day.

Fixed.

[publicist 4,643]

They can only improve the ending though i found the whole series wanting from midpoint on. Starting promising, though.

[Sweeping Strings 2,342]

I thought Broadchurch was absolutely superb. Don't fancy Gracepoint, US remakes of British shows are almost always inferior.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,489]

"Broadchurch": novacaine for the masses.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

They tried in the 90's. Didn't work

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

No!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

"Geronimo this, bitch!"

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Naïve Old Fart 9,489]

SACRILEGE!!!!!!!!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why would be his companion?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Niiiiice!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,489]

SACRILEGE!!!!!!!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Sontarans! Perverting the course of human history!

[Sweeping Strings 2,342]

Who as an American show has already been pondered -

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2014/02/13/what-if-doctor-who-was-an-american-show-pics/

But I think I'm with the Moff on this one, who called an American version a 'bloody awful' idea.

[Jay 37,266]

Don't click "enable html" when you post a hotlink

Fixed it for you

[Naïve Old Fart 9,489]

What? A Fourth Doctor, you say? OK, here it is!

To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable, only unexplained.

SAC. RIL. EGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sweeping Strings 2,342]

Cage has no time for your Doctor Who offers, his career is scaling the dizzying lows of appearing in a reboot of a straight-to-DVD Kirk Cameron-starring 'Save me, Jeebus!' franchise -

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Gracepoint episode # 1.1.

While perhaps not a direct shot by shot remake, it works of the same screenplay as Broadchurch, with minimal changes and has the same director, and it shows.

Many of the stylistic elements were retained. The opening shots of the boy at the cliff. The long single take scene Mark on his way to work, meeting several of the town folk along the way. The device of using muted slo-mo shots to signify detachment.

At 44 minutes this one runs a few minutes shorter then it's Broadchurch equivalent, and it kind of shows. The early scene with Ellie, back from holiday passing souvenirs has been cut short. Several other scenes seem tightned up in the editing a bit, so the emotional resonance that the first episode of BC had wasn't there as much (the heartbreaking scene on the beach feels shorter, for instance).

Since the first episode of both series are so similar, the changes in casting stand out. Anna Gunn looks like a perfectly solid replacement for Colman. It's a pity they actually lobbed one of her earliest scenes before the boy was found.

Tennant's accent is actually quite good. It didnt distract at all, and his performance seems on par with the earlier BC one.

Most of the new cast members look and feel very similar to those in the UK show, distractingly so at time. Not so much the performances, but the way they were dressed, directed etc.

In one way it's understandable. Both shows have the same starting of points, and Gracepoint will eventually go of in a different direction, which is a wise choice, since the earliest episodes of Broadchurch were the most effective.

Overall though having both the exact same script, and the exact same director shooting that script in the same way makes it very predictable to those who already watched the UK show. maybe the fun will be later on when Gracepoint splits of from it's big brother. But there wasnt anything new, or anything done in a new or different way.

The last shot of the whale is probably the only really original thing in it.

Oh btw, while the casting choices seem fairly similar, in some cases for the American version, they did clearly cast for younger and/or more attractive. (the 2 reporters, the news paper editor etc)

Overall it's fine, but right now the show has no reason to exist yet.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Gracepoint episode # 1.2.

Like ep 1 this doesnt difress much from Broadchurch. The only main difference was that Danny, the murdered boy met a hiker, rather then a postman.

For some reason it feels a bit less like a shot-by-shot recreation though. Maybe because I'm more used to the new actors now.

Anna Gunn is excellent riling against her boss who's treating her more like a rookie then an experienced police officer.

The guy playing the priest looked more creepy then the Broadchurch actor (Doctor Who's Rory). He had that kind of gaunt Brad Dourif look to him.

Red herring, or.....

The weak point in the US cast is the character of Mark Solano. The murdered boys father. The actor playing him doesnt seem to be able to show any emotion on screen. I know at this point he's supposed to be a strong suspect. So maybe this will improve.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Gracepoint episode # 1.3.

The main difference at this point is the dynamic between Miller and Carver.

While in Broadchurch it seemed mostly like heavy annoyance between the two at this point, in Gracepoint it's much more antagonistic. Probably because Anna Gun plays her Miller just be bit more severe, and Tennants Carver is even more dour and anti-social then his Hardy.