As a Lizzie Borden obsessive, I was so hoping Ryan Murphy would get the story right. I just wish someone would. I would love for there to be a long-form series that takes us back to Fall River in 1892 and really captures the mood of the town, the timeline of the murders, the press sensation it became, and how it impacted the town. Unfortunately, judging by the casting — Murphy gets it all wrong out of the gate. So, another bites the dust.
From HR:
Ella Beatty (Feud: Capote vs. the Swans) will play Lizzie Borden in the series, which will recount the sensational allegations that Borden killed her father and stepmother with an axe. She was acquitted at trial.
Rebecca Hall (Godzilla vs. Kong, Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, The Dead Don’t Hurt) are also set to star, playing Lizzie’s stepmother, Abby Borden, and the family’s maid Bridget Sullivan.
First of all, Abby Borden was FAT. If there was one thing people knew about her, it was that. She was short and over 200 pounds at the time of her murder. Rebecca Hall is beautiful, tall, willowy, and not fat. Will they put a fat suit on her? Doubt it. Vicky Krieps as Bridget Sullivan is the only semi-decent casting. The real problem is Ella Beatty (Warren and Annette’s daughter) playing the 32-year-old Lizzie. Again, if there is anything we know about Lizzie Borden, it’s that life had passed her by. She was considered a spinster or “old maid” because she never married.
Yes, she was very likely gay, but the story here is that she would have had a motive to murder BECAUSE of her age, because of her growing frustration that her life had come to nothing. Casting the fresh, young Ella Beatty is probably a smart call in terms of watchability but she’s too young. Ella Beatty is 25 years old. She does have Lizzie’s strange blue eyes for sure, and I’m sure she’ll be fine. I was just hoping this time around there would be more authenticity.
There have been several movies and TV shows about Lizzie, and all of them take the story to places it doesn’t need to go. The truth is interesting enough. As with Stephen King’s Carrie, telling the truth is something Hollywood would never want to do. They would never want to depict a real Carrie so they make her more beautiful, which does change the story. The true story is harder, more painful to read.
My choice for Lizzie would have been Bryce Dallas Howard. She would be the perfect Lizzie. She’s a little older but looks younger. She has the same face and eyes. Perhaps someone will choose to tell the story authentically. If so, Howard is your best choice. She could act the hell of the thing, too. I know, it’s dueling nepo babies, but it is what it is.
For whatever reason, I’ve been obsessed with this story for a while now. I’ve read every book, watched every documentary. There is a small community online that is heavily invested in the history, but it’s not exactly a well-known story, so I understand why they would want to cater to Gen-Z in this casting choice.
This woman, Cara Robertson, is my favorite Lizzie authority and Ryan Murphy should consult with her.
What keeps me attached to this story is the time and place. That’s why it’s fascinating. The timeline is such that only Lizzie Borden could have committed the murders, and yet, it also seems like she could not have committed the murders. There was no blood on her, and no weapon was found. But she told so many lies on that day, she burned a dress in the stove, it was a society that could not believe such a “well-born” woman could commit a crime like that.
It was similar to the OJ trial in that everyone was involved, and there were two sides: people who thought she did it (usually the underclass) and those who did not (the upper class).
Lizzie’s story is fascinating because she wanted to live “on the hill,” the rich area of town. Murdering her father and stepmother set her free. She and her sister moved to a big house “on the hill” after their deaths. Her sister Emma left after Lizzie entertained the company of an actress, Nance O’Neil, which seems to indicate that she was horrified by Lizzie’s “lifestyle.” But no one will ever know for sure.
I’ll still enjoy the show as a Lizzie Borden superfan, but I will admit slight disappointment at the casting out of the gate…you can’t have everything, I guess.
