THE LITTLE HOUSE

The Little House Was a 2-part drama shown on ITV 1 at 9pm on Monday nights Writer - Philippa Gregory (Book) Adapted for TV - Ed Whitmore Director - Jamie Payne Producer - Jeremy Gwilt Aimed at women mostly due to the storyline but men will watch too (husbands/boyfriends), and not aimed at children due to the time it was on (9pm)

Think About … Conventions Characters Mise en Scene – Locations, Costumes, Camera Sound, Music, Key dialogue Icons Genre From the clip you saw, what do you think might happen in the drama?

The Little House UBqKBE&feature=related UBqKBE&feature=related Clip taken from second/last half of the drama series

Conventions/Characters Ruth, Mother of baby boy, young, blonde, casually (contemporary) dressed. ‘Mum’, red scarf, long skirt, non-respondent Patrick, Checked Shirt and Hat – Older man Ruth’s baby boy named Thomas Middle-aged man, dressed smartly in suit, Doctor/ Older woman, dark hair Scruffy man in a leather jacket, a friend of Ruth’s, David Ruth driving along with her baby in the back, sees her mum walking through woods so stops, leaves the baby and runs after her, father-in-law calls after her and picks up her baby. Cuts to Ruth in a doctors office, talking about what happened and about post-natal depression, recalls on an accident in her childhood that killed both her parents (flashback). Ruth in a house, phone ringing for a long time before she answers it, arranges to see a friend. Lies to parents about taking the baby out, they ask if she has taken her pills and she says that she has. Talks to her friend about not being able to bond with her baby, friend tries to comfort her.

Genre Psychological Drama, Thriller

Mise en Scene Locations – Woods (side of country road), Park, Doctors room, house, car Costumes – All modern day, including the flashback so contemporary. Costumes show status and age, for example, the doctor in a suit, younger cast dressing differently to the older generation cast. Camera – Showing Ruth’s point of view when following her mum in the woods

Sound, key Dialogue, Sound Effects, Music Sound – Phone ringing, baby crying Key Dialogue – ‘mum’ shouting in panic when following her ‘Scream’ and ‘mummy’ when she was a child in the accident Sound Effects – Car crash Music – eerie music when Ruth is running through the woods after her mum, when the baby cries and when she is recalling the accident to the doctor.

Icons Red scarf Baby crying

Narrative The drama follows the story of Ruth who is married to career minded Patrick as she is pushed towards the limits of her own sanity when she becomes entangled in the lives of her wealthy but interfering in- laws Elizabeth and Frederick. After unexpectedly falling pregnant, Ruth finds herself swept along on a tide of apparently well- intentioned family gestures which leave the previously independent teacher detached from her former city life and living in 'the little house' at the end of her in-laws' driveway. Ruth struggles to bond with her demanding baby son but her mother-in-law is quick to intervene and always on hand with expert support. But within months Ruth realises she’s completely isolated, living in a house she never wanted with a baby she hadn't planned to have. As she struggles with Postpartum psychosis and unresolved feelings about her mother’s suicide, an all consuming fear grips Ruth that her mother-in-law is unnaturally obsessed with her grandson. Throughout the drama, Elizabeth’s complex relationship with Ruth is subtly developed as they both try and take control of their connected lives until, inevitably, and very dramatically, they reach a point of no return. Is Elizabeth playing mind games with Ruth? Could she really be manipulating events against her daughter in-law? Or is Ruth hysterically distorting things in her own mind? Elizabeth trying to drive Ruth mad so that she will move away leaving her husband and baby son. Elizabeth wants her son and grandson to herself.