Top of the Lake
| Top of the Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | Mark Bradshaw |
| Country of origin | |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | Philippa Campbell |
| Location(s) | Queenstown, New Zealand |
| Cinematography | Adam Arkapaw |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time |
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| Production company(s) | |
| Distributor | |
| Release | |
| Original network | Sundance Channel |
| Picture format | HDTV |
| Audio format | Surround |
| First shown in | United States |
| Original release | 18 March 2013 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
Top of the Lake is a mystery drama television series written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. Its first season aired in 2013, with the second season set to air in 2016.[2] It marks Campion's first work for television since An Angel at My Table in 1990. Filmed and set in New Zealand, the series follows a detective (Elisabeth Moss) investigating the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl. Top of the Lake was co-produced for BBC Two in the UK, BBC UKTV in Australia and New Zealand, and Sundance Channel in the United States.[3][4]
Cast
Main cast
- Elisabeth Moss as Det. Robin Griffin, a Sydney police inspector returning to her remote New Zealand hometown of Laketop, facing the crimes surrounding the pregnancy and disappearance of a local 12-year-old girl, Tui.
- David Wenham as Det. Al Parker, the oldschool and well-liked head of the local police station, who also has a café where young offenders are given a second chance.
- Peter Mullan as Scotsman Matt Mitcham, head of the Mitcham family. The informal leader of the town, feared by the townspeople, but with a complex inner life.
- Thomas M. Wright as Johnno Mitcham, Matt's estranged youngest son, and Robin's high school sweetheart. He recently returned to Laketop after serving eight years in Bangkwang, a Thai prison, for drug possession.
- Holly Hunter as GJ, an androgynous spiritual leader, arriving at Laketop with a group of troubled women, who hope GJ and Laketop will help them rediscover themselves.
Supporting cast
- Kip Chapman and Jay Ryan as Luke and Mark Mitcham, Matt's brute sons.
- Jacqueline Joe as Tui Mitcham, Matt's 12-year-old daughter who disappears after it is discovered that she is pregnant.
- Robyn Nevin as Jude Griffin, Robin's mother, suffering from cancer.
- Calvin Tuteao as Turangi, Jude's caring boyfriend.
GJ's group
- Alison Bruce as Anne-Marie
- Georgi Kay as Melissa
- Lucy Lawless as Caroline Platt
- Genevieve Lemon as Bunny
- Robyn Malcolm as Anita
- Griz Pomirska as "the Naked Lady"
- Sarah Valentine as Prue
- Skye Wansey as Grishina
Matt's men
- Ben Barrington as Terry
- James Blake as Shotover
- Byron Coll as Penguin
- Cohen Holloway as Mike
- Oscar Redding as Sarge
- Edwin Wright as Scuzz
Tui's friends
- Luke Buchanan as Jamie
- Sam Dickson as Jase
- Connor Olivia Moore as Kayla
- Layne Opetaia as Daniel
- Alice Ward as Gemma
The Police Department
- Stephen Lovatt as Officer Pete
- Gavin Rutherford as Officer Joy
- Madeleine Sami as Zena the secretary
Additional characters
- Edward Campbell as Putty, the "village idiot".
- Lauren Dawes as Mandy, Johnno's girlfriend.
- Erica Englert as Narelle, Matt's housekeeper.
- Mirrah Foulkes as Simone, Jamie's mother.
- Dra McKay as Delia, Tui's teacher.
Production
Casting
Actress Jennifer Ehle auditioned for the role of GJ, which went to Holly Hunter. Jane Campion originally offered the role of Robin to Anna Paquin, who had worked with her before on The Piano (1993). Paquin declined due to her pregnancy, and the role went to Elisabeth Moss.[5] Actress Nicole Kidman is rumored to be joining the cast for season 2, which, if true, would be the second time Kidman has worked with Campion.
Funding
The series was originally intended as a co-production with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, but the network pulled their funding when American-born Elisabeth Moss was cast in the lead role.[6] Australian-based channel UKTV, owned by BBC Worldwide, filled the funding gap left by the ABC.[7] Philippa Campbell was the New Zealand-based producer.
Filming
Filming took 18 weeks and was shot entirely on location in Queenstown and Glenorchy, in New Zealand. While Queenstown is referred to during the series, Glenorchy doubles as the fictitious town of Laketop. The scenes in the women's commune were filmed at Moke Lake.[5]
Seasons
In early 2013, series co-creator Jane Campion said that season one of Top of the Lake comes to a distinct ending and there would be no additional seasons.[8] Despite this, it was announced in October 2014 that the series has been renewed for a second season.[2] In season two, which will be set and filmed in Sydney, Australia,[9] Griffin will investigate a case in Harbour City, Hong Kong. Shooting is set to begin in December 2015.[10]
Release
The first season screened in its entirety at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, in January 2013, as a miniseries. Sundance screened the series as a seven-hour program with one intermission and one lunch break; it was the first miniseries ever screened at Sundance.[11] Top of the Lake was additionally shown at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival.
The series premiered on the Sundance Channel in the United States on 18 March 2013,[12] in Australia on BBC UKTV on 24 March 2013,[13] and in New Zealand the next day (25 March), also on BBC UKTV.[14]
Episodes
Sundance Channel
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 18 March 2013 |
| In the small town of Laketop, New Zealand, a young girl named Tui Mitcham tries to drown herself in a lake. After she is rescued, a school nurse notices that Tui is pregnant. Robin Griffin, a police inspector from Sydney who specializes in working with children, is called to interview Tui at the police station. | ||||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Garth Davis with Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 18 March 2013 |
| Robin encounters two women from Paradise. They tell her Tui was with them the day before she disappeared but was gone in the morning. Robin organizes the local authorities to search for Tui. During the search, Robin walks into the lake and has a vision of Tui doing the same, the latter clenching her fists in the water. | ||||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Garth Davis | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 25 March 2013 |
| Matt Mitcham goes to Paradise and sits in on a session with GJ, the enigmatic leader of the camp. In a mocking tone, Matt asks the group about the human mind. GJ tells Matt that the human mind schemes. Later, Al meets Matt in the middle of the lake for a secret meeting. | ||||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Garth Davis with Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 1 April 2013 |
| Robin has dinner at Al's ultramodern, immaculate, lakeside house. Robin tells Al she thinks Tui's note, that said "No One", meant there were multiple rapists. Al counsels Robin she is getting too involved in Tui's case, likely because of Robin's own history of having been gang raped, at age 15. | ||||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Jane Campion with Garth Davis | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 8 April 2013 |
| Robin asks Johnno what he wanted to tell her about the night she was raped. Johnno describes how he heard Robin screaming and he peed himself. He says he found a latch to get out of the dog cage in the back of the truck but was too afraid to persist in trying to stop the men from raping her. | ||||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Garth Davis with Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 15 April 2013 |
| Robin reveals to Johnno that she plans to make a case against Matt Mitcham, in hopes of encouraging Tui to come home. Robin shares that she caught Jamie attempting to take Tui Rohypnol, a "date rape" drug that Robin suspects Matt manufactures. Johnno warns Robin against bringing a case against Matt, as Matt's drug business provides much of the town with a livelihood. | ||||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 15 April 2013 |
| Robin goes to work at the police station the next day and tells Al that Matt said he was her father. Matt, certain that Tui could not be pregnant, searches for and finds her with her newborn baby. As he is about to kill the baby, Tui appears and kills Matt. As the final twist, Robin discovers Sgt Parker has been pimping young boys and girls from the barista training, including Tui, to other men for sex. | ||||
BBC Two and BBC UKTV
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original UK air date | UK viewers (millions)[15] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Paradise Sold" | Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 13 July 2013 | 2.70 |
| Tui's pregnancy is discovered, and the Paradise community moves in. | |||||
| 2 | "Searchers Search" | Garth Davis | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 20 July 2013 | 1.92 |
| Robin's search for Tui begins. | |||||
| 3 | "The Edge of the Universe" | Garth Davis | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 27 July 2013 | 1.57 |
| Robin makes a breakthrough. Over dinner at Al's place he warns her about her past being known. | |||||
| 4 | "A Rainbow Above Us" | Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 3 August 2013 | 1.32 |
| Al dismisses Robin from the case. Her passionate affair with Johnno intensifies. | |||||
| 5 | "The Dark Creator" | Garth Davis | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 10 August 2013 | 1.50 |
| Robin is back on the case. Matt gathers troops to hunt Tui down. Tui's friends celebrate her birthday in the mountains. | |||||
| 6 | "No Goodbyes Thanks" | Jane Campion | Jane Campion & Gerard Lee | 17 August 2013 | 1.72 |
| Matt reveals his secret about Robin, and the investigation concludes. | |||||
Reception
Reviews of Top of the Lake have been positive, referring to the series as "masterfully made", "beautiful", "mysterious", "riveting", and "a masterpiece".[16][17][18][19][20][21] It received a score of 86 out of 100 from Metacritic[22] and a score of 93 percent from Rotten Tomatoes.[23]
There were also some less positive reviews. Mike Hale of The New York Times criticized the "elaborately introduced plotlines" and described Tui's disappearance as "less a story element than a metaphor for the kind of armed resistance to male hegemony that constitutes the central idea of Ms. Campion’s body of work."[24] That said, Top of the Lake has also been lauded by feminist critics for its explicit effort to analyse rape culture[25] as well as its radical construction of narratives entirely foregrounding the experiences of single women.[26]
Awards and nominations
AACTA Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated artist/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series | Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jane Campion and Philippa Campbell | Won |
| Best Direction in a Drama or Comedy | Garth Davis for "The Dark Creator" | Nominated | |
| Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | Peter Mullan | Nominated | |
| Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Robyn Nevin | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography in Television | Adam Arkapaw for Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" | Won | |
| Best Sound in Television | Richard Flynn, Tony Vaccher, John Dennison, Craig Butters, Danny Longhurst and Blair Slater, for Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" | Won | |
| Best Original Music Score in Television | Mark Bradshaw, for Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" | Nominated | |
| Best Production Design in Television | Fiona Crombie for Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" | Nominated | |
| Best Costume Design in Television | Emily Seresin for Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" | Nominated | |
| Best Editing in Television | Scott Gray for Episode 5: "The Dark Creator" | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Television Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated artist/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Best Movie/Miniseries | — | Nominated |
| Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Elisabeth Moss | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Peter Mullan | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | David Wenham | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Thomas M. Wright | Nominated |
Emmy Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated artist/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Primetime Emmy Awards | ||
| Outstanding Miniseries or Movie | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie | Elisabeth Moss | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie | Peter Mullan | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Jane Campion, Garth Davis | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Jane Campion, Gerard Lee | Nominated | |
| Creative Arts Emmy Awards | |||
| Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie | Episode: "Part 1" | Won | |
| Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie | Episode: "Part 5" | Nominated | |
Golden Globe Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated artist/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Best Miniseries or Television Film | — | Nominated |
| Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Elisabeth Moss | Won |
Golden Nymph Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated artist/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Best Miniseries | — | Won |
| Best Actor — Miniseries | Peter Mullan | Won | |
| Best Actress — Miniseries | Elisabeth Moss | Won |
Screen Actors Guild Awards
| Year | Category | Nominated artist/work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Elisabeth Moss | Nominated |
| 2014 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Holly Hunter | Nominated |
New Zealand Film Awards
| Year | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Best Television Feature or Drama Series | Won | [27] |
Screen Producers Australia Awards
| Year | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Drama Television Production of the Year | Won | [28] |
Equity Ensemble Awards
| Year | Category | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Miniseries or Telemovie | Won | [29] |
References
- ↑ "Top of the Lake". British Film Institute. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- 1 2 Robinson, Joanna (2014-10-16). "Top of the Lake Season 2". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
- ↑ "Top of the Lake and Two Mothers selected for the Sundance Film Festival" (Press release). Screen Australia. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "BBC Two: Top of the Lake". BBC. 2013-08-17. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
- 1 2 "Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake interview". Vulture. 2013-01-25. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
- ↑ "No funding from ABC for Top of the Lake after it learned Mad Men actress Elisabeth Moss was in cast". The Daily Telegraph. 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "David Wenham: "Top of the Lake is ABC's loss"". TV Tonight. 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "Gone Girl: Inside Top of the Lake, Jane Campion’s gritty new thriller". The Daily Beast. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
- ↑ Han, Angie (24 July 2015). "Elisabeth Moss Returning for ‘Top of the Lake’ Season 2". SlashFilm.
- ↑ Shechet, Ellie (23 June 2015). "Season 2 of Top of the Lake Will Take Place in Sydney and Hong Kong". Jezebel.
- ↑ "Sundance: Campion’s Seven-Hour Top of the Lake". Vulture. 2014-02-12. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
- ↑ "Top of the Lake: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "UKTV announces air date for Top of the Lake". Foxtel. 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "Jane Campion: Lady of the lake". NZ Herald. 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
- ↑ "Weekly Top 30's". BARB. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Seitz on Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake: A Police Procedural, Masterfully Made". Vulture. 2013-03-21. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ "Review: Jane Campion's Top of the Lake mysterious, beautiful". Los Angeles Times. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ "David Bianculli's take on Jane Campion's new TV drama: Top of the Lake". NPR Fresh Air. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ "Top of the Lake – first look review". The Guardian. 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ "A view from the Top: A review of Sundance Channel and UKTV's Top of the Lake". Joe Hubris. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ "Review: Jane Campion's Top of the Lake a riveting long-form mystery". Hitfix. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ Top of the Lake at Metacritic
- ↑ Top of the Lake at Rotten Tomatoes
- ↑ "Pregnant Girl Vanishes, and Story Lines Fork". The New York Times. 2013-03-17. Retrieved 2013-04-18.
- ↑ "Top of the Lake: A Non-Watered Down Depiction of Rape Culture". Ms. Magazine blog. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
- ↑ "Can We Talk About How Damn Good Top of the Lake Is?". Jezebel. 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
- ↑ "The 2013 winners of the Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards". Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ↑ "Goalpost Pictures Awarded Media Super Production Business of the Year". Screen Producers Australia. Retrieved 2014-04-22.
- ↑ Knox, David (27 May 2014). "Equity Ensemble Awards 2014: winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
External links
- Top of the Lake at the Sundance Channel
- Top of the Lake at the BBC
- Top of the Lake at the Internet Movie Database
- Top of the Lake at Rotten Tomatoes
- Top of the Lake at Metacritic
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