The Miniature Wife ☆☆☆ 1/2

Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Matthew Macfadyen, Sian Clifford, Zoe Lister-Jones, Sofia Rosinsky and O-T Fagbenle

Created by: Jennifer Ames, Steve Turner

tories about a person being shrunk down to a tiny size have been told time and time again. Many of us probably grew up with Rick Moranis and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Before that, there was Richard Matheson’s The Incredible Shrinking Man and more recently, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man. Now, Peacock is releasing its own take with the new 10-episode series, The Miniature Wife.

Based on a short story by Manuel Gonzales and starring Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen, The Miniature Wife isn’t a horror story, with a six-inch-tall human battling all kinds of minuscule terrors. Instead, it’s a twisted comedy with a monster more horrifying than any bug: marriage. The series is much too long for its premise, but ultimately worth watching for what Banks and Macfadyen successfully pull off.

The Miniature Wife starts with a voiceover from Lindy Littlejohn (Banks), who informs the viewer that “This is a love story.” Her husband, Les (Macfadyen), has made her small, which isn’t a metaphor; she’s now six inches tall. When the series begins, with Lindy at normal size, she and Les have been going through a rough patch, but with the help of therapy, they’re ready to give it another shot. Lindy is a famous writer, having won a Pulitzer many years ago for the novel she wrote in part about her controlling mother. The novel was such a success that it was adapted into a movie and resulted in Lindy making a lot of money, allowing her to purchase the huge home that she and Les now live in. The only problem is that Lindy hasn’t successfully written anything since.

Things aren’t much better for Les, an inventor with a string of failures but his moment may have come, because he’s created a machine that can shrink crops and perhaps end world hunger. Step two involves finding a way to make the crops big again, and for more than two seconds before they explode. After a heated argument at home, Lindy gets hit with the shrink ray and is turned into a half-foot version of herself. Now Les must find a way to restore his wife to her normal size, while Lindy spends her days alone and angry in the dollhouse Les has built as a replica of their home.

When The Miniature Wife stays with the main plot, it shines, thanks to deeper themes about a husband and wife making each other feel small. If Lindy can have any hope of being restored physically, then their marriage must as well. Despite these stakes, the series itself isn’t very dark. There’s plenty of drama and a few tense moments, including Lindy’s battles with a fly or the family cat, but The Miniature Wife is about character and relationships first and foremost, with plenty of laughs along the way.

“When The Miniature Wife stays with the main plot, it shines, thanks to deeper themes about a husband and wife making each other feel small. If Lindy can have any hope of being restored physically, then their marriage must as well. Despite these stakes, the series itself isn’t very dark. There’s plenty of drama and a few tense moments, including Lindy’s battles with a fly or the family cat, but The Miniature Wife is about character and relationships first and foremost, with plenty of laughs along the way.”

That’s why it’s so frustrating when The Miniature Wife pivots its focus away from the leads. There’s an entire subplot about Lindy being involved in a plagiarism scandal involving her agent, Terry (Sian Clifford), that makes little sense. Not only does it feel forced and easy to resolve, but it also drags on, weighing down the series’ middle episodes. Every time the action moves away from Les and Lindy’s relationship, The Miniature Wife’s momentum grinds to a halt.

Thankfully, there are other, better subplots worth investing in. Ronny Chieng plays Hilton Smith, the money man who wants to invest his wealth into Les’ invention, but he needs results as soon as possible. His sidekick, a scientist named Vivienne (Zoe Lister-Jones), is a cold, serious woman who ends up becoming the show’s funniest character. However, The Miniature Wife’s meatiest drama is reserved for Lulu (Sofia Rosinsky), Les and Lindy’s daughter. She’s an angry college-aged woman and far from her famous mother’s biggest fan and will go to heartbreaking lengths to prove it. Although the early episodes lean a little too much into moody young adult tropes, there’s a lot more going on with Lulu that she is forced to confront when she discovers what’s happened to Lindy.

Ultimately, The Miniature Wife belongs to Banks and Macfadyen, and luckily, it almost always works when they’re onscreen. Macfadyen’s Les is the quirky guy, the scientist devoted to his work who forgets everything else outside of it. He recognises his biggest flaw, wanting to improve himself and make his wife feel important (and not figuratively so small in the process). Banks’ Lindy struggles as a woman who can’t hit it big again after her biggest professional peak and a mother who’s convinced her daughter hates her. She finds refuge in Richard (O-T Fagbenle), another scientist who pays attention to her when she needs it but is maybe a tad too emotional and clingy.

The Miniature Wife also manages to be funny with plenty of sight gags and wonderful practical effects. Lindy has a phone as big as she is and has to use the side of her face rather than a finger to unlock it. A single tablet of Aspirin or a piece of chocolate is as large as her entire body. Dental floss becomes a climbing rope, while thumbtacks serve as makeshift arrows. The series has fun with this aspect of its premise, then evolves with the understanding that cuteness can’t be sustained for ten episodes. At a certain point, husband and wife turn on each other and the plot starts to more closely resemble The War of the Roses, if it played out between a six-foot-tall man and a six-inch-tall woman.

However, The Miniature Wife would’ve been better off as a movie, or maybe even a smaller miniseries fit for a mini-person. At 10 episodes, it quickly runs out of steam and almost falls apart, with its premise betrayed by needless drama. It’s still worth recommending, because it finds a way past those flaws in favour of embracing its deeper themes. Banks and Macfadyen’s chemistry, especially in an episode focused on their relationship’s strengths, brings it all home. The Miniature Wife definitely has big things on its mind and very nearly gets there.

– Courtesy: Collider.com

Rating system: *Not on your life * ½ If you really must waste your time ** Hardly worth the bother ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only *** Good enough for a look see *** ½ Recommended viewing **** Don’t miss it **** ½ Almost perfect ***** Perfection