Sigourney Weaver Can’t Save ‘The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart’ From Wilting

When it comes to imbuing characters with emotional nuance, making fun of your icon status with terrific comedic timing, or gritting your teeth into a patient smile while James Cameron delays Avatar sequels, there is no better actor to call than Sigourney Weaver. She is a Hollywood legend for a reason—able to do just about anything, and capable of turning even the most bland material into admirable work. Weaver is so talented, you might think there is nothing she can’t do. But we all have our shortcomings, and even the sensational Sigourney Weaver can’t perfect a convincing Australian accent.

Unfortunately for Weaver’s new limited series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart—adapted from Holly Ringland’s 2018 novel and premiering on Prime Video Aug. 4—a believable accent is sort of a requirement. The seven-episode drama series is set in the lush landscapes of the Australian coastlines, where June (Weaver) presides over a flower farm called Thornfield that doubles as a safe haven for abused or orphaned women and girls. When June’s granddaughter, Alice (Alyla Browne as a child and Alycia Debnam-Carey as an adult), survives a horrific fire that kills both of her parents, June welcomes her to Thornfield. There, she teaches her the language of their flowers, which beautifully mask dozens of dark family secrets.

Though Weaver’s accent seems to come from somewhere between the States and the English countryside, it’s not necessarily a hindrance to the show—the series itself holds itself back just fine. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is both frustratingly convoluted and, at times, quite emotionally stirring. But the former clouds the latter, with extremely dense writing and ornate storytelling constantly hampering and unsteadying the series. Weaver and Debnam-Carey act through these glaring issues with grace; combined with the series’ stunning visual landscape, their performances are almost enough to keep the series afloat. But by its hard-won endpoint, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart wilts under the weight of its own ambition.

Read more at The Daily Beast.