The Handmaid's Tale (2017) A review by Shlomoh Sherman June 15, 2018 Read about The Handmaid's Tale On the Internet Movie Data Base

The Handmaid's Tale (2017) Creator: Bruce Miller Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Max Minghella, Joseph Fiennes, Ann Dowd Plot Summary: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. A religion-based autocracy has taken over most of the United States, renaming the country Gilead. In this country women are second-class citizens. Anyone trying to escape is punished. One such person is June, who is captured while trying to escape with her husband and child and is sentenced to be a handmaid, bearing children for childless government officials. As a handmaid, June is renamed Offred. This is her story; written by grantss on the Internet Movie Database Plot Keywords: violence against women - dystopia - slavery - rape - torture Taglines: : Love is forbidden here, We will bear no more, Your body is no longer your own, The future is a fucking nightmare Genres: Drama - Sci-Fi - Drama - TV Series Certificate: TV-MA - See below Parents Guide: See below Country: USA Language: English Release Date: April 26, 2017 (USA, Hulu (2017-) (USA) (video) (VOD) Filming Locations: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Company Credits: Production Co: MGM Television, Hulu (2017-) (USA) (video) (VOD) Technical Specs: Runtime: 60 min Sound Mix: Dolby Digital Color: Color Awards: See below

Review: A plague of sterility has come down upon the world. In the United States of America, Christian religious extremists see this as a sign of God's displeasure with American society brought about by the Feminist and Gay Liberation movements. A group of powerful men in the Religious Right form a counter-movement with the intention of reducing the status of women to that of servitude, and removing [killing] homosexuals from society. A series of events allow this cabal of religious counter-revolutionaries to take over the government, replacing the Constitution with the Bible, and forming a new country in what was the lower 48 states, names Gilead. The Handmaid's Tale opens sometime after the revolution has happened. Those gay people who have not managed to escape to Canada have been sought out and killed. Women who are deemed harlots, those who have had extra-marital sex, have become sexual servants in the homes of the rich and powerful. Patterned after the story of the wives of Jacob, in the Book of Genesis, who have given Jacob their handmaids to bear him children, the handmaids in this film series are forced to open themselves sexually, against their will, to the well-to-do heads of households, called Commanders, in order to bear children if they are the few who are still fertile. Based on Margaret Atwood's book of the same name, the story focuses in one one handmaid, June, renamed Offred by her master and mistress, Fred and Serena Waterford. The handmaids are no longer permitted to use their given names. The names are changed to show to whom these women belong. As June has been given to the Waterford household, she ia named Offred, literally of Fred's house. The handmaids are treated very badly; they actually have the status more of slaves than servants. They may not write or read, they may not speak unless spoken to by their superiors, they may not have lives of their own. Their lives are actually worse than that of the 19th century Southern slaves, if such a thing were possible. Offred is strong-willed and puts herself at odds with Serena and Fred, and when she acts out her defiance, she is severely punished. But she does get pregnant, not by Fred but by his chauffeur Nick. Believing that the child within her is Fred's, Offred is treated protectively by the Waterfords. During her pregnancy, she decides that she will try to escape and flee to Canada where she can join her husband who has sought political asylum there. As stated in the Trivia section below, Margaret Atwood said that her original title for the story was to be "Offred." She explained that she intended the name to symbolize the protagonist as being "offered" like a religious sacrificial victim. In a lecture, THE HANDMAID'S TALE;REIMAGING THE BIBLE, given at the Case Western Reserve Siegal Learning center, Alan Levenson, professor of Judaic & Israel Studies at The University of Oklahoma, pointed out that the name Offred can also symbolize being "Off Red". Red is the color of the Handmaid's uniform, symbolizing menstruation. Red is also the easiest color to spot someone as a target to shoot at. Since Offred [June] is a rebel against Gilead's concubinage system, she is constantly scheming and devising a plan to escape the Handmaid's life, and escape her "red" status, also the traditional color of the prostitute. The handmaids are unpaid prostitutes but in order to have food and shelter, they must submit to their degraded status. The film adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale (1990), pointed out in the Trivia section, has become so difficult to find that there is a demand for it on Amazon and eBay. I managed to borrow it from the Euclid Public Library. Elisabeth Moss, who stars as Offed, also starred as Peggy Olsen in the TV series MAD MEN (2007). She was presented there as a cute young woman. Here she is presented as sexy and beautiful. I happen to be enjoying the Handmaid Tale series but opinions among the viewers are mixed. I usually quote one review from the Internet Movie Database in my own review but on this one, I quote several below to give you an idea of how viewers feel about the series. Season 2 is a fail May 4, 2018 - by Shazmaphat The first season had many flaws - it was relentlessly dreary, slow moving, with an obvious politically correct agenda and a downright annoying protagonist. But, the first season was watchable, mostly because the alternative reality we were presented with (albeit far-fetched and incongruous, with 1980s sci-fi ideas) was genuinely interesting to learn about AND was based on an excellent novel. Season 2, on the other hand, is unbearably tedious and unbelievable. The already ridiculous premise is now stretched to the point where i am rolling my eyes and muttering at the television. Nothing that any of the characters do or say is believable, not even in a fascist dystopia. And none of it is interesting, either! It's just hour after hour of unbelievable misery and dreariness. To make it worse, Season 2 is very clearly agenda-driven and we are relentlessly hit over the head with imagery and references to historical wrongs against women - eg, the Salem witch trials. Side note: as a woman, I want to talk about why the 'feminism' of this show bothers me so much. Firstly, I'm glad that the way women are treated as second-class chattels is being condemned. I'm also glad that the witch trials are being referenced, as they really weren't that long ago and it's important to remember that women (medical doctors, healers, etc - women with intelligence and power and respect) were hunted and slaughtered en masse by men in America. Unfortunately, highlighting these issues through an insultingly ridiculous contextual lens - which includes posits like muslims (and black men) are the progressive, brave and rebellious saviours of white women, whereas white Christian men are suddenly oppressing women like it's Saudi Arabia - is never going to be resoundingly successful. The fact that the original story was written in the 80s and is based around the reproductive science of the time, doesn't help the feasibility. What would have been much better, IMO, is a story revamped for modern times, with test tube babies and third world surrogacy - ie, a story about the rich oppressing the poor - and the current global epidemics of male violence, human trafficking, pedophilia and horrifically violent porn. Men around the world right now are terrorising, raping and enslaving millions of women and children. This is happening right now in every country. It is a terrible truth that nobody is tackling properly. I applaud what the show is trying to say and do, but the execution is unfortunately a huge fail for me. Haunting and Chilling. May, 2017 - Margaery-Tyrell11 To begin, I believe that most people visiting these pages are intelligent enough to tell the difference between those that are reviewing this series with honesty versus the ones who for reasons other than the viewing experience, wish to tear it down. As someone has already mentioned, the negative reviews are fraught with fear and the worst kind of delusion that exists: self delusion (the delusion a person hides behind and convinces themselves of in order not to see the truth). The Handmaid's Tale is a series that presents what could happen were women's rights reverted or taken away. There is nothing in my previous sentence that is not true. Let me type it again. The Handmaid's Tale is a series that presents what could happen were women's rights reverted or taken away. Is it an extreme depiction? Let's study that for a moment. In a Puritanical society, the Bible was the sole authority. Puritans believed it applied to every area and level of life. The Salem Witch Trials are one such example of Puritanical beliefs in action. Were it not for historical documentation, you would have people negating those as well. So, as to the question of whether it could or couldn't happen, the people most decrying it and stating that it could not happen, are the ones that most believe it can. Don't let them fool you. The Handmaid's Tale takes you into this dystopian future, and it has never felt more real. I had to pause it on a couple of occasions to catch my breath. No, it doesn't hit you over the head every so often with good scenes; the beauty of it is that it is equally haunting, strong and breathtaking in its entirety. To grab from another review: "The echoes of resemblance to the United States' current political administration create another layer of exceptionalism. Make no mistake, this is a political work. But it makes its case in a way that, like George Orwell's 1984 reflect our world back at us in a mirror that is both familiar and perverse", and because of it, it is extraordinary. Waiting for something GREAT to come on Television? Your wait is Over. THIS is IT. May, 2017 - MajorMAlice1 Strong is the word for this series, and little, weak people detest strong so be prepared for the fake reviews and thumbs down across the actual reviews for it. Fear is a powerful thing. The Handmaid's Tale is perhaps one of the the best Television accomplishments of not only the year (hands down), but of the decade. It is a profound glimpse into a future that could very well happen were it not for people like most of you and me. In three unforgettable episodes, so far, women such as Offred ("Of FRED", since she belongs to Fred), played by the inimitable Elisabeth Moss, are coerced through bodily harm to be both concubine and scape/punching goat for well to do families. These women are subjected to physical, emotional and mental abuse in the name of God, or if not so much in the name of God, under the twisted word of god, by man. This is not to say that it is a Christian-bashing show, but it depicts what could happen under a theocratic society. What is most outstanding is that the acting is so amazing, that its quietest moments may be its most powerful. In fact, at times, the series can be emotionally overwhelming and draining — but isn't that a characteristic of a superb and masterful viewing experience? Don't turn away from it. Fantastic Adaption Of A 'Must Read' Sci-Fi Classic, Good For Guys & Gals Alike April, 2017 - lewilewis199728 If you haven't seen it yet or haven't read the book let's try to set the scene without spoilers; Mankind is failing, most women are sterile because of industrial pollution (or Mother Nature just having enough of us parasites). Birth rates are plummeting. An ultra religious cult see it as their God given mission to 'save mankind'. They seize power by staging a fake terrorist attack against the US government, impose marshal law and set about rebuilding American society.('War On Terror' anyone?) They use The Old Testament as their blue print, but with some totally wack interpretations and distortions. Fertile women become the property of the state. Brain washed and farmed out to the new ruling elite as baby makers, slavery and subjugation is all they can hope for. Margaret Atwood, Canadian hero, social commentator, environmentalist, activist, feminist, tech inventor, business woman and visionary always maintained that this isn't sci-fi, but 'speculative fiction', things that have a chance of happening in the near future. Written in the '80's it's probably more profound now; the Neo Con Christian's have become a powerful force in US politics. Could there be a Tea Party without the ultra religious Republicans? Probably not. Maybe it takes a next door neighbour from Canada to really see what's happening with the totally dysfunctional family next door? It has always been a source of debate about how a country so entrenched in the ideas of freedom and liberal philosophy can also be the home of such obvious bigotry and divide? Surely teaching Creationism instead of proved science in some State's schools is a warning sign? Maggie may well ridicule this dogmatic un-thinking, however it's far from funny when she points out the possible end game and consequences for society and women in particular. The book, although heavy going at first, is one of those you can pick up every few years and just dive right in (thanks to Una for making me read it back in '87). I was worried that this TV adaption wouldn't do it justice. How wrong I was. It's slightly different, and relies on a lot of flashbacks like the original narration; however this narration helps to smooth over the cracks nicely. So it still sticks faithfully to the principles and main events of the story, albeit in a roundabout 'more up to date' way. The subtle creep up and takeover of government and power has been well handled so far. I am enthralled, totally impressed and on tenterhooks with Bruce Miller's adaption. The direction is also smart, (the hanging scene seen from the back of a van was powerful stuff). Every image is a perfect composition, nothing is wasted, it's real art in the hands of skilled camera operators. The feminism is subtle, not the clumsy and overt 'all men are bad, all women are good little victims' like of some of the more hardcore feminist literature. Maggie recognises that some women can be bad too, and some men will die to do the right thing, as you will see. Her book made a point that this could only happen if most women were willing parties too, and that a 2,000 year old book of moral tales can hold a massive amount of power when deliberately abused in the wrong hands. It's also highly commendable that the cast are just 'normal folk', no super skinnies, models, hunks or pretty boys are in sight. This makes it all the more believable, it could happen to you and me. The lead, 'Offred' (Elizabeth Moss) absolutely nails it. No spoilers, but she will impress you with her canny nouse and determination to survive despite many obstacles and traps. I haven't seen one bad actor in here so far, they've obviously got bags of talent and emotional range. The design and resurrection of 'The Shaker Movement', as in the book, harks back to an American and European age of persecution and religious fervor. Adhering to Maggie's descriptions of the colour coded dress, the production designer's subtle placement of now highly valuable Shaker furniture here and there helps; the muted drab colours, even in the opulent wealthy homes, take us sub consciously back to the times of Salem, witch trials, mass hysteria and life devoid of 'modern vices' like free speech, self determination, free love and modern relationships. I can't wait to see how this progress', although I know how it ends (can't tell you, but get ready for some shocks!). It's been made fresh for me. I hope you will all love it too. Preposterous April, 2017 - Xophianic29 People aren't really falling for the negative reviews, right? As a dude who has watched it with his girlfriend, I need to agree that the negative reviews are ridiculous. I can imagine the same person thumbing down the real reviews. Lol. Pathetic. Mine is the only review you will need. j/k Watch it. That's it. Don't let some repressed and self-deluded person make your choices for you - they love that. Watch the first episode and decide for yourself. Do I believe it can happen? Maybe. Anything can happen. But the thing is, why are nutjobs taking it so serious if they don't think it could happen? If it's just a show with no basis in reality, why get all up in arms about it? I thought it was well done. It is entertaining and compelling. 8 out of 10 stars but my GF made me give it a 9. Heh. Joking aside, I'd recommend it. KUDOS TO Elisabeth Moss as Offred, June Osborne. This is a breakaway role for her, completely different from her role on MAD MEN. This series is sure to take her to new heights in her career KUDOS TO Joseph Fiennes as Fred Waterford. Joseph, the brother of Ralph Fiennes, is known for his role as Shakespear in SHAKESPEAR IN LOVE, among many others KUDOS TO Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford. I am not familiar with this actress's work. But she is perfect in the role of Serena Joy, a character who was instrumental, along with her husband, Fred, in the creation of Gilead, and then was regulated to the woman's socially inferior status KUDOS TO Ann Dowd as Aunt Lydia. I recently saw her in the new popular horror film, Hereditary KUDOS TO Max Minghella as Nick Blaine, Fred's chauffeur. I don't remember seeing him before. Nick plays a significant part in the eventual revolt leading to the collapse of Gilead

Trivia Ann Dowd (Aunt Lydia) was in the midst of filming Good Behavior (2016) in Wilmington, NC, when she received a call from her agent about the script. After one read, she accepted right away. She can be seen in the current box office supernatural-horror hit, Hereditary In an April 2018 interview with Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams, Amanda Brugel (Rita) said that as the self-described "lone Canadian in the cast," The Handmaid's Tale changed her life long before she won a role in the show. She was assigned Margaret Atwood's novel as a 15-year-old high school student and subsequently wrote some short stories based on it. Later she wrote her university application thesis on the novel and received a full scholarship on that basis. Brugel said that the main focus of that university application essay was Rita, the character she now plays on the show. Margaret Atwood, the source novel's author, makes a cameo as an aunt in Episode 1. She is the one who slaps Offred when she is reluctant to join in the group shaming circle. Margaret Atwood has said that pretty much everything that happens in the novel has happened somewhere in history: The Bible, the Iranian revolution of 1978-79, the backlash against 1980s feminism, etc. There were no black characters in the original source novel, because Gilead (the repressive theocratic regime that had taken over the US government by the time the book starts) had classified all black people as Children of Ham. This is a reference to the belief held by some fundamentalist Christian denominations that black people are descended from Noah's son Ham and are therefore subject to a "curse" leveled at Ham by Noah. In the novel, black people are forcibly resettled in the upper Midwest (Chapter 14). The producers of this show made a conscious choice to deviate from that aspect of the book so that there would be a chance to include black characters (and actors) in the show, including the casting of Samira Wiley as Offred's friend and fellow handmaid Moira. In a January 2017 interview with "TVLine", executive producer Bruce Miller explained that the producers engaged in a "huge discussion with Margaret Atwood, and in some ways it is 'TV vs. book' thing," arguing that in a TV show it would be harder than in a book to explain the persistent absence of black characters. He continued, "What's the difference between making a TV show about racists and making a racist TV show? Why would we be covering [the story of handmaid Offred, played by Elisabeth Moss], rather than telling the story of the people of color who got sent off to Nebraska?" He also justified it by reporting that the "evangelical movement has gotten a lot more integrated [since the book's publication, and] I made the decision that fertility trumped everything." The source novel also included a brief explanation for the absence of Jewish characters in the story: the Gileadean government gave them the options of either converting to Christianity or emigrating to Israel - though the ones who chose emigration were really loaded onto ships that were then dumped into the ocean. Margaret Atwood has said that she was greatly inspired by George Orwell's classic dystopian novel, "1984". In the novel, Offred's Commander and Serena Joy are much older than they are portrayed in the series. They are described as wrinkled with gray hair; Serena Joy relies on a cane to walk. In the original novel by Margaret Atwood, the main character is known only by her patronymic, Offred (or "of Fred," since she "belongs" to a Commander named Fred). Her real name is never revealed, though many readers interpret her name to be June, based on various subtle hints in the text. In a 2017 article for the "New York Times Book Review", author Margaret Atwood says about the interpretation, "That was not my original thought, but it fits, so readers are welcome to it if they wish." In the 1990 film adaptation of the novel, The Handmaid's Tale (1990), the filmmakers chose Kate as her pre-Gileadean name, and state it clearly. Original author Margaret Atwood was quite involved in the script adaptation of her 1985 novel insofar as the update of the vernacular over the intervening 32 years. According to producer Bruce Miller, she had to ask the scriptwriters to explain the meaning of the term "carpet munchers." First show produced by subscription streaming site "Hulu" to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series (Sept. 17, 2017 / Microsoft Theater). In a "New York Times" essay published in March 2017, as well as in the new introduction to a 2017 edition of her novel "The Handmaid's Tale," Margaret Atwood said that when she started writing the book, her title for it was "Offred." This is the name given to the main character by the repressive regime that is enslaving her. In addition to its primary meaning (that she is the property of a commander named Fred), Atwood also explained that she intended for the name to also remind the reader of the word "offered," meaning, "denoting a religious offering or a victim offered for sacrifice." The popularity of this series prompted a surge of renewed interest in Atwood's book, which had never been out of print since its publication in 1985. The film adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale (1990), on the other hand, had become almost entirely forgotten and so difficult to find that the demand for it on Amazon and eBay had risen to such an extent that some consumers had reportedly paid upward of $100 for an original copy. In an essay that was published in the "New York Times" in March 2017 and also as the new introduction to a 2017 edition of her novel "The Handmaid's Tale", Margaret Atwood explained that the inspiration for the handmaids' uniforms and especially their face-hiding headdresses "came not only from mid-Victorian costume and from nuns, but from the Old Dutch Cleanser package of the 1940s, which showed a woman with her face hidden, and which frightened me as a child." Most of the source novel was set in and around Cambridge, MA. In October 2016 some of this series' exterior scenes were shot in another Cambridge: Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Margaret Atwood was born in Ontario. Elisabeth Moss starred as Peggy Olsen in the critically acclaimed series Mad Men (2007). Alexis Bledel was also on the series during Season 5. The repressive theocratic regime that has taken over the U.S. in this show and in its source novel is called "The Republic of Gilead." Gilead is mentioned repeatedly in the Bible, first in Genesis 31:23, both as a geographic location and the source of a figurative or literal balm (curative or healing substance). There is a spiritual called "There Is a Balm in Gilead" that is in the hymnals of many Christian denominations, and in the book "The Handmaid's Tale," Offred remembers the hymn. She even makes a joke to herself about it, thinking, "there is a bomb in Gilead." In the source novel, no last name is provided to the reader for the character of Nick. In this television adaptation, his name is "Nick Blaine." This means that his name is one letter away from the name of the anti-heroic (and ultimately heroic) main character in the classic movie Casablanca (1942), Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart). Rick initially claims that he is politically neutral and would "stick his neck out for no one," but he eventually sides with the Resistance to help both an anti-fascist cause and a woman he cares about. When Offred and the Commander play Scrabble for the first time, the first two tiles they turn over are the letters "M" and "A,". They are the initials of the author of the show's source novel, "The Handmaid's Tale"--Margaret Atwood. Connections: Spoofed in Saturday Night Live: Chris Pine/LCD Soundsystem (2017) (TV Episode) - Spoofed in Handmaid's tale prerecorded sketch Eretz Nehederet: Episode #15.1 (2017) (TV Episode) - The cleaners at Netanyahu's house Saturday Night Live: Amy Schumer/Kacey Musgraves (2018) (TV Episode) - Spoofed as 'Handmaids in the City'. Soundtracks: IMDB does not yet have any Soundtracks for The Handmaid's Tale They are asking fans of IMDB to contribute! Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the Soundtranks page or learn more in the Soundtracks submission guide. PARENTS GUIDE FOR THE HANDMAID'S TALE (2017) Certifications: Australia:MA15+ Brazil:16 Canada:14A (Manitoba/Ontario, DVD rating) Canada:13+ (Quebec) Denmark:15 Finland:K-16 France:12 Germany:16 Italy:VM18 Netherlands:16 New Zealand:R16 Norway:15 Russia:18+ Sweden:15 United Kingdom:15 United States:TV-MA Sex & Nudity: Episode 1: a man (fully clothed) is seen thrusting in a woman (also fully clothed) while another woman is there. (No nudity) A woman is standing at a window we see her behind, although it is very dark and barely visible. A man is about to have sex with a woman but it is implied that he cannot get an erection and keeps trying (no actual nudity). He then leaves the room and the other woman walks behinds him. She starts kissing his man parts (no genitals shown); she then wants to give him a blowjob but he asks her to stop. The series involves multiple sex scenes involving a woman lying down on a bed being held by her mistress while a man thrusts into her. Such scenes involve no nudity A woman wakes up to find out that her genitals have been removed (no actual nudity) Violence & Gore: Handmaids consistently beaten, raped and shot Homosexuals hanged in public Meeting of Commanders bombed One handmaid has her eye plucked out for resisting and backtalk Profanity: Use of the F bomb D word for male genitals C word for female genitals Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking Several characters seen smoking Drinking during the forbidden nightclub scene Frightening & Intense Scenes: See above for Violence & Gore THE HANDMAID'S TALE (2017 AWARDS GOLDEN GLOBES, USA 2018 Winner - Best Television Series - Drama Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - Elisabeth Moss Nominee - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television - Ann Dowd PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS 2017 Winner - Primetime Emmy Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Elisabeth Moss For playing: "Offred". Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Ann Dowd For playing: "Aunt Lydia". Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series - Reed Morano For episode: "Offred". Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series - Bruce Miller For episode: "Offred". Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series - Alexis Bledel For playing: "Ofglen". For episode: "Late". Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) - Julie Berghoff (production designer), Evan Webber (art director), Sophie Neudorfer (set decorator) HULU For episode: "Offred (Pilot)" Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) - Colin Watkinson (director of photography) For "Offred" (pilot) Outstanding Drama Series - Bruce Miller (executive producer), Warren Littlefield (executive producer), Daniel Wilson (executive producer), Fran Sears (executive producer), Ilene Chaiken (executive producer), Sheila Hockin (co-executive producer), Eric Tuchman (co-executive producer), Frank Siracusa (co-executive producer), John Weber (co-executive producer), Kira Snyder (supervising producer), Elisabeth Moss (producer), Joseph Boccia (produced by), Leila Gerstein (consulting producer) Nominee - Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Samira Wiley For playing: "Moira". Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series - Kate Dennis For episode: "The Bridge". Outstanding Period/Fantasy Costumes for a Series, Limited Series or Movie - Ane Crabtree (costume designer), Sheena Wichary (costume supervisor) For episode "Offred (Pilot)" Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series - Sharon Bialy (casting director), Sherry Thomas (casting director), Russell Scott (casting director), Robin D. Cook (location casting director)   SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS 2018 Nominee - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series - Elisabeth Moss Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series - Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Joseph Fiennes, Tattiawna Jones, Max Minghella, Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley academy of science fiction, fantasy & horror films, usa 2018 Nominee - Saturn Award Best New Media Television Series AFI AWARDS, USA 2018 Winner - AFI Award TV Program of the Year - THE HANDMAID'S TALE imagines a dystopian world too timely to dismiss as fiction. Margaret Atwood's seminal novel planted the seeds for Bruce Miller's haunting cautionary tale, and the rich, red flowers that bloom are poisoned with power dynamics all too real in our world today. What resonates with a booming echo in this waking nightmare is the indomitable will of the women who resist - a heroism embodied in a towering performance by Elisabeth Moss. AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION (AAFCA) 2017 Winner - AAFCA Award Top 10 TV Shows - 6th place AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS, USA 2018 Winner - Eddie Best Edited Drama Series for Non-Commercial Television - Julian Clarke, Wendy Hallam Martin for Episode: "The Handmaid's Tale: Offred (2017)" ART DIRECTORS GUILD 2018 Winner - Excellence in Production Design Award One Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Television Series - Julie Berghoff (production designer), Nicolas Lepage (art director), Evan Webber (art director), Henry Fong (illustrator), Sean Scoffield (graphic designer), Theresa Shain (graphic artist), Christina Kuhnigk (set decorator), Episodes: "The Handmaid's Tale: Offred (2017)", "The Handmaid's Tale: Birth Day (2017)", and "The Handmaid's Tale: Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum (2017)" Nominee Excellence in Production Design Award One Hour Contemporary Single-Camera Television Series - Andrew M. Stearn (production designer), Evan Webber (art director), J. Ryan Halpenny (set designer), Sean Scoffield (graphic designer), Mauro Iacobelli (scenic artist), Christina Kuhnigk (set decorator), Episode: "The Handmaid's Tale: The Bridge (2017)" BROADCAST FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS 2018 Winner - Critics Choice Award Best Actress in a Drama Series - Elisabeth Moss Best Drama Series Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Ann Dowd CANADIAN CINEMA EDITORS AWARDS 2018 Winner - Canadian Cinema Editors Award Best Editing in 1 Hour Scripted - Wendy Hallam Martin For episode "Late" Nominee - Canadian Cinema Editors Award Best Editing in 1 Hour Scripted - Christopher Donaldson For episode "Birth Day" CINEMA AUDIO SOCIETY, USA 2018 Nominee - C.A.S. Award Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series One Hour - John J. Thomson (producton mixer), Lou Solakofski (re-recording mixer), Joe Morrow (re-recording mixer), Don White (foley mixer) Episode: "The Handmaid's Tale: Offred (2017)" COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS 2018 Winner - CDG Award Outstanding Contemporary Television Series - Ane Crabtree DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA, USA 2018 Winner - DGA Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Reed Morano For episode "Offred" EMPIRE AWARDS, UK 2018 Nominee - Empire Award Best TV Series Best Actress in a TV Series - Elisabeth Moss ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA AWARDS, USA 2017 Nominee - EMA Award Television Episodic Drama For the episode "A Woman's Place" GAY AND LESBIAN ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS ASSOCIATION (GALECA) 2018 Nominee - Dorian Award TV Drama of the Year TV Performance of the Year - Actress - Elisabeth Moss GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS 2018 Nominee - GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Drama Series GOLD DERBY AWARDS 2017 Winner - Gold Derby TV Award Drama Lead Actress - Elisabeth Moss Drama Guest Actress - Alexis Bledel Nominee - Gold Derby TV Award Drama Series GOLDEN TRAILER AWARDS 2017 Nominee - Golden Trailer Best Drama/Action TV Series Poster - Hulu P+A HOLLYWOOD MAKEUP ARTIST AND HAIR STYLIST GUILD AWARDS 2018 Nominee - Artisan Best Contemporary Makeup - Television and New Media Series -Burton J. LeBlanc, Talia Reingold, Erika Caceres IGN SUMMER MOVIE AWARDS 2017 Winner - IGN Award Best TV Series Best New TV Series Best TV Drama Series Best Dramatic TV Performance - Elisabeth Moss IMAGE AWARDS 2018 Nominee - Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Samira Wiley LOCATION MANAGERS GUILD INTERNATIONAL AWARDS (LMGI) 2018 Nominee - Outstanding Achievement Award Outstanding Locations in a Contemporary Television Series - John Musikka, Geoffrey Smither MOTION PICTURE SOUND EDITORS, USA 2018 Nominee - Golden Reel Award Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Music Score and Musical for Episodic Short Form Broadcast Media - Yuri Gorbachow (supervising music editor), Lise Beauchesne (music editor) Episode: "The Handmaid's Tale: Offred (2017)" Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Dialogue and ADR for Episodic Short Form Broadcast Media - David McCallum (supervising sound editor, supervising dialogue editor), Jane Tattersall (supervising sound editor), Dale Sheldrake (supervising adr editor), Brent Pickett (dialogue editor) Episode: "The Handmaid's Tale: Offred (2017)" ONLINE FILM & TELEVISION ASSOCIATION 2017 Winner - OFTA Television Award Best Drama Series Best Actress in a Drama Series - Elisabeth Moss Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series - Alexis Bledel Best Ensemble in a Drama Series Best Direction in a Drama Series Best Writing in a Drama Series Best Editing in a Series Nominee - OFTA Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Ann Dowd Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - Samira Wiley Best Cinematography in a Series Best Production Design in a Series Best Costume Design in a Series Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Series Best Sound in a Series Best Visual Effects in a Series PGA AWARDS 2018 Winner - PGA Award Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama -Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Ilene Chaiken, Sheila Hockin, Eric Tuchman, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Joseph Boccia, Elisabeth Moss, Kira Snyder, Leila Gerstein, Margaret Atwood (producing team), Dorothy Fortenberry (producing team), Wendy Straker Hauser (producing team), Melissa Girotti (producing team), Eleanor Mendes (producing team), Corrie Gudgeon (producing team), Kathryn Blythe (producing team) Season 1 SATELLITE AWARDS 2017 Winner - Satellite Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Ann Dowd Best Actress in a Series, Drama/Genre - Elisabeth Moss Nominee - Satellite Award Best Television Series, Drama TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS 2017 Winner - TCA Award Outstanding Achievement in Drama Program of the Year Nominee - TCA Award Individual Achievement in Drama - Elisabeth Moss Outstanding New Program USC SCRIPTER AWARD 2018 Winner - USC Scripter Award Television - Bruce Miller (screenwriter), Margaret Atwood (author) for the episode "The Handmaid's Tale: Offred (2017)," based from the novel by Margaret Atwood. WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, USA 2018 Winner - WGA Award (TV) Dramatic Series -Ilene Chaiken, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, Leila Gerstein, John Herrera, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Wendy Straker Hauser, Eric Tuchman, Lynn Renee Maxcy, New Series -Ilene Chaiken, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, Leila Gerstein, John Herrera, Bruce Miller, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Kira Snyder, Wendy Straker Hauser, Eric Tuchman Read various reviews about The Handmaid's Tale Read various articles about The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood on What ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Means in the Age of Trump The Handmaid’s Tale explores the fascinating yet frustrating Serena Joy: - Serena is destroyed by this horrific social structure that she had a hand in creating The Handmaid’s Tale Is a Warning to Conservative Women Is 'The Handmaid's Tale' fast approaching? The Handmaid’s Tale’ Exposes How Much We Lose When We Ignore The Work Of Women The Handmaid's Tale - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Handmaid’s Tale: The Biggest Changes From the Book The Epilogue of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Changes Everything You Thought You Knew About the Book - The oft-forgotten male-narrated ending that reframes Atwood’s classic novel Read about The Handmaid's Tale On the Internet Movie Data Base