User reviews

Pfeiffer gives one of the best performances of her career as Betty Ford. Anderson gives the intelligent, detailed performance you'd expect from her as Eleanor Roosevelt, and she and Kiefer Sutherland both nail the Roosevelts' vocal musicality.

Sadly, Viola Davis is simply miscast as Michelle Obama, missing her breezy charm and charisma that so many other actresses could have captured. She attempts to make up for this by constantly pursing her lips and overdoing Obama's lumbering gait. It doesn't work.

First let me say that Viola Davis is an amazing actress and while I do agree that the constant lip pursing is annoying there's something else that bothers much more than that. Barack is three years older than Michelle, Viola is 16 YEARS OLDER THAN OT Fagbenle. Seriously ???? Not to mention that Viola is only one year younger than MO right now so should she be playing a version of Michelle from 13 years ago ?? Plus she is also five inches shorter which is noticeable. OT is nowhere near as lean as BO was and his accent is too much.

Gillian Anderson looks like she is in actual pain if she were to open her mouth. Yes, we all know Eleanor had an overbite and what some would call "horse teeth" but she actually smiled all the time so I don't get it. Her voice also sounds exactly like her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Crown. I'd be surprised if she watched any interview of Eleanor or her actually speaking because it doesn't seem like it. Keifer Sutherland is great as FDR.

Michelle Pfeiffer is BRILLIANT as Betty Ford, she doesn't get a lot of screen time but she steals it leaving you wanting more when she's done.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series . Not being American I only knew bits and pieces about these women , the show has pushed me to do further research. I loved Gillian Anderson and Michelle Pfieffer in their roles but found Viola Davis ( who I am a fan of) very distracting pursing her lips like that all the time . I have endeavoured to look at footage of Michelle Obama to see how accurate this is .. and not really succeeded. Nevertheless a really good series , well worth the time.

Viola Davis and Gillian Anderson are doing impersonations more suited for "Saturday Night Live." Michelle Pfeiffer on the other hand humanizes First Lady Betty Ford, an often overlooked historical figure. I happen to agree with critics who've stated that this show would have fared better had the entire spotlight been on Betty Ford.

On episode 8 and must note the series gets better as it goes on. Michelle Pfeiffer exemplifies what great acting is all about. Loved her as Betty Ford. Gillian Anderson is also wonderful as Eleanor. I sually love Viola Davis but think she was miscast in this. She seems too old for the part. Barack who is actually 3 yrs older than Michelle looks 15 yrs younger in the series. Whoever did Viola's makeup in the White House Years should be fired. They heavy makeup ages her and the overdone eyes make her look like a hooker (or in modern day terms...a sex worker) In real life, Michelle Obama's makeup was always understated. Also, the character is not as warm and empathetic as the Michelle Obama we have all come to love.

Michelle Pfeiffer absolutely blew me away. I could not take my eyes off of her. She was mesmerizing to watch her portray Betty Ford! Absolutely unbelievable. I sure hope she wins an award for this.

The acting is top notch as expected. Who ever thought jumping around to tell the story was a good idea? Each story needed to be on their own. Jumping around makes it less important. Bad idea. Sorry.

Michelle Pheiffer is fantastic! This should have been just a series about Betty Ford. Pheiffer plays this with grace, dignity and empathy.

Anderson is fine as Eleanor Roosevelt, I think the dentures were just unnecessary... just too much. We know Eleanor had an overbite but it was distracting.

Now let's talk about Viola Davis who is skit performing Michelle Obama as an SNL joke. Absolutely ridiculous with the crazy mouth acting and for those of us who like Ms. Obama, why did Viola Davis portray her this way? It's completely hysterically awful and side splittingly funny. Just horrible😂

Let me be straight here. The cast is just incredible and each main character are performing so great that you are dragged into it.

You can understand and appreciate what each individual were going through and what it took for them to get through. Very well done.

Some Reviews are babbling about some actors "lips" ... I mean, come on. Get a life. I was actually laughing so hard when I read them.

If you cant see past that, you really dont deserve to watch the show :-)

I find myself fast-forwarding through the "middle-age Obama" segments: 2 casting errors. Viola Davis makes a terrible Michelle Obama, none of the charisma or charm. Shame as the "Roosevelt" and "Ford" segments are very good.

Ditto to many of the other comments. For my part, the entire series could have been about Betty Ford and I would have been quite satisfied. Michelle Pfeiffer delivers...

Michelle has always been an underrated amazing actress, no surprise that she delivers in this role. She deserves the Emmy and all the other noteworthy awards for this role.

I'm enjoying the show, learning things I did not know before & love the emphasis on the First Ladies. My biggest complaint, which seems to be everyone's opinion, is the poor casting of Viola Davis as Michelle Obama. That is the complete downfall of this show, although I plan on finishing the season as I'm enjoying Michelle Pfeiffer & many of the story lines.

While I had high hopes for this show, I was so distracted by Ms Davis' mouth that I couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. I feel as great an actor as she is, she was wildly miscast.

Michele Phiffer is remarkable as Betty Ford. Ms. Anderson is just ok, as I have seen other actors portray Mrs. Roosevelt better.

Not sure, if I will be able to enjoy watching this with the distraction of the "lips". I don't remember Mrs Obama talking like that. It's like a characture of her.

Once again, I don't understand the bad reviews. Maybe it's because I'm a politics nerd or I'm very forgiving. You see, to me the goal or entertainment is to entertain, not be perfect. I'm willing to be open, let go, and let my mind be filled with whatever the creators had in mind. This is a great series. It takes a lot of creative liberties with history but there's a goal. If you are willing to forgive that, you'll enjoy it a lot. Don't listen to the naysayers about Viola Davis' lips acting Obama. I actually thought that without it, it might have been just a black actor doing a black character. Barack Obama actually took me more time than her to get used to. People are way too picky. The way I saw this series is they are taking us on a journey through 3 first ladies, chosing them and connecting them in very specific ways. Sometimes, it feels a bit long and the back and forth through time can be disorienting at first, but then you realize you're being taken on a ride to compare 3 completely different eras that dealt on somewhat the same issues. It's really fascinating if you give it a chance. Gillian Anderson does a great job for Roosevelt, even though some say it's too "Tatcher" like. I didn't care. I learned a lot about Eleanor actually. Davis takes more time to get used to as Michelle Obama but I think you have to give it a chance. Of course, Pfeiffer steals the show completely. She's mesmerizing. But it's the intertwined stories that are the real star and make this a great series. Sit back, let go, and give it a chance... It's a wonderful time-travelling political story from a different angle! I loved it.

Of course you can't get better subject matter, and they chose three of the most interesting first ladies! I love the way the storytelling is laid out, going back and forth between the stories. It's fantastic to see these women as people rather than shadows of their husbands. Loved the pilot, I expect to love the series. Must see!

Best American woman historical show!!! The Characterization of Eleanor Roosevelt was fantastically creative very original impressively touching. And Betty Ford she was absolutely inspiring and I did not know much about her when I started the show but to me she is absolutely inspiring for the current generation of women.

Excellent series! Don't believe the negative reviews! You'll truly be missing out if you skip this! I can only believe the bad reviews come from special agenda! I promise this is a thoroughly engaging series!

I find it really disgusting how people bring politics into a freaking TV show. Yes, Republicans, we all know that you hate Barack and Michelle - and we all know the real reason why (queue the denials) . Anyways, the show is a very interesting, and a different point of view - it shows how difficult these women had it, no matter their race. To be dragged into the spotlight and learn how to adjust to their rolls. It is very well done.

Pfeifer did an excellent job as Betty Ford. Anderson does an amazing job as Roosevelt. Davis was meh as Michelle. I think there's potential to highlight the amazing women who were in the shadows. I hope to see more season!

Viola. Wonderful actor! And now and then she hit a Michelle Obamaism. But good grief. Her forcing the lip gestures was so over the top it was a total distraction.

Gillian. Wonderful actor! And acting wise she was the epitome of Eleanor Roosevelt's strong woman first, and then First Lady. But c'mon. Did Viola force Gillian to make silly mouth gestures, too, so that she wouldn't be the only accomplished actor to look like a high school understudy? Gillian is perfectly capable of acting her character to life. Case in point: her Margaret Thatcher in The Crown.

Michelle. Hands down is BEST part of this show. Best storyline. Amazing performance. Compelling Betty Ford. Michelle Pfeiffer has never been so grand.

As Episode 1 of "The First Lady" (2022 release; 10 episodes of about an hour each) opens, we are in "Chicago, IL, 2008" and Michelle Obama and her two daughters are waiting to meet up with President Elect Obama, as they are about to fly to Washington. Upon arriving at the White House, they are warmly received by George and Laura Bush. Laura takes Michelle on a tour of the White house residency. We then go to "Alexandria, VA, 1973" as Betty Ford is dancing to the radio and the TV in the background announces that Andrew Spiro has resigned as Vice President. At this point we are 10 min into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this anthology series has the production support of many people, none more that Danish director Susanne Bier (Oscar-nominated for 2010's "In A Better World"). The idea is as simple as it is brilliant: to revisit certain moments of this country's history but seen through the lens of the first lady. Even more impressive, at times stunningly so, are the performances, starting with the three leads: Viola Davis by all means IS Michelle Obama; Michelle Pfeiffer IS Betty Ford; and Gillian Anderson IS Eleanor Roosevelt. There are hardly words for it. Check out the key scene where Betty Ford addresses the rest of the spouses of US Congressmen as she departs. Truly acting at the highest level. But wait! There is more. Check out Dakota Fanning as Susan Ford, Aaron Eckhardt as Gerald Ford, and last but not least, Kiefer Sutherland as FDR. Bottom line: I was almost shocked at how good this Episode 1 was, and that hour just flew by in seemingly just minutes. As some other reviewers have noted, I also feel something is very off with the poor ratings given by so many (over 400 ratings but only 23 actual reviews as of now). I am quite certain that this is done as a political statement and doubt that they have actually seen Episode 1 (which is all that has been released so far).

Episode 1 of "The First Lady" premiered on Showtime this past weekend and is now available on SHO On Demand and SHO Anytime, where i caught it. New episodes air on Sunday evenings, and I am very much looking forward to it. But don't take my word for it of course, so I encourage you to check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

UPDATE 4/25/22 Just saw the second episode. It confirmed all the good I saw in EP1. Terrific all around. HIGHLY RECOMMENED.

Michelle Pfeiffer shines as Betty Ford, brilliantly capturing her essence without resorting to the distracting mimicry that mars Viola Davis' portrayal of Michelle Obama. It's deeply disappointing that an actress as accomplished as Viola Davis didn't realize that a misguided attempt to duplicate someone else's facial features could only yield a cringey and painful-to-watch performance, remembered only by the totally unnecessary duck lips that she exhibits throughout the show. It's an insult to Mrs. Obama, her beauty and her legacy.

I was so excited to watch this from the previews, and especially because Viola Davis was in it, who I love. However, her performance as Michele Obama was terrible. I was amazed at how much she looked like Michele but the talking with the lips thing was too much. It looked SO forced and was SO distracting! Like all I could focus on was the shape she was making with her lips when she spoke, and it just didn't look natural. I won't be watching any more episodes of this one.