By now, most of us have either seen or heard about ‘Maid,’ one of the top five shows on Netflix that has reached more than 67 million households since its release in October, according to Forbes. In just six weeks, ‘Maid’ became the most-watched limited series ever in the streaming platform’s history. The show isn’t just a riveting story; it’s a true story based on the New York Times Best Selling memoir by Stephanie Land, Hard Work, Low Pay, and A Mother’s Will To Survive. It’s impossible to watch the ten-episode series without feeling touched and inspired. So, I decided to read Stephanie Land’s memoir myself to hear her story from her own words. I wasn’t disappointed. However, like most dramas inspired by true stories, there were distinct differences between the memoir and the screen adaptation. Here are four noteworthy differences between Land’s memoir and Netflix’s ‘Maid’ that I found fascinating:
1. The main characters’ names are changed
As expected in the screen adaptation of Stephanie Land’s memoir, all of the main characters have been given different names. Her abusive ex-boyfriend Jamie becomes Sean in the series, and their daughter Mia is named Maddy. In the memoir, Land’s parents are unnamed and are mentioned briefly. However, in ‘Maid,’ her parents are Hank and Paula.
2. The showrunner completely fictionalizes Land’s interaction with the people in her life
In the memoir, Stephanie is entirely alone. She doesn’t have many people in her life that she interacts with. It’s just her and her daughter. However, for the sake of creating “good TV,” the showrunner had to populate the main character’s world. For instance, in the book, Land’s relationship with her parents takes up very little landscape. Yet, in the show, she spends a great deal of time trying to help her mentally ill mother. In the memoir, Stephanie stayed with her dad for a few months with her daughter when she left her ex, but she left when she found out that her dad had been abusive to her mom. Even though the main character has much more interaction with others in the series, the writers did a great job capturing how alone Alex was, essentially staying true to the memoir. We can feel Alex’s desperation when she realizes she can’t look to her parents for help when she spends the night at the ferry station with Maddy when they have no place to go and when she clobbers through a maze of loopholes to qualify for state benefits.
3. Land’s love life is basically nonexistent
In the memoir, Land only mentions her abusive ex-husband, who we know as Jamie, in past references. She briefly touches on incidents of physical abuse and talks about the brutal custody battle they were in. However, in ‘Maid,’ we get an in-depth look into the main character’s relationship with her troubled ex. We see the happy moments that Alex experiences with Sean, only for her glimmer of hope to shatter to pieces when he throws a vase at her and comes home drunk the next day. Yes, we ride the ups and downs of Alex’s relationship with Sean, and boy, is it a bumpy ride. As the series progresses, we even learn why Sean drinks and why he’s so angry. Sean is a victim of abuse and experienced trauma at a young age. Although we gain a better understanding of his character, it doesn’t excuse his behavior. I like that the writers of the show don’t confine Alex’s romantic experiences with the opposite sex to her abusive relationship. There’s the cute Tinder date that went wrong and the failed romance between Alex and her old coworker Nate.
4. In the memoir, Land doesn’t have a special relationship with any of her clients
In the book, Land meets a lot of different people in her job as a maid. In the memoir, she meets a devoted elderly man caring for his ailing wife, a hoarder desperate for help, and a married couple that sleeps in different bedrooms. Land’s unique experiences with her clients are also depicted in the film. However, in the memoir, Land doesn’t develop any lasting bond with her clients. A significant part of Alex’s storyline in ‘Maid’ is the relationship she develops with one of her clients, a rich and powerful black attorney stuck in a horrible marriage. Regina is cold towards Alex when they first meet. She views Alex as her servant. Eventually, the two women learn a lot about life through each other, and by the end of the series, Regina doesn’t just become a good friend to Alex; she becomes an ally in helping her get away from her abusive ex for good and getting her a big-time lawyer to gain legal full custody of her daughter.
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