BBC's 'Conversations with Friends' Adaptation Replaces Modigliani with Abstract Expressionism

The 2022 BBC television adaptation of Sally Rooney's 2017 debut novel 'Conversations with Friends' makes significant visual departures from the source material. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Alice Birch, the series omits a key Modigliani print described in the book's opening pages. Instead, the set design for characters Melissa and Nick's Dublin home features abstract expressionist artwork, including a Cy Twombly-esque piece. This shift from a figurative nude to abstract forms alters the visual storytelling of class and self-presentation central to Rooney's work. The adaptation, which follows the team behind the 2020 'Normal People' series, has received mixed early reviews, with criticism focused on its slow pace and perceived lack of spark between protagonists Frances and Nick. Newcomer Alison Oliver portrays Frances, whose internal monologue from the novel is largely absent. This absence changes the audience's perspective, making supporting characters Bobbi and Melissa appear more sympathetic and fully realized. The series explores themes of communication, contradiction, and emotional complexity within a contemporary bourgeois Dublin setting, ultimately presenting an ensemble narrative rather than a solo character study.