Steven Spielberg is not only one of the greatest American directors of all time, he’s also a producer who over the years has lent his expertise to projects as varied as HBO’s World War II epic “Band of Brothers” and NBC’s behind-the-scenes Broadway drama “Smash.” One of his most underrated series, “The United States of Tara,” aired on Showtime for three seasons, from 2009-2011.
On the surface, “The United States of Tara” is your average family comedy-drama about the Gregsons, who hail from a Kansas town. Toni Collette plays Tara, and John Corbett, AKA Aidan from “Sex and the City” and “And Just Like That,” is her husband, Max. They have two teenage kids, Kate and Marshall, played by Brie Larson (the future Ms. Marvel and Academy Award winner for “Room”) and Keir Gilchrist (who would go on to star on the Netflix series “Atypical,” which ran from 2017 to 2021). Rosemarie DeWitt, who appears in “Mad Men” and “Little Fires Everywhere,” plays Tara’s sister Charmaine. Beneath their regular suburban problems, they have to deal with something much more complicated — Tara has Dissociative Identity Disorder.
The United States of Tara is a showcase for Toni Collette’s amazing range
In his role as producer, Steven Spielberg spearheaded “The United States of Tara,” reaching out to “Juno” scribe Diablo Cody to write a show about Dissociative Identity Disorder (per The Wall Street Journal). “The United States of Tara” was a showcase for the brilliant Toni Collette. Tara has multiple personalities that she refers to as “alters,” of all ages and lifestyles. One minute she can be a sweet-as-pie 1950s housewife, the next a rebellious teenager or a crass Vietnam veteran. As the seasons progress, more alters are revealed. Her alters always show up at the wrong time, and it’s usually the one least ideal for the situation.
Although “The United States of Tara” only lasted three seasons, it could have easily run longer as Tara’s alters evolved or came more under control. The chaotic situations that the alters caused, and the friction they created within her family, were always wickedly funny and equally moving, and could have continued to be so. Collette received both an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for playing the series’ title role. She has continued to take on meaty television roles, including standout turns on “Unbelievable,” as a detective investigating sex crimes, and the recent “Wayward,” as a cult leader.
