What is the only thing better than Mark Ruffalo? Two Mark Ruffalos. A six-part miniseries from HBO, I Know That This Is True, opens May 10, and in it, Ruffalo plays twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. The Place Beyond the Pines‘Derek Cianfrance directed the series, and other cast members include Rosie O’donnell, Kathryn Hahn, Juliette Lewis, Melissa Leo, Archie panjabi, and Imogen Poots. Another important fact: the series is based on the best-seller of the same name by Wally Lamb. We’re not sure how close the series is to stick to the source material, but if you are curious and don’t have time to read the 900-page tome before the series’ debut, here’s a brief synopsis to fill.
Like several of Lamb’s other novels, I Know That This Is True it is set in the fictional town of Three Rivers, CT, and the story is narrated by the former high school teacher of English and Dominick Birdsey. In the beginning of the novel, readers are introduced to Dominck’s twin brother, Thomas, who, despite having paranoid schizophrenia, leads a relatively normal life and holds a job at a coffee stand while he takes his medication. However, there are times when Thomas experiences severe episodes, and during his visit to the Three Rivers Public Library in 1990, Thomas convinces himself that he cut off his own hand put an end to the Gulf War. After the episode, Thomas is sent to the state hospital for observation.
Dominick, who both resents and feels responsible for his “older” brother, the fight to get Thomas transferred from the depressing of the hospital in a better environment. Unfortunately, He already has a lot on his plate. His wife left him after his only son died of sudden infant death syndrome, and in his pain, he left teaching to take a job as a house painter. On top of that, he is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, and by both his and his brother’s cause, and Dominick starts to see a psychologist of the hospital, which also serves as the Thomas of the new aid. Through Dominick’s therapy sessions, has revealed that the twins do not know who is his father, and suffered serious abuses at the hands of her stepfather. Before he died of cancer of the breast, the mother of the twins on the left Dominick with his grandfather’s autobiography so that he can learn more about its mysterious past.
Finally, after Dominick discovers and exposes the sexual abuse that take place in the hospital, Thomas was released, but soon dies of an apparent suicide. After his death, Dominick learns the identity of his biological father — and he also finds out that her mom had shared the truth with Thomas long before, though never with him. He feels more betrayed when he discovers that his live-in girlfriend, Joy, has fathered a baby with another man, whom she also contracted HIV. (Oh, and that secret lover is Joy is also the half of his uncle.) Dominick is given a chance to reconcile with his ex-wife, who finally decides to remarry and adopt the Joy of the daughter. In the end, Dominick is able to deal with all the loss and pain he experienced for a fresh start with his wife and their new son.
