Some times more than others I become aware of just how many books are used as money-making fodder for the film industry. This year alone the Academy Awards hosted several film adaptations: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Reader," and "Slumdog Millionaire," to name a few. After hearing rumors about upcoming adaptations of a few of my favorite books, I investigated what else was due later this year.
1. My Sister's Keeper (Jun. 26, 2009) Author: Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, even if this particular novel is not my favorite of hers. This is not much to the disadvantage of the book, since all of her novels are well-written and encompass a controversial topic in one form or another. In this novel, the younger daughter of a family is engineered to be a genetic match for her older sister, who has leukemia. The parents had engineered their younger daughter as a donor for the elder. Picoult treats such touchy subjects with finesse, which yields complex and captivating reads.
However, the complexity of any Picoult novel has no hope of being adequately portrayed via film. Literary works allow for the audience to comprehend characters' internal moral conflict. This subtlety is lost in film. Furthermore, the story feels cheapened when big name stars portray these characters who are supposed to be thoroughly normal and identifiable. Sure, it can be fun to see Cameron Diaz in romantic comedies and Abigail Breslin is such a sweetheart in "Little Miss Sunshine." Even Alec Baldwin can be funny, though I think his role in "30 Rock" is overrated. But I am highly skeptical that these actors can lend the depth that these characters need. HIGHLY skeptical.
True, everyone already knows that this adaptation is coming soon. It is the most likely of these six adaptations to receive the most hype in the coming months. It is also most likely my favorite chapter in the Harry Potter series (to be highly specific, chapter 2 of this book, "Spinner's End," is my favorite chapter of the series). Translation: I really hope Warner Bros doesn't screw this one up.
I particularly look forward to seeing more of Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), who I think were underrepresented in the fifth movie. It would be rather impressive if they had equally few scenes in this adaptation.
3. The Time Traveler's Wife (Aug. 14, 2009) Author: Audrey Neffeneger
If this is not my absolute favorite book, it is at least one of my top 5. Does this mean that I will be unduely critical toward the film adaptation? Perhaps. It feels like such a moral dilemma: to see the movie or not?
I highly recommend reading this book before seeing the film. As with Jodi Piccoult, there is no way that a film can capture the complexity of the characters in this novel. That being said, I do think there are ways that this film could be done very well and there are ways in which it could be done very poorly.
All around I am simply not impressed with casting choices. I do not know enough about Eric Bana to judge whether or not he will do well portraying Henry. That, I think, will be the most important performance of the film. However, Rachel McAdams is not Clare Abshire. She doesn't even have red hair! Furthermore, she is too movie-star pretty whereas I pictured Clare as more unconventionally beautiful.
The rest of the cast is filled in with other actors and actresses that are each too goodlooking for their respective roles. At first blush this is dissapointing and I largely hope that I will be pleasantly surprised by their performances. I'm sure I will at least keep a close eye on the progress of this production and keep you posted.
(Trailor not yet available)
4. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sept. 18, 2009) Author: Judi Barrett
If done well, this children's book could translate into a really cute, funny family film. I might need to see the film on a full stomach, though - those meatballs and giant olives always did look appetizing.
Like any other animated flick, this adaptation will host several well-known voices: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, and Mr. T, to name just a few. Faris is perhaps best known for exaggerated roles. Example: she plays a ridiculously self-involved pop sensation in "Just Friends." It will be interesting to see how she does in a film aimed at a younger demographic. This is true of Hader, too -- I know him best for college-age comedies such as "Superbad" and "Adventureland." He is a funny guy; hopefully that can translate into animated film.
(Trailer)
5. Where the Wild Things Are (Oct. 16, 2009)
Author: Maurice Sendak
6. The Lovely Bones (Dec. 11, 2009) Author: Alice Sebold
This is going to be a tough project to finagle. First, the premise deals with uncomfortable issues: the main character is brutally raped and murdered within the first chapter and Sebold spares few details. That alone will have to be dealt with carefully. If this project does not recieve an R rating, it requires at least a PG-13.
Another challenge for the filmmakers will be to portray Sebold's vision of Heaven. I really hope that filmmakers avoid being campy, using clouds and shimmery auras around the dead. There is quite a bit of interplay between the heroine in Heaven and those individuals she left behind. I will avoid explicit details, in case you want to read the book for yourself (as you should), but there is a sex scene that might be a little tricky to work out the details. I suppose a possible solution would be to eliminate this scene altogether in the film, though I hope this is not the route they take, since the scene is rather pivotal for the resolution.
One final thought: yay Peter Jackson for agreeing to direct this project. Though I have not seen any of "The Lord of the Rings" (please contain your shocked gasps), I hear that he is a talented artist. This should bode well for the vision of the film.
(Trailer not yet available)
-------
In way of a conclusion, I do want to note that obviously any of these adaptations will fail to meet at least some expectations garnered from reading the books. However, you probably will see me in the theaters of each production, whether grumbling about poor performances or smiling in pleasant surprise.
1. My Sister's Keeper (Jun. 26, 2009) Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors, even if this particular novel is not my favorite of hers. This is not much to the disadvantage of the book, since all of her novels are well-written and encompass a controversial topic in one form or another. In this novel, the younger daughter of a family is engineered to be a genetic match for her older sister, who has leukemia. The parents had engineered their younger daughter as a donor for the elder. Picoult treats such touchy subjects with finesse, which yields complex and captivating reads.
Furthermore, I will probably have to see the movie so I can be rightly indignant that it fails to meet my high expectations. Already I am disappointed by the preview. From the look of it, yes, I am going to be highly disappointed especially with Diaz's performance.
(Trailer)
(Trailer)
It bodes well for the film that it has the same director as the fifth installment. I was rather impressed and satisfied by the darkness of the fifth film, which was highly refressing from the cheesiness of most of the fourth. Hopefully this film continues in the same vein, since the sixth book does have rather dark passages and some disturbing images. The darkness of the story builds even throughout the seventh book; hopefully the movies will continue to follow suit.
3. The Time Traveler's Wife (Aug. 14, 2009) If this is not my absolute favorite book, it is at least one of my top 5. Does this mean that I will be unduely critical toward the film adaptation? Perhaps. It feels like such a moral dilemma: to see the movie or not?
I highly recommend reading this book before seeing the film. As with Jodi Piccoult, there is no way that a film can capture the complexity of the characters in this novel. That being said, I do think there are ways that this film could be done very well and there are ways in which it could be done very poorly.
All around I am simply not impressed with casting choices. I do not know enough about Eric Bana to judge whether or not he will do well portraying Henry. That, I think, will be the most important performance of the film. However, Rachel McAdams is not Clare Abshire. She doesn't even have red hair! Furthermore, she is too movie-star pretty whereas I pictured Clare as more unconventionally beautiful.
The rest of the cast is filled in with other actors and actresses that are each too goodlooking for their respective roles. At first blush this is dissapointing and I largely hope that I will be pleasantly surprised by their performances. I'm sure I will at least keep a close eye on the progress of this production and keep you posted.
(Trailor not yet available)
4. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sept. 18, 2009) Illustrator: Ron Barrett
If done well, this children's book could translate into a really cute, funny family film. I might need to see the film on a full stomach, though - those meatballs and giant olives always did look appetizing.
Like any other animated flick, this adaptation will host several well-known voices: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, and Mr. T, to name just a few. Faris is perhaps best known for exaggerated roles. Example: she plays a ridiculously self-involved pop sensation in "Just Friends." It will be interesting to see how she does in a film aimed at a younger demographic. This is true of Hader, too -- I know him best for college-age comedies such as "Superbad" and "Adventureland." He is a funny guy; hopefully that can translate into animated film.
(Trailer)
5. Where the Wild Things Are (Oct. 16, 2009)Author: Maurice Sendak
This is another childhood favorite. Perhaps I should re-read this book before screening the film... All I remember of the story is that a young boy goes to bed without supper and dreams of monsters. I also remember being vaguely creeped out by some of the pictures...
Again, one of the benefits of adapting a children's book is that it is extremely easy to include everything in the original story. The downside is that this means the film has less, if any, excuse to exclude things.
(Trailer)
Again, one of the benefits of adapting a children's book is that it is extremely easy to include everything in the original story. The downside is that this means the film has less, if any, excuse to exclude things.
(Trailer)
6. The Lovely Bones (Dec. 11, 2009) This is going to be a tough project to finagle. First, the premise deals with uncomfortable issues: the main character is brutally raped and murdered within the first chapter and Sebold spares few details. That alone will have to be dealt with carefully. If this project does not recieve an R rating, it requires at least a PG-13.
Another challenge for the filmmakers will be to portray Sebold's vision of Heaven. I really hope that filmmakers avoid being campy, using clouds and shimmery auras around the dead. There is quite a bit of interplay between the heroine in Heaven and those individuals she left behind. I will avoid explicit details, in case you want to read the book for yourself (as you should), but there is a sex scene that might be a little tricky to work out the details. I suppose a possible solution would be to eliminate this scene altogether in the film, though I hope this is not the route they take, since the scene is rather pivotal for the resolution.
One final thought: yay Peter Jackson for agreeing to direct this project. Though I have not seen any of "The Lord of the Rings" (please contain your shocked gasps), I hear that he is a talented artist. This should bode well for the vision of the film.
(Trailer not yet available)
-------
In way of a conclusion, I do want to note that obviously any of these adaptations will fail to meet at least some expectations garnered from reading the books. However, you probably will see me in the theaters of each production, whether grumbling about poor performances or smiling in pleasant surprise.
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