# Bradd Pitt & Angelina Jolie to star in "Atlas Shrugged" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873 "2006-05-15T18:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/41 "2006-05-16T15:09:33Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] I’ve never read _Atlas Shrugged_, and after reading this thread I’m less inclined to do so than ever. [/QUOTE] I think if you look at it as three books it would be easier to get through. Book one ends with the conclusion of the first run of the John Galt Line. Not sure exactly where to end Book two. Perhaps with Dagny’s discovery of the hidden valley but I’m not sure where that falls in relation to the end of the book, and then Book three being from that point to the end. I doubt I’d read the thing through again, I mostly read it because I’d read _The Fountainhead_ (and I only read that to see if it was as swoony as the movie, which is pretty damn swoony) and got AS at the same time for like five bucks to fulfill a book club subscription, but I certainly don’t regret reading it. I don’t give it the philosophical weight that Randians do and I don’t agree with the outlines of Objectivism but if one has the time to devote to it, it’s not a bad way to pass some time. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/42 "2006-05-16T15:15:21Z")
[QUOTE=JeffB] Who is Brad Pitt? [/QUOTE] The first rule about Brad Pitt is – don’t ask who Brad Pitt is! ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/43 "2006-05-16T15:26:38Z")
I just keep seeing this thread title and cracking up all over again. **Cervaise** is right. Joel Schumacher is the only hack who could hackity hack this hackfest into its ultimate hacktacular form. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/44 "2006-05-16T16:27:24Z")
Maybe Paul Verhoeven could take a whack at it. ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/45 "2006-05-16T17:30:30Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Oh my god. 3 and a half hours of trains and technical details about steel. And long-ass boring radio speeches (come on, I KNOW I’m not the only one here who flipped ahead after the first 5 pages of that crap)…?? How can that make a movie that anyone would want to see?!? This was one of the crappiest books I have ever read! [/QUOTE] I just have to say that there has seldom been a post that I’ve agreed with more. When talk turned to directors, my immediate thought was that this has Uwe Boll written all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/46 "2006-05-16T19:40:00Z")
[QUOTE=RogueRacer] When talk turned to directors, my immediate thought was that this has Uwe Boll written all over it. [/QUOTE] Somebody would have to make a video game out of it first. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/47 "2006-05-17T05:27:17Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] Actually, buried underneath all the endless speeches and adolescent philosophizing, there are the bare bones of an interesting story. [/quote] I agree. I certainly found the story interesting. The endless speeches less so. If only there was the odd sliver of humour! > [@LonesomePolecat](#): > > I find a certain dark fascination in watching the lights slowly going out all over the world Yes. The most memorable part for me has always been at the very end when John, Ragnar and Francisco look at one other as they’re flying over New York City and all the lights go out. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/48 "2006-05-17T09:10:08Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] I agree. I certainly found the story interesting. The endless speeches less so. If only there was the odd sliver of humour! [/QUOTE] You mean Rearden speculating that when the strike ends, Dagny will rebuild her railroad and charge him a fortune to ship his goods… but he’ll be able to pay them, doesn’t cause you to laugh in the purest and noblest expression of human joy? [sub]Commie…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/49 "2006-05-17T14:06:40Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I KNOW I’m not the only one here who flipped ahead after the first 5 pages of that crap. [/QUOTE] It literally took me 6 years to read the first 12 pages. I picked up the pace since then - In the last 10 years I have read 2/3 of the book. IIRC, wasn’t Dagny supposed to be rather plain looking? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/50 "2006-05-17T14:35:32Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] She apparently didn’t have any problem with it when she adapted The Fountainhead. [/QUOTE] Yes, but \*\*\*she, herself \*\*\*made the cuts. She once commented that she fought tooth and nail with her editors, about changing so much as a comma in her manuscripts. And I’m sure that whoever does the AS screenplay will omit the character of Francisco d’Anconia, who was Rand’s favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/51 "2006-05-17T14:49:34Z")
Lol, I liked Atlas Shrugged. But then, I was 18 when I read it. I don’t know that I’d like it now. ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/52 "2006-05-17T15:37:05Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] IIRC, wasn’t Dagny supposed to be rather plain looking? [/QUOTE] That was my impression, but in the movies, the “plain, ordinary girl” is hotter than just about 95% of the women seen in everyday life. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/53 "2006-05-18T03:18:37Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Oh my god. 3 and a half hours of trains and technical details about steel. And long-ass boring radio speeches (come on, I KNOW I’m not the only one here who flipped ahead after the first 5 pages of that crap)…?? How can that make a movie that anyone would want to see?!? [/QUOTE] So leave out the speech. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/54 "2006-05-18T03:22:21Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] So leave out the speech. [/QUOTE] I’m no fan of Ayn Rand’s prose, politics, philosophy, or psyche, but yeah, any book can become a good movie if you just leave enough of it out. LOTR, case in point. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/55 "2006-05-18T03:39:38Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] So leave out the speech. [/QUOTE] That would help, but the rest of the book is boring as crap, too. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/56 "2006-05-18T04:29:51Z")
Dagny was plain? I thought all of Rand’s heroines were cold, intimidating beauties, until they met the Uber Man, and then crumpled like leaves. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/57 "2006-05-18T06:15:24Z")
None of her heroes/heroines were plain looking; that would have contradicted her concept of “romantic realism.” The only plain-looking characters in AS were the mini-hero-wannabes, like Eddie Willers and Cheryl. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/58 "2006-05-18T12:54:20Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Yes, but \*\*\*she, herself \*\*\*made the cuts. She once commented that she fought tooth and nail with her editors, about changing so much as a comma in her manuscripts. And I’m sure that whoever does the AS screenplay will omit the character of Francisco d’Anconia, who was Rand’s favorite. [/QUOTE] From what I’ve gathered, her estate has a great amount of oversight on any movie/TV version, so I’m sure that he won’t be cut. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/59 "2006-05-18T14:20:54Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] From what I’ve gathered, her estate has a great amount of oversight on any movie/TV version, so I’m sure that he won’t be cut. [/QUOTE] Who’s administering her estate? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873/60 "2006-05-18T17:01:17Z")
[QUOTE=LonesomePolecat] Who’s administering her estate? [/QUOTE] Last I heard it was Leonard Peikoff. If so, they’re going to have a hard time making a movie that’s not extremely true to the book. I don’t see how they could cut Francisco. He’s pretty important to the plot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bradd-pitt-angelina-jolie-to-star-in-atlas-shrugged/356873.md?page=4)