It’s not a formal LAW, but it is a good rule of thumb. The better, and more loved a book, the bigger stink-bomb the movie will be perceived to be. I kinda LIKED the movie version of The Puppet Masters. Not as good as the book to be sure, but as a stand alone movie… not that bad. Same with Starship Troopers. Not bad, as long as you don’t compare it too closely to the book. Lotsa stuff blew up. Kinda the whole point of that movie- no matter what drivel the actual director was spouting.
How good will the Harry Potter movie be, really, compared to the book?
Or Lord of the Rings?
(Most) Books don’t translate directly to film. Different media. Different strengths. Different weaknesses. Soylent Green was a good movie, and the story it was based on, “Roommates”*, was good too. In an other way.
Will Stranger the movie be as good as Stranger the book? Only if the studio wants to drop the money into the project. We’ll see.
Also- back on track…
Ray Walston would be a great Jubal, but he’s dead.
Hume Cronan would be a good Jubal, but he’s dead too.
How about Don Ameche? He’s a little old guy, with great range.
I just can’t get past Connery though. I’m sure he’d give a good performance, but so would Anthony Hopkins. I can’t see either one as the REAL Jubal Harshaw. (Yes, I know, Hopkins wasn’t mentioned- I’m illustrating a point)
Sorry to get so obsessed with this thread, but it just sticks with me. You should have seen me when we were re-casting The Maltese Falcon. (In real life, not here on the boards-sorry again)
*or was Soylent Green and “Roommates” both based on Make Room! Make Room!? I’ve seen S G and read “Roommates”, and they were both good. I think that’s my point.
Yes, Wilford Brimley. Check out his biography. I was thinking not so much of Cocoon but of that incredible scene in Absence of Malice where he comes in and flat out dominates a roomful of strong characters (including Paul Newman) and lays out the way things are going to be. Worth renting the whole movie just to fast-forward to that scene.
As for the rest, I dunno. Incredibly hard to think of someone for Mike who has the skill and range to go through all of his changes who isn’t already known to us and marked with other roles. It may need to be a fresh face.
And ;;ducking in advance:: after Julia Roberts’ turn in “Erin Brokovich” I wonder if her ability to convey earnest sincerity might translate to Gillian’s character?
Yes, Wilford Brimley. Check out his biography. I was thinking not so much of Cocoon but of that incredible scene inAbsence of Malice where he comes in and flat out dominates a roomful of strong characters (including Paul Newman) and lays out the way things are going to be. Worth renting the whole movie just to fast-forward to that scene.
As for the rest, I dunno. Incredibly hard to think of someone for Mike who has the skill and range to go through all of his changes who isn’t already known to us and marked with other roles. It may need to be a fresh face.
And ;;ducking in advance:: after Julia Roberts’ turn in “Erin Brokovich” I wonder if her ability to convey earnest sincerity might translate to Gillian’s character?
This makes sense; I read the book in high school (we don’t need to discuss how long ago that was), and after I watched the movie a couple of years ago, I had a vague sense of “Is that it? Wasn’t there more to the book than just that?” [/hijack]
Polycarp, your Anthony Hopkins idea is perfect! Too bad Hollywood types have their heads so far up their buttholes that they would never realize it.
I agree with everyone who said VMS should be a newcomer; that’s probably the best way to go with such a different, complex type of character. I still can’t think of a perfect Gillian, but it would be a crime if she got turned into eye-candy in the movie. She was a great character in the book, and could be a major coup for an actor to make her come to life.
