Books into Movies ~ 11/04

How many of you have read a book, then watched a movie that was based on that same book? Were you disappointed? Or elated that they hadn't made any significant changes? Or even surprised to discover the movie was even better than the book?

Join us in an ongoing discussion of this very popular subject right now. Pull up a chair, take off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and join in!

Books in a Series by Their Authors
Movies Based on the Book

“A novel is a narrative that organizes itself in the world. And the cinema is a world that organizes itself into a narrative..”
French film critic Jean Mitry Your Discussion Leader: Bill H

Talk about other movies (not originally books) in our Movies and Videos discussion.
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New/Old.

An old favorite, "Books Into Movies" is coming back November 1st. This is the general discussion that Lorrie moderated for several years, and is being brought back by popular request.

The forum will include ALL books made into movies, both fiction and nonfiction, old-timers, and recent novels. You are invited to express your opinion of what you think of the movies that were adapted from books, and what their authors should have demanded from the producers of the screen plays. I hope to see all of you here on November 1st

I sincerely hope that I can do as good a job as Lorrie. With your cooperation, I'm sure it will be a great general discussion. And just in time for the holidays.

Bill H.

If I am first posting here, big deal. LOL Just wanted to get this one started. Getting a book translated into a movie has got to be a gigantic undertaking. I know there are so many that just don't measure up to the printed page. The most recent for me would be "Cold Mountain". The book was lovely, poetic. Translation to the screen left something to be desired. I think they cared more about "star power". For me, the movies made from the Grisham books, hold truer to original form. I base this on the fact that I can watch these movies again and again and still enjoy them.

Tomreader, congratulations on being the first one to post here. I didn't read Cold Mountain or see the movie. Could you please tell us something about it

Bill H

Tomereader, I agree with you about the Grisham books. I enjoy his books and then enjoy the movie when it comes out. I think my favorite of the books and movies was "The Client".

Charlene

Because yesterday I saw two that were so excellent.

Patrick Stewart was the Canterville Ghost. That movie was such a beauiful love story and I can't think of a better actor. An British accent is just right when it comes to reciting Shakespeare. (And yes, he is one of my favorite Star Trek Captains.)

The other one was Alice in Wonderland. I taped that one which is a good thing because it was 3 hours long and I did go to sleep on some of it. I wish now that I had also taped the Canterville Ghost. The English countryside and castles are so beautiful to see. Do they really have such things as bookcases that can be moved to reveal a secret passage.

I alsowatched The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. They were all on the Hallmark Channel and except for Alice had been shown during the week but I was busy but what a nice Sunday P.M. I had. I had a large cup of green tea flavored with splenda and lemon to go with them.

Favorite Book into Movie: "Gone With The Wind" (can sit with book in hand and follow the dialog almost exactly)

Worst Book into Movie: "Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy. Movie didn't emphasize major plot points - and was, IMO, just a vehicle for Barbra Streisand, who produced and starred.

Bill, Cold Mountain is a Civil War-based story. A severely wounded soldier is trying to get back to his home on Cold Mountain, and to the woman he loves, Ada. She is a transplant into the country from Charleston, unaccustomed to the toil and labor of a farm. Her father passes away, and she is left to near starving. A mountain girl named Ruby shows up one day, and teaches her about farming, cooking, etc. A great solid friendship grows between these two. Inman survives through will and luck, all the while hiding from the Federals who would shoot him as a deserter if found (he walked away from the hospital). His thoughts of Ada are the only thing keeping him alive through most of the book, as he recalls her beauty as antidote to all the horror he has seen in the war. Won't give away anything about the ending. But the book was awesome - - the movie tolerable.

Lawrence Block wrote a very good book Eight Million Ways To Die:A Matthew Scudder Novel. It is set in New York City. The protagonist ' helps people with their problems'. It is a mystery/private investigator style book. I loved it because it had so much to offer. The development of the protagonist (part of a series) moves along very well. It was made into a movie that was very very bad. The book was literate -- the movie was far from literate. The 'f...' word was used over and over and over.

As an avid reader I usually feel that books are always better than movies. The exception to this is Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day-Lewis. The beginning of this movie with Day-Lewis running through the woods makes one feel as if one were there. Of course there are many changes in Cooper's plot but the movie is a moving visual experience. I also agree that the Grisham books are usually translated well into movies. My favorites are Pelican Brief and Rainmaker. Gresham seems to allow some changes but the movies are fairly true to his books.On the other hand Dean Knootz seems to have had no control over the TV versions made of several of his movies and consequently they are much poorer for the changes that are made.

Tomereader, I agree with you about the Grisham movies/books. They do run pretty true to the book and enjoyable to watch again and again. I think my favorites there are Pelican Brief and A Time to Kill. I have read Cold Mountain, but have not seen the movie. My daughter and partner were very disappointed in the movie because, they said, they did not like the way Ruby was portrayed in the movie. I hadn't seen it because I was afraid Hollywood would really gore it up -- the book was pretty bloody in parts -- but they said the movie was not. What's your opinion on that?

I prefer to see the movie AFTER reading the book, and lately, I wonder how anyone who hadn't read the book would understand the movie. A classic example of that is Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.

My vote for worst book into movie mode is Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. They made it into a comedy which was ridiculous.

pedln, I totally agree about the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I loved the book, and the movie, too, but I wondered how anybody who hadn't read the book could understand all that was going on.

Two of my favorite books-to-movies are P. Travers "Anatomy of a Murder" and Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird". In both movie versions, some of the dialogue is taken verbatim from the book, and it's such a treat!

I love to read Grisham, and to see the movies made from his books. BUT, it seems to me that his newer books, which I have read before seeing the movies, are written like movie scripts from the get-go. He probably has the movie rights sold as soon as he starts writing, so he writes in a form that is easily translatable to a movie.

A few weeks ago, I saw the 1931 version of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, staring Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins. I thought this earlier version was far superior than the one with Tracy and Ingrid Bergman.
Fredric March turned in a stunning portrayal of Mr. Hyde and for this he won the Oscar for best actor in 1932. This was the first Oscar that March won. In 1946 he won his 2nd. Oscar for his performance in The Best Years of Our Lives. However, I thought Bergman played the part of Ivy Pearson much better than Hopkins. If you get a chance to see this early version please don't miss it.
By the way, was the Best Years of Our Lives a book?
Wasn't Miriam Hopkins the lady friend of William Randolph Hurst?

Bill H

CallieK, I was just about to mention that my favorite book into a movie was Gone With the Wind, too.. I read the novel the 2nd time after seeing the movie and enjoyed it so much more because I was able to give faces to the characters.
Tomreader, thank you for telling us about Cold Mountain. I am certain to put that novel on my reading list. Do you think it would be better to rent the movie, if possible, before reading the book?
Louise, I did seeThe Canterville Ghost, but missed the other two.
For me the worst books into movies were the Stephen King novels. They were actually a disgrace to his writing.

Bill H

BILL: I read my mother's second edition copy of GWTW every summer when I was in high school!

I agree about "Divine Secrets Of The YaYa Sisterhood". Very glad I read the book first. The movie cast was "delicious"!

I have neither read nor seen "Cold Mountain". I suspect I could more easily read the story than watch it, but neither has appealed to me.

One movie I preferred over the book is "Where The Heart Is", the story of a girl who lived in a Wal-Mart. Ashley Judd starred as the main character.

Bill and Callie you've brought up two titles that give me bragging rights of a sort -- not really. Re: Best Years of Our Lives -- Robert Sherwood wrote the screen play, but I could not find that it had been in book form previously. But, Frederic March (known then as Frederic Bickel) grew up in Racine, Wisconsin and attended Winslow Elementary School -- as did I at the time the movie was made. We also lived in Frederic March's house; my family rented it for five years from the current owner at that time, the landlady from hell. I remember throughout the time we lived there various members of the Bickel family stopping by to check out there former abode, but never the movie star, although there was a humongous portrait of him as a child still stored in the attic.

As for Billie Letts, who wrote Where the Heart Is, I understand she attended the local university here in my town - Southeast Missouri State U, and her husband taught there at one time. I enjoyed both book and film. They were delightful.

PEDLIN: Billie Letts was teaching at Southeastern State University in Durant OK when she wrote "Where The Heart Is". I grew up not far from there.
One of the characters in her book "Honk 'N' Holler Openin' Soon" is named for a small community near Durant. When I went to her local book signing for H & H, I commented on this. She signed my book "To C..., who knows where Caney got his name".
I've attended several book seminars in Tulsa at which she spoke. Neat lady.

CALLIE: I haven't read the book "Where The Heart Is", but I have seen the movie a couple of times. I love it..

Charlene

My biggest dissapointment in a book-movie was King's Row. I watched the movie on TV and decided that since it was so late I would just go on to bed and get the book. I couldn't believe the difference. I have never done that again.

Bill, Yes Miriam Hopkins was a friend of Hurst I believe.

I did not like Cold Mountain or The Devine Secrets etc. Maybe I am just getting old LOL. Cold Mountain was depressing and The Devine Secrets had entirely too much drinking for me.

As a special education teacher in jrhi I did find that my students enjoyed reading books after they had seen the movie. These were students that had reading problems and most of them didn't like to read at all.

One movie we watched but did not read was Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage, the TV version shown on TNT several years ago with Ed Harris and Amy Madigian. It was really good and the language was like that in Grey's book although some liberties were taken with the plot.

Bill, I would DEFINITELY read the book first. Then after you have digested it for awhile, rent the movie. I think you will see what I mean. Don't get me wrong, the movie wasn't awful, just not what I had hoped for.

Pedlin, not too much gore in the movie. Some;but what I consider too much, might be considered "very little" by someone else.

I saw Ya Ya Sisterhood first, and didn't ever get around to reading the book. LOL. Didn't think it could best the movie with the wonderful cast!

All, I enjoyed each of the movies Cold Mountain, The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, and Where the Heart Is. However, liked the books more! It is sometimes hard to compare the genres, especially depending on how the movie is done. Like the poetic, serene, solitary sense reading Cold Mountain would have been so hard to capture better than they did- I felt they did some. Yet, that feeling was part of the READING experience. One character in the movie was pretty far off from my imagining too- with Ruby and the development of the friendship between the two being depited, but that's just MY imagining, everybody's is different. Do read the book first, so you can imagine them for yourself. There was so much less of the terrible circumstances within Ya Ya and Where the Heart Is in the movies. This puts these takes of the same, somewhat, stories on whole different planes for a person taking them in, I feel. I did find Ya Ya Sisterhood, the book, quite depressing. The uplifting parts and the dearness of the characters and the story of Where the Heart is are what I felt did not come across on the screen much at all. So for all of you that really liked that movie- Check out the BooK!

Forgot to do this just now, but I wanted to bring up too:

What's everyone's feel on any John Irving books they've "seen"??

The World According to Garp The Hotel New Hampshire The Cider House Rules A Widow For One Year Part I made into The Door In the Floor very loosely A Prayer for Owen Meaney inspiring Simon Birch

Mary Z and Pedln - I agree as to, "Ya Ya Sisterhood". I enjoyed the book, and felt that the movie was very well done. However, if you hadn't read the book, the movie would have made no sense whatsoever. I can see why most people didn't like it. The same thing applies to, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil".

Pedln - I'm happy to see that someone else remembers, "Bonfire of the Vanities", as a great book, but a horrible movie. Why, oh why, did they turn it into an embarassingly ridiculous comedy?

Same applies to, "The Prince of Tides" - a books that's always on my Top Ten list of all time favorites. But the movie was a major disappointment. The entire focus was shifted from the family, and the history of the family, and onto the psychiatrist. (Barbra Streisand bought the rights to the story from Pat Conroy, so could do whatever she wanted.)

MARILYNE: I'd forgotten about "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil". I saw the movie - then read the book - then watched the movie again, as well as a "documentary" about the real characters. The movie made more sense after I read the book.
I was in Savannah while the "hype" was strong and enjoyed seeing the actual settings.

I haven’t seen the movie of “Cold Mountain” but loved the book. Sometimes I read the book first, but frequently I will watch the movie first. I find that I am less likely to be disappointed that way, since the books have time to be richer in detail.

“Gone with the Wind” is a classic, both book and movie. I love the fact that Margaret Mitchell took a suitcase of loose pages to the editor and he took the time to have his staff sort it into a book and printed it. What editor would do that today?

Yes to “Anatomy of a Murder” and “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Mary Z. Also to “The World According to Garp” and “The Cider House Rules”, ReaderWriter. Wonderful books and movies. And I loved “Prince of Tides” the book, but even though all the criticisms of the movie are valid, I liked it anyway. I thought Nick Nolte was excellent.

“The Client” was also my favorite Grisham movie, but then it is hard for me not to like a movie with Susan Sarandon in it. And the boy, I think it was Brad Renfro, was perfect for the part. “The Pelican Brief” and “The Firm” also had me on the edge of my seat. Maybe I am easy to please. Except for Tony Hillerman movies on Mystery! I watch them in spite of the fact that the directors play fast and loose with the stories. Adam Beach is such a wonderful Jim Chee that I can forgive a lot.

I really liked both the book and movie of “Mystic River”. I thought Clint Eastwood as director caught the feeling of the book as well as being true to the story. And of course casting Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon didn’t hurt, either.

If, like me, you can’t always remember what you have read and seen, try http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/movies/book.cfm Ones that popped up for me immediately were Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg, Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, Milagro Beanfield War by John Treadwell Nichols, Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg.

Pedlin, that was quite an experience living in a famous movie actor's previous home. What did his family want to see when they stopped by for a visit.
I didn't mean to imply that "The Best Years of Our Lives" had been a novel. I just wanted to point out that Fredric March had one a second Oscar for that.

Bill H

I liked both the book and movie of Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. The book was part of class I took in college. I remember being so suprised how modern romance stories use his style. lol

AliceAnn--

Your comment that your special-ed kids often went on to read the book gives me hope that my grand-adults will do likewise. I added Mansfield Park to the Emma tape for one granddaughter.

As for John Irving movies:

Cider House Rules was an excellent movie, although it really dealt with only part of the book.

And I thought Simon Birch (A Prayer for Owen Meany) was also excellently done. The, of course, there's The World According to Garp, and isn't Irving the author of Hotel New Hampshire?

I do think they tend to give his books good productions.

Oddly enough, for the longest time I've felt that ANY book I've read will not translate to the movie screen. After all, they are two quite different experiences. Believe it or not I had passes to see the Cider House Rules and saw the movie BEFORE I read the book. I agree, it only dealt with part of the story. I've never actually read GWTW, the movie came out when I was a young girl and I never fancied reading the actual book.How about" Rebecca" which we discussed at great length,at least 2 versions of that? I'm really not a big Stephen King fan, but his movie "Storm of the Century" was written directly for TV and the all you could read afterwards was the script, which I saw in an airport bookstore. I only watched that one because my son Casey Siemaszko was in it and we had visited the Toronto set. Has anyone seen Roman Polanski's "Tess"? Now there's an adaptation of a book I can really recommend. The photography alone captures the heart of the book, wish I could get it in video or DVD. Colkot

Perkie I liked your comment about the Tony Hillerman movies on PBS. I have only seen a couple but to me the guy playing Jim Chee is not the Jim Chee I had pictured after reading most of the books. Yes, he is a good actor but not my Jim Chee. Funny how we get a picture in our head. Now I don't have that problem with Lord Peter Whimsey from the Dorthy Sayers novels and the series on PBS. I wish they would show it again. I really enjoyed the Anne of Green Gables series on PBS and now on video. I have read the whole series several times in my life and I felt the video versions were true to the books and enjoyable. These books could be considered books for young adults but they are still enjoyable for all ages. Cold Sassy Tree is another favorite book that made changes in the movie but the movie was good. The book is fantastic.

Perkie, that's a good resource you pointed us to at the Mid-Continent Public Library. Looking at the list, I realize that I've seen many of the movies, but have not always read the book. And many times if I've seen the movie first I don't always want to read the book.

I agree with you about Mystic River -- an excellent book and an excellent film. I feel much the same about House of Sand and Fog. Both were very good, and was it Ben Kingsley who played the Iranian homeowner. He was excellent.

I have always enjoyed Mystery on PBS, but with the exception of the first Elizabeth George novel presented, which I enjoyed, I have been very disappointed with the other TV movies by that author. But some of the recent adaptations of Colin Dexter works have been even worse. They're just not like the old Inspector MOrse books. They should have left him dead and buried.

Couldn't agree more with the comment about the Inspector Morse series.But I think that the "resurrected" stuff we were seeing now is not in book form..but stuff adapted especially for TV.. if I'm not mistaken they are part of the PBS DVD or video sets you can purchase from the various PBS catalogs which turn up right about now for the holidays. I was not too keen on the PD James adaptations either. I missed Death in Holy Orders as I was away at the time. Anne of Green Gables was a great translation to TV.( When myolder daughter was an exchangestudent at the Catholic University in Lublin (Poland) she read Anne of Green Gables in Polish!) Colkot

Two years ago I moderated the discussion "Truman." This non fiction book dealt with the life of Harry Truman, dating back before President Truman was born. It opened with his grand parents settling in Missouri. . Of course this book dealt with his childhood, his early political career and his presidency. A great work by the author David McCullough. I believe Mr. McCullough received a Pulitzer award for this biography.
Well, a made for TV movie was adapted from this book, The actor playing the role of Harry Truman did an outstanding piece of acting. However, the TV movie fell so short of the book that I was truly disappointed. If it hadn't been for the superb acting of the man who played Truman it would not have been worthwhile watching. If someone here can think of this actor's name, please refresh my memory
This discussion is in our archives and if you would like to review it, please use this link.
TRUMAN

Bill H

Bill, I think it was Gary Sinise. He is a fabulous actor.

I just saw on TV that Hallmark Hall of Fame is going to have "Back When we Were Grownups". This was a book by Anne Tyler. The program will be on sometime this month. (Probably around Thanksgiving).

It has a terrific looking cast and should be worth our watching time.

Tomreader, thank you for jogging my memory. Yes, it was Gary Sinise and he is a great actor. Did you see the TV movie "Truman?" If I hadn't read the bio by David McCullough, I suppose I would've enjoyed the movie that much more.
Thank you for the heads up about "Back When we Were Grownups".

Bill H

Agatha Christie had several of her novels made into movies. For example, her Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot stories still play on some of the TV channels. I know Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey novels played on PBS and I enjoyed this series.
Do any of you folks have a favorite move of these two authors?.

Bill H

Bill, I remember your excellent discussion of McCullough's Truman. And I remember carrying that heavy book to DC to meet with other SeniorNetters for the National Book Festival. And what a thrill it was to hear David McCullough speak.

I have not seen the Gary Sinise film, but the Truman film I remember is James Whitmore's 1975 one man performance of Give 'Em Hell, Harry. I'd love to see it again if it has captioning. When Margaret Truman saw it she said, "My God, it's my father."

Another bad conversion from book into film is Blood Work (don't remember the author, but it's about FBI man Terry McCabe. Hollywood gave it a totally different perpetrator and completely turned it around.

Bill, the one I really remember and liked is Murder on the Orient Express with a big cast of well-known stars. A winner there. Recently there was a TV version where they tried to modernize it, and it just didn't play right for me.

I am really enjoying this discussion. The posts here keep sending me to Netflix to see if they have a captioned version. My que of films to see is going to last until the next millenium.

Pedlin, yes, that was a heavy book and I hope McCullough autographed for you after you carried it all that way! It is hard to belive that over two years have passed since the book festival in WDC.
I can't seem to remember if I saw James Whitmore's 1975 performance in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry. I do hope they show it again because I think James Whitmore is one of the finest actors ever seen on stage and screen. Did he ever win an Oscar for any of his movies?

Bill

As far as I can tell, Bill H., James Whitmore has never received an Oscar. He was nominated for “Give 'em Hell, Harry!” in 1975 but lost to Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” http://www.siliconvalleycleaners.com/lifestyles/movies/oscar_best_actor.html

I guess I am not too critical, Bill H., as I can’t remember any of the Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers movies that I didn’t like!

Bill, One of my favorite Dorthy Sayers books is Busman's Honeymoon. I think I woke up one nite and saw an old movie from that book. It was not on PBS. Did I dream this or did anyone else see it? Another young people's book that my students read and was made into a movie that we watched was That Was Then This is Now, by S.E.HInton. Emilo Estavez one of Martin Sheen's sons evidently bought the movie rights to this book because the ending was changed and his character also changed. I would have my students compare and contrast the book and movie. They liked the movie the best although it had a darker ending they knew it was more realistic even though they were just in jr hi.

Another wonderful book, that was made into a movie starring James Whitmore, was, Where The Red Fern Grows. I read the book, by Wilson Rawls, after I saw and loved the movie. Most people think it's a children's book and movie, but it isn't at all. I highly recommend it to people of all ages.

It's an excellent story, that's in the same category as, The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, which was also made into a great movie, starring Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman and Claude Jarman, Jr. I have especially fond memories of going to see the premier of, "The Yearling", in Hollywood, in 1946. What a memorable experience that was for a 12 year old!

I'm not sure if it was here, or in the TV group that someone recently was talking about seeing some 'new' Insp. Morse books/movies.

First of all, unless they have a new actor playing 'Morse', there can't be any 'new' movies. John Thaw who played Morse, died just about the time his fictional counterpart died. Also, not all of the Morse movies were derived from Dexter's books. If you watch the opening credits, you will see that some of them were 'based on characters created by Colin Dexter'.

I think it's the BIO channel that has been showing a whole Sunday afternoon of British mysteries lately: Midsomer Murders, Morse, etc., followed by Poirot and Holmes in the evening. I look forward to it every week.

Pedlin, Murder on the Orient Express did have a great cast, but I'm trying to remember the actor who played the role of Hercule Poirot in that movie. Oh, I just remembered! Was it Albert Finney?
Perkie, James Whitmore needn't feel bad about losing out to Jack Nicholson for the Oscar award in 1975 for the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." That was a great movie. But the Jack Nicholson movie I liked best was from the Stephen King novel "The Shinning." As I write this I can still see and hear Jack Nicholson with Ax in hand shouting "…heeeeres Jhoneeeey." I liked the "Shinning" as well as I liked the novel.
Annabelle, I didn't see the movie "Busman's Honeymoon." Did Emilo Estavez direct the movie?
Marilyne, thank you for telling us about the book and movie. I hope "Where the Red Farm Grows" is on video cassettes. It is always a real treat to watch Whitmore.
Jean, I believe what really helped the Inspector Morse movies to be so popular was the supporting role played by Morse's assistant, Sergeant Lewis. What was his name?

Bill H

Bill H

Kevin Whatley.

And he had a small part in the Branagh Henry V.

What I notice most about him is his big plodding feet. Morse captured my heart, and when both he and John Thaw died, I mourned. One of the shows this afternoon is, I believe, one I have never seen. And THAT takes some doing. I do have most of them on tape.

Of course there can't be any more.. as John Thaw has died. And yes, there are several episodes based on the Colin Dexter characters which means they are not books per se. I meant that we had not seen these particular episodes HERE. I believe that Colin Dexter himself has a cameo appearance in several of the films. I was disppointed in the last adaptation..the Sorrowful Day as I had read the book several years ago. Kevin Whatley has a long acting career in GB. Where the Red Fern Grows stars a young man, Adam Faraizl, who worked with my daughter Nina on "Lonesome Dove" (another book adaptation) Colkot

Jean, thank you for refreshing my memory about Lewis' name. You know, I remembered his last name about an hour ago, but I still couldn't bring up his first name. I wonder what he is doing now.
John Thaw played a part in one of the Sherlock Holmes TV movies along with Jeremy Brett. As far as I can tell Shaw only played in the one Sherlock movie.
By the way, those Sherlock movies that PBS carried with Jeremy Brett were great adaptations of Doyle's stories. I did enjoy watching them.

Bill H

Emilo Estavez may have directed That was THen This is NOw. He had a starring part.

Where the Red Fern Grows was one of the books that we read in my class of students with various reading problems. I think this was one of the movies that we watched before we read the book.

Another sorta kids book but that I enjoyed both the book and the movie was HOLES.I also watched and read this with a class of students with both learning and behavior problems. They really enjoyed it.

Recently I read Oprah's recommended book, "The Good Earth," by Pearl S.Buck and I did enjoy it, so I checked with my local library and found that it was made into a movie in the mid 1930's, I believe. I was able to request it from another library in the system and I have to say that the movie was in keeping with the book even though it was made many, many years ago. Has anyone else read the book or recall seeing the movie? Another Oprah book that was made into a movie which I thought was interesting and fairly true to the book was "The Pilot's Wife," by Anita Shreve. I will think of more books made into movies that I've seen over the years, but my mind is shutting down for the evening so will check back later this week.

Marlene

Marline, I did see the movie "The Good Earth," with Paul Muni and Louise Rainer. Charley Grapewin also played in the movie--remember him?--but I didn't read the book. I was quite young when the movie appeared on the screen and I have to admit it was rather deep for a youngster.

Last month we did a book discussion on the novel "The Maltese Falcon," by Dashiell Hammett. Well this book was made into a movie, starring Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and other prominent actors. Well, I didn't care for the book. I liked the movie much better. How did any of you feel about the book compared to the movie?

Bill H

Bill H, I have not read any of Hammett's books, so perhaps I should as I may be missing a good author. Thanks for mentioning Humphrey Bogart in the movie version of "The Maltese Falcon," I think I will check with the library and see if I can get it. Some of the old movies are so worth watching. What was it about the book that was not as good as the movie?

Marlene

Marlene, I din't mean to imply that the book was not good. I just didn't care for the style of writing Hammett used for story.

Bill H

Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities" was such a good book, and the movie was just awful.

Wolfe has a new book out. Was reviewed Sunday in the Wash Post. Reviewer praised the writing, but didn't care much for the story. I'll probbly pass. I do try to avoid as much unpleasantness these days as I can manage.

When Marlene mentioned the Good Earth, it jogged my mind of another good motion picture adapted from a book. "The Grapes of Wrath based on the novel by John Steinbeck. The motion picture starred Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. I thought this screen play was excellent although it didn't go into as much detail as the novel, but no movie does, and no motion picture could go wrong with Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. Did she ever receive an Oscar?

Bill H

One of my favorite movies adapted from a book was A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. Ronald Colman and .Edna May Oliver played in this dramatic black and white movie. Even though I saw this picture in 1935, I still keep seeing the strong features of Edna May Oliver. She stole the limelight when she appeared on the screen.

Bill H

I read many Pearl S. Buck books when I was younger. I have often said that my mother thought she was Chinese because she thought she should be the head of the family as the oldest Chinese woman in the family was. I also have know other people that felt that way.

I recently rented The Scarlet Pimperneil (sp??) from NetFlix. This was the newer version but was made over twenty years ago. I have read the book and have also seen the black and white version with Leslie Howard I believe. Both movie versions were good as was the book.

I do think that mysteries are the hardest type of book to make into a movie because we know so much of what the characters are thinking and it is impossible to include all of it in the movie.

Martha

Today I was thinking of Schindler's List. The movie, that is. I had never heard of the book until well after seeing the movie. Most of the movies we see have been made from well-known books. Can you think of some others where the movie became popular before the book?

It wasn't a book, but a play. But last week I saw again The Little Foxes with Bette Davis.

My oh my, they just don't make actresses like that any more. The look on her face as she sits there and watches her husband die and refuses to get him his medicine would run a freezer for years.

Last night I saw part of a promo for an upcoming TV movie, of The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I had no idea that it was being made into a movie. I didn't catch who is starring in it? I liked the book very much. It was short and simple, and had a thoughtful message, without being preachy or "religious". Especially a good story for seniors, I thought.

Pedlin, I'll put my thinking cap on and see if I can remember some of the movies that made the book popular.
The Green Mile was another excellent movie adapted for the screen from Steven King novel of the same name. This was a powerful motion picture, as was the book. It was not only filled with mystery but so much horror. And let us not forget The Shawshank Redemption another good movie from a book by the same author.
Tom Hanks and David Morse--remember him from the TV show "Hack." starred in that screen play. I liked the TV show "Hack," and it seems that the TV programs I like are always discontinued.
Shawshank Redemption starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. It's hard for me to believe that Shawshank hit the screen in 1994. Just think of that. Ten years ago.

Bill H

Pedlin, that was a good suggestion you made about movies making the book popular, Maybe some of us can come up with something.

Bill H

Bill, I think the movies I'm trying to think of, like Schindler's List, are the ones that came from relatively unknown or obscure books. Someone like Spielberg has a good eye for what would make a good movie -- sleeper books, one might call them. The movie makes a big splash and then we find out it's from such and such a book by someone we never heard of.

Several months ago I read a movie review in the NYT about an Italian movie I'm Not Scared. Now I've got the translated book on my shelf, waiting to be read, and am waiting for the DVD with English subtitles to come from Netflix. It was showing in New York this past summer -- about a young boy exploring ruins near his village who finds a boy who has been kidnapped and is being held there. Now my dilemma -- which to do first -- read the book or watch the movie?

Pedln,

I'd go with reading the book first to get the real idea of what the author intended. For most books, in addition to the actual story line, there is the writing style, atmosphere, etc. Often when Hollywood converts from book to screen they move the action away from that of the book and thus dilute what the author intended.

Yes, I'd do the book first.

The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies but I have never read the story it is taken from. I also enjoyed the Green Mile. I listened to the book or books on tape mostly as I made a wedding cake. I hoped it wouldn't cast a bad spell on the wedding LOL. However, it is a good marriage. I just recently saw the movie and really liked it a lot. The movie that I wish had a book that it was made from is Notting Hill. It is such a sweet movie but it was an original screen play I believe.

It's amazing what you come across when you indulge in Googling -- I like "advanced googling" because you can be a bit more specific.

Anyway, the title of the site below is "Answers to 'Literature to Film' ". And yes, the questions are there as well.

http://www.barcelonareview.com/38/e_quiz_ans.htm

Alice, I am hajppy to hear the marriage is successful ). I'm sure you would like the novel "Shawshank Redemption. " It is a good read. By the way, Alice was my mother's name. Good to see it again.
Pedlin, thank you for that link. You must've read my mind because I was thinking how nice it would be to know literature into movies.
Can anyone tell me if Agatha Christie's "Endless Night." was made into a movie?

Bill H

Bill, I just checked on Netfllix and yes, Endless Night was made into a movie in 1972, starring Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett.

Pedlin, thank you for that information. I'm just finishing the novel and it really has a surprise ending.
The story is not very long, and perhaps the movie can stick to the book. Thamks again.

Bill H

Paths of Glory: The French Army 1914-18
A few weeks ago, on TCM, I watched a movie adaptation of this non fiction book by Anthony Clayton. . Kirk Douglas played the role of Col. Dax an officer in the French Army during World War One. This outstanding movie revolved around a French infantry regiment commanded by Col Dax (Kirk Douglas) that was given the impossible assignment of taking a strategic point called "the ant hill."
The movie was made in 1957 and filmed in black and white which made the showing of it even more dramatic.
The announcer that introduced the movie explained that some critics considered this to be Douglas' finest acting performance. Now that is really saying something considering all the movies that Kirk Douglas played in.
There is only one battle scene in the movie which lasts just a few minutes. The rest f the motion picture is about the unfair treatment of a few French soldiers, whom Douglas is trying to defend.. If you get a chance to view this movie, please do so. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Bill h

Today we start another Curious Minds discussion. Do join us and offer your opinion of teaching and schools today.

Do We Need a Teaching Tuneup?

Is going to be made into a movie. there is some interest in who will play the main role. It hinted that Tom Hanks would be a good selection. Somehow I envision the good professor as more academic, but then he does have to be pretty physical at times. . . . claire

The Long Hot Summer was a short story first then made into a movie starring Paul Newman. Then a mini series was made for TV and starred Don Johnson. There was so much more added to the story for the TV mini series. I think Judith Ivy won an emmy for her part. I can't remember reading it so can't compare them.

Ann, thank you for the link to Curious Minds. That should be a good one.
Claire, that is good news about the Da Vinci Code. I'm still waiting for novel to come out in paperback. I was at the local Barnes and Noble this afternoon and they told me that paperbacks of this novel is scheduled to appear in bookstores in March.
GinnyAnn, I missed that TV mini series. But it would be pretty hard for any actor to do a better job than Paul Newman.

Bill H

I like both versions. The TV version starred

Don Johnson ... Ben Quick

Jason Robards ... Will Varner

Judith Ivey ... Noel Varner

Cybill Shepherd ... Eula Varner

Ava Gardner ... Minnie Littlejohn

William Russ ... Jody Varner

GinnyAnn, that's a pretty good cast. I missed it.

Bill H

I am a big starwars fan...

Helena, thank you for reminding us of those wonderful Star War movies. The special effects of those movies were superb. Who can forget R2 and D2. I hope I got those names right.

Bill H

With the holidays coming and the grandchildren looking forward to toys and children's books, let's not forget to mention some of the fine movies adapted from books by the great Walt Disney. As you can see from the above two book covers, I was thinking of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, by the Brothers Grimm and Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.

I'm sure all of you read these children stories, so can you help me remember the names of the seven dwarfs, and why Pinocchio's nose kept growing )

Bill H

Hi - I am so happy that his site has a movies board. I have to admit-- I am a bit of a movie buff- action, comedies, romance you name it. Not meaning to gloat, but I won tickets to a pre-screening of the movie National Treasure. I am going tonight. Details to come, but I will not spoil it for the rest of you. Have a great night~ What movies have you seen lately?

Helena, I don't want to spoil your fun, but this forum is limited to movies adapted from books. There are so many of them that you won't have any problems posting here.

Bill H

This is a movie forum in Arts & Entertainment Index. You will like that I'm sure.

I don't think anyone has mentioned the greatest movie classic yet... "Gone With The Wind." I've tried to read this book in the past, but it's so darn thick, that I've never been able to finish it. The first time that I saw this movie was when I first moved here from England and was living in Mountain Home, Idaho. The landlady where we lived took me to see it at the drive-in in 1962 or '63, not quite sure, but I was awe-struck and have watched the movie many times since. A couple of years ago, my grand-daughter said that she would like the video as one of her christmas presents. She loved it and has watched it numerous times too.

By the way, was it you Bill, that mentioned "The Maltese Falcon?" I did get the video from the library today, so will be watching it in the next few days.

Marlene

Marlene, yes, I was the one that mentioned The Maltese Falcon. Hope you enjoy the video. Yesterday, the TV channel TCM showed The Faltese Falcon.
I saw the movie "Gone With the Wind" before reading the book and I'm glad I did because it gave life to the charcters in the book.

Bill H

scarlett will forever be vivian lee. I must have seen the movie ummpteen times and read the book several as well. the sequal SCARLETT was a mighty effort but didn't seem to work for mme. . . not the same people I was used to. a good try though and ok by itself. . . . . claire

I read Gone With the Wind when I was in my early 20's. Can't remember when I saw the movie. What I remember about it is being so frustrated with Scarlet. Her 'I will think about that tomorrow' wore very thin.

Last night I watched a TCM movie "To Kill a Mocking Bird." This very excellent movie was adapted from the book, by by Harper Lee, Mary M. Hartley. I read this novel was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. I read the book so many years ago and I can see why it did win the Pulitzer.
I missed the beginning of the movie and did not see all of the credits and list of actors. Therefore I was surprised to see Robert Duvall in the movie. I didn't recognize him at first because he looked so young. I kept asking myself, "Who is this guy?" I was sure it was Duvall. When the movie ended they did run the credits again and sure enough it was Robert Duvall.
The picture is listed as a 1962 first showing. Is this Robert Duvall's first movie?

Bill H

I can't believe you're just meating up with that mockingbird book/movie. both on my see and read over and over again list. gregory peck was young then too and perfect for the father role. I should remember the authors name, but I only remember that she never wrote another book.

Winsum, Oh, I saw the movie a long time ago. I just watched it again Saturday night. When I was a member of the Literary Guild's "Book of the Month Club" I read the novel when it was first published. I gave you the athur's name in the post I wrote.

Bill H

by toni morrison I just finished watching it on tv with oprah winphe. it was mesmerizing. . . a ghost story about race and love. . . . claire

Bill, Pinocchio's nose grew when he lied. In my family we tell the children at times that their nose is growing. Sometimes we tell another adult that.

My Alice name I got from Alice in Wonderland. Once years ago I was a camp counselor and I had long blonde hair so my nickname was AL short for Alice. The Anne is from Anne of Green Gables one of my favorites.

I am watching a Harry Potter movie today. The Prisoner of Azkabam. I usually go to see the movies with my older daughters family the first day they come out in our town. I was sick this year and couldn't go. I must admit I have listened to the Harry Potter books instead of reading them but I have enjoyed them. My older five grandchildren all have enjoyed the books and some of them have read them more than once. Talking about Harry Potter gives us a common interest. Even the two seven year olds and the five year old are familar with them and can enter in. My grandchildren each have two copies of a Harry Potter book that my nephew bought for them when traveling in Europe.

As for Kill a Mockingbird. My younger grandson had expressed some prejudice and so his aunt and uncle had him watch it when it was on. He didn't get a lot from it but his seven year old brother did. I guess we have to keep working an Will the five year old.

Hi: This is my first posting. I love books and movies so this seems like a great place to be. I read "Gone with the Wind" all during my first pregnancy some 36 years ago when my husband was overseas and I had 9 long months alone. I LOVED the book and have also seen the movie, which was very good indeed.

Another book I loved during that same time period was "Forever Amber" I thought the two characters were similar. Although Amber seemed to just always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, whereas Scarlett went out looking for trouble. Oh well, thats my 2 cents worth. Thanks for letting me join the group.

Attended Elderhostel this past summer that featured the above books made into movies and enjoyed it very much. Opportunity to visit with and hear from the authors of these contemporary books was very interesting. The U of N IA in Cedar Falls will be repeating the program in summer 05 and adding a segment on the Music Man.Lovely town - truly a slice of Americana.

Gordy, welcome to Books into Movies. I'm glad you found us here. I remember reading Forever Amber years ago and saw the movie much later. I did like both. Your two cents is always welcome here.
Water Lily, welcome to Books into Movies. I'm sure you will have much to contribute here.
Alice, everybody called my mother Al, too. Short for Alice. Thanks for the tip about Pinocchio. )
Claire, thank you for telling us about that movie. I love ghost stories.
I would like to take this moment to wish you all
Happy Thanksgiving!

Bill H

Anyone here an Austen-ite? Several of her novels have been made into movies such as Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and two versions of Pride and Prejudice! There is a Jane Austen Society of North America and several national chapters in various cities across this country, and often those movies are shown to members attending chapter meetings. And, for someone like myself, who is housebound, viewing at home makes up for not getting out in person, but allows traveling via the stagecoach of the imagination. My personal favorite(s): the two versions of Pride and Prejudice, the first with Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson; the second with Winona Ryder and other cast members. What are yours?

Is our book of the month for the library group. Its a crazy book and a super movie with Sandra Bullock. I enjoyed both.

I also enjoyed "Absolute Power" by David Baldacci. A thriller for sure!

How about "Accidental Tourist" by Anne Tyler?? Funny yet sad movie.

I just saw Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park" but didn't recognise the actors. I believe the movie was produced in the UK.

was a surprisingly good movie. The director did a great job! Even my husband enjoyed it and he would never have the read the book. Again, it was a book of the month book in our library group. Everyone liked it.

Why am I here on Thanksgiving Day??? Well, we are having our dinner delivered by our DIL since we have some ill kids and adults in the extended family who don't want to leave home. We are providing the pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I am missing all the excitement of everyone getting together and enjoying the delicious meal along with each other's company. Will spend the day reading and watching old movies on TV.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving, Ann - I'm here, too. Our family comes here for Thnx, and usually I wouldn't have enough time to sit down at the computer. We usually have our "big" dinner on Saturday, but things got spread out some this year. The biggest family (5) came last night, along with two of our daughters without other family members (one divorced, the other's husband and son were deer-hunting). So we were 9 here last night. The 5-family left this morning for in-laws, so we're temporarily quiet right now. The fourth daughter and two sons will be in tomorrow. Now that 3 of the grands are in college, things are getting more scattered. Guess that's to be expected.

funny this is the first year I've forgotten it. Didn't remember until I got on line and everyone was posting greetings so HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL Mine is much less fattening since my family is far away and I don't bother. I don't mind either. have a good one. . . . claire

Patricia Robinson-King, Welcome to Books into Movies. I'm positive our readers will appreciate the information you posted . Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson would make any movie worthwhile watching. I wonder if that version is on video cassette?
Ann, you gave us plethora of good books and their movies to look for. If all the movies from these books are on video cassette, who would want to watch all the junk on TV!
Mary, your post jogged my mind of those great Thanksgiving day feasts when all my family was still together. Not only did we have the turkey and all the fixins for the main meal at about three o'clock, but at 9: PM the dinning room table would be set again with the cold cuts of turkey and a plentitude of other goodies. As Archie Bunker would say: "Those Were the Days."
Claire, even though your family is far away I hope you had a good one. I bet you haven't forgotten that today is just about the busiest shopping day of the year. I saw on TV that people were standing in line at five o'clock this morning waiting in the cold for the doors to open at the giant retailers to open their doors, and it is a cold day here in the east. They must be a gluten for punishment! I was turning on my other side for some more sleep.

Bill H

Folks, There is now a link in the heading--Books in a Series by Their Authors. You may be surprised at how many of the authors had their books made into movies. It may be fun to search this alphabetical list of authors to see if your favorite author had a book into a movie.
Jane, thamk you for placing that link in the heading.

Bill H

On E channel last night a viographical sketch of oprah. BELOVED her first production didn't do well at the boxoffice but I thought it was fantastic and her acting job too for a gal who started out not as an actor but as a newsperson on tv. She was great in COLOR PURPLE too and that was her FIRST acting job. Steven Speilberg wanted her over weight and told her to stay home from the fat farm she was going to go to in order to be the "RIGHT " SIZE. SHE WAS PERFECT THE WAY SHE WAS.

SO IS beloved. . CLAIRE

BOTH KIDS DID CALL . . . EVENTUALLY . . THEY'D BETTER. . . (G).

I believe that the movies that I have read and seen, that I mentioned here, are all available.

I remembered one of my two favorite scary titles by the same author so went looking to see if there had been a movie. And, sure enough there is a movie of the first of three titles(I didn't know about the third one until I read someone else's site)! AND I have ordered the newest book to read, the audio tape for my husband who listens on his trip to work, plus the movie of the first one----from my library! So, here are the titles:

Primal Fear

Show of Evil

Reign of Hell

by Wm Diehl. This is a trilogy, I found today. These are pretty frightening books or tapes. Well, the first two were and I will let you know if the third is also. Richard Gere is the lawyer in the first one which is the only one made into a movie so far.

Ann, thank you for those titles. I'm sure they would all make for good reading/watching now that weather is cold and the nights are long.

Bill H

Books into Moview --- The possibilities are endless, Bill, and so is the variety of choice: e.g. classical works vs. newer works of fiction, and so on. One of the latter would be Shipping News by Annie Proulx. Some people with whom I've spoken enjoyed the film actually more than the movie.

One of the classics might be "Of Human Bondage" by Somerset Maugham and the movie with Bette Davies.

Since I have not been here from the beginning, BILL, I aplogize for any involunary repetition on my part.

When a work of fiction is made into a movie, the makers of the film have the (contractual) right to add, omit or change the focus of the story in any way they please. And they often do, which disappoints and frustrates devoted readers no end (!)

I fully agree with you, Bill, that a book should be read first, for without it there WOULD be no movie!

Traude, I am very happy to see you here. No need to apologize. That informative post you gave us is in no way repetitive. Traude, when I was, oh so young, I saw the movie "Of Human Bondage," starring Betty Davis and Leslie Howard. I watched the movie with a favorite cousin of mine, who died a few months later at the age of twenty-five.
Every time I see that title I think of that fine young man, who treated me like a kid brother. Not only did he take me to the movies, when he went to the library he would bring me the tales of The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson, etc. No, Traude, no apologies necessary for your post.
However, it did moisten my eyes a bit.

Bill H

I visited a used bookstore today in Dallas or maybe Richardson that has a section on books that have been made into movies. I thought this was a good idea.

Me too, AliceAnne, because there is so MANY of them, books made into movies, you'd really not realize how many there are.

I've seen two recently, Troy based of course on The Iliad, what a mess, it's a nice MOVIE but true to the book it certainly isn't and I think the book makes sense!

No I take that back, I saw Vanity Fair (I saw them making that at Hampton Court in England) and I think it's really good, but again there, I have not read the original book, but I did like the movie.

TCM has been running Gone With the Wind and I had forgotten how absorbing that thing is, but the book is so much better, I think it would be super to DO a "books into movies" discussion again.

Just saw Polar Express, and I really enjoyed IT tho apparently they added on a lot of stuff like a hobo on top of the roof and the train skidding along the ice and some other roles and children but I, never having read the book, liked it a lot.

So I guess we have to ask, when a book is made into a movie, does it count if they use a lot of artistic license? Is the point of a movie Ars Gratia Artis, as they say in their opening scenes, art for the sake of art, or is it to bring the book alive? Which do YOU all think?

This is going to be on TV Sunday. I will be watching to see if it's better than the book.

I saw "Gone With the Wind" when it first came out in 1939. I was just a kid and very impressionable. What an impression it made! Read the book many years later, and have read it several times since. It's not "Politically Correct" by today's standards, but still a good book.

I don't know if anyone has said this before, but it was Marion Davies who was Randolph Hearst's movie star girlfriend.

One of my favorite old movies was "The Enchanted Cottage", taken from Sir Arthur Wing Pinero's play.

I didn't like The Da Vinci Code, thought the characters were flat. The movie might be better, who knows?

I loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, both as a book and as a really fine movie.

Mystic River is an extraordinarily good book, in my opinion, and the movie is superior.

Mal

Well, happy to see Ginny and Mal stopped by.
Mal, I liked the movie "The Enchanted Cottate,"too. Marion Davies played in the early release of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. I think I may have mentioned that before. She didn't do near the job in that movie that Ingrid Bergman did in the later release but I think Fredric March did a far superior job than Spencer Tracy. March won an Oscar for his role in that movie.
Ginny, I saw Gone With the Wind before I read the book and it gave me faces to the people I was writing about.
Alice Anne. I wonder if that book shop you visited had a web site,
Tomreader, that movie sounds good. I like TCM.
I haven't been here for a couple of days because I am having computer problem. I opened an e-mail and I believe I picked up something that gives me all kinds of pop up ads

Bill H

Folks, there is a new link in the heading. "Movies Based on the Book."
This web site lists over 1000 movies adapted from the book title. Perhaps you can find your favorite book/movie listed there. Take a little look see.
Thank you, Jane.

Bill H

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven", is on ABC tonight. I loved that little book very much, and just hope that the movie is as good. Mitch Albom, who wrote the book, is also doing the screenplay, so he will likely stick close to the original story.

For those of you who didn't read it, please don't let the title put you off. It is not a religious story. It's a fable - a thoughtful commentary on the significance of everyone's life, no matter how simple or meaningless, it may seem at the time. I think that John Voight will be good in the part of Eddie, and Ellen Burstyn, sounds perfect for Ruby. I don't recognize the actress who plays Marguerite, but I do like Jeff Daniels (The Blue Man) and Michael Imperioli, (The Captain).

Ginny, when i first saw your question about why movies are made from books my first thought was "the box office." Best selling books sell movies. But I don't always think that is true. I think sometimes producers and directors see either artistic potential or perhaps a message in a story. Schindler's List probably had both. Simon Birch also. Neither of the books were what you'd call blockbusters, so i think someone saw something there.

And thinking back to Garp. Was the movie made from a bestseller or did the book become a bestseller after the movie?

I didn't get to see Gone with the Wind when it first came out, although I told everyone in the neighborhood that my mother had taken me to see it. She sure got a few phone calls about how inappropriate it was for a pre-schooler. But I remember when it was "redone." Was that the first time we had an intermission in a movie? It was so long it wouldn't fit on one reel?

Awhile back someone asked about movies better than their books. Someone brought up Bridges of Madison County a few posts back. That's one where I thought the movie was good, the book was dopey.

My 12-year-old grandson is getting the 4DVD Star Wars Trilogy for Christmas. (The 4th DVD is all special material.) Probably a big mistake as it won't encourage him to read anything else and that is just about all he reads. But hey, it's Christmas.

It's interesting about Harper Lee and Margaret Mitchell -- two Southern writers -- their best seller books became blockbuster movies and they each wrote only one book.

Truman Capote 'Childhood reflections formed the basis of two short stories that were adapted for television: "A Christmas Memory" (1956) and "The Thanksgiving Visitor" (1968)'. I never saw them, so can't say how true the TV productions were to the stories.
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-capote-truman.asp
When BOOKTALK was active at TA, I was the moderator, we discussed them. It was a great suprise to me how much I liked the stories. To me he is so tied to the nonfiction In Cold Blood. Didn't read it nor did I see the movie.
It was also a suprise when I learned that he wrote Breakfast At Tiffany's (1958; film, 1961). It is one of my all time favorite movies. I never read the novela.

Did you know that Mr. Capote was the inspiration for the character of 'Dill' in "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

Judy

Didn't know that. This reminds me of the Its a Wonderful Life. How different the town would be if one person had never lived. Of course life isn't a movie so we only see the final version.

It's funny how you judge an author (and dismiss him) by one book - such as Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. I wonder why he even wrote that book - although I have to admit reading it and being unable to put it down. You have convinced me to look into his short stories, Ginny Ann.

I've enjoyed Tom Wolfe's novels - Bonfire of the Vanities in particular...but don't know what to make of his new I Am Charlotte Simmons - is that the right title? I'm wondering why he wrote it - and am probably curious enough to read it. I've heard that there is already talk of a movie deal and the book is just out!

Bill, I don't see Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage on that list in the heading...but do see The Razor's Edge Have you seen the movie that's out there now - On Being Julia? It is based on Maugham's The Theater. I thought it would be fun to read the book before seeing the movie. Our local library is trying to trace their only copy of this 1937 novel. In the meantime I found a reissue in paperback in Border's - with Annette Benning's photo on the cover!

Would anyone else be interested in reading/discussing some of Maugham's work? We could do Theater - it's short and maybe even look into Of Human Bondage too - I've never read it - yet the title is so famous and familiar? Or Razor's Edge, which is the more highly regarded if less talked about these days. I feel lacking in the Maugham department...

Marilyne - do you think Five People You Meet in Heaven would make a good book discussion - or is it more for personal contemplation?

Joan, welcome back. I'm sure we all missed you. I did see the early version Of Human Bondage with Betty Davis and Leslie Howard, but that title holds a sad memory for me. I mentioned in an earlier post that a favorite cousin of mine (a really great guy) took me to see that movie just three months before he died at the age of 25. I try to shy away from anything connected with that title. I guess it just a mental thing ( I only see these books made into movies by

W. Somerset Maugham
However, all those books into movies you mentioned would make for a fine book discussion.

Bill H

How about a combination of Maugham's The Theatre and Of Human Bondage? If you prefer, you could just do Theatre - on which "On Being Julia" is based. Or Razor's Edge, Bill. I can understand how the association with your cousin will always be painful for you. I'll go find something on Razor - I do remember the critic Harold Bloom putting it on his "Great Books" list. Have you ever read any Maugham?

Hoping you all follow-through on doing any of the Maughm books mentioned, or others. I've just read his few most famous, but really enjoy him. Julia

I have enjoyed reading everyone's comments. I too love both the book and movie - Gone With the Wind. War and Peace is the only other book that I like both formats. Otherwise, I have learned over the years not to see the movie once I've read the book. I've found that the better the book, the poorer the movie. I could not bring myself to take a chance on Cold Mountain because the visual images are so strong in the book I can't imagine them being dealt with properly in a movie. A made for TV movie that followed the book very closely and accurately was Gettysburg - based on The Killer Angels. In that case I saw the movie first and was real hesitant to read the book. Was pleasantly surprised. Mary

Joan, I'm looking forward to you leading one of those books you suggest
CubaFan, I saw Gone With the Wind before I read the book. I'm glad I did because I was able to give faces and personality to the characters in the novel.
Another movies made from a book I belived was well done was D du Maurier's Rebecca. We did a book discussion of this famous novel and it set a record for the number of participants and message received in the short period I assigned to the discussion. It is in the archives if you would care to review the discussion.

Bill H

I'd like to do Gone With the Wind sometime. They've just brought out a huge new DVD of it with interviews, etc., and all sorts of stuff. I found self, as mentioned earlier, mesmerized at it when it played on tv the other day, it's' a whole different reaction than I had the first time I saw it, I had no idea it was as powerful as it was but I thought the book was better, maybe sometime in the summer we might try it. A different kind of discussion, maybe, comparing the book and the movie. Something new.

martha Comments: Whoever said Shipping News was a good movie or book enjoys depression. Luckly the friend I watched it with could stand my comments. I read Gone With the Wind when I was nine. Don't you know I really understood it? I have read it since. I first saw it as a teen ager during a reissue. I think I wished my friends would be quite and let me listen to the movie. Five People You Meet in Heaven was good but I need to see it again and it has been reshown so maybe it will be again. I just didn't quite picture Jon Voigt as the man. I may have said this earlier.Tuesdays with Morrie another book by the same author but nonfiction is very good. Jack Lemon is in it. I had read the item about Dill being Truman Capote somewhere.

Folks, I apologize for not looking in the past couple of days. A personal matter has demanded my attention.

Bill H

I've posted earlier, just got involved with the Christmas Carol discussion..some of the Dickens books have been made into movies. My daughter Nina was cast in Chicago Goodman Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol when she was still in High School,playing Martha Cratchit and understudying Belle.They used a great deal of the actual book as their script There have been a number of film versions based on the book. I've always liked the old B/W version with Alistair Simm as Scrooge.. BUT I also have a soft spot for A Muppet's Christmas Carol..!! Big fan of Michael Caine..and if you look hard, in the movie,you'll spot the shop named "Micklewhites".. his real name. Colkot

so what's currently in the theaters from a book? alll this stuff is so old. claire

Well, Claire, I'll have to check the movie section of my newspaper to see what might be the latest books into movies.
Did they make a movie of the "King of Torts--John Grisham? It is a coincidents I am reaing this book now at the time they are pulling arthritis drugs off the market.
Check "Action/Adventure to read more about this.

Bill H

Not exactly books into movies, Winsum, but it speaks of books you might want to read before or after you watch. From the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/17/movies/17jame.html

but, I find Howard Hughes such an uninteresting character, just a sick man like many others only more public, that none of the movies/books related to his life interest me

claire

A movie from a children's book, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events starring Jim Carrey is playing right now. One of my young cousins told me I would love Lemoney Snicket because I read all of Roald Dahl. The Polar Express is also based on a very popular children's book.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is based on the Bridget Jones's Diary book by Helen Fielding. Haven't read and know nothing about it.

The movie Sideways is based on a Rex Pickett novel--heard it was a great movie, anyone seen it?

The Motorcycle Diaries is based on Che Guevara's personal journals--would like to see this while it's still in the theaters.

Someone already mentioned Being Julia. A Very Long Engagement is based on a book by Sébastien Japrisot, also Zelary by Kveta Legátová.

Less arty, The Door in the Floor is based on a John Irving novel, who also wrote the novels of The Cider House Rules, The Hotel New Hampshire and The World According to Garp.

Enduring Love is based on an Ian McEwan novel, Friday Night Lights is from a Buzz Bissinger book (heard it's a rather good movie, haven't seen it).

There is a movie I would love to see called I Am David based on the Ann Holm novel of the same name, however the book's title used to be translated North to Freedom. This was my favorite book in second grade. Has anyone seen this movie?

My favorite book to screen adaptation was Spielberg's The Color Purple based on the Alice Walker novel. I loved the book too much to pay much attention to the movie when it first came out. When I finally watched the movie I loved it. Oprah Winfrey is a stunning actress, she gave the movie the most tragic soul I had ever felt from the screen.

Kleo

Kleop--

I've never heard of this. Is that the name of the Irving Novel? I usually like his things but so far that title has missed my radar.

----I just looked it up. The book was "Widow for One Year", and I have it. Am not sure if I've read it yet; will have to check. I tend to read and forget unless the book makes a huge impression, such as Cider House Rules.

The remake of this movie is in theatres now. The original was wonderfully done, and it was originally a book, which I had read before the movie came out. Fine acting (Jimmy Stewart? of course)and maintained the integrity of the book. From what I understand, from various reviews, the remake is nowhere near the original, but it has "special effects" (wow, duh) They even added a woman character, guess they had to update to modern times.

Yes, a book by Elleston Trevor of the same title. He also wrote The Pillars of Midnight turned into the movie Val Guest movie 80,000 suspects, The Quiller Memorandum directed in 1966 by Michael Anderson (novel as Adam Hall), the Leslie Norman movie Dunkirk (1958, novel The Big Pickup), Terence Fisher's 1953 Mantrap (novel Queen in Danger).

tomereader, what do you think of him as a writer? Looks like a great assortment of titles, quick thrillers?

Kleo

Only other one by him that I read was the Quiller Memorandum. But that has been so long in the past, I don't even remember the premise. I have so many current books on my "To Read List", that I don't know when I would find time to go back and read some of the old stuff.

Speaking of quirky I saw Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events yesterday and absolutely loved it,just loved it. The premise of resourcefulness, that books matter, and how grammar took one of the characters down is fabulous. I put this in the Cafe, also, but am on my way out at lunch time to get the first book in the series.. Supposedly the books are for children, that's some kind of vocabulary on them, take a look:

Excerpt from: The Bad Beginning: Book the First (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

Chapter One If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle. This is because not very many happy things happened in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire were intelligent children, and they were charming, and resourceful, and had pleasant facial features, but they were extremely unlucky, and most everything that happened to them was rife with misfortune, misery, and despair. I'm sorry to tell you this, but that is how the story goes. Their misfortune began one day at Briny Beach. The three Baudelaire children lived with their parents in an enormous mansion at the heart of a dirty and busy city, and occasionally their parents gave them permission to take a rickety trolley-the word "rickety," you probably know, here means "unsteady" or "likely to collapse"-alone to the seashore, where they would spend the day as a sort of vacation as long as they were home for dinner. This particular morning it was gray and cloudy, which didn't bother the Baudelaire youngsters one bit. When it was hot and sunny, Briny Beach was crowded with tourists and it was impossible to find a good place to lay one's blanket. On gray and cloudy days, the Baudelaires had the beach to themselves to do what they liked.

I am intrigued by the premise of this book and the movie which was marvelous, and think, even if it represents a descent into a second (or third) childhood I would love to read it here, perhaps this spring or summer. If nothing else the grandparents among you all (I am not a grandparent) would be able to converse on it, let's do it!

Look at this on the author:

About the Author

Lemony Snicket was born before you were, and is likely to die before you as well. His family has roots in a part of the country which is now underwater, and his childhood was spent in the relative splendor of the Snicket Villa which has since become a factory, a fortress and a pharmacy and is now, alas, someone else's villa. To the untrained eye, Mr. Snicket's hometown would not appear to be filled with secrets. Untrained eyes have been wrong before. The aftermath of the scandal was swift, brutal and inaccurately reported in the periodicals of the day. It is true, however, that Mr. Snicket was stripped of several awards by the reigning authorities, including Honorable Mention, the Grey Ribbon and First Runner Up. The High Council reached a convenient ifquestionable verdict and Mr. Snicket found himself in exile. Though his formal training was chiefly in rhetorical analysis, he has spent the last several eras researching the travails of the Baudelaire orphans. This project, being published serially by HarperCollins, takes him to the scenes of numerous crimes, often during the off-season. Eternally pursued and insatiably inquisitive, a hermit and a nomad, Mr. Snicket wishes you nothing but the best

Gotta read this thing!

I can't rrad the pale green type especially in long paragraphs. louder please . . . claire

My grandson, who is nine years old, saw the movie "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and loved it. He has read several of the books, and gave me the first making me promise to read it. Of course, that means I definitely will. I also bought "Widow For a Year" sometime before I got involved in moving to CA, but still haven't read more than a few pages in the bookstore. It was intriguing enough to get me to buy it.

Speaking of books into movies, they just issued a special DVD edition of "Gone With the Wind." I had read the book when I was in my teens, and seen the movie. My reaction to seeing it now was so different. Scarlet's failure to realize her true feelings and know what was in her best interests became increasingly frustrating, and Ashley should have had cold water poured over him.

Has anyone seen the movies made from Ann Tyler's books? What did you think of them?

Horselover, I have never read the book and I only remember seeing parts of the movie. Last week when I went to Borders book store I was looking at their selection of DVD's and found "Gone with the Wind". I purchased it and spent 4 hours on Sunday thoroughly enjoying it. The movie is really a masterpiece. Two things my paternal grandmother enjoyed was this movie and Bingo. Every time the movie came to town she went to see it. I am so glad that some of the wonderful old movies are being put onto DVDs for us to enjoy. I also bought State Fair and an old Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly movie in black and white

Louise, I don't know what the Crosby/Kelly B&W movie you got was, but I love High Society with the two of them in color. And that's a remake, as a musical, of The Philadelphia Story with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. Both are wonderful! Not a book into a movie, of course - The Philadelphia Story was originally a Broadway show that was written specifically as a vehicle for Hepburn.

William Hurt? I mis him up with another. he's tall blonde and yummy in the ACCIDENTAL TOURIST a movie and BACK WHEN WE WERE GROWNUPS A BOOK that should be.

more about her books

http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cfm?S=R&wauth=Anne+Tyler&siteID=2az..hGUSIs-18t8MOMnzjFr_oYOlx3YXg

The black and white Movie I watched is the Country Girl. It amazed me how crisp and clear it was. I also bought the King and I, State Fair and the Sound of Music. As I haven't watched them yet I still hae them to look forward to. Since Borders is right across the street from me I plan to visit them and look for more DVDs as my budget will tolerate. They don't need re winding and take up very little space.

I've been checking my messages on my Mom's older monitor, and the green font is hard to read, I have to copy and paste to a word processor and change the color to read the message. My Mom couldn't even see that the text was there with her older eyes.

Just to let folks know that all colors and all variations don't look the same on all monitors.

Kleo

Winsum,

Wasn't 'Back When We Were Grownups' made into a TV movie with Blyth Danner which was broadcast just before Christmas? I'm pretty sure it was that book. I did watch the movie and found it quite good.

I've been reading John Grisham's Skipping Christmas. The movie, "Christmas with the Kranks", is based on this book.

Mal

Jeanlock, I wish I'd seen the TV movie "Back when we were grownups." I've liked the other TV movies of her works that I've seen -- "Saint Maybe" and "Breathing Lessons." Loved "Accidental Tourist."

Someone mentioned "Widow for one year." I'm looking forward to seeing its film counterpart, "The Door in the Floor" whenever it comes out in DVD.

Do you ever wonder why the change the names of the books when they make the movies. Why "Door in the Floor" and why "Simon Birch" instead of "Prayer for Owen Meany?"

"The Accidental Tourist" is one of my favorites. I think I've watched it three or four times. There's a new one by Ann Tyler, "Ladder of Years." My daughter just gave me a copy.

The movie made from "The Shipping News" by Annie Proulx was pretty well done. Also, for those who like action, the movie of "Master and Commander" by Patrick O' Brian was terrific. And a couple of years ago, there was a movie from "Catch Me If You Can" by Frank Abagnale that was enjoyable.

I think I posted this on the AOL Senior Net site, but in the spring HBO is going to have a movie of Empire Falls with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. This should be excellent viewing. I enjoyed the book tremendously.

Horselover, they sound like good ones.
Tomereader, thank you for the heads up on Empire Falls. Woodward and Newman are always worth watching.

Bill H

Was Louis L'Amour's "Comstock Load" made into a movie?
I have been reading this book and what a great movie it would make, A movie adaptation probably has been made.

Bill H

I loved Carol Burnett's take on a famous book, her title being "Went With the Wind" (not gone). She deconstructs a famous scene and takes more than a few dead-on shots at the Romance of the Old Confederate South. Above all else, though, it's hilarious. It's available on VHS, Carol Burnett: My Personal Best (1987).

Marvelle

I haven't seen the movie yet but will, about a woman who wants to be a fighter and the man she wants as her manager. Ebert calls it the best film of the year. Ebert gave the best summation of the film's story: " 'Million Dollar Baby' is about a woman determined to make something of herself, and a man who doesn't want to do anything for this woman, and will finally do everything." I saw a clip and Eastwood's character is absolutely perfect when compared to the book so I have a strong belief the movie will be as true.

The book is a collection of stories Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner by F.X. Toole, a 70-year old fight manager (actual name is Jerry Boyd). The movie is from the story in the collection "Million $$$ Baby". _____________________________________________________________________

From the introductory paragraphs:

"Boxing is an unnatural action," whispered the voice. "Understand me on this, kid. Everything in boxing is backwards to life. You want to move to the left, you don't step left, you push on the right toe, like this. To move right, you use the left toe, see?" The old white man didn't look into your eyes, he looked clear through your eyes, and straight to the inside of the back of your head. "Instead of runnin from pain, which is the natural thing in life, in boxing you step to it, get me?"

The voice of Frankie Dunn pierced. In the same sentence it could climb high and harsh or loop sweet as a peach, like Benny Goodman playing 'Body and Soul,' or go on down deep as a grizzly's grunt. It could move sideways on you and then curl back on itself, but always the voice pierced the mind with images that stuck, because the sound out of the old man painted pictures that became part of you, made you hear his voice when he wasn't even there.

_____________________________________________________________________

Amazing writing, simple, descriptive, knowledgable - painting pictures in a reader's mind like Frankie Dunn does with his fighters - and strong, powerful stories. I'm not a fight fan but this book isn't a side-genre but mainstream literature. I look forward to seeing the movie. Has anyone seen it? What did you think? (Without giving away the ending).

Marvelle

I heard an interview with an elderly man who was writing about the fight scene in Stockton California. Michael Krasny was talking to him about how accurately he protrayed the people and events of that long ago time. Made me want to read more even though I hate boxing. I'll look it up with his name, maybe this is he.

Marvelle, so good to hear from you again. Oh, I got more than a chuckle when I read your post about Carol Burnett's "went with the wind." I could just visualize her as perhaps Scarlet O'Hara. Just writing about this makes me laugh again.
I did see a snippet of Million Dollar Baby on TV. The snipped went by so fast I couldn't get a good read on it, but I did seem to understand that it was about a woman wanting to be a boxer.
Jackie, what movie or book or you referring too?

Bill H

Oh no, Carol Burnett wasn't Scarlett O'Hara. She was Starlett O'Hara. And the fancy dress she made from drapes, a la Scarlett, is a howl, with the curtain rods as shoulder pads and the drapes hanging from them. The production does a real number on the loyal, loving slave too, thank goodness.

Jackie, I'd be interested in learning if he's the same author. The author of Rope Burns has been a cut man or fight manager for 20 years so definitely knows the business. The stories are amazing and speak to all of us.

Marvelle

I looked up a few things. Certain movie reviews are spoilers by giving away too much of the storyline but not Ebert and not the following:

The movie Million Dollar Baby

About the Author

Apparently the movie includes another short story from the collection "Frozen Water" as well as "Million $$$ Baby". I must go see that film.

I was saddened to find out that the author died in 2002 but he did have the one book published and the NYT Book Review called Rope Burns one of the notable books of 2000. I look forward to reading his novel when it is published.

Marvelle

Bill, Marvelle, the book is Fat City and the author is Leonard Gardner. John Huston made a movie of it, can't remember when.

Around the 1960s? I'm going to the library today and will see if there's a copy. I recommend Rope Burns by F.X. Toole. Look forward to reading Gardner.

Marvelle

Marvelle, I think I remember that skit CaroleBurnett/Starlett O'Hara. Also thank you for the link.
Jackie, thank you for telling us the name of the book. I did an Internet Movie Data base search to see if I could discover the name of the movie adapted from the book "Fat City" but I had no luck. Maybe someone else can come up with it.

Bill H

I remember seeing that Carol Burnett skit years ago. It was hilarious.

Fat City is located here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068575/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9ZmF0IGNpdHl8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=20 Found John Huston's films in The NEW Biographical Dictionary of Film by David Thomson.

Jackie, thank you for the link to Fat City and mentioning the name of the NEW BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY. Is that dictionary on lines?
I see Stacy Keach was one of the stars in that movie. I also liked him when he played the role of Mike Hammer in the TV. I'm not sure if the TV Mike Hammer plays where adapted from the Mike Hammer stories or if the writers used their own scripts.
Marvelle, As I recall, you are an Ellery Queen fan. What were some of the stories made into movies. I know there were many TV shows made.
Horselover, I just have to hear the name Carole Burnett and a chuckle starts.

Bill H

Bill, that is a hard copy book. I haven't looked for a website. It is so much fun to open the book and read about someone. It always leads to another entry, and another, etc.

Bill, EQ movies aren't that interesting, with the exception of the wonderful TV shows. The movies I liked best were "Ellery Queen Penthouse Mystery" and "A Close Call for Ellery Queen. Here's a site with information:

Ellery Queen at the Movies

I enjoy EQ and wish the movies had been more faithful to the books.

Marvelle

Speaking of mysteries, let's not forgat the most famous one by Dashiell Hammett to be turned into a movie, "The Maltese Falcon." This is one of my all-time favorites.

Also, for those who have not seen it, the movie of "Housekeeping" by the author of one of the current books under discussion, was a pretty faithful rendering of her book by the same title. Rent it if you haven't seen it.

Folks, sorry I took so long in getting back to you. The restoration crew was here yesterday finishing up the restoration of my game room that was ruined by the rains of Ivan last September. This has been an going project because so many others suffered damage from that terrible rain.
Yes, Jackie, I know what you mean about the fun of opening a book and reading about a subject. I used to have a book about the old time movie stars but I donated it to the township library and there were many occasions I wished I had it back.Marvelle, thank you for that great link. I recognized Ralph Bellamy right off but I can't say the same for the others whose photos were shown. I know you love the Ellery Queen Movies.
Horselover, we did a book discussion back in October of the Maltese Falcon, however it was just about the book. Did you get on that one?

Bill H

Many screen and TV movies and have been adapted from the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir A. Conan Doyle. I have my favorite actor who played the part of Sherlock in the movies and TV. How about you? Who was your favorite in these parts?

To see more of these Sherlock Holmes illustrations by Sidney Paget that originally appeared in the Strand Magazine, please click on

Illustrations

Allow a few seconds for the page to load.

Bill H

Bill, I'm so sorry I misssed your discussion of "The Maltese Falcon." I was in the process of moving from NY to CA that month and had almost no time to sign on to Seniornet. Just my luck!!! I'm still not completely settled and unpacked, but I had to get back and find out what you guys were doing. I'm glad you're still here, but I found no posts in Classical Mysteries" since Thanksgiving. Have you given up that discussion?

By the way, all the original movies of Dickens' books are pretty good. Treat yourself if you're a Dickens fan and haven't seen them.

Horselover, I have seen some of the Dicken's movies and, yes, they are very good.

Bill H

A new Curious Minds discussion begins Sunday, January Sixteenth. A timely topic has been chosen for your thoughts and opinions. I'm sure you will enjoy…
.
Presidential Inauguration Days

Bill H

Some of my grandchildren enjoyed this movie and some had reservations. Most of them and some of their parents have read at least some of the books. I read one or two and liked the way they are written. I have not seen the movie.

I did enjoy the Harry Potter movies. I listened to most of the books on tape and find them very soothing,possibly because of the English accent of the reader. All eight of my grandchildren love Harry Potter.They range in age from seventeen to five. Martha

Martha, I didn't see any of the Harry Potter movies. Are they on video tapes?

Bill H

The Harry Potter movies are out on tape and DVD. They are excellent. I saw the first movie before I read any of the books. I've read them all now, seen all the movies, and am looking forward to the next ones.

My grandson loves the Harry Potter books and had gotten me to read them and watch the movies with him. He likes Lemony Snickett also and gave me the first one in the series, but I haven't read it yet.

Bill, I see that your question has already been answered. The first two movies are on video and the third is on dvd and video. The others may be on dvd also. The third had a different director and has a darker cast to it but is very good. A friend and I watched all three movies one evening and he enjoyed them all. He laughed many times because there are funny parts. He said that he enjoyed the differences in the third one. I think one think that is so fascinating about the books and movies are all the little details that add to the story. The pictures in which the subjects move and speak are one of my favorite thing. And how she adds ideas in each book. Chocolate had become a much mentioned cure for bad magic by the latter books. I am like my grandchildren and can't wait for the sixth book next summer. I really wonder how they will make a single movie out of the fourth book and the fifth book also. Each could probably be two movies and still much would be left out. I sat by my granddaughter who was about twelve during the first movie. She kept up a running dialogue about what had been left out. I feel that they did an excellent job with the story line in all three movies martha

was created for kids and I'm not one. Is that why I never could get interested?

I am sure it is best to watch the Harry Potter movies from the very first one but I don't know which one that is.

Bill H

The Harry Potter books in order are:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (year one at Hogwarts)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (year two at Hogwarts)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (year three at Hogwarts)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (year four at Hogwarts)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (year five at Hogwarts)

I have all five books and have enjoyed them very much.

Judy

Judy, thank you for listing the order of the Harry Potter books for us. I printed them out for future reference.

Bill H

There is also a Harry Potter trivia game based on the first book and movie. My grandson likes to play, so I had to read the book and watch the movie with him. It's fun to watch with a kid--creates a bonding experience.

Horselover, I bet you had a good time playing that trivia game, too.

Bill H

What about E.M. Forster's books-into-movies? The one I have in my home video library is "Room with a View" - lovely cinemaphotography (is that the term? - anyway, lovely visually), wonderful actors and music to die for. Storyline follows the theme of Forster's book very well, satiric but humane.

Any comments on this movie or others made from Forster's novels? I'm tempted to add more Forster movies to my library.

Marvelle

Marvelle, If you like period pieces, try the movie made from "Death in Venice" with Dirk Bogarde.

Mann is a great writer but not one of my favorites. But then, anything photographed in Venice must be interesting.

Marvelle

Marvelle--

When I was quite young I read "Buddenbrooks" and have since reread it a couple of times. I really liked this family saga.

After I met and married my second husband I discovered he was an avid Mann fan. Hoping to "make points", I remarked how much I had enjoyed "Buddenbrooks". Only to be put down with, "But that was an early work, not really the kind of thing he's known for." As time went on, and I discovered that he was way ahead of me on modern music and literature, etc., I was to find that whenever I was able to come up with a work by one of his favorites that I had actually enjoyed, he'd make the same remark, "But that's one of his early works." It became quite a family joke.

However we managed to co-exist quite happily even if I never did share his fondness for "Seven-Story Mountain", "Crime and Punishment", Schoenberg, et al.

Marvelle, If you like books set in Venice, there is a series of mysteries set in Venice by Donna Leon where Venice is such a major part of each plot, it is almost a character. I have learned so much about this interesting city that I would never find out by visiting as a tourist.

Thanks. Sometimes, even when you know a writer is recognized as "great" you just can't enjoy her/him. Such is life.

I'm anxious to find some of Donna Leon's books. The Venetian mystery series I know about (and like so much) is by Edward Sklepowich. Especially Death in a Serene City. Then there's the book of interlinked short stories, The Venetian Stories by Jane Turner Rylands. You don't realize how closely clinked the stories are until you reach the end of the book. Very nicely done.

The movie set in Venice that I return to again and again is "Bread & Tulips" of which Roger Ebert says "It's sweet, and it's funny and it's warm and it touches your heart. It's romance and it's comedy, and it's good." A blurb on the video jacket says of the film"...the internationally acclaimed romantic comedy that reminds you it's never too late to bloom."

It is sweet but not sugary and it's funny even with its supposedly serious plot of a middle-aged housewife mislaid by her family when on a vacation trip. She ends drifting alone to Venice and rents a room from a suicidal Icelandic waiter. Doesn't sound funny or sweet, huh? It is, and uplifting and magical.

Books into Movies - and Venice: The two I know about are The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan.

Marvelle

I read a very enthusiastic review of a John Lescroart book this week. Said it was way above many of the current crime/thriller genre. I'm going to see if the library has any of his books and check him out.

His books are very good!

You can see some of John Lescroart's books by using this link
John LescroartWere any of his books made into movies?

Bill H

I've always like the film treatment of Andromeda Strain. The book was really good, but the film was better and yet it was faithful to the book. Maybe Michael Chriton writes movies instead of novels. Doesn't he have a background of film writing? I don't think he ever practiced medicine, did he?

My daughter and I have read all the John Lescroat books. They are good. It's interesting the way the same characters appear in all the books, but different ones often have the central part. I don't know of any that were made into movies.

Marvelle, Thanks for that list of mysteries set in Venice.

Michael Chriten (not sure if that's how he spells it) did go to medical school and complete his internship. I don't know if he ever actually practiced as a physician, but he does know what he is talking about.

Horselover, we're no threat if SN holds a spelling bee, are we? I used to be able to spell...

Jackie, Yep, we both spelled it wrong. It's "Crichton." According to the book jacket on his latest, "State of Fear," he was born in Chicago in 1942. His novels include "The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, Timeline," and "Prey." He is also the creator of the television series "ER."

I believe he also wrote a nonfiction book about his internship. Maybe the name is DoctorX.

books seem to be written nowadays with an eye toward the movies version. . . . they used to be better I think. . . . Claire

Winsum, I think you are right about that, especially writers like Grisham whose books have already been turned into movies.

Has anyone seen the new movie of "Vanity Fair?" At least this is one book that was not written for the movies.

horselover,

No, I haven't seen that Vanity Fair----yet. But it's on my list to use one of my Hollywood Movies coupons. I am looking forward to Renee Zellweger as Becky. I think she is a truly good actress.

The "King of Torts" by John Grisham , has been moved to PROPOSED. If you would like to join the discussion, please sign up. You can use the link below.
The King of Torts

Bill H

Bill, I bought "King of Torts" before I moved to CA, but haven't had time to read it yet. I have read his other books. I know it will be great discussion.

Horselover, thank you for joining in the discussion.

Bill H

Last night I watched "The Virgin Suicides", which is adapted from Jeffrey Eugenides' book. Sofia Coppola, who directed "Lost in Translation", directed this film and also wrote the screenplay. I think Sofia Coppola is a very talented woman, and I thought this film was very well done.

Mal

Malryn,

I, too, saw Virgin Suicides--about a couple of months ago. And was very impressed.

I watched THE HORSE WHISPERER which wa a nice movie but missed some of the ideas in the book. I also have read and digested Monty Roberts book THE MAN WHO LISTENED TO HORSES on which it is based. It revolutionized horse training. horses are no longer BROKEN. . they are encouraged to JOIN UP which as herd animals is their nature. . . . Claire

I watched the new version of "Manchurian Candidate" which I remember as being a book first. Although the acting is quite good, it was updated for modern audiences, and the ending changed a bit. Nowhere near as good as the original in black and white with Angela Lansbury. Now that was a thoroughly frightening movie! On a five star basis, I would only give this new version a 2.

Angela Lansbury had always seemed so sweet! Then, to see her in that role, what a shock. Even though I had read the book first. The foreknowledge made me feel distant from the emotions running rampamt through the actors, I couldn't get caught up in it as I did the book.

I'd been meaning to watch the movie "The Virgin Suicides" but the film maker would have had to make some major changes in order to film the book at all. I prefer this particular, and outstanding, book without changes because the impact comes from the viewpoint.

Now that I've written this message out I realize I'm unlikely after all to see the movie.

Marvelle

This morning TCM aired the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty with Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard.. Recently I watched the 1935 film of this movie with Clark Gable, Charles Laughton and Franchot Tone. aired by TCM. I liked the 1935 movie the best. I thought Gable and Laughton gave a much better performance. Surprised that I picked Gable over Brando?

Bill H

Franchot Tone also added to the acting of the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty as Midshipman Roger Byam. Franchot Tone's strong acting ability always come across very well to me no matter what movie he played in.
I found a min-bio of Franchot Tone on IMDb that you may find interesting. Also from the same web site I learned that his first wife was Joan Crawford (1935-1939.) His date of death is given as 1968 and his last motion picture was released in the same year. The title of which was "Nobody Runs Forever." What a coincidence!
.He was also married to Dolores Dorn (1956 - 1959) (divorced) Barbara Payton (1951 - 1952) (divorced) Jean Wallace (1941 - 1948) (divorced) 2 children Joan Crawford (1935 - 1939) (divorced)

Trivia
Ex-brother-in-law of Hal Le Sueur. His two sons with Jean Wallace are Pascal Franchot Tone and Thomas Jefferson Tone. He is responsible for the establishment of the Best Supporting Actor/Actress catagories in the Academy Awards, due to his supporting performance (and subsequent Best Actor nomination) in Mutiny On the Bounty (1935). He had two sons with Jean Wallace. His father was Dr. Frank J. Tone, a pioneer in the electro-chemistry field. He was once the president of the Carborundum Company of America. Franchot's brother, Frank Jerome "Jerry" Tone, Jr., also worked for Carborundum. His mother was Gertrude Franchot Tone. He is related to Theobald Wolfe Tone, a famous Irish patriot. He attended The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Cornell University (where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1927), and Rennes University in France.

Bill H

Tomreader, I also liked the earlier version of The Manchurian Candidate best.. Frank Sinatra and Lawrence Harvey did a great job of adding suspense and horror to that movie and the fact that it was in black and white made it even more dramatic.
Jackie, if you had seen the movie "Gaslight"--1944--you wouldn't of thought that our dear Miss Fletcher (Murder She Wrote) was was always so sweet..
"Gaslight" had an outstanding cast starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman , Joseph Cotten , Dame May Whitty , Angela Lansbury
Dame May Whitty. What a string character this woman always portrayed.
I can't explain it, but I never cared much for Angela Lansbury perhaps it was because of her early movies such as Gaslight, etc..

Bill H

I did see Gaslight, but it scared me so I won't remember any of it.

Well, Jackie, if Gaslight scared you, you better never watch Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN?
By the way, how many of you read the books of the horror movies. I mean Dracula, Frankenstien, etc...
I read Shelley's Frankenstein but I didn't like it near as well as the movie.

Bill H

Bill H.

I too, prefer the earlier version. And if my memory serves me, in one scene of the newer version, some of the characters are in a smaller boat, and I think one was holding what looked to me like a plastic juice glass.

You know, many of the earlier versions of movies seemed to be more concerned with the story and characters than with the special effects, etc. I certainly think that was true of the two versions of Vanity Fair I've seen recently. The 'new' one with Reese Witherspoon didn't 'grab' me at all, but I had also recently seen another version (A&E?) which I thought quite good.

Bill, Mary Shelley's book is based on a classic myth. The full title of her book is Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus.

Prometheus

I'm thinking about renting "Million $$$ Baby" if the video is out. I've read the stories which are fine. Has anyone seen the movie? Do you recommend it?

Marvelle

Marvelle,
Your are probably right about the full title of Shelley's book. However, I think the book I read just had the title Frankenstein. I can't check because I gave the book away.
I haven't seen the movie Million $$$ Baby.

Bill H

I haven't seen it but its probably better to rent it before the Oscars are given out; it may not stay on the shelves after if it wins big.

Kings Row, by Henry Bellamann.
I read this overpowering book many years ago. I did a Barnes and Noble search of the author and this is the only book I could find written by him.
In it's own way the black and white screen play--1942-- was just as powerful., The movie had a great cast consisting of Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan, Betty Field, Charles Coburn, Claude Rains, Judith Anderson. Remember Dame Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers of "Rebecca" fame? Take note that Ann Sheridan had top billing in this movie, and that was quite an attainment considering all the fine stars that were cast in the movie..
I felt Ronald Regan played the most dramatic role of his acting career in this film. as Drake McHugh. Little did I think way back then he would be President of the United States. We never know where the road of life leads.
A while back, Ginny suggested we do a discussion of a movie made from a book Would any of you care to make some suggestions that will be taken under consideration for a future discussion?

Bill H

Ginny, asked me if you folks would be interested in comparing the two movies made from the novel The Razor's Edge? The first was filmed in 1946 and the second in 1984. This link will take you to the cast that appeared in each, along with a brief synopsis.
The Razor's Edge

Bill H

Bill, I'm sure you'll get a group for this but The Razor's Edge as a novel doesn't interest me. Also don't have time to compare two movies and book.

Good luck.

Marvelle

Marvelle, this comparing was not about the book. It was about the two movies made from the razors edge.

Bill H

Either way, Bill, not enough time for everything.

Marvelle

by whom? can;t remember only that he was famous and I think the movie I saw had Frederick March in i. I did read th book but all of this was so long ago I forget. I'd have to read th book again in order to discuss the movie. but why not????

Claire

Claire, I suppose I didn't make myself to clear. The comparison is about the two movies made from the novel by W. Somserset Maugham. The Razor's Edge."
Below are two links that will take you to the earliest and later movie.
Razor's Edge 1946
Razor's Edge 1984

Bill H

I just checked out the links and the theme o the book doesn't interest me. The original cast does although I would have trouble with tyrone power as a heavy intellectual. He's too good looking. no go here. . . . claire

Bill, let's give this one a pass. What book/movie combos have you discussed in the past? If the subject is basically the movie which results from another source, i.e., book, could we expand it to the movie which results when a play is made into a movie? This puts the emphasis on the changes necessary when a movie is created from different source materials.

Jackie, shure!
,,,and it would be fine to discuss plays made from books.

Bill H

Yes! Plays from books. Jan Sand, who has contributed in the Science Fiction discussion, a major poet (IMHO) has also worked on some screen plays. Let's rope him in, the voice of the expert.

Last Wednesday in my class on the Odyssey a short excerpt from Armand Asante's Odyssey was shown followed by one from Oh Brother Where Art Thou (2002).

I had never heard of Oh Brother Where Art Thou but it clearly and blatantly says at the beginning in a huge sign board it is based on Homer's Odyssey.

I've never seen anything like it, have you seen it? Talk about creative. Apparently it's a cult film? They had 4 copies and the young woman at the Blockbuster check out went on and on about it. I said it's a bit much, crushing the frog (not into that) and she said oh the sound track.

Anyway it's about three prisoners escaping and I assume they are Southern, the accents are very thick. George Clooney is one of the stars, John Turturro, also, it's almost as strange an adaptation as Brad Pitt's Troy, but I need to finish Oh Brother before I say oh brother!

Right now that is my first reaction: oh brother. Hahahaa Yet it has its own……strange charm. Are any of you familiar with it?

Jackie is Jan Sand a major poet?

Ginny, he says he publishes on the web but the audience and the pay for poets otherwise is sparse. He has a website; fascinating life. Check out some of his poetry in the SF discussion. Powerful, moving, intriguing manipulation of words/emotions, again, in my humble opinion.

Ginny - All movies by the Coen Brothers, are pretty, far out, and this is no exception. The first time I saw, "Oh Brother", I was impressed and enjoyed it, but it wasn't until the second viewing, that I really "got" the story, and saw the connection to, The Odyssey. The actors were all perfectly cast, I thought, and I especially liked all of the secondary roles, played by Charles Durning, John Goodman and Tim Nelson. Clooney, Turturro, and Holly Hunter are always great in whatever they do. How did you like those "sirens"?

Also, I just loved the ending.

Other excellent Coen brother's films are, "Fargo", "Raising Arizona", "Hudsucker Proxy" and "The Big Lebowski".

Marilyne, I, too, am a fan of the Coen brothers' films. I think I will collect them on DVD. Sounds like Brother bears another watching.

I really enjoyed O Brother... Clooney didn't look his normal self. The music worked very well.

I consider Oh Brother one of the best movies I have seen in the last few years....... Clooney didn`t look like himself at all.....and I LOVED the music. It does have to be viewed more than once to really "GET" it.

Did anyone watch the musical version of Oliver Twist that TCM showed this morning. A musical version was also shown of A Christmas Carol this past holiday season. I believe Kelsey Gramer played the part of Scrooge.
I don't care too much for these musical versions of the classics. The singing and dancing, while quite good, distracts me from the plot of the story.

Bill H

Homer's Odyssey was discussed at SN in Great Books. I think it was one of the first reads in GB.

I've taken a number of classes in ancient literature/mythology including Homer - of course! always Homer! - but in English translation. I'm currently studying Ancient Greek and beginning to dip back into Homer, sans translation. Slow going in parts but altogether a wonderful experience.

I enjoyed the film "Odyssey" although mainly for Armand Assante's performance. It wasn't as laughably non-Homeric as the film "Troy" but still not entirely accurate. Assante did an outstanding job as Odysseus. I understand he fought for remaining true to Homer's story and, in the end, tried to get his name off the film credits. Since he was the star of the film that couldn't happen.

Despite all the deviations from Homer, the film is very enjoyable and I recommend it.

Marvelle

Bill, a musical version of Scrooge? Somehow that doesn't work for me. I didn't mind the musical "Oliver" but the book Oliver Twist is a definite must-read for people who like the film.

Marvelle

The short list of my favorite writers includes Anton Chekhov.

I have some film adaptations of Chekhov plays/stories and did a quick search for reviews. Here are some of the links I found:

The Cherry Orchard

Four Funny Families

Uncle Vanya on 42nd Street

"Uncle Vanya on 42nd Street" is an American production and quite viewable for modern sensibilities. Below is the online text of the Chekhov play.

Uncle Vanya Online

To see all the free online offerings with list of authors of Online Literature Click Here

Plays into movies opens up a lot of possibilities. There's Shakespeare, Ibsen, O'Neill, Williams, Sam Shepard, Hansberry, Miller .... many more.

Marvelle

here is another one that I"m saving for reference. and Jackie Jan Sand is a prolific poet although he islao an artist and industrial designer who even now makes THINGS OUT OF NOTHINGS. I AGREE with you the poems are very owerful and often funny. . . . Claire

Bill H

That Kelsey Grammer Christmas Carol was just awful. Just awful!!!!

I didn't particularly care for the George C. Scott one, either, but it was better. There was one song that did bother me, "Thank You Very Much"----the singer is saying that the best thing anyone (in this case, Scrooge) ever did for him/her was to die. Not quite the Christmas spirit I crave.

But I'm addicted. No one, but no one but Alastair Sim will do for me.

Jean, yes, Christmas Carol with Kelsey Gramer--he of Frazer fame--was horrible. But I did like George C. Scott playing Scrooge. I guess I like his energetic acting. AMC has been showing his Patton the last few days over and over again, and I have been watching it over and over again.

Bill H

Million Dollar Baby by F. X. Toole
Well, this picture got the Oscar for best picture of the year and Clint Eastwood got it for best director. I didn't see the movie, but I sometimes wonder how much favoritism plays a part in selecting who gets the Oscars
If any of you folks read the book, how did the movie compare to the novel?You can read about it here.
Million Dollar Baby

Bill H

I agree that the musical versions of classics are usually terrible, but for some reason,I liked the one of "Good-bye Mr. Chips" with Peter O'Toole. Anyone see that?

Marvelle, You are absolutely correct about the possibilities of plays into movies. Films preserve some of the most wonderful performances of classics. Arthur Miller, who died recently, left us many film versions of his plays, including "Death of a Salesman" and "All My Sons." And of course, we have the many versions of "Long Days Journey Into Night" by another great American author.

You know, until this discussion started, I hadn't really thought about how very many books and plays had been put on film. Now I keep remembering more and more.

Miller's The Misfits is a portrait of his marriage to Marilyn Monroe. What a strange pair!

Did Kelsey Grammer's character sing Thank you Very Much or was that Albert Finney's character in the musical Scrooge?

I very much disliked Grammer's Scrooge and didn't persevere into the program, but I loved Finney's, once I got used to the idea of singing and I loved the song Thank you very much, thought it was bouncy, but there you go! hahahaa It's one of the few times I have excited a theater that people were singing the title song in the street.

I finished watching Oh Brother Where Are Thou, and, armed with your comments, and insights (thank you very much) tried very hard to see the Odyssey parallels! I can see some, and some are very clever, but I don't see the parallels in the end with the suitors and I watched it to the end. I do need to finish the last half of Book 24 of the Odyssey so maybe all will be revealed!

I thought the Armand Assante movie had a Penelope much too old to be giving birth, couldn't get into it for that reason but HE sure is powerful.

Those of you interested in the Iliad or the Odyssey might like to see Dr. Lombardo's (the man who translated the Iliad that we read here) remarks recently on two incidents in the Odyssey and the Iliad, you can find them in the Forum of the new Culture Folder, go look, it's quite interesting.

So what was the signifigance of the 3, she's counting to 3 in Oh Brother Where Art Thou? And why 6 daughters? I'm not seeing the Odyssey parallels, but I wish I could get that Man of Constant Sorrows out of my head, the movie is strangely addicting!!

I understand it's something of a cult film, I may need to watch it again.

I wonder what kind of brain you call it that retains every jingle and song ever heard! hahahaa

We have the Razor's Edge going up Thursday as a book discussion, and it spawned 2 movies, and I think the recent Julia, or do I have those mixed up?

How did the Oh Brother Where Art Thou correspond to killing all the suitors? I need to watch it again!!

Did any of you see Ben Hur the other day? Boy has that thing aged, or I have, the book is much better.

Horselover, I didn't see the musical version of Good-bye Mr. Chips, but I keep thinking of how Greer Garson and Robert Donat would've looked singing and dancing. Horselover, if you click on the link in the heading you will find a lot more books into movies.
Jackie, what a change that marriage must've been for Marilyn after being married to Joe DiMaggio.
Ginny, I can't remember if Kelsey Grammer sung any songs in the musical version of A Christmas Carol He may have talked a song. I bet Dickens turned over, if he watched that version.

Bill H

I read a wonderful book (forgot the author's name) called "Timeline". Sooo, I checked out the current movie they made of it. A word of advice: The book was interesting, exciting - - the movie was a severely pared down version with none of the interest or excitement! Read the book - don't bother with the movie.

Tomreader, thanks for the tip about Timeline

Bill H

I posted earlier (#158 and #162) about the book I read of short stories Rope Burns and two of the stories were made into the film "Million Dollar Baby". I haven't seen the film yet, it isn't out in video, but saw a clip of Eastwood speaking in the movie and he sounds just as the author described the character (voice whispery-raspy and using the same dialogue as in the book). Maybe Eastwood didn't get 'Best Actor' because he'd won so much already?

Post 158 shortcut Marvelle, "---Books into Movies" #158, 9 Jan 2005 9:35 am

Post 162 shortcut Marvelle, "---Books into Movies" #162, 9 Jan 2005 5:59 pm

If you click on Post 158 shortcut, read that, then you can scroll down the page and see Post 162 where I provided a link about the author and another on the movie. You don't actually have to worry about the second shortcut I posted, just use the first one.

I found the book of short stories very powerful. Ebert said much the same for the movie "Million Dollar Baby" so I don't think the awards were any sort of favoratism. Hope someone reads Rope Burns. Would like to compare notes, especially if we get to see the movie.

By the way, I saw "Ray" in video on Friday and think the acting award was well deserved. Excellent portrayal. The film itself was okay but could have been stronger so I think the award/non-awards there was a good call by the Academy.

Marvelle

Crichton talks about Timeline at his site http://www.crichton-official.com/timeline/index.html

He also wrote many other books that were made into movies. The biggie being Jurassic Park.

Ginny,

I think "Thank You Very Much" was in the George C. Scott version. And it was a group of the people whom Scrooge had 'harmed' who sang it.

was discussed in one of the book clubs I attended. It read like a movie as if he were thinking about that when he wrote it. I didn't like it much, too jerky. he'd set up some characters as in the beginning and then dump them. not one of his best efforts. . . . claire

Jeanlock, definitely the Finney musical Scrooge, I just played it back to see, not sure about singing in the George C. Scott but I thought IT had the best atmosphere. Yes it's the debtors whom Scrooge forgave that are so happy, they are now debt free and don't have to go to prison.

I guess you'd call that Hollywood interpreting the book, Ars Gratia Artis as the logos say.

I guess I have read all his books, beginning with "Coma". I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them, especially Jurassic Park and Timeline. I haven't read State of Fear yet, but there's a long waiting list at the library.

Ginny,

Thanks. I just knew it was one I didn't care for. I just don't think you can improve on genius. And the original Alastair Sim movie was just so true to the spirit of Dickens.

Did anyone here see the recent Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon? I didn't like that, either. Was very disappointed.

Just watched Veronica Guerin, a movie about a reporter in Dublin who undertook to write about and expose organized crime in that city. It was a really good movie about a violent subject but handled very well. The Irish music on the soundtrack was very good, too. Ciarin Hinds played one of the criminals, but there was something about him that seemed to soften the hard edges. Of course, he was a sort of 'friend' to Veronica, but acquiesced in her being killed. I wasn't sure I'd like the movie, but I found it haunting. Glad I took the trouble to tape it.

I did see Vanity Fair, because we saw them filming it at Hampton Court, and we spent an afternoon in wonder, it's amazing, what movie making IS and so naturally I spent the entire movie looking for the particular scenes that Ella (of our Books) and I saw them film. haahahah Instead of paying attention to the actual plot.

I need to watch it again.

When I get a chance (probably next week) I'll put some of the shots in here, the thing that amazed me the most I think is that it IS work, but more on that later. I hate to admit it but I have never READ Vanity Fair!!!

Ginny,

It's been fifty years or more since I read Vanity Fair, but there was a really good version on, I think, A&E recently. And I had sort of expected the new one to improve on that. Instead, it concentrated on the 'picture', which, I do admit was beautiful even if mostly red, instead of on the characters. There seem to be so many movies that are made by people who just want to show a pretty set picture and give second place to the story. If I WANT a picture, I'll BUY a picture. If I see a movie, I want a story and THEN the picture.

And your talking about watching the filming at Hampton Court put me in mind of the segment of As Time Goes By when the Hollywood film crew is filming Lionel's miniseries. That is REALLY funny.

Well, at this moment, TCM is showing Rebecca-du Maurier. I am taping it so that I can view it tonight because I really can't find anything on TV that I find interesting.
Why is it that I find the stars of yesteryear more dominant than the stars of today? I'm thinking about stars like Joan Fontaine, Laurence Oliver, Betty Davis, Claude Rains. The list could go on but I'm sure you know what I mean. Maybe it is because they are from my youth. I don't find the actors of the 2005 era to be as moving as the old timers..
Do any of you feel that way?

Bill H

Hi Bill, yep me too. With minor exceptions most of the new ones look just like each other within their catagories. blame it on the plastic surgeons. . . . Claire

In the March-April issue of Pages is an interview with Roger Ebert titled:Why great books don't make great movies, and more movie talk with critic Roger Ebert by J. Rentilly. Pages 26 and 27.

My take on the article A great book doesn't easily translate into a great movie. If a book is important to a person, that person is better off passing on seeing the movie adaptation.

The Jan-Feb issue http://www.ireadpages.com

Mentioned in the article, http://www.imdb.com there is a list of the of the Web sites 10 best movies of all times that includes 7 book to movie adaptations.

Bill H.

Yes, I saw that Rebecca would be on. I was out today, but set up the VCR and just checked it; it recorded just fine. Odd, I just yesterday finished reading Rebecca and was thrilled to be able to get the movie too. Watched just a few minutes just now and Joan Fontaine did a great job as a shrinking violet.

Bill, how could you!!! Tonight is the long awaited debut of the new Law and Order program: Trial by Jury, with the late Jerry Ohrbach. And tomorrow they will have another episode. Got a good review from Tom Shales in the Post today.

gaj, thank you for those two great links. I've been doing IMDb for quite a few years now, and I find it a wealth of information about books into movies and the actors who played the charactor rolls.
Jean, thanks for the tip about the new Law and Order. I didn't know that it was on tonight, and I'm certainly going to watch it.I should start looking at the TV listings more often and there right on the Internet.Law and Order dosen't seem the same since Jerry pased away. I watched a privew of his life and he was quite an actor.

Bill H

The stars of yesteryear were cultivated by the studios. Today's movies are made, first, by the money men, and they will say, I want a Tom Cruise, meaning someone who is like TC, cause they don't want to pay his salary. All the stars are independent today, big salaries, they have to have their own publicists, etc. In the olden days, when you and I were young, the stars were paid a salary, they had little decision making power, etc. Which leads me to a thought: Why not read a book about the early days in the movie business?

Bill,

You should have been cheered to note that Ohrbach was on last night's episode. Unfortunately I fell asleep before the end, but fortunately I had the tape recorder on so will watch the rest when I finish my chores for today.

Jean, I watched the new Law and Order last night and also taped it. The best think I can say about the show is Jerry Orbach. I think Beebe Newirth is miscast in that show. She didn't come across strong at all to me. I wonder how long that show will last.

Bill H

Jackie, Your mention of Pygmalion in the First Page Café brought back memories of the movie with Leslie Howard as Professor Higgins and Wendy Hiller as Eliza Doolittle. So I went looking for something about the pay as well as the movie. And here is what I found.
Pygmalion
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Pygmalion both delighted and scandalized its first audiences in 1914. A brilliantly witty reworking of the classical tale of the sculptor who falls in love with his perfect female statue, it is also a barbed attack on the British class system and a statement of Shaw's feminist views. In Shaw's hands, the phoneticist Henry Higgins is the Pygmalion figure who believes he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl, into a duchess at ease in polite society. The one thing he overlooks is that his 'creation' has a mind of her own."
I see mention of the play in 1914 and 1935. Is this correct? Here's the link to what may be the 1935 play..
Pygmalion

Bill H

For any of you who read and enjoy Clive Cussler's novels, they have made a movie of "Sahara" starring Matthew McConnaghy (sp). He's too young for me, but I think he's a "hunk". The previews looked like the movie would be very good and exciting! I am going to go back and read Sahara, as I think that's the only Cussler I missed reading. The movie opens April 8th.

Bill,

Oh, I expect it will be around a while. I didn't like Bebe either, even in the previews. But if the original L&O could survive Angie Harmon, I think it will manage with Bebe. I'll watch last night's episode all through, and then tonight's and see what I think then.

I like the Head DA - He was someone or other during the Watergate Hearings in DC. And Candace Bergen is always worth watching. I didn't much like Criminal Intent when it began, but have grown quite fond of it.

Bill: I've seen that version; Leslie Howard was perfect. Less acerbic that Rex Harrison, slightly more absent-minded professorish. I'd like to see it again sometime.

Tomreader, thanks for the heads up on the Cussler movie "Sahara." Was there a movie of his "Raise the Titanic?"
Jean, you may fall asleep again watching the two L&As tonight. I'm going to watch the second episode also just to see Orbach again. The head DA is a former United States Senator but I can't bring his name up just now.
Last year I missed the seasons finale of L&A. How did they write Jerry Orbach out of that show?
Jackie, I liked Leslie Howard in just about any movie he was in. Did they make a play of Pygmalion.?

Bill H

Jean, I ound this on IMDb
"Fred Dalton Thompson (District Attorney Arthur Branch on L&A)
"Thompson can be seen on the archival footage of the Watergate Hearings in Oliver Stone's JFK (1991). He was one of the active lawyers on the Watergate commitee during the trial. He won a special election to the United States Senate in 1994 and was reelected for a full term in 1996. He did not run for reelection in 2002. A Republican, he represented his home state of Tennessee from 2 December 1994 - 3 January 2003. Was a lawyer/attorney before becoming an actor..."
Read More
Thompson

Bill H

I think the version of "Pygmalion" with Leslie Howard was the best, although the musical version wasn't too bad.

The Oscars used to have a separate category for book adaptations. Is this still true. I didn't watch this year.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, "Sideways"(won)

Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Kim Krizan, "Before Sunset"

David Magee, "Finding Neverland"

Paul Haggis, "Million Dollar Baby"

José Rivera, "The Motorcycle Diaries"

found at http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/oscars/2005oscars.html

I didn't see Motorcycle Diaries, although I will rent the DVD. The young Che, tootling around, sounded so appealing. Finding Neverland, also, is tempting. When my children were small I tried to read Peter Pan to them, but would start laughing and couldn't stop. The business about the measles still get to me.

Jackie Lynch - Better that the book makes a mother laugh, rather than cry! Sometime, way back in the early 1940's, my mother read a book to my brother and me, called, "Beautiful Joe", by Marshall Saunders. It was an extremely sad story, about a dog who had been mistreated. My mother couldn't control her tears, and while she was reading, she broke down and cried in the saddest parts. Of course we cried too. I will never forget that story, and to this day, I have a clear visual picture of my mom's face, as she tried to compose herself, but just couldn't get it under control.

Years later, I read. "The Incredible Journey", to my children, and had the same experience. I got to the end, where the three animals are reunited with the family, and my voice broke, the tears streamed down my face, and I couldn't even see the page to read the words. I remember my two kids hugging me and crying. It makes you wonder if a strong emotional response to a book like that is good for a child, or not? I wonder?

Bill,

I realize this is really a 'book' group, but since we're talking about L&O: At the end of last season, Lennie packed his belongings and said he would probably be helping out the DA's office occasionally doing some investigating, etc.

I really liked last night's show, and actually liked both of them. The real attraction for me in those programs is the fact that they deal with issues. And one can mull over the various 'sides' of a problem. Last night was especially good.

LASSIE COME HOME by? I forget. Have the Terhune collie dog stores been made into movies. I think Lassie stole the show though. . . At one time I had a collection of all of them. . . . claire

Marilyne, yes, always better to laugh than cry. How true.
Gaj, thank you for that great link. I bookmarked that site for further review.
Jean, thank you for the info about Lennie's leaving the original L&O. Until the new "Trial by Jury" show, I thought he may have been killed off. . Although he did die anyway. Too bad.
Claire, I saw on TV a while ago that different dogs played Lassie at different times. This is understandable because the dogs would age. However, it was also explained that at times male dogs would play the part of Lassie.

Bill H

lassie on tv was always a male dog. they have much more beautiful coats than the females usually although my tammy had a great one. Females go out of coat too having to do with hormones so each dog not only looked the part but was bred for it and had a special group of capacities used only to show those when needed. There are generations of lassie dogs.

When people saw me walking my two side by side there was always some comment about beauty and lassie. I still miss them. each had it's own individuality of personality as well as looks, but generic ally they all belonged to the lassie crowd. I love them all and there were six puppies from Kampy not shown ,Jessie was my daughters, she now has Tessie. . collie love is catching. . . . .see them at my site here . . . Claire

http://www.geocities.com/artetal/collies.html

Claire, thank you for telling us about your dogs. That was nice. And I am sure you miss them.
Phantom of the Opera.
This was another stage play adapted from the book. The play had a long run in Toronto.
Claire, I followed your link and read about your dogs It is always so sad when a loved pet dies. Someday I will tell you about Miss Penny, the daschund"?I had. This dog's intelligence was so close to human it was unbelievable.

Bill H

Les Mis turned out to be quite a show. Having read Hugo's version in the 7th grade, I thought, how can they make a show out of this? I love the music, find it very compelling.

Jackie, you must've read my mind. My next post was going be about Les Mis. I do hope you meant Les Miserables. I didn't see the play, but I remember seeing the movie starring Fredric March as Jean Val Jean. I was just a youngster way back then. I remember walking home from the movie theater very depressed.

Bill H

Not only did different dogs play Lassie at different times, but there were several dogs playing the part at the same time. Some were kind of "stunt dogs," better at risky tricks and some were used for close-ups, etc.

I think the film adaptation of "To Kill A Mockingbird" was one of the best ever--very true to the letter and spirit of the book. Whenever I reread the book, I can't help visualizing Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.

So true; one of the best.

Bill H, Les Mis (the stage play) is one of the most dramatically staged musicals I've ever seen. The music is magnificent. It's really almost more of an opera than a musical - but not a "rock opera". I've unfortunately seen a couple of those (Evita, etc.) and just don't care for that particular musical form. But I've seen Les Mis twice - and would see it again, given any chance.

I also agree with To Kill a Mockingbird - probably my most favorite!

But another movie that really follows the book - verbatim dialog, etc. - is Anatomy of a Murder. Exceptionally well done by all.

Anatomy of a Murder is very faithful to the book, yes. I seem to remember that there was a mystery about the author, too. Wasn't Traver (?) a nome de plume?

Blill H,

Although I was deemed too young at the time for the movies, I do remember my Mother and Dad going to see the Frederic March movie and Mother talked about it for days. We had only about 10 or 12 books in the house when I was a kid (the public library opened when I was 12), and 3 of them were Les Miserables, David Copperfield, and Tale of Two Cities. I can still, in my mind's accurate eye, see them in the little bookcase we had then. And I read all of them.

Horselover, yes, the review I read of Lassie did mention that several dogs did play the part at the same time. Such beautiful dogs.
MaryZ, the play Les Mes played at the Benedum Center here in Pittsburgh, however, I didn't go because the theme was so depressing.
I saw the movies from books that were just mentioned, but I suppose my favorite was "The Tale of Two Cities."
From IMDb
"This is probably THE version of Charles Dickens classic story. Wonderfully acted and produced, there isn't a dull moment. The sad ending is tastefully done. Ronald Coleman, probably one of the finest actors around at that time played the tragic Carton with great skill. You just couldn't help but feel for him as he gives his life for Lucy."

Charles Dickens

Photo courtesey: Bartleby.com

I still remember the opening sentence of Dickens novel: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I suppose the same can be said of today's times.

Bill H

It would be interesting to know what all you guys and gals think is the best about today's times, and what is the worst. I think some of the best is the longer and healthier life span for most people and the relative freedom from fear of infectious diseases, at least in the developed countries. I would also mention the more dependable food supply for most people, although famine is still a threat in some parts of the world, mostly because of political upheavals.

Among the worst is, of course, the new scourge of AIDS, and the new increase in the threat of terrorism. The fact that we can now wipe out large portions of humanity with nuclear or biological weapons.

What do the rest of you think?

Les Mis is certainly about the French Revolution, and lots of folks die, but I didn't find it depressing. It ends with soaring hope and, again, incredible music.

The first thing that popped up for me was the incredible advancement in communications that has taken place in only a few years now.. If it weren't for that we wouldn't be here talking to each other. as for the worst of times the unrest in the middle east and the terrible loss of life sickens me. . . . Claire

MaryZ, tham you for telling us about the incredible music score in Les Mis.
The best of times for me is the fact that I live in the good old USA. I was so lucky to be born here. The worst of times is taking place in Iraq.
I was watching a talk show on TV and one of the women participants said, "The United States of America is the best country for a woman to be living." I wonder how much thought both men and women give to that?

Bill H

I'm just starting to read Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantazakis.

In one section Lola wants to go to a party at a nearby village but won't go since Zorba doesn't want to go. Zorba tells her "Why not? You're a free person, aren't you?" and she says no and she doesn't want to be free. Zorba reflects on this "I think only people who want to be free are human beings. Women don't want to be free. Well, is woman a human being?"

I just caught that snippet and don't know if Zorba finds the answer or if Lola, in the novel, opts for freedom. Lots of philosophy from Zorba in this book. Discovering the lusty, hearty Zorba's one great fear tugs at your heart.

I saw the movie when it first game out and the actors were wonderful choices. I want to see the movie again after I've finished the novel. It'll be interesting to compare movie/novel.

I loved the movie when it first came out and think I'm going to enjoy the book just as much.

Marvelle

Marvelle, I didn't read the book, however, I did see the movie starring Anthony Quinn. What a powerful actor that man was. I think it came from the dynamic force that his whole being would exude. Without even trying he would steal the scene from any other actor that appeared in the scene with him. I recently watched a movie with Quinn and Henry Fonda. Now even though Fonda was a force himself, my attention was drawn to Anthony Quinn. What a wonderful speaking voice that man had.
I'm sure you will enjoy the book even more now that you are able to give a face to every character in that powerful novel.

Bill H

Zorba in the book is a great life force so Anthony Quinn wasn't hamming it up as he was accused at the time of the filming. That was Zorba in the book too but there are differences that I see as I read. Strangely moving book and I'm caught up in the story. I hope to finish soon and then look at the film.

I didn't remember Buddha in the movie but he's there in the book.

Marvelle

Marvelle, I never thought of Anthony Quinn hamming it up in any role he played. Like you, I always thought of it being Quinn's natural personality.

Bill H

As we talked about Anthony Quinn, I thought I would do a web search to find out what I could learn about this man. I found a site that gives a very good account of the fellow.
I was astound at the number of movies Quinn made and the awards he received, in addition to the Oscars he was awarded.
This site is worth a look see.
Anthony Quinn

Bill H

Bill, thanks for the informatve link on Quinn and his amazing career. He certainly had a zest for life (like Zorba).

Marvelle

Marvelle, I'm glad you found that link for Anthony Quinn to be useful. However, I went back and revisited that web page and got a lot of popups. If I had known this I would not have posted the link. I would advise others not to use it.

Bill H

When we were talking about Million Dollar Baby and its source novel, I mentioned hearing an interview with an author of a book about boxing;it was Fat City. Well, right this minute I am watching Fat City on SHowtime! Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, directed by John Huston. Check it out!

Jackie, thanks for the heads up. I only have regular TV otherwise would check out Fat City. Wonder if it's in video stores? I'll check into it and let people know if its available.

I recommend the book Rope Burns, a collection of short stories by F.X. Toole from which the movie "Million Dollar Baby" was made. You can't get much better than an Eastwood film. You can't get a fight story more true-to-life than one written by a corner man. The two together, Toole as writer/storyteller and Eastwood as filmmaker, should be dynamite. If the video of the Eastwood movie "Million Dollar Baby" hasn't been released yet it will be out soon.

Hope that Toole's other writings get published soon. The man could really write and was interested in people and things outside of boxing and that shows in his writing.

Marvelle

After the Oscars, Charlie Rose rebroadcast an interview with Clint Eastwood about his life and "Million Dolllar Baby." Clint is certainly productive for a 74-year-old, and should be an inspiration to any seniors who think their most productive years are behind them when they reach their sixties. He still looks pretty good, too.

Fat City is a look at the lower levels of boxing; the people are anticipating making it big, while they are self-destructive. It is not a pleasant movie. A female character is an alcoholic and watching her was like watching home movies - my father, my mother and my sister were all alcoholics. It is gritty. sweaty, devoid of any sentimentality. But compelling. I;ll have to see how Baby compares with this.

The King of Torts discussion will open Tuesday, March 15th.
The King of Torts

Bill H

Jackie, I'd love to hear you compare the two films. I'm going to the video store by the end of the week, when I get some coins to rub together, and rent Zorba, Fat City, and Million Dollar Baby if any of them are available.

Marvelle

I found this link on the author of Zorba the Greek and the bio of him reflects the narrator of the novel:

Nikos Kazantzakis

I posted the above in First Page Cafe but feel it really belongs here. At the bottom of the page is a sublink to movies made from Kazantzakis' books. There we find out about Anthony Quinn's Greek dancing. The book has Zorba dancing like a wild man or half-bird, jumping into the air as if he would soon leave the earth forever but then, inevitably, being called back to earth. The movie dance is different and there's a reason for that.

Marvelle

Marvelle, don't leave us hanging!

Jackie, check out the sublink of Kazantzakis' movies (hint).

Marvelle

Ah, Marvelle, I remember hearing about that incident at the time. Anthony Quinn always seemed to me to be bigger than life. His presence was overwhelming and offputting. His private life was just as colorful as his antic onscreen. So out there, there was no mystery or surprise. But Zorba, the book, sounds promising. Thanks

Bill, Was "King of Torts" ever made into a movie? I know that "A Civil Action" was a film on a similar theme.

Horselover, I did a IMDb search to see if The King of Torts was made into a movie. However, I came up empty on that. If It wasn't listed on their web site it probably was not.

Bill H

Have you guys ever read books that should be made into movies, but it never made it to fruition?

I love Clive Barker's Thief of Always. They kept saying it would be a film, but it just never happened. The story is charming and brilliant, it would be beautiful on the screen.

I just read a book called Daniel's Veil that should definitely be a film. The way it twists and turns would be fun to watch.

Also looking forward to Cussler's Sahara.

How about PILLARS OF THE EARTH. . .in twelfth centuty England. It has everything from witches to politics and architecture and religion etc. Ken ????the author escapes me but I"ll bet you all know it. . . .Claire

Ken Follet it is. I think maybe his first attempt. . . a large one. . . .claire

I did like that book, Claire. Have you read any of the books by Edward Rutherfurd? He does big epic, multicentury novels set in England/Ireland, etc. Also Sarum is a good one - same type book. But, as I remember, I like Pillars best.

Puffers, I only read two of Clive Barker's novels They being "The Great and secret Show," and "Everville." It would take some doing to make a movie of either of these two!
I thought Stephen King's novels were way out untill I read these two books.
Clive Barker. Now that man is really way out. If any of you folks haven't read "The Great and Secret Show," read it and give yourself a treat into the land of real fantasy. This guy puts the brothers Grimm to shame.
I just started reading "Sahara." I would like to see the movie, but I don't think it will do the novel justice. It's just to long and detailed a story for a movie. However, I must add that I am enjoying this book.

Bill H

I only got about half way in Pillars of the Earth. When the fiesty forest girl was tamed I lost interest. Ken Follett's Pillars of the Almighty:A Celebration of Cathedrals is a beautiful book. The photographs are by f-stop Fitzgerald.

Bill, the book "Sahara" was excellent. I just finished it a day or so ago. From the looks of the preview I saw of the movie, it will be a true "action" film, and I don't think they will get even half of the story into the film. As much as I like Matthew McConnaghy, he is not my casting choice for "Dirk Pitt". But, I have thought and thought and I couldn't come up with any movie star who would fit the Dirk Pitt pattern!

Mel Gibson? too old same for harrison ford all the new ones that are popular are boyish looking like matt damon and brad pitt. I know Arnold schwartsnager. muscles and built and an accent. . . which is ok if the rest is right. . . . . claire

How many of these were originally written as BOOKS?

Oscars: Best Pictures Seventy-Seven Years of Winners

The following movies were named best picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Click on a title for film credits, selected trailers and links to original New York Times movie reviews.

Best Picture Winners: 2000 - 2005 2005 Million Dollar Baby 2004 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 Chicago 2002 A Beautiful Mind 2001 Gladiator 2000 American Beauty

Best Picture Winners: 1990 - 1999 1999 Shakespeare in Love 1998 Titanic 1997 The English Patient 1996 Braveheart 1995 Forrest Gump 1994 Schindler's List 1993 Unforgiven 1992 The Silence of the Lambs 1991 Dances With Wolves 1990 Driving Miss Daisy

Best Picture Winners: 1980 - 1989 1989 Rain Man 1988 The Last Emperor 1987 Platoon 1986 Out of Africa 1985 Amadeus 1984 Terms of Endearment 1983 Gandhi 1982 Chariots of Fire 1981 Ordinary People 1980 Kramer vs. Kramer

Best Picture Winners: 1970 - 1979 1979 The Deer Hunter 1978 Annie Hall 1977 Rocky 1976 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1975 The Godfather, Part II 1974 The Sting 1973 The Godfather 1972 The French Connection 1971 Patton 1970 Midnight Cowboy

Best Picture Winners: 1960 - 1969 1969 Oliver! 1968 In the Heat of the Night 1967 A Man for All Seasons 1966 The Sound of Music 1965 My Fair Lady 1964 Tom Jones 1963 Lawrence of Arabia 1962 West Side Story 1961 The Apartment 1960 Ben-Hur

Best Picture Winners: 1950 - 1959 1959 Gigi 1958 The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957 Around the World in 80 Days 1956 Marty 1955 On the Waterfront 1954 From Here to Eternity 1953 The Greatest Show on Earth 1952 An American in Paris 1951 All About Eve 1950 All the King's Men

Best Picture Winners: 1940 - 1949 1949 Hamlet 1948 Gentleman's Agreement 1947 The Best Years of Our Lives 1946 The Lost Weekend 1945 Going My Way 1944 Casablanca 1943 Mrs. Miniver 1942 How Green Was My Valley 1941 Rebecca 1940 Gone with the Wind

Best Picture Winners: 1929 - 1939 1939 You Can't Take It with You 1938 The Life of Emile Zola 1937 The Great Ziegfeld 1936 Mutiny on the Bounty 1935 It Happened One Night 1934 Cavalcade 1932 Grand Hotel 1931 Cimarron 1930 All Quiet on the Western Front 1930 The Broadway Melody 1929 Wings Oscars 2005 Go To Complete Coverage READERS' OPINIONS

claire

posted this fella picture and he made me think of Dirk Pitt. He is an agent too. to bad he's not an actor.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/03/19/national/wifi.184.jpg

special agent bob breeden of the florida department of law enforcement chasing wireless networks use by theives. is dirk pitt.

Yeah, too bad he's not an actor, Winsum. Still thinking about the casting. All our hunky guys are getting too old for such action. I thought about Mel, Arnold and Harrison too.

All Quiet on the Western Front, stunning 1930 movie made from a stunning WWI book by Erich Maria Remarque. The main character Paul joins the war in innocence, straight from school along with his classmates, and near the end of the war he thinks: "Something that is essentially human in them must survive the years of bombardment, but he feels that his own life has been irrevocably destroyed."

Marvelle

Kevin Connelly? What's his name Guyllenhaal(?) Russell Crowe is too old and too blonde. The one from the English version of Oklahoma, he played Curly, he'd be good. Not yet 40, dark, very sexy, very macho.

Winsum, that's a great list. It brought back lots of memories. "Forest Gump" was a book. So was "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Out of Africa." And "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Bridge on the River Quai." Also "All the King's Men," "Gentlemen's Agreement," "From Here To Eternity, and "The Best Years Of Our Lives." Of course, "Rebecca" and "Gone With the Wind."

Marvelle--

I read "All Quiet ...." when I was in highschool, and just recently found a paperback at our local library book sale. Look forward to reading it again. In fact, I'm having a great time this year rereading books I read when I was little more than a kid.

An on the subject of war movies - does anyone remember "Johnny Got His Gun"? It came out sometime in the early 70's and was based on the book by Dalton Trumbo. That stayed with me for days. And- actually - would be a good movie to see again now, given the number of devasting war injuries from the Iraq war.

Tomreader, I agree Sahara. is an excellent novel. Educational, too. I just hope the movie doesn't spoil the book.
Claire, congratulations for for post# 327. Quite imaginative and a lot of work on your part but I see it has already brought in some very good replies It should invoke quite a response from the folks here that are interested in movies out of books.
How about some of the TV actors playing the part of Dirk Pitt?

Bill H

I just copied it from a page on MOVIES google did the work. . . . claire

Marvelle. "All Quite on the Western Front." I saw this Black and White movie when I was just a kid. It mad a lasting impression on me and I still recall some of the scenes even to this day. Lew Ayres starred as the German soldier in the picture. He starred in many a picture and I always enjoyed his acting. He had a quite way of getting his point across.
Jean, thank you for telling us about "Johnny Got His Gun. I read the reviews at B&N and that is definitely going to be a must read for me.
Johnny Got His Gun"Once an Eagle" was another great action novel. I really loved that book and read it twice. It was made into a TV mini series. Even though the movie was good it didn't do the book justice. This book is on the Marine Corps Commandants reading list. And that makes it a MUST read for all Marines. That should tell you something!
Some old time stars played in this mini series.
Once an Eagle
Jackie, how about some of the TV actors playing Dirk Pitt?
Claire, how honest of you to tell us.

Bill H

Sahara, release date April 8th It will star Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz.

http://romanticmovies.about.com/od/sahara/

Here is their dirk pitt and he looks ok to me. How come they are so often irish ?

http://romanticmovies.about.com/library/graphics/saharapuba.jpg

I saw this on cable TV the other night. It was wonderful here is what they say about it at Ginny's movie site.

Interview with Ewan McGregor and Alison Lohman Ewan McGregor and Alison Lohman play the younger versions of Albert Finney and Jessica Lange in the fantasy/drama “Big Fish,” directed by Tim Burton and based on the Daniel Wallace novel, “Big Fish: A Story of Mythic Proportions.”

The filmmakers were inspired to cast Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney as Edward Bloom at different ages after seeing a photo of McGregor and Finney side by side at the same age. Producer Bruce Cohen recalls, "There it was, the same smile, the same dimple, the same sparkle in the eyes. They looked eerily and brilliantly alike."

I saw in our weekly TV log that WTBS is running O Brother Where Art Thou on (I think) Thursday night. (of course, that means lots of commercials).

hahah Mary! Really? We've been talking about that all over SeniorNet, hahaha thank you!

I saw "Big Fish" on a plane. It was the only really good movie I've ever seen on a plane. Most of them are so bad, I don't watch until the end.

E! Online rates The Top Ten-Books to Movies. These listings start with number ten progressing to number one.
But I wonder how up to date this rating is.
Top ten-Book to Movie
I'm not sure I agree with all of these listings for top ten books to movies.

Bill H

Bill, let's have our own Top 10 List of Books into Movies. We can nominate our favs and have a run-off for the top 10. Some of these are good, but Clueless?

Jackie

Mrs. Sherlock, what a great idea!! Do you have some favorites in mind?
Maybe we could all list our favorite books into movies.

Bill H

Super idea! I'll start thinking up my list of Top 10. It'll be fun to compare lists.

Marvelle

GONE WITH THE WIND CLAIRE

Claire, what else is on your list? Look forward to seeing what each person considers the Top Ten Books Into Movies. I bet each of us will have different TT lists.

Marvelle

Was NOW VOYAGER ever a book. It's on my ovie list. as a teen ager I must have seen it ten times. . . .Claire

Captains Courageous (the one with Spencer Tracy as the fisherman).

One of the few movies that was actually better than the book.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Lonesome Dove

A Time to Kill

Judy

Claire, I looked up "Now Voyager" and it was indeed originally a novel, published in 1941. More on the author:

Olive Higgins Prouty

I definitely want to read the novel that inspired the Davis film.

Judy, "To Kill a Mockingbird" is on my list too. My list follows this post.

Marvelle

One
Book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1902);
Movie "Heart of Darkness" starring John Malkovich, Tim Roth (1995)

Two
Book Ulysses by James Joyce (1922);
Movie "Bloom" starring Hugh O'Connor, Angeline Ball, Stephen Rea (2004)

Three
Book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (1929);
Movie "All Quiet on the Western Front" starring Lew Ayers (1930)

Four
Book The Leopard by Giuseppi di Lampedusa (1958);
Movie "The Leopard" starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale (1963)

Five
Book The Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas by Nikos Kazantzakis (1946);
Movie "Zorba the Greek" starring Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova (1964)

Six
Play Harvey by Mary Chase (1944);
Movie "Harvey" starring James Steward, Josephine Hull, Jesse White (1950)

Seven
Book The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1881);
Movie "Pinocchio", animated Walt Disney film with Dickie Jones, Christian Rub (1940)

Eight
Book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960);
Movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" starring Gregory Peck, Mary Bradham, Phillip Alford, Robert Duvall, Brock Peters (1962)

Nine
Book A Dream Like Mine by M.T. Kelly (1987);
Movie "Clearcut" starring Graham Greene, Rebecca Jenkins, Ron Lea, Floyd Red Crow Westerman (1992)

Ten
Book Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak (1957);
Movie "Doctor Zhivago" starring Omar Sharif, Geraldine Chaplin, Julie Christie (1965)

I'm sure I'm forgetting other books-into-movies that would change my list of ten, but, for now, this is it. I didn't consider Shakespeare since I feel he's untouchable, can't be topped, and my entire list could be his plays. If I were to choose one Shakespeare play that would be "King Lear" and the movie version with Laurence Olivier who breaks my heart as the elderly Lear. He doesn't even appear to be acting. I didn't list a book if the movie wasn't superb in my eyes, or if movie was superb and the novel not.

Marvelle

I find your choices reflect some of mine but have yet to MAKE A LIST. to Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a must, Now Voyager and gone with the wind for sure and Isn't OUT OF AFRICA a novel also?It was a wonderful movie. I'll have to think some more or perhaps I'll get some ideas from the posts of others . . . Claire

Harvey! Ah, there is a treat. I have yet to begin my list, some of these will be on it, but it will take time. Meanwhile, I am getting lots of titles to look for at the DVD rental store!

Out of Africa was adapted from a book as you suspected. A biography of the author from Emory U:

Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen

This is such fun. I traveled down memory lane as I made up my Top Ten.

Mrs Sherlock
I'm getting ideas, too, from your suggestions and Claire's. I'll be keeping the viedo store busy for a long long while.

Marvelle

I don't know if these will make my top 10, but here goes: Maltese Falcon Mockingbird Pygmalion That's all for now.

Jackie

What a great list of movies you folks have been making. Hard dispute those movies from books.
Well, I'll take a shot at the ten movies I liked, however, not necessarily in the order I listed them.
REBECCA with Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Judith Anderson.. I have to admit this is probably the one I liked best of all. So heavy with dramatic acting.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. What a cast this movie had. Just think of all the stars that played in this one. Kerr, Lancaster, Borgnine, Sinatra, Donna Reed, Montgomery Cliff. After seeing the movie, I read the book again and enjoyed it even more because I could give the characters faces. .
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLS, Basil Rathbone will always be my Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce will be Dr. Watson. The black and white movie with it's deep sinister shadows added so much to the story.
GONE WITH THE WIND, I couldn't list my favorite movies without naming this one.
THE SHINING, Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall When ever I think of Jack Nicholson this movie comes to mind. I thought his performance in that movie was the best of all his pictures. By the way, is Shelly Duval any relation to Robert Duvall of "God Father Fame." I suppose I could list that one, too.
MOBY DICK With Gregory Peck I'll never forget the scene in the movie with Captain Ahab being tied to the White Wale and going down with Moby Dick.
THE GOD FATHER with Marlon Brando and so many others in the cast. It has been shown on TV so much I know what is coming next.
TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD. Here comes Gregory Peck again. What an actor that man was What a great voice. I don't know if any of today's movie actors can equal the ones I named.
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. I was just a kid when this movie premièred in the Pittsburgh area. Way back in those days those animations were quite an achievement for the Walt Disney productions . Just imagine the work that went in to making all the animations for that movie. I suppose our own Marjorie, Jane, and Pat will be even more aware of the work that was demanded for that movie.
TREASURE ISLAND. . Wallace Berry. He always played the part of the good-bad-guy. I can still here that gravely voice of his.
I suppose the last two movies I listed show that there is still a bit of the little kid in me. I hope I always retain some of that little kid.

Bill H

I'll list my favorites according to decade:

1930's
Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum

1940's
The Grapes of Wrath - Steinbeck
The Third Man - Graham Greene
The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

1950's
From Here to Eternity - James Jones
East of Eden - Steinback
The Caine Mutiny - Herman Wouk
A Place in the Sun - Theodore Dreiser (An American Tragedy)

1960's
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Manchurian Candidate - Richard Condon
Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers

1970's
The Last Picture Show - Larry McMurtry
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey

Recent:
The Hours - Michael Cunningham
Mystic River - Dennis Lehane

I liked the The Third Man - Graham Greene because of the music and I think it was orson wells in the movie. but don't remember much else. There was a wonderful movie called THE PAWNBROKER that left the audience stunned with ?Steig? I guess I should look it up. but the people leaving the movie were dead silent as was I. It was about the Nazis in Germany.

I remember Rod Steiger in a movie called the Pawnbroker but it was set in the USA. He was a pawnbroker who'd been, years before, a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. I think Brock Peters was in that movie too. Is this the one, Claire?

I wouldn't list "Gone with the Wind," not ever.

Marvelle

My last post was incomplete. Had to end quickly because I had visitors and this is my first chance to get back.

I looked for a site on Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen that showed her home in the Netherlands. I have a book with a close-up of her writing room, 'Ewald's Room,' and that's cool as well as her estate being gorgeous. The site has a picture of that room plus others but wish the images were larger.

Karen Blixen Home

Dinesen wrote the memoir Out of Africa and many other stories, including Babette's Feast which was a movie.

Marvelle

Tonight Turner Classic Movies is showing a movie from a book WHERE EAGLES DARE, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. Sounds like a good one,
FROM THE PUBLISHER
.Eight Allied agents — seven men and a woman — parachute onto a mountainside behind enemy lines in wartime Germany. Their mission: to rescue an American general before the Nazis can force him to reveal secret D-Day plans.
FROM THE CRITICS
Gale Research Speaking of Where Eagles Dare:
Anthony Boucher of the New York Times Book Review described it as "a real dazzler of a thriller, with vivid action, fine set pieces of suspense, and a virtuoso display of startling plot twists."

Bill H

O\I'd trust Anthont Boucher's word any day! Thanks

I know I saw the movie Where Eagles Dare and probably read the book a long time ago. Alistair MacLean was a favorite author of mine. Can't remember the book but do remember the movie. It was a great thriller.
Alistair MacLean also wrote The Guns of Naverone. I liked the book and the movie. Wish I could remember how well the movie compared with the book. I think I liked each because of how well they each told a story.

gaj--

I liked Guns of Navarone as a movie (never read the book). To me, it's worth watching just to wait for the scene when they blow up the mountain. Very therapeutic.

Gaz and Jean, I saw the movie "The Guns of Navarone," however, I did not read the book. Another to placed on my must read list which is as long as the chains Jacob Marley wore and showed to Scrooge.
One of the stars in that film was David Nivin who was my favorite British actor.
Did you know that David Nivin was quite a military man?. He attended Sand Hurst Military Academy in England, which is the equivalent of our West Point Military Academy. When England went to war with Germany, Nivin was called back to England to rejoin his regiment.
Found on IMDb
"…In spite of six years' virtual absence from the screen, he came second in the 1945 Popularity Poll of British film stars. On his return to Hollywood after the war he was made a Legionnaire of the Order of Merit (the highest American order that can be earned by an alien). This was presented to Lt. Col David Niven by General Eisenhower."

Bill H

Bill, I like the way you describe your reading queue as being "as long as the chains Jacob Marley wore." I often feel the same about mine.

"Babette's Feast" is a great movie. I hadn't realized it was written by Dinesen. I always get new and interesting information from these discussions.

is a great film . . . . I didn't realize it was a book because the film was so richly visual. It reminds me of another cooking novel LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE or something like that. both film and novel exceptional and very different. . . . claire

The NY Times review of Sahara made me want to see it, but the SF Chronicle'Mick LoSalle found nothing good, "...an adventure in mediocrity..." Has anyone seen it yet?

Mrs. Sherlock, I haven't seen the movie "Sahara" but I am almost finished reading the book. I'm not surprised it did not receive a good review from the NY Times. The novel is very detailed and the movie could not have the length of time needed to do justice to this book. However I'm sure the sound and visual effects are good.
This Cussler novel is by any stretch of the imagination very unbelie able.
Horselover, perhap if we speed read we may shed our "chains.'

Bill H

Last night I watched this movie made from John Irving's book "A Prayer for Owen Meany". Now I have to get the book and read it again to see what they did to it. I enjoyed the movie--a lot. Tears at the end, but in a way tears of fulfillment. Must look up the boy who played Simon. He was very good.

Here is a link to the Beacon Journal review of Sahara.

http://ae.ohio.com/entertainment/ui/ohio/movie.htmlid=284360&reviewId=17761

The reviewer really panned it.

I liked "Simon Birch" too. I saw it on DVD--rented it from the library. "Sideways" is now on DVD; it got very good reviews.

Sideways, you say? hahaah See Cafe! If any of you have read it (IS it a book?) or seen THAT movie, I'd love to discuss it!

Sideways is a novel by Rex Picket. Publishers Weekly predicted the novel would make a perfect "buddy flick". I've ordered the book from my library but it may be a week or so before I get it.

Bill, yes my book and movie lists have grown too from everyone listing their favorites. I almost included "Treasure Island" in my list which I loved growing up. Who was the adult actor who played the good-bad guy, the "Jim, me-boyyy" speaker? What a fun movie that was and I loved - and still love - the book as an adventure story and treasure hunt.

Marvelle

Marvelle, in the 1934 movie version of Treasure Island, Wallace Beery played the part of Long John Silver--good-guy-bad-guy. Jackie Cooper was "Jim, me-boyyy." The movie had quite a cast. You can see all the actors by using this link
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025907/
gaj, I can well understand why the newspaper panned Sahara This book is far too long and quite detailed in Tec knowledge to make for a good movie. Tell the truth I'm not all that enthralled with the book.

Bill H

Good lord! Homoerotic according to the movie link! And I thought "Treasure Island" was just a kid's adventure story. At least that's how I read the book and viewed the film when I was a kid.

Marvelle

Bill, the info in the movie link has inspired me to read once again Stevenson's Treasure Island and view the film. It's always amazing how your interpretation of a work can change as you age.

Marvelle

Marvelle, there is also a 1950 movie of Treasure Island . Robert Newton played the part of Long John Silver,and his voice might be the one you were thinking of, He may have played the role better than Wallace Berry. You can find particulars of this movie by using this link ..
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043067/
Newton had quite a distinguished film career. However he didn't live very long. I belive you will find the following link to a tribute to Robert Newton very interesting.

Robert Newton

Bill H

ah yes, the photo did it. That's the man I remember.

I did a quick read of Treasure Island last night and saw the Wallace Berry movie and must say that the reviewer in the earlier link was bringing his modern sensibilities to the work. I think a young child looks to an adult for help and an adult, even Long John himself, will look after a child. (But Long John caused more trouble for Jim than anything.)

Anyway, there is always the heedless problem of forcing a reader's/viewer's interpretation of a work over that of the author or director. Shouldn't happen but it does all the time.

I continue to remember "Treasure Island" with great fondness.

Marvelle

Marvelle, Thanks for posting the author of "Sideways." I couldn't think of the name.

Ginny, If more people want to discuss it, we could suggest it for a "books" discussion with you or Bill as leader.

Thanks for that link to the Robert Newton website. What a trip down Memory Lane, reading names like David Niven, Lawrence Olivier, etc.

Horselover, thank you for suggesting Treasure Island as a book discussion. I would love to discuss the book. However, I am going to have a consultation in May with a cataract surgeon about the removal of these doggone cataracts and I hesitate to make a commitment on any book discussion at the moment. It does take some time to get a heading ready, then moved to proposed, and finally upcoming. It's OK with me if Ginny wishes to do it and I'm sure she would do a much superior job.
You know, it is great that you folks recommend a book for discussion, as it gives us something to work with.

Bill H

Mrs. Sherlock you are most welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the Robert Newton web site.
Lst night at 10:PM DLS time TCM aired the 1938 version of the movie Dawn Patrol. Now, talk about a trip down memory lane, watching these actors on the screen last night brought back a lot of good memories.
I'm sure you know the names of the actors that appear at the top without me naming them..

Bill H

Wow. I watched a video last night, "The Browning Version", that I'd checked out from the library. I planned on having a "Movie Fiesta" and watch a lot of movies but this movie couldn't be surpassed and I didn't want to see another movie. I stayed in the world of "The Browning Version" all night.

The 1951 movie was based on the Terence Rattigan play of the same title. Rattigan also wrote the screenplay and won the Cannes Film award for best screenplay. Michael Redgrave won for best actor.

Terence Rattigan

"The Browning Version" is about a middle-aged English school master with career, health and marriage in ruins. He's repressed (up-tight?) and is a compulsive checker of time and has to correct all clocks. Redgrave is superb with a subdued performance that knocked my socks off. I'm going to view this movie again and I've checked out a book of Rattigan's plays from the library. He's probably most well known for his stage play turned screenplay "Separate Tables" starring David Niven.

Marvelle

Marvelle--

"The Browning Version" with Michael Redgrave is one of my very most favorite movies. I could just watch it over and over. There's a more recent version with Albert Finney (I think), but it just isn't so moving as the first one.

Redgrave's performance is so moving even as you begin by disliking him. I don't know how he did it and hope to watch the performance again to see .... I remember not only clocks but Redgrave also needed to touch books when upset, just remember his hands and those books.

I wonder if the Finney movie followed the Rattigan screenplay? It says something that the stage and screenplay in the Redgrave movie were by the same author.

Marvelle

Bill, sincerest wishes for good news from the surgeon. Amazing what medicine can do nowadays. I'll send good thoughts to the Creator for you.

I have the book Sideways by Rex Pickett and will read it this weekend.

Marvelle

marvelle--

Both versions of the Browning thing were from the same source.

Marvelle, thank you.

Bill H

I replayed the movie "The Browning Version" so I could watch Michael Redgrave's performance again. Wonder how the play was performed? I was shocked to realize that I could count the fingers of both hands (and have some uncounted) for each time in the complete movie that Redgrave's character looked someone in the eyes. The majority of the time his eyes are averted.

Who Redgrave looks at directly, or if he looks but then averts his eyes, and when he doesn't look directly at all -- these all have a reason.

Redgrave's performance is the biggest part of making the film an emotional powerhouse.

Marvelle

Based on someone's inquiry at this discussion, I read Rex Pickett's novel Sideways about a heavy drinker (meaning an alcoholic) and failed writer going on a week-long tour of Northern California winerys with an actor friend. The novel is about their adventures and misadventures.

Guardian Review of Sideways

'Sideways' is slang for drunk which accurately describes the buddies' week but especially the condition of the alcoholic writer. I wasn't impressed with the novel. Yes, you learn some things about wine but you learn it from the alcoholic which rather puts a damper on that sort of education. There are some sex scenes that I would consider hard-core but I'm not sure how that is defined exactly. Anyone know a good definition of hard-core?

I didn't find any redemption for the main character or his buddy by novel's end. Parts of it was sad-hilarious (sad because of the character's habitual alcoholism) but mostly sad and put me off wine, including Pinot Noir.

I've heard good reviews of the movie which is also sad-hilarious but has a darker ending according to Roger Ebert who liked the film.

Marvelle

My daughter saw the movie "Sideways" and liked it. I haven't seen it yet, but it is out on DVD. Also planning to get the book from the library now that I've finished the last of the Guido Brunetti mysteries. I have taken the wine tour, including the dinner on the Napa train. The wines were good, but I've eaten in much better restaurants.

Marvelle, Thanks for the link to the review. I just read it and enjoyed it a lot.

I didn't care for the book. It was insipid and poorly written.

I thought while I was reading it that there'd be some cause-and-effect, something to make this an actual novel. For instance, the almost-40 year old failed writer visits his widowed mother on her birthday but the only reason he visits is to steal money to go on the winery trip and for his house rental. His mother doesn't go outside much since the death of her husband and this bores their son. Once he steals the money and leaves her house there is no follow-up in the novel; the novel is strictly surface without much skill in writing. No cause-effect.

The porn scene is repellent rather than sexy.

I kept hoping that the author would create something but, no, it's only surface. The drunk, as with all drunks, was boorish, selfish, abusive, obnoxious, yet is rewarded at the end of the novel while continuing as a drunk. No shading of meanings, no consequences for the drunk's actions (unlike his friend), while apparently there are indications of consequences in the movie.

I finally came to the conclusion that the author identified with the main character and I was right for when I looked for a link to include in my post about the book Sideways what I found were a series of comments by the author stating that it was semi-autobiographical.

Sideways was a waste of my time.

Marvelle

I'm not usually entertained by drunks. I won't bother with the movie or the book. How did it come by an OSCAR?

Claire

I'm not entertained by drunks either, Claire.

The movie won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and that must have been some major revising of the novel. I belive it also won a Golden Globe.

There has been a buzz lately about authors of lousy books, or not-great-books, being paid big money for movie deals. That doesn't seem right.

There should be more merit in the books but, generally and not always, movie people nowadays look for a premise on which to hang their film. Obviously to make a better movie they have to revise such books significantly. Eastwood's "Million $$$ Baby" is one of the exceptions since the book of short stories wasn't notorious or well known and was written well enough not to need major revisions. I admire a moviemaker like Eastwood who wants more than a premise but is drawn to a well written story.

I was going to post in Cafe about the Foer books being optioned for movies - Everying Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. After reading both books and thinking about it some, I decided its the premise of each work that sold the novels to moviemakers. Certainly the adaption can take out the smarminess of the too-cutesy main characters and the tired tricks. What they can leave in is the imagination. What they can add is some honest emotions because with Extremely Loud... in particular I didn't engage with the character's feelings which is a huge deficit when the premise is a young boy's grief and aftershock following his dad's death of 9/11.

Awards - for literature or movies - can be given out for worth and that's the best reason, but also as an indication of either personal popularity, or a booby prize for past efforts, or acknowledging the person as a Capitalist Saint because of earning lots of money. I look at the longlists and short lists of awards because I know I'll find something worthwhile on the lists, but the final award winner isn't necessarily the one I consider worthy.

Marvelle

hahahaa well I did quite a riff on it in the Movie section of SeniorNet, I saw the movie, hated it, and wanted to discuss it with somebody, I have not read the book, and wouldn't, now. In the movie he's not a drunk, that makes it harder, there's a lot of hard drinking, but it's not about drunks per se, but a failed novelist and wine expert (can't spell oenophile) who… I wanted to talk with somebody about what it was ABOUT, but definitely it's not about good people. They don't KNOW that they aren't, it reminds me of The Big Chill in some ways which I also hated.

Marvelle, In the review to which you posted a link, it says that "Sideways" is the first book the author managed to get published (at fifty-three years old). It also said that it was more than semi-autobiographical although some scenes had been embellished. It just goes to show that you never know when your luck will change.

Hi: I don't know if this was a book, but the movie was very good. Hard to understand the English at times, takes place in England. The woman, Imelda, playing the Vera part was exceptional and was nominated for Best Acresss, Oscars.

Anyone else here see this one?

Gail/VT

Hi again: This movie came from a play and was also done on Broadway to rave reviews and won awards.

An intriguing story about 4 people who meet in mysterious ways and fall in and out of love with each other. Very edgy, very sexual, no holds barred on the aspects of sex.

Starring Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Jude Law and Clive Owens. All of them are supurb in their individual parts and I think it was a stretch for Julia, a different kind of role, which she did quite well. The reviews on this are quite mixed, just as many hated it and loved it.......I watched it twice, it was from Netflix, so did so in the privacy and leisure of my home. There were lots of twists and turns and flash-backs.....if you study and love movies, see this one. Don't be squeamish about the frank sex talk, as Julia says in the scene where she breaks up with Clive, "We did everything that everyone ever does when having sex" He has questioned her on just what, where, and details of the meetings. She tells him all of it.

The background music is fantastic, I don't think there is a soundtrack out on CD however.

Gail/VT

Gail Norma

Ref Vera Drake

I very much want to see this movie. It has not come to our unsophisticated part of the world, so wonder if it might be available at Blockbuster or Hollywood Video.

Gail Norma, welcome. I did a Barnes and noble search for a book called Vera Drake, however, the search did not find any such novel.

Bill H

Hi: I do not know if Vera Drake was a novel, but if you want more info then you can look it up on Google. If your remark was because this discussion is about books into movies, then, it was my mistake to put it in here. I was just commenting on it in a casual way.

Gail/VT

Ginny, if you hated the movie "Sideways" you'd double that loathing for the book. It goes to show that with luck you can sell even the dingiest trash, the ones without merit and quality that'll be forgotten after the 60 seconds of undeserved recognition.

Marvelle

Gail Norma, No. It was not a mistake placing your comment about Vera Drake here. I was just interested in finding out if there was such a novel. I apologize for not making my intention more clear. Some times what think does not come across in the written message.

Bill H

I Just finished KING OF TORTS. It's movie material I think but is anyone doing it?

Claire

Claire, I haven't heard anything about a movie being adapted from The King of Torts. Did you like the novel?

Bill H

It's interesting to me because it explains how a class action process is being abused by tort lawyers. I wondered where all the flaming objection to lawyers was coming from My father, much loved and respected, was one, but in his day there weren't the class action goings on that are so disreputable and greedy and deserve the criticism they get.

Do read it. It's fascinating and very informative. . . . . Claire

Claire, what is the King of Torts about? Is this the one concerning the tobacco industry?

I haven't read the book obviously but was curious. Did you like the book or the movie best?

Marvelle

Marvelle, The King of Torts is about class action suites against the pharmaceutical companies The author goes into detail how these law suites are set up--very interesting to learn how this is done..
The greed of the law firms for their own profit outweigh their concern for the plaintiff. These poor folks are only used as a tool to leverage the hearings or trials.
The hero of the story is works as a trial lawyer in the Public Defenders Office and is selected as a foil to initiate a huge settlement from a pharmaceutical company before it goes to trial. Of course, the plaintiff gets peanuts and the hero reaps the rewards of the this huge settlement and earns the name The King of Torts and is started on the path of generating class action law suites.
At one time our hero, Clay Carter, had high moral values but this soon gets lost in the avalanche of money that keeps dropping his way.

Bill H

Marvelle, this explains The King of Torts much better than I did.
Publishers Weekly
Grisham continues to impress with his daring, venturing out of legal thrillers entirely for A Painted House and Skipping Christmas (the re-release of which this past fall was itself a bold move) and, within the genre, working major variations. Here's his most unusual legal thriller yetDa story whose hero and villain are the same, a young man with the tragic flaw of greed; a story whose suspense arises not from physical threat but moral turmoil, and one that launches a devastating assault on a group of the author's colleagues within the law. Mass tort lawyers are Grisham's target, the men (they're all men here, at least) who win billion-dollar class-action settlements from corporations selling bad products, then rake fantastic fees off the top, with far smaller payouts going to the people harmed by the products. Clay Carter is a burning-out lawyer at the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in Washington, D.C., when he catches the case of a teen who, for no apparent reason, has gunned down an acquaintance. Clay is approached by a mysterious stranger, the enigmatic Max Pace, who says he represents a megacorporation whose bad drug caused the teenDand othersDto kill. The corporation will pay Clay $10 million to settle with all the murder victims at $5 million per, if all is accomplished on the hush-hush; that way, the corporation avoids trial and possibly much higher jury awards. After briefly examining his conscience, Clay bites. He quits the OPD, sets up his own firm and settles the cases. In reward, Pace gives him a presentDa mass tort case based on stolen evidence but worth tens of millions in fees. Clay lunges again, eventually winning over a hundred million in fees. He is crowned by the press the new King of Torts, with enough money to hobnob with the other, venal-hearted tort royalty, to buy a Porsche, a Georgetown townhouse and a private jet, but not enough to forget his heartache over the woman he loves, who dumped him as a loser right before his career took off. Clay's financial/legal hubris knows few bounds, and soon he's overextended, his future hanging on the results of one product liability trial. The tension is considerable throughout, and readers will like the gentle ending, but Grisham's aim here clearly is to educate as he entertains. He can be didactic (" `Nobody earns ten million dollars in six months, Clay,' " a friend warns. " `You might win it, steal it, or have it drop out of the sky, but nobody earns money like that. It's ridiculous and obscene' "), but readers will applaud Grisham's fierce moral stance (while perhaps wondering what sort of advance he got for this book) as they cling to his words every step along the way of this powerful and gripping morality tale. (On sale Feb. 4) Forecast: Never mind reports of mega-authors whose sales are falling. Despite a grim, unimaginative cover and a curious photo of a grizzled author inside the jacket, this one will sell through the roof. Copyright 2003 Cahners Business"
This is a direct quote taken from the Barnes and Noble web site. The mistakes in spelling are not mine. Direct quotes cannot be changed.

Bill H

Thanks Bill.

Certainly the pharmaceutical companies aren't wearing white hats but the lawyers aren't either. Too bad for regular people like us who are caught in the middle.

Marvelle

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I just got back from seeing the new movie. First of all, I was shocked to the teeth to discover that the 'senior' rate is now $6. It's been about 2 years since I saw a movie in a theater, and it may very well be 2 more before I go again.

Second, the previews!!!! The sound was a physical assault on my eardrums. And the previews themselves were a shock!!! Don't they make 'intimate' moveies any more? You know, where people talk, without being blown to smithereens every five minutes? You'd never guess it from the 5 previews I had to sit through.

As for the movie itself: I decided ahead of time I would try not to compare it to the TV version or the book. So I just relaxed and let it wash right over me. The special effects are stunning, and if you don't insist on much of a storyline you can really enjoy it. Bill Nighy (from 'Love Actually') was in it and, as usual, make me laugh out loud. If you're a purist, and want the wry wit of the original, might as well stay home. But just for the sheer pleasure of the outstanding special effect concepts, you might want to spend the $6. This is one movie that wouldn't be the same on TV. However, I think that for the most part I'll continue to watch my movies on TV where I control the sound. Getting old sure hasn't affected MY hearing!!! I'd have felt better if I DIDN'T hear so well.

Dug out my VHS of Hitchhiker, and will watch it over the weekend.

jeanlock, on the rare occasions we go to the movies, I take my ear plugs along. They block out the loudest noises, but don't keep me from hearing the dialogue and music from the movie I want to hear. I always use them at basketball games and concerts, too.

It seems that the 'younger generation' has learned to block out some of the noise, so they have no trouble hearing the dialogue. Programs like E and Entertainment Tonight run music as they interview people! I hate that so often anymore you have to raise the volumne to hear the dialogue, but get blasted by the music while viewing a movie at home.

I've been playing catch-up here, and have enjoyed your Top Ten lists. It sure looks like "To Kill a Mockingbird is on Everyone's List." "Third Man" is one of my all-time favorites, too, as is "Simon Birch." For a recent one, I'd add Andre Dubus' "House of Sand and Fog."

Oh boy, Sideways. I need captioning, so don't go to movies, but get all my DVDs from Netflix. One of my rating barometers is how many nights it takes me to finish watching. "Sideways" took three. My daughter had told me she thought it was really good. Must be a generation gap. It was okay, but not that outstanding, nothing special. I didn't know that it was taken from a book, which your comments tell me is not worth reading.

Bookmarks Magazine -- a wonderful publication that ALF introduced me to at the beach this winter. The current issue shows up and coming movies from books. Bee Season from the title by Myra Goldberg is due out in September. Talk about depressing and dysfunctional. It was a hard book to finish. Movie stars Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche.

On HBO, May 28 -- Empire Falls. Now to find a friend who subscribes. With Ed Harris, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman.

Pedlin, welcome to the discussion and happy you joined in. Thank you for the heads up on Bookmarks Magazine. I haven't seen Helen Hunt since "As Good as it Gets. I will always connect her with the TV comedy "Mad About You." I wonder if she will ever shake this image.
Jean, MaryZ, and Ginny Ann, that loud music both on TV and in the movies has always been a pet peeve of mine. I don't see why it is necessary. For me, it just blocks out the dialogue. I think it spoils the shows, but the producers don't seem to care.
My hearing isn't all that good, to say the least, and I find myself straining to hear what is being said. What is the reason for such loud background music?

Bill H

was a wonderful film. I didn't know it was a novel..as to that loud music. it's all over the TV too where we can adjust the sound. but it makes it hard to follow the words spoken. I notice that more and more we have close caption on the screen. I'd miss much of the dialogue otherwise and I'm not deaf yet although I do seem to collect wax which makes for a hearing problem.

Kids have been destroying their hearing with ultra loud rock music for a couple of generations now. . . which is probably why they don't mind the movie sound. . . . Claire

Will have to try the ear plug thing.

Guess I wouldn't mind surround sound, but when it invades that's more than 'surround'. But to pay $6 for an experience that I have to modify to suit my situation is for the birds.

On another board we are posting about Jeffrey Archer. Remember his mini series Kane and Ableon TV? Can't remember if it was true to the book or not. I do remember enjoying watching it. Nick Noltie played one of the brothers.

Ginny Ann, I never watched Kane and Able on TV. But, then again, I'm not much of a TV series fan

Bill H

is a case whereby the series and resultant movies brought on a rush of paperback novels abut the characters and their adventures. The washington post has an article about the demise of the whole series as follows as well as a historical rundaown of past versiona. The enterprise ends it all

Claire

Claire, thank you for the link. Even though I didn't watch any of the series, I'm not surprised it did not go well. I feel the viewers are tired of the "Enterprise.." How much Kirk and Spock can anyone take. The original series was popular I guess because of the interest in space travel going on at the time. It just wore itself out.
But thanks again for your link it takes me right to the Washington Post without signing in.. I have registered with that paper several times but each time I bring it up I'm asked to register again.

Bil H

I never LOG OUT and they dont ask me very often. just now and then so their system is confused, but it's wworth it. have your computer remember the form. there's a little box on the left to check for this at the sign in page. . . . and bookmark or "favorite" the page I sent you. claire

I get the Washington Post each morning - email -- and never have to log in -- only when I clean out my cookies

I subscribe to about 13 discussions. However, for the last few months no one seems to be posting anywhere except the TV and book groups. Someone else mentioned it to me, and I'm wondering what has happened to seniornet.

about the lagging interest n sn. The book people are constantly refreshed by books, the others unless they are attached to news after staing their philosphy or opinions have nothing else to say New folks read back to old entries which are read only . Some discussions are ongoing as in the agnstics etc. and the current events, but otherwise we seem to need a vehicle to give us impetus. . curious minds switches subjects after two weeks and some subjects are only good for that period as in butterflys etc. . . claire

Claire, thanks for the tip about the Washington Post.

Bill H

winsum--

I've been a seniornet participant for about four years, and have never seen such a lagging of participation. The Virginia group used to be very active, and even the tech support sections aren't getting posts. Frankly, if this keeps up, it's hardly worth the time.

Jean, we had to close "Classical Mysteries" for lack of participation. I don't know what happened because it was a very popular discussion and full of information.
The same thing is happening with Action/Adventure...
I don't understand this in Action/Adventure because there are so many of this type of novel. I even made a new heading for that discussion trying to promote interest in it but it didn't help.
There are a lot of messages posted in "The Mystery Corner" that really belonged in the two discussions I just mentioned.

Bill H

is fairly lively. I've often thought that us mystery readers should exchange books. I never reread mine and would send them along for the price of postage. . . The exchange is jammed with love stories and novels in general. They take longer to read and people want to keep their favorites. Mysteries especially in series are different. . .at least for me. . . .Claire

Bill,

Do you suppose former seniornetters are now 'blogging'? It really puzzles me how participation has dropped off. There is SOMEthing going on, but I'm at a loss to figure out just what. It's reasonable to assume that some people drop by the wayside for one reason or another (death, other interests, etc.), but to suddenly (this year) have such a dramatic drop in participation seems strange. Is anyone else at the top levels of seniornet attempting to figure it out?

Jean, we are coming into the late spring and summer months and there is always a drop of this time of year due to nice weather. Some of the participants limit there computer time now so they can be outdoors more.
I'm not really in the top levels of SN so I can't answer your question. However, there is quite a bit of reader participation in both fiction and non fiction individual book discussions. And Curious Minds is still quite popular.
I'm of the opinion that readers are looking for the book discussions rather than the general discussions. Do you still participate in these?

Bill H

Just for general information, I'm checking out SN several times a day (whenever we're in town) no matter what the weather. I participate in several of the book discussions, current events, weather, photos, birds, needlework, several geographic discussions, travel, several health groups, etc. They all do seem to be a bit slower right now.

T here are some discussions which are very busy and playing catchup takes too large a chunk of time . . as in Durants story of civilization and the Current Events discussion. I like it. part of my day like turning on the news in the morning. . . . Claire

MaryZ
Kudos to you. I see you qluite a few times in the discussions I wish you would have been interested in "Classical Mysteries" maybe it would still be going strong.
Claire
"T here are some discussions which are very busy and playing catchup takes too large a chunk of time"
Catching up is quite a chore. That is why I really have to be interested in a discussion. That way I tune in every day and don't fall too far behind.
I don't know about the rest of SN but Books seems to be doing OK.

Bill H

Bill H, I think I checked in Classical Mysteries a while back, but I hadn't read most of the ones talked about, so I didn't stay with it. I surely do keep up with the newer ones, though.

Bill,

I understand what you're saying about spring enticing folks away from their keyboards, however, there has been 'spring' every year I've been on seniornet and this is really different. It really got my attention a while back when I asked a question in one of the PC support groups and never got any response, and those sites which I'm still subscribed to haven't had any posts in months--or at least I haven't been automatically logged on in my 'check subscriptions' list.

we got a new isp not too long ago. maybe some of your subscription material got lost. . . claire.

Books are one of the major areas for me on-line. So I understand the discussions in the book area can be popular. Maybe the Classical Mysteries should be added to the regular mysteries discussion. The same with action and adventure add to Mysteries. Then, if these subjects get active break and form a subgroup.

I belong to 2 health discussions. One has slowed down but does get posts. The other is still very active.

Has anyone e-mailed some of the former posters to see why they haven't been active?

I tried to e-mail you but your spamblocker is set for No. 3 and I'm not on your address book so I got a message to hit a link that would allow me to fill out a form so that you could address it.

it looked like this and contained this message although I"m not printing all of it.

we cannot process this Allowed Sender request. Your message may have expired, or the recipient may have accepted or deleted it.

I had that happen too at earthlink. when my computer was out for a bit and my address book wasn't up to date so I switched to the NO.2 option and I simply delete unknown messages. I thought you should know about this and had to tell you here since I can't e-mail you. . . . Claire

winsum,

Apparently you cancelled your message because it never showed up on my 'possible' spam list. The way earthlink works is that if someone sends me an e-mail, and they are not in my address book, the message gets put on a 'possible spam' list, which I check every time I check my e-mail. They also send the writer an email which includes a form to use to request that they be added to my address book.

I can click on the message in the 'spam' list to read it and take appropriate action; i.e., move it to my mailbox and add sender to my address book.

I always use the "move to inbox and add to address book' option for messages that I can see are really 'messages' and not ads. However, as I say, I did not see a message from you on my 'spam' list. Why not send it again, and wait for me to respond via the email?

Gaj
We did add Classical Mysteries and Action/Adventure…as a sub group for Mysteries several years ago. We did see a need for these two discussions and Classical Mysteries was quite popular for the first year as well as Action…. However, the readers gradually drifted back to the dominant Mystery Corner discussion. I don't think they cared for jumping back and fore. And, at times, the readers just plain forgot about the sub group and posted in Mystery.
Action/Adventure...still remains in the index.

Bill H

been there done that and I received the quote above instead of the form. by the way would you please put me on your whatever list so as to circumvent this problem. . . that is if yo want me to ever e-mail you again. . . . Claire

I like astronomy but don't know much about it. This is something I can understand and would like to share with you. . . claire

Spicules on the sun

"the readers gradually drifted back to the dominant Mystery Corner discussion. I don't think they cared for jumping back and fore. And, at times, the readers just plain forgot about the sub group and posted in Mystery."

I drifted from CM because of the mixing of genres by posters as I have little interest in the mysteries being published today and, sadly, couldn't contribute to the discussion.

Bill, you did a marvelous job leading the CM discussion, friendly and knowledgeable and welcoming to all - just as in this discussion - and I was sorry to see that few participated in the classics of the mystery genre.

Marvelle

I never re read a mystery. what's the point and the classic ones are long gone . . used up as well as a style I find prissy and frustrating. I like it better here. . . .

Claire, how funny! I never thought of Dashiell Hammett as prissy but, oh well, to each her/his own.

There are all sorts of genres in books. Classical mysteries are a genre I read when I want an escape read that has a bit of excitement and a puzzle to solve. Mostly I'm interested in non-genre literary works whether fiction or nonfiction. What do you like best?

That reminds me... Bill, are we going to get up a list of favorite books into movies by the participants? Maybe a list for each of us who posted favorites?

I think my favorite book=movie selections aren't all literary, like Pinocchio, but I don't seem to love the wild Action types.

Marvelle

Well, I know one that won't make my favorite list. One I started watching last night and have not yet finished.

Barbarians at the Gate starring James Garner as Ross Johnson, the RJR Nabisco CEO who tries to take it over.

I started reading the book, also, after discussion about it somewhere, but am also reading others I like better. Will watch more of the DVD tonight, but so far it is not really holding my interest.

Marvelle, I think we did have postings of favorite books/movies a while back. However, I haven't moved on this because I am going to consult with a cataract surgeon very soon about the removal procedure, and I hesitate to start any new book discussions until after I meet with the surgeon.
The list of books into movies that the readers did post would make several fine discussions.
Claire
'I never re read a mystery. what's the point and the classic ones are long gone . . used up as well as a style I find prissy and frustrating. I like it better here."
In the general discussion "Classical Mysteries" we didn't go into detail about any one particular book. We would just give our ideas about the book and the author.
There were links in the heading to the biography's of these fine old time writers and by discussing them I learned quite a bit about these writers and the background of the books that were written.
Pedlin, Do you like the book "Barbarians at the Gate?" It is disappointing when the movie fails to live up to the novel.

Bill H

Reading reviews about the new bio of Louis B Mayer made me think of asking if this group might want to read bios of film people? This looks like it would be a good one to start with. Bill, let us know how your cataract surgery goes; I have one which hasn't ripened yet, they are just watching it.

Mrs. Sherlock
"Reading reviews about the new bio of Louis B Mayer made me think of asking if this group might want to read bios of film people"
That is a good suggestion. However, I believe that would belong in the non fiction forum. If we did it here, the posts would mix with other messages of "Books into Movies." and that could get very confusing.
I still have to meet with the cataract surgeon and here what she says.
Thank you for wishing me well.

Bill H

To this day I well remember the movie West Side Story. Learned every word of Tonight, I want to Live in America, Officer Krupke and some of the others from an LP I played until it almost wore thin. And I've probably got the name of the songs wrong, but you get the idea. Remember when we left the theatre with our boyfriends, all of us feeling as if we could dance down the street. Singin' in The Rain with Donald O'Connor had the same effect on me when my parents took me to see it in England I think. Anyway, when I discoovered there was a book called West Side Story I was so excited and then so let down! Don't think I've ever read a book from a movie since, so it had quite an impact on me. The book was obviously a take-off and poorly written. But to this day I love the music from the film. '

Suwanee the music from West Side Story is great. It is running through my mind now as I type this. I think I saw the movie and live productions to the total of 7 times. It is still one of my all time favorite musicals.

Suwanee, welcome to the discussion. I did see West Side Story but for some reason I didn't care for it. Maybe it was because I was going through a rather stressful time of life and couldn't appreciate anything at the time.
Turner Classic Movies has aired Singing in the Rain so many times I know just what is going to happen. I liked Donald O'Connor best of all in that movie. He was a great entertainer. .The athletic abilities displayed by Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelley in that movie never cease to amaze me. I kept thinking those two guys must be in physical training all the time
Fred Astair was another actor with great athletic abilities. Were any of his movies derived from books?

Bill H

Mrs Sherlock made a very good suggestion about disusing the biographies of authors in this discussion. At first I hesitated, BUT IF THESES BIOGRAPHIES ARE ABOUT THE AUTHORS OF BOOKS MADE INTO MOVIES, I'm sure it would be in keeping with this forum. So let's go ahead with Mrs. Sherlock's suggestion and see how it develops.

Bill H

Bill, I hope all goes well if you do need cataract surgery. People are always surprised to find out that I do not wear glasses or contacts, even for reading. I wonder how long this will last.

I think I have read almost every biography of Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman ever written. For some reason, at one point, I became fascinated with his story and the story of their life together. They had a strange relationship which went from lover to mentor and ended with caregiver. In between, there were the Hollywood years and all the political activism. They lived through the McCarthy witch hunts, and Hammett even spent some time in prison when he refused to testify about others besides himself. This contributed to the eventual further deterioration of his health. He was a person with strong principles.

First I would like to correct a mistake in spelling that I made in my previous post. When I saw THESES instead of THESE, I laughed out loud.
Horselover, thank you for your well wishes. The woman cashier at the local pharmacy doesn't have to wear glasses for reading since her cataract surgery.
And thank you for mentioning Hammett and Lillian Hellmann.
I suppose the two novels that spring to my mind when I think of Dashiell Hammett are The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man. We did a book discussion of The Maltese Falcon. . Of course Hammett wrote other novels as well and the link below will take you to them.
His other books

Bill H

Bill,

I had cataract surgery about 2 years ago. I was extremely apprehensive because the thought of anyone tinkering with my eyes filled me with horror. Actually, tho, it wasn't a bad experience at all. I still have to wear reading glasses, but no longer need them for driving, etc. And at one point I saw the most gorgeous array of colors you can imagine.

About Singing in the Rain--

Have you seem that commercial (don't ask me for what) with the elephant dancing in the rain forest. I just love it. Whoever came up with that is a real genius.

Jean, I remember when you had cataract surgery. It is hard to believe it was two years ago. How time flies. And I do recall you telling us how vivid the colors were after the surgery.
I haven't seen that elephant commercial yet. Oh, I bet that is hilarious.

Bill H

is a baby elephant so cute. . . . claire

This week I discovered a new (for me) Wall Street Journal columnist, who writes about books, old and new that reflect on today's world. This morning I have been looking at her back columns, and came across "When Hollywood Gets its Hands on Your Favorite Novel" where she describes the books into movies that she has loved, and the ones she won't see, and why.

She gives kudos to "Remains of the Day," "Ordinary People," (Judith Guest), "Sophie's Choice," (William Styron), and "Rebecca."

The movies "Wizard of Oz," "Schindler's List," "The Graduate," and "The Godfather" get her vote for being better than the book. I had not realized that The Graduate started life as a book. Who is the author?

Then there are others that she won't see, largely because of casting, and some because she has such fixed images of the book's characters -- "A Very Long Engagement," "Awakenings" -- didn't want to see Robin Williams in that role, "This Boy's Life," "Dad" (William Wharton), and "Cider House Rules."

Are there some movies you won't see?
WSJ requires a paid subscription online. If you subscribe or otherwise come across Cynthia Crossen, she's worth reading.

pedln,

I read the book and then saw the movie. I thought that given the fact that it only dealt with part of the book, the movie was very good. And Michael Caine was wonderful as the Dr.

Pedlin, thank you for that great post it was tailored made for this forum.
I agree with Crossen's kudos for the movies she chose. I didn't read the others she liked better than the book.
The movie I wont see again is "Awakenings." I watched this movie on TV and I found it terribly depressing.
I'll let someone else name the author of the novel "The Graduate." However, I did see this movie when it first appeared on the silver screen but I didn't like it.
Thanks again for that fine post. I'm going to start reading Cynthia Crossen's column in the Wall Street Journal.

Bill H

Now you have got me thinking. What movie won't I see because of the actors playing the parts, or director? I would add screen writer but don't know them.

I loved the movie Cider House Rules. Didn't read the book and don't plan on reading it now that I saw the movie.

Gaj, that is a good question you asked yourself about not watching the movies because of certain actors playing the parts. I'm trying to think of the actors whose movies I won't watch. The only entertainer I can't stand to watch is Elvis Presley, however, I don't think any of his movies were made from books.
With the exception of "Misery," I don't believe most of Stephen King's novels into books were that good.

Bill H

In general, I don't see movies with Meryl Streep. She's had so much flack saying what a great actress she is. But in the early movies I did see her in, I felt she was adequate and pedestrian at best. The publicity hype over anything she did turned me off so much, that I just don't go see anything she's in. Probably miss some good movies that way, but so be it.

MaryZ, Turner Classic Movies showed a documentary about Meryl Streep comparing her favorably with Betty Davis. I don't feel she was on an acting level with Betty Davis. However, that is only my opinion an it is arguable.

Bill H

I've always felt that Glenn Close, an excellent actress, was all but overlooked because Streep got all the adulation. As you say, though, that's only my opinion.

Here are a few of Mr. Show Biz top 100 movies.
Some were made from books into movies.
What is your opinion of his choise?
Casablanca (1942), dir. Michael Curtiz The Godfather Part II (1974), dir. Francis Ford Coppola North By Northwest (1959), dir. Alfred Hitchcock Citizen Kane (1941), dir. Orson Welles Lawrence of Arabia (1962), dir. David Lean Manhattan (1979), dir. Woody Allen Gone With The Wind (1939), dir. Victor Fleming Chinatown (1974), dir. Roman Polanski The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), dir. John Ford City Lights (1931), dir. Charles Chaplin Raging Bull (1980), dir. Martin Scorsese Sunset Boulevard (1950), dir. Billy Wilder 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), dir. Stanley Kubrick The Philadelphia Story (1940), dir. George Cukor To Have and Have Not (1944), dir. Howard Hawks The Graduate (1967), dir. Mike Nichols The Maltese Falcon (1941), dir. John Huston Star Wars (1977), dir. George Lucas It's A Wonderful Life (1946), dir. Frank Capra The Wild Bunch (1969), dir. Sam Peckinpah Vertigo (1958), dir. Alfred Hitchcock Singin' In The Rain (1952), dir. Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly The Godfather (1972), dir. Francis Ford Coppola E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), dir. Steven Spielberg The Palm Beach Story (1942), dir. Preston Sturges Blade Runner (1982), dir. Ridley Scott Double Indemnity (1944), dir. Billy Wilder The Manchurian Candidate (1962), dir. John Frankenheimer All About Eve (1950), dir. Joseph Mankiewicz The Searchers (1956), dir. John Ford Rear Window (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock Annie Hall (1977), dir. Woody Allen Ninotchka (1939), dir. Ernst Lubitsch Blue Velvet (1986), dir. David LyncMrh The Wizard of Oz (1939), dir. Victor Fleming Bringing Up Baby (1938), dir. Howard Hawks The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957), dir. David Lean Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964), dir. Stanley Kubrick Pulp Fiction (1994), dir. Quentin Tarantino Some Like It Hot (1959), dir. Billy Wilder On The Waterfront (1954), dir. Elia Kazan One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975), dir. Milos Forman Taxi Driver (1976), dir. Martin Scorsese Touch Of Evil (1958), dir. Orson Welles Nashville (1975), dir. Robert Altman Apocalypse Now (1979), dir. Francis Ford Coppola The Hustler (1961), dir. Robert Rossen The Big Sleep (1946), dir. Howard Hawks Bonnie And Clyde (1967), dir. Arthur Penn Unforgiven (1992), dir. Clint Eastwood Network (1976), dir. Sidney Lumet The Silence of the Lambs (1991), dir. Jonathan Demme Jaws (1975), dir. Steven Spielberg The Deer Hunter (1978), dir. Michael Cimino Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), dir. Woody Allen Gunga Din (1939), dir. George Stevens Schindler's List (1993), dir. Steven Spielberg Hud (1963), dir. Martin Ritt The Third Man (1949), dir. Carol Reed Modern Times (1936), dir. Charles Chaplin Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), dir. Steven Spielberg Red River (1948), dir. Howard Hawks The Empire Strikes Back (1980), dir. Irvin Kershner Hamlet (1948), dir. Laurence Olivier Notorious (1946), dir. Alfred Hitchcock A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), dir. Elia Kazan Last Tango in Paris (1972), dir. Bernardo Bertolucci Sweet Smell of Success (1957), dir. Alexander Mackendrick Out Of The Past (1947), dir. Jacques Tournier All That Jazz (1979), dir. Bob Fosse Top Hat (1935), dir. Mark Sandrich The Misfits (1961), dir. John Huston Tootsie (1982), dir. Sydney Pollack Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), dir. Frank Capra Short Cuts (1993), dir. Robert Altman The Grapes of Wrath (1940), dir. John Ford The Apartment (1960), dir. Billy Wilder A Clockwork Orange (1971), dir. Stanley Kubrick Psycho (1960), dir. Alfred Hitchcock Moonstruck (1987), dir. Norman Jewison GoodFellas (1990), dir. Martin Scorsese Stagecoach (1939), dir. John Ford The Last Picture Show (1971), dir. Peter Bogdanovich Die Hard (1988), dir. John McTiernan Midnight Cowboy (1969), dir. John Schlesinger West Side Story (1961), dir. Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins The Quiet Man (1952), dir. John Ford Reds (1981), dir. Warren Beatty Rebel Without a Cause (1955), dir. Nicholas Ray A Hard Day's Night (1964), dir. Richard Lester A Room With A View (1986), dir. James Ivory From Here to Eternity (1953), dir. Fred Zinnemann The Piano (1993), dir. Jane Campion Adam's Rib (1949), dir. George Cukor This Is Spinal Tap (1984), dir. Rob Reiner It Happened One Night (1934), dir. Frank Capra Do the Right Thing (1989), dir. Spike Lee The Thin Man (1934), dir. W.S. Van Dyke Patton (1970), dir. Franklin Schaffner The Terminator (1984), dir. James Cameron

Bill H

What's the significance of the listing order? Some of them I'd agree with, some I'd disagree with, some I've not seen, and some I've never even heard of. Guess that's about par for the course.

MaryZ, I don't know the significance of the listed order. I suppose that's how he ranked them.

Bill H

I just didn't know whether #1 was at the top or the bottom.

I selected from that list some that appealed to me. There are probably more but here are my picks.

 
The Deer Hunter (1978), dir. Michael Cimino a 

The Third Man (1949), dir. Carol Reed  

Unforgiven (1992), dir. Clint Eastwood  

Pulp Fiction (1994), dir. Quentin Tarantino  

Gone With The Wind (1939), dir. Victor Fleming  

Blade Runner (1982), dir. Ridley Scott  

Rear Window (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock   

Apocalypse Now (1979), dir. Francis Ford Coppola   

Network (1976), dir. Sidney Lumet  

Schindler's List (1993), dir. Steven Spielberg  

Psycho (1960), dir. Alfred Hitchcock  

The Piano (1993), dir. Jane Campion

Claire

Claire, nothing wrong with those picks. I still have to prepare my own list.

Bill H

Mary Z, You can now see Glenn Close on the small screen in "The Shield." I haven't seen any episodes, just the promos, so I don't know if it's any good.

Thanks, horselover. This is a TV show, right? Do you know what network, or time?

From the list, these are my top 12 films with #1 being "City Lights". I've watched so many silent films with my mother. She was deaf and these films were one of the enjoyments we could share. The ending revelation in the last seconds - literally the very last seconds - is unexepected and blows me away every time I see the film. Orson Welles called it the greatest film every made.

Welles "Touch of Evil" is in the Top 12, the newly restored version with Welles' genius no longer dimmed by a studio's idiot animosity.

Top 12:

City Lights (1931), dir. Charles Chaplin
Casablanca (1942), dir. Michael Curtiz
Touch Of Evil (1958), dir. Orson Welles
It's A Wonderful Life (1946), dir. Frank Capra
The Grapes of Wrath (1940), dir. John Ford
Citizen Kane (1941), dir. Orson Welles
Unforgiven (1992), dir. Clint Eastwood
Sunset Boulevard (1950), dir. Billy Wilder
The Maltese Falcon (1941), dir. John Huston
The Thin Man (1934), dir. W.S. Van Dyke
A Room With A View (1986), dir. James Ivory
Double Indemnity (1944), dir. Billy Wilder

The next films aren't necessarily in order - and I'm leaving a lot out from the list just to conserve space - for the ordering depends on my mood at the time. Sometimes I'd like a comedy, other times a social commentary, etc etc, but they are all excellent in my opinion:

This Is Spinal Tap (1984), dir. Rob Reiner
Vertigo (1958), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Manhattan (1979), dir. Woody Allen
The Manchurian Candidate (1962), dir. John Frankenheimer
Rear Window (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Annie Hall (1977), dir. Woody Allen
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975), dir. Milos Forman
The Big Sleep (1946), dir. Howard Hawks
The Third Man (1949), dir. Carol Reed
Hamlet (1948), dir. Laurence Olivier
Notorious (1946), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), dir. Elia Kazan
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), dir. Frank Capra
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964), dir. Stanley Kubrick
A Clockwork Orange (1971), dir. Stanley Kubrick
From Here to Eternity (1953), dir. Fred Zinnemann
It Happened One Night (1934), dir. Frank Capra

I listed "A Streetcar Named Desire" because of Tennessee Williams and despite the odious Elia Kazan.

Marvelle

The long awaited arrival of Empire Falls, is here at last! It will be shown on HBO in two, two hour segments - tonight and tomorrow night. I've really been looking forward to this movie, being as the book is my favorite fictional book of the past decade. As per most books made into movies, this will most likely fall short, but I intend to watch it, regardless. The all star cast consists of Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Ed Harris, Aidan Quinn, Helen Hunt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Estelle Parsons, Robin Wright Penn and Dennis Farina.

Winsum, bill, marvelle -- your lists brought back memories for the following favorites:
Psycho (1960), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Rear Window (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
The Third Man (1949), dir. Carol Reed
Schindler's List (1993), dir. Steven Spielberg
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957), dir. David Lean
Vertigo (1958), dir. Alfred Hitchcock

And some that I list high because they have special meaning for me --

Our Vines have Tender Grapes with Ed. G. Robinson, Margaret O'Brien
Best Years of Our Lives w/Frederick March, Myrna Loy, Harold Russell
Driving Miss Daisy with Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman
Steel Magnolias -- an all star cast including Julia Roberts,Olympia Dukakis
The Sting -- with Paul Newman and a wonderful score of all Scott Joplin music. I saw this in Puerto Rico, it was in English with Spanish subtitles, and is the only movie I've been to where the whole audience stood up and clapped at the end.

Marilyne, I'm really looking forward to watching Empire Falls also. SeniorNet discussed it a couple of years ago.

Marvelle and Pedlin, what a great list of movies. I seen most of them either on the big screen or on TV. And, yes they do bring back great memories both of the movie and the characters the actors played.

Bill H

Marilyne, No movie can go wrong with actors like Newman, Woodward and Helen Hunt--I still connect her with "Mad About You." The comedy that run for so long and for which she won so many awards. Estelle Parsons. I recall the name but can't remember any of the movies she was in.

Bill H

Mary Z., I have seen ads for "The Shield" on FX, which is a cable channel, but I think these are rebroadcasts from one of the non-cable channels.

I don't know how many times I have seen "Rear Window" and "Vertigo." Also "Driving Miss Daisy" which has great acting by the main characters. "Steel Magnolias" always makes me sad; there are so many lost possibilities, but those women keep moving forward despite their losses. My grandson says that they took a survey at school, and 70% said their favorite movie was "To Kill a Mockingbird."

A rerun of The Shield was on tonight, and I started watching it. But Glenn Close notwithstanding, it looked too dark and violent and complicated for me - at least tonight. Maybe I was just too tired.

My top ten favorites would definitely have to include To Kill a Mockingbird and Singin' in the Rain. I'm not much for making lists, but those would definitely be on it.

I just saw it to the end here and last night. the movie felt like a novel but then the author RUSSO is said to have written it.The actors didn't seem like themselves at all . . maybe woodward a little but newman and hunt ot at all. They became their characters....Claire

From today's New York Times, praises and kudos for this film that has been in our hearts for 40 years, and that was at first only loved by the American people, not the people who made it.

The hills . . . .

It's not from a book, but who can deny its place.

Pedlin, thank you for The Hills... link. I was finally successful in registering for the on line New York Times. I don't know why I was unable to register the past several times I tried to register but thanks to your magic touch I did so this time

Bill H

Surely this has been mentioned on this site earlier, but I couldn't let it go by today. All the news clips about Anne Bancroft today have shown her in her role of Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate. But my first thoughts go to 84 Charring Cross Road, where she portrayed author Helene Hanff. What a wonderful actress.

pedln, 84 Charing Cross Rd. (1987) is one of my favorite movies, too. But then it was one of my mother's and my favorite books. I had seen it years ago, and when I saw it just a year or so ago, I was surprised to see Anthony Hopkins as the male lead. But Bancroft is so good in that one.

and shirley mcclaine in the turningpoint too. claire

Ann Bancroft was one classy lady. Is 84 Charing Cross Rd. (1987) the story of a pen pal going to meet their pen pal? I loved that movie.

I was surprised to see she was married to Mel Brooks.

Sad to say, Ann Bancroft died yesterday of cancer. I always think of her as Mrs. Robinson, but, of course, she played many other great parts. Have any of you seen her in "Garbo Speaks?"

Didn't see anyone mentioning her in her role as Ann Sullivan? She was so believable-I'm having a horrible senior moment and can't think of the ladies name the movie was about-it was a biography about the famous woman who was born blind and deaf.

auntiesjm - Helen Keller. I hate it when that happens!

Auntiesjm, hi, and welcome. Those senior moments happens to me also. I watched a TV discussion this morning about memory blanks and they said one of the things that cause it is COFFEE.
I suppose I'll have a lot of memory blanks because I love coffee.
Mary Z, thank you for answering Auntiesjm question.

Bill H

I just started reading The Firm by John Grisham.
I learned from IMDb that a movie was made from this novel. Tom Cruise played the lead with a good cast. back up. I like when I can give faces to the characters in the novel I'm reading. Thanks to IMBd I can always do this, if a movie has been adapted from the book.
The Mercedes that Cruise drove while playing the role of McDeere in the movie was given to him as a gift after finishing the movie. I guess money goes to money.
Here is what IMDb offered about the screen play
"THE FIRM (1993) *** Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Gary Busey, Holly Hunter, Wilford Brimley, David Strathairn, Steven Hill. Young, hungry law school grad is accepted into lucrative law firm that turns out to be more than he bargained for. Fine adaptation of John Grisham's best seller with a strong supporting cast (including Hunter who garnered a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom) to boot as well as Cruise's patented cocky performance. Paul Sorvino has an unbilled cameo and Joe Viterelli, who would go on in the latter part of the decade excelling as comic tough guys in films such as `Bullets Over Broadway' and `Analyze This'."
Did anyone see this movie?

Bill H

I read/saw the firm and adopted Grisham into my family of favorite authors. I"ve kept pretty up to date with his offerings but that one provided the joy of discovery.

I love coffee too and used to drink a lot more of it even before I got into the seniorn moment club. I use vanilla-nut whole beans, grind it fresh for every pot and even drink the next day dregs as of right now. yeah coffee.. . . . .

Saw once again the 1936 movie "Dodsworth" starring Walter Houston, Mary Astor, Ruth Chatterton and David Niven. Always one of my favorites.

The movie is from Sinclair Lewis's novel Dodsworth, published in 1929.

Marvelle

An explication of the novel Dodsworth:

Dodsworth

Marvelle

Marvelle, thank you for that excellent link!

Bill H

Oh I love Dodsworth and there were two of them, did you all know that? I've never seen the movie.

Hi, Ginny. No, I didn't know there were two of them. You can view the cast of characters that played in the 1936 movie

Dodsworth
Some of those actors and actresses bring back a lot of memories.

Bill H

This afternoon, TCM aired Rebecca. . This evening they are going to air Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep

Bill H

Bill, I saw "The Firm" and thought Gene Hackman was really good as the villain.b

Well, I guess this fits here.

I was watching the Sherlock Holmes film on the Biography channel last night and just happened to note in passing that Dr. Watson is played by Edward Hardwicke. That sort of jolted me into a recognition. I'd always felt that he reminded me of someone, and that time the penny dropped. I wondered if he could be the son of Sir Cedric Hardwicke whom I so enjoyed in movies 'way back then'. So, I googled him this morning, and--sure enough-- he's Sir Cedric's son. And that's why he looked so familiar. Reminds me of his father. Another nagging thing solved.

Thank you, Bill, yes there was a sequel to Dodsworth, sort of a surprising one, to me.

Since you all are interested in Books into Movies, I'd like to invite you into a new discussion, a PBS Program Club, of The Whale Rider, a movie that anybody can rent, and see all the behind the scenes stuff and interviews that will accompany the broadcast.

BROADCAST PREMIERE OF "WHALE RIDER" THIS SUMMER ON PBS

PBS Presentation Plans to Include Never-Before-Seen "Making of" Footage and Behind-the-Scenes Stories. WHALE RIDER airs on Sunday, July 24, 2005. Check local listings.

The award-winning, critically acclaimed WHALE RIDER, a cinematic re-telling of a Maori legend, comes to PBS in summer 2005. The film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Pai, with three of New Zealand's most distinguished actors: Rawiri Paratene as Koro, Vicky Haughton as Nanny Flowers and Cliff Curtis as Porourangi, Pai's father. Adapted by Niki Caro from the much-loved, best-selling 1986 book by Witi Ihimaera, the first Maori novelist to be published in New Zealand, WHALE RIDER was shot entirely in Whangara, a coastal village on the east cost of New Zealand's North Island. In the film, Pai, a 12-year-old girl, dares to challenge the ancient traditions of her people, despite opposition from her grandfather, Koro, chief of their village.

Set in the present, WHALE RIDER re-interprets a 1,000-year-old legend about Paikea, the founder of the Ngati Konohi, a native tribe of New Zealand. They believe Paikea arrived in their village on the back of a whale after his canoe capsized.

Who will become the Ngati Konohi's leader after Koro? By tradition, it should be the eldest son. A crisis occurs when the hereditary male child dies at birth, survived by his twin sister, whom their father names Paikea. The name should be given only to a male, and the fiercely traditional Koro immediately shortens the girl's name to Pai.

The movie takes up the role of women, the Maori culture, and New Zealand and has won awards, I have never seen it, and so doubly look forward to this event in July 24. I hope some of you might join us, we'll have a link up to it sometime in July, just FYI!

Thanks for the heads-up, Ginny. Whale Rider is a great movie.

Horselover, I'm about half way through The Firm. I think this may be one of Grisham's best.
Jean, thank you for the Edward Hardwicke explanation. I wondered the same thing. I never got around to go ogling it. I'm sure IMDb can give us more about Edward Hardwicke. I didn't know Sherlock was on the Biography the other night. I feel bad I missed it.
Ginny, I'll be watching the TV listings for WHALE RIDER. It sounds good.

Bill H

Here is a short bio of Edward Haardwicke

Edward Hardwicke.

He assumed the role of Dr. Watson after David Burke left the show. Don't know why Burke left the program.

Bill,

The Cable channel, 'the Biography channel', which is where I saw Sherlock Sunday always (from 2 pm until after midnight) shows British mysteries on Sunday. Midsomer Murders, Morse, Poirot, and Holmes mostly. I am very used to spending my Sundays in murderous England. I find it most relaxing. As IMDb, that's where I got the Hardwicke info.

I use the channel selector directory to go forward to Sunday almost as soon as I turn on the TV on Monday am. Next Sunday it's a couple of Poirot mysteries, a couple of Midsomer Murders, and some Holmes. Sure beats the Lifetime movies I used to watch on Sunday afternoons.

Jeanlock, thanks for the tip about the mysteries on A & E. I had been able to get some Jane Marple mysteries on PBS on Saturday nights, but not lately. The ones you mentioned will be welcome indeed. I loved the Midsommer Murders I saw last year.

Jean, along with Pedlin, I thank you for the tip about the Sunday Bio Channel. I like those old mysteries. Too bad Classical Mysteries didn't do better.

Bill H

Pedln--

That's not A&E, it's the Biography channel.

Jeanlock, I gathered as much after I went looking at the A&E schedule, which does not have much that I want to see. It used to offer biographies every night at 7, so I had just assumed that was what you were talking about. Unfortunately, I don't think our podunk Charter outfit here offers that choice. To put it mildly, they don't have any competition in these parts.

Pedln

Appropos of cable service: I'm about to go satellite. For the first 3 months I'll save $30 from what I pay for cable; after that, I'll save about 15. But, I'll have the satellite TV on all three TV sets instead of only two (which leaves me effectively TV-less in the office) and they also provide DVR which I don't understand completely, but seems to take the place of recording on VHS. And I can watch one channel and record another. And the equipment and installation are all included in the monthly rate.

Several days ago I finished reading THE FIRM by John Gresham. It is an action paced story. A wonderful novel by the author. Wow! Grisham has a brilliant imagination.
I'm going to see if I can get a video cassette of the movie. I understand it follows the book fairly well. Have any of you seen the movie? Also, if you haven't read this story please do so. You'll love it.

Bill H

The Firm is one of Grisham's earliest books. One of our daughters considers it his best.

I think so too although they are all pretty good. the firm breks new ground for legal thrillers. at least I didn't know about them before. . . . claire

I think "The Firm" is also a movie that turns up on TV frequently.

My favorite Grisham books are "A Time to Kill", and "A Painted House". These are different from his legal mysteries. His latest book is, in my opinion, a dud. I've noticed that it's only been on the Washington Post weekly book list for one or two weeks. As compared to The DaVinci Code which has been on for over a year.

I think THE FIRM is the best Grisham I have read too.
Jean, THE FIRM is a movie. Tom Cruse plays the lead Someone said it follow the book very well. I'm going to see if I can get from my library.
I read A TIME TO KILL and I think the black guy was right in offing those two characters.
I didn't like THE PAINTED HOUSE. it's not my kind of book.

Bill H

I was disappointed in PAINTED HOUSE. The title didn't seem to have relevance to the tale and of course I was looking for a different kind of book . . his usual legal tangle. . . .claire

A Painted House was written as sort of an autobiographical story, I think, and as something to get away from his usual legal tangle. We discussed it on SN a year or so ago.

Again, IMHO, I love all his legal stories, and always get on the list for them at the library as soon as I hear they've been released. Having said that, I do feel that his earliest stories are much better than the later ones. The later ones, to me, tend to read like movie scripts - almost like he'd written them with the plan in mind that they'd be sold directly to the movie studies.

Claire, there was a TV movie of The Painted House, but I didn't watch it.
MaryZ, I too feel his earlier stories were better.
How many movies were made from the Grisham novels?

Bill

Bill I did . . watch it. I kept waiting for something to happen. I think in the end the house which they kept showing got painted. . .can't remember never did read the book. boring movie. . . claire

Bill, according to one web site I found, these are the books listed that have been made into movies:

A Time to Kill, The Chamber, The Client, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury

MaryZ, thank you for listing the Grisham books that were made into movies. I see there were seven of them. That's a good many.
I know I would like to see The Firm and A Time to Kill. I read The Runaway Jury, but I'm not sure if I would like to see the movie.
Claire, you said you never did read the book The Painted House. Well, I didn't like it but that doesn't mean others wouldn't enjoy it.
I don't know if The Lake House by James Patterson was made into a movie, but I just started reading it and I don't much care for it.

Bill H

The Painted House is autobiographical, true to the family's life but all those interesting events happened over a course of years rather than in one summer of cotton-picking. I really like Grisham's work so it was fascinating to me to see from whence he sprung--and the Hallmark movie of the book showed me a slice of Americana I had only read about--excellent movie making--a film to watch more than once!

Elizabeth, welcome to the discussion.
Your message has me thinking that perhaps I should start reading this story again from where I left off. You have shown me a new faze of this novel that I didn't think off.

Bill H

Bill,

Actually, I think Runaway Jury was one of the best of the movies.

Jean, I didn't see Runaway Jury. Perhaps I can get it from the library. Thanks for telling me.Bill H

Bill,

Runaway Jury is on TV, now. You might watch for it. If I see it coming, I'll alert you.

Jean, thank you for the heads up!

Bill H

Here is a link to The Book Reporter list of books into movies for this year.

http://www.bookreporter.com/features/books2movies.asp

I didn't realize how many movies this year were books first.

Gaj, thank you for the web site showing books into movies. I share your surprise about how many of this years books were made into movies.

Bill H

GinnyAnn, that's a great list. It was fun to browse through it and I may add "Girl With the Pearl Earring" to my Netflix list, after I read the book.

Have any of you read "Sideways" or seen the movie.? Did you like it? My daughter thought it was one of the best she's seen in a while, but I really didn't care for the movie that much, nor have any of my friends -- who saw it because their children recommended it. I wonder if it's a generational thing.

LOved Painted HOuse -- both book and movie -- they grow cotton not too far from here. Also liked "A Time to Kill, both book and movie, although it took the publication of "The Firm" before anyone noticed "A Time to Kill." Also have seen "Pelican Brief" more than once. There's something about his films. Hollywood doesn't ruin them.

I have read and enjoyed all his books, but wouldn't pick a favorite. Of the ones made into movies, I love the Pelican Brief. I have it on VHS and watch it each and every time it is on TV. The screenwriters gave the story very good service, and it was terrifically suspenseful. I think it the best role Julia Roberts has done. Denzel Washington was excellent in it, as always.

I enjoyed the book "Girl With the Pearl Earring" very much, and the movie was excellent also, although the book, naturally, has much more detail about the artist and his quirks. Scarlet Johanssen was fantastic, as she is in everything I've seen.

and you can't miss with that caste. I haven' read the GIRL WITH THE PEARL but loved the movie. .. . Claire

I liked the movie but was disappointed that the disguises the Julia Roberts character assumed were less drastic and creative than those in the novel. I love "The Client." All the actors were perfect for their roles and their performances told me more about the story than I had absorbed from the book.

I have always been fascinated with science fiction and, as a kid, was initiated into the genre by H.G.Welles. As I grew older I started reading Astounding Science Fiction Magazine under the editorship of John W. Campbell. The soul of good science fiction is involved with proposing an interesting idea and investigating what the development of that idea might have on society and philosophy. "Looking Backwards" and "1984" fulfill that requirement.

Early films derived from Welles such as "The Invisible Man" and "Things to Come" and "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" were not too bad considering the primitive state of special effects at the time but none of the films of "The Time Machine" did it justice. The first try at "The War of the Worlds" was minimally satisfying. Perhaps the latest version will prove better.

The first try at "The Body Snatchers" was not effective but the version with Donald Southerland was quite good.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" was supposedly a film of "Farewell to the Master" but really had little to do with the story and was inferior.

"The Thing from Outer Space" done by John Carpenter was quite good but the early film version of the story "Who Goes There?" by John Campbell was ludicrous.

All in all, modern special effects have vastly improved science fiction films but since most of the special effects have become commonplace their novelty no longer can carry a film and devotion to the basics of a good story have again proved a necessity.

Pedlin, I didn't read Sideways. Who wrote the novel, and could you please tell us a little something about the story?
Tomreader, I agree it would be hard choosing a favorite Grisham novel. Although I must ad mitt, I did enjoy some more than others. I seen the movies the Pelican Briefs but didn't read the story. Must do chant.
Claire, who played the rolls in The Client? So many Grisham books into movies. However, I'm not surprised his novels are very good.
Jan Sand, WELCOME. I think this is your first post in this discussion. I hope you will be a regular here
Ray Bradbury wrote several Sci-Fi novels also. I understand some were made into movies.
TCM showed The Thing from Outer Space, or was it It Came from Outer Space, last night.

Bill H

Tomreader was right on the mark when he suggested that early special effects had more impact on the viewer. Even though the modern special effects are much more spectacular, we have gotten used to them since the early Star War movies. Wasn't that movie something to behold?
However, the special effects movies of today are accompanied with so much LOUD music that it becomes most annoying for me.
Let us not forget the Sherlock Holmes movies that were made from Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories. Who can forget the black and white "The Hound of the Baskervills" with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I suppose those two will always be my Holmes and Watson.
Although Jeremy Brett did an outstanding job of portraying Holmes in the TV series. As was pointed out Sir Cedric Hardwicke's son played the roll of Watson in the TV shows. He replaced David Burke as Watson. I never did know why they replaced David Burke in the Holmes TV shows.
Do any of you remember Jeremy Brett in the movie My Fair Lady!? He was very young at the time and the roll he played was Freddy Eynsford-Hill. Remember him singing (pantomining) as he stood outside Eliza Doolittle's--Audrey Hepburn-- house? Hard to believe he would later play Max in the movie Rebecca and the roll of Sherlock Holmes in the TV series.

Bill H

As a designer and artist I am continuously fascinated by the wonderful imagination devoted to the design of vehicles and costumes and cities and the beautiful way they are portrayed but as a hard science fiction fan I am afraid that there is almost no real science fiction involved and the details are silly. The fights in space show the combat craft moving exactly the way aircraft would move and not the way vehicles in vacuum would orient themselves. The fights with the light weapons are mere swordplay and idiotic when powerful guns of various types are available. And there is never a loss of gravity in space where people should be just as comfortable moving upside down and floating as in a right side up orientation. And the story itself has no science-fiction resonance as the plot does not hinge on new concepts but more on the type of action in old fairy tales with heroes and princesses and good and evil. The Ring stories are just as powerful as film and frankly fairytale.

2001 was a much more scientific tale with incomprehensible concepts of forces and powers almost beyond human understanding. I would love to see a film closely adhering to Arthur C. Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama" or "Childhood's End". And Greg Bear's "Blood Music" would become a wonderful quasi horror story. I would love to see LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" as a film.

I had a senior moment. Jeremy Brett did not play Max in the black and white movie Rebecca. No. He played the roll of Max de Winter in the TV series of du Maurier's novel.

Bill H

Jan Sand, I remember the special effects of the Saturday afternoon matinees. When I was a kid, I used to marvel at some of the scenes from the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon series, as they traveled through space to the various planets.
Now I'm talking about the early thirties, mid thirties, etc. I can't help but wonder how much difficulty those special effects must've been to create way back then.

Bill H

I saw a news clip on a new car design It can rise vertically like a helicopter and then switch into PLAne MODE and proceed above the traffic. It's real. It exists and I've seen it portayed in the J.D. Robb stories which are set in 2058 in New York where such a thing is needed. Now I'm waiting to see the REAL THINTG in a movie. I'd wondered how they would have devised it and now I know. . .

BTw susan saranden in the client although I'm not the one that mentioned it. I liked THE FIRM since it was the first and a grabber for me. . . Claire

Cars like that appeared in "The Fifth Element" and "Blade Runner"

and they look just like ordinary hot shot cars. the one I saw was red. . . claire

winsum

Back in the late 50s or early 60s, I saw a car in the Wash DC area that could drive into the water and function as a boat. Never saw it in the water, but did see it on my commute.

Speilberg has rendered the H.G.Wells novel very closely to the original considering he changed the scene ftom England to New Jersey. The special effects live up to the Wells concept very well and it was relatively clever that he ignored the Wells description of the Martian ships crashing into the Earth like meteors and substituted an anonymous landing and migration underground where the monster machines rise out of the earth like subterreanian monsters. Wells described "handling machines" which constructed the tripod earth striders in the pits of the space capsule crash craters but Speilberg assumes the construction takes place completely underground much more mysteriously and unseen. He duplicated the scene in Carpenter's "Thing" that shows a horror that plows through the underground to emerge from the earth after burrowing but does it much more spectacularly as the disturbed earth destroys the foundations of large structures like buildings and bridges. Very well done.

I remember something like that in DUNE. . . .a kind of worm. . . .Claire

Here's the cast of The Client (movie)(I didn't know there was a TV series, too.)

The Client (1994)

Susan Sarandon .... Reggie Love
Tommy Lee Jones .... 'Reverend' Roy Foltrigg
Mary-Louise Parker .... Dianne Sway
Anthony LaPaglia .... Barry 'The Blade' Muldano
J.T. Walsh .... Jason McThune
Anthony Edwards .... Clint Von Hooser
Brad Renfro .... Mark Sway
Will Patton .... Sergeant Hardy
Bradley Whitford .... Thomas Fink
Anthony Heald .... Larry Trumann
Kim Coates .... Paul Gronke
Kimberly Scott .... Doreen
David Speck .... Ricky Sway
William H. Macy .... Dr. Greenway
Ossie Davis .... Judge Harry Roosevelt

An amazing cast - considering what these actors have gone on to do since 1994.

MaryZ thank you for giving us the cast of Grisham's "The Client." Now that I can picture the faces of the cast, especially Tommy Lee Jones, as I read along, that is going to be my next read. I see Anthony Edwards is listed among the cast. Didn't he play a roll in the PBS series "Brideshead Revisited?" I really enjoyed that PBS series. Below is a little something a bout The Client. Sounds like a good one.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
" In a weedy lot on the outskirts of memphis, two boys watch a shiny Lincoln pull upt ot the curb... Eleven-year-old Mark Sway and his younger brother were sharing a forbidden cigarrette when a chance encounter with a suicidal laywer left Mark knowing a bloody and explosive secret: the whereabouts of the most sought-after dead body in America. Now Mark is caught between a legal system gone mad and a mob killer desperate to cover up his crime. And his only ally is a woman named Reggie Love, who has been a lawyer for all of four years. Prosecutors are willing to break all the rules to make Mark talk. The mob will stop at nothing to keep him quiet. And Reggie will do anything to protect her client -- even take a last, desperate gamble that could win Mark his freedom... or cost them both their lives."
Right now I'm reading Grisham's The Partner. This author has such a vivid imagination. From reading his novels, I have learned so much about our legal system and court procedure.
Any misspelling in the blockquote is not mine. It is copied a nd pasted directed from Barnes and Noble However any other misspelling is mine:-)

Bill H

I was all set to get the video cassette of the "The Firm." However, I see that Tom Cruise plays the lead as Mitchell Y McDeere. I just can't see Cruise in this roll. For me, he just doesn't fit the character in the novel. I'm not sure I would enjoy the movie with him playing the part. By the way, did any of you see the TV news clips of Cruise getting squirted with water as the guy held the fake microphone close too his face?

Bill H

Bill H, the boy who played Mark Slay was picked from a "talent" search to play the part. He was a schoolboy from Knoxville, TN (as I remember) and had never acted before. They were looking for an authentic Southern boy with the right accent.

I saw clips of the of Cruise getting squirted with water. It is scary to think of what could have been in the fake mike other than water. This whole publicity circus has me stepping away from Cruise. Although I think Scientology is a scary cult, I had still followed Cruise's career. Now, however, his attack on Brooke Shield is really turning me off.

Cruise was a lot younger and more tentative in this role. not the action oriented character we have come to expect from him. I liked him in it. He wasn't Tom Cruise he was the character. . . Claire

Mary - Brad Renfro, the actor who played Mark Sway, was just amazing. I remember being so impressed. Interesting how some kids are just so natural in front of the camera. The little boy in "The Hours", (played Julianne Moore's son), is another good one. I couldn't take my eyes off of him when he was in a scene. Some child actors are never heard from again. Remember the children in. "To Kill a Mockingbird"? I don't think any of the three of them went on to become big stars?

Tom Cruise was good in his early movies like, "The Firm" and "Rain Man". Then he started doing the BIG action blockbuster films, and he lost me completely. Same with Nicholas Cage. Cage's early movies were so good - "Moonstruck" and "Raising Arizona". Then he too, began doing the forgettable, over-the-top, action junk. I guess that's where the money is?

"orgettable, over-the-top, action junk. I guess that's where the money is? " and then you run for goovenor of California where I live. . . Claire

Hi: In My OP: Nicholas was great in "City of Angels" I loved that movie, have watched it several times,,,,, bring a "hanky" with you. Meg Ryan is in it also, when she was "still cute". Andre Braugher (sp) and "Andie Sipowits" , can't think of his real name, had good parts also. You won't be sorry to see this one.

Gail/VT

First of all, let me wish you a Happy Fourth of July
MaryZ, thank you for telling us about Mark Stay. It seems the producers put a lot of thought in picking a cast for Grisham's books. I wonder why they picked Tom Cruise for Mitch McDeere in The Firm?
Gaj, yes, it was wrong for Cruise to subject to being squirted with water, and, yes celebs are vulnerable to all sorts of mischief.
I think Tom Cruise believes he is the "hero" that his movie parts portray. I was amused that all he could say to the guy that squirted him was: "your a jerk." "your a jerk." I suppose without a movie script to read from Cruise can't think of much to say.
Claire, I suppose i will have to see The Firm before I pass judgment on his part in that movie.
Gail, thank you for joining us.

Bill H

Marilyne,
"Tom Cruise was good in his early movies like, "The Firm" and "Rain Man". Then he started doing the BIG action blockbuster films, and he lost me completely.

I agree with what you said. I think it is a case of both the producers and the box office stars believing they can play any roll and the movie goers will accept it.

I was thinking how interesting it would be, or how much fun it would be, to pair some of the old--or not so old--time movie actors and actress with the characters in some of the Grisham books that were made into movies.
How about Michael Douglas or Burt Lancaster in the lead roll in The Firm. I think that would be much better than Cruise.
Well, what movies of Graham's books could we give to James Cagney, Bill Powell, Myrna Loy. Cagney and Bogart could fill the rolls of the bad guys, and David Nivin could always be the go-between.
How about you folks. I'm sure you can come up with much better choices. Give it a try. Just for the fun of it. Also we don't have to limit our choices to the Grisham movies. We could do the same thing for any of the books made into movies.

Bill H

The Firm is about a young couple. begin there . . .Claire

Claire, we can use poetic license by imagining our choices are young.

Bill H

Harrison Ford? Claire

Claire, thank you. That's's a very good choice. I wish I had thought of him while I was reading The Firm!
Do you think we could fit Steve McQueen into any of the Grisham movies? He seemed to be the kind of person who was always in a peck of trouble. Perhaps we coud make him our hero in The King of Torts. I'll have to find out if that was a Grisham movie.

Bill H

It might be fun if Bela Lugosi was the lawyer with Mae West as his wife. He could turn the tables on the Mafia by turning into a vampire.

Gail, If you like Nicholas Cage, you should see "Family Man." It's an unusual story, and he was excellent in it.

Bill, I think Burt Lancaster was too forceful a personality to play the naive law graduate of "The Firm." Perhaps Jimmy Stewart?

Harrison Ford did play a lawyer who becomes entangled with the justice system in "Presumed Innocent."

I think Tom Cruise was well cast as the young lawyer. The part seemed to call for a YOUNG young man--naive despite his brilliant mind and education. Yes?

Yes . . . .Claire 77

Jan Sand, very good!! Those two would make a peach of a pear. No misspelling.
Elizabeth I agree #571. Tom Cruise does seem a bit naive. However, I don't know how brilliant his mind and education might be.

Raymand Burr of TV fame should make a good attorney in one of Grisham's novels.

On a more serious note. I think Gregory Peck was well cast as the attorney in the movie "To Kill a Mocking Bird," from the book of the same name. Can any of you think of a better casting.
Vivien Leigh was cast as Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. Could some other actress played the part better?

Bill H

I am not familiar with all of Grisham's lawyers in his output but those I know were participating victims in the plot who outwitted their way to victory. Burr usually was a dispassionate external mover in his plots more or less like Sherlock Holmes in his plots.

I think Bette Davis was originally being considered for the part of Scarlett, and eventually was cast in another movie about a Southern belle. However, I think Vivien Leigh was perfect in the part. It's too bad that she suffered from a mental illness that eventually destroyed her marriage and her career.

Gregory Peck was also perfect as Atticus Finch.

Jan Sand, what you say about Grisham's attorneys being participating victims in the plot seems to be the thread in his novels.
I'm almost finished with Grisham's The Partner I don't believe this has been made into a movie yet, although it would make a good one. But even in this story Grisham's attorney seems to be a somewhat self indulgent character but on the good side.
Horselover, I watched a documentary about Gone with The wind on TV and Betty Davis along with some other actresses were considered for the part of Scarlett. However, I believe liven Leigh was best suited for the part.
Whom did Viven Leigh marry?

Bill H

Married Laurence Olivier. Gave him a rough time, I was surprised to learn that Olivier had had an affair with Danny Kaye.

Gail Norma

If you liked the Nicholas Cage version, you might also enjoy the original German movie "Wings of Desire". I saw 'Wings' before I ever heard of the Cage version, and was just enchanted. Oddly enough, the German film also has Peter Falk in a sort of 'bit' part, where he doesn't even attempt to speak German. I saw the movie on TV, so keep an eye out. I just know, if you can handle subtitles, you'll enjoy it.

Horselover,

The southern movie with Bette Davis was 'Jezebel'. And it's, as usual with her, very enjoyable.

I do so enjoy watching and rewatching the really good oldies. I can never watch Inherit the Wind too many times.

BTW--

How much of the quality that we think makes/made an actor/actress 'perfect' for a part is based on non-acting qualities? For example, can you imagine Cruise as Atticus Finch? Peck was the epitome of the honorable thoughtful person---at least on the screen. And Davis was a vixen through and through--think 'Little Foxes'---the scene where she sits coldly watching Herbert Marshall die because she won't give him his heart medicine chills me every time I see it.

Do you suppose Cruise's move to the blockbuster epics comes from the realization that his acting ability isn't all that great enough to sustain a 'personality' role? (Except, of course, a smart-alec know-it-all who has just been converted to something)

A truly great actor can make you forget his personality and only think of the character. Example: Ralph Richardson as the vicar father in "Holly and the Ivy" and the father in "The Heiress" (another film I can watch every time I come across it. The latest, just last week."

as a teen age actor had charisma. he SHONE. . . .the camera loved him.

washe in the movie STAND BY ME as a kid or something else. I had the music going which is why I thought of it. http://www.geocities.com/artetal/midis.html Claire

Thanks for the tip, I will look for Wings of Desire at Netflix.

Thanks, Gail/vt

Jan Sand, thank you for telling me that Leigh married Olivier. Kinda rhymes.
Horselover, YES "Jezebel." I was trying to think of the name of that movie with Davis.
Jeanlock, I don't know if a Few Good Men" was ever a book. But Cruise paled beside Jack Nichols on in the court room scene. The only thing Cruise had going for him was the tirades he went into and he was actually comic.

Bill H

is the best. except maybe for Dustin Hoffman who sometimes is not recognizeable as himself because of the depth of his characterisztions . . . .Claire

I know it's difficult for a movie lover, but Claire, please tell me five of your favorite movies.

and some of them I've just seen on hbo and some of them. . well the something shank redemption comes to mind, of course gone with the wind, now voyager as a teenager but times change, turning point for the dancing, that thing with merrill streep as the daughter and shirly mcclane the mother singing I'M HERE...postcards etc. all of this is just a momentary rememberence of movies enjoyed enough to see again when they came on the tube. ..I'm ot hard to please. the unforgiven?.a clint eastwood's western lately the girl with the pearl earing vincent and theo, . the mozart movie..the big one. is that five? . . . claire

Thanks Claire. I must have 100 favorite movies at least. Some old ones are The Quiet Man, The Big Country (Gregory Peck western), the English, Pride and Prejudice (five videos), To Kill a Mockingbird and Out of Africa.

I looked up Now Voyager on IMDb.com because I was not familiar with it and the synopsis of it was most interesting. There is also a 1992 Now Voyager so I looked up that one but only the title is the same. It's a family fantasy musical with the leading part taken by an old man, a former BeeGee from Austrailia. I only quote--don't know what that is all about and I wonder how old is "old"?

I was about sixteen. Now I just found a place that catagorizes moviets in various ways and I think the ones from the nineties are the best collection.

here. so many good movies in that decade. . . . Claire

P.S. I've loved this little film.

The Gods Must be Crazy

I enjoyed lots of those movies from the 90's, but I personally prefer this list from the 1970's. Top rated 1970's titles

I looked at both lists and found I loved movies on each list. Maybe, because the movies were the 'best' over a 10 year period, I am more familiar with them. I noticed many from the 90's were first novels.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Book-- Steven King

Schindler's List (1993) Book -- Thomas Keneally

Goodfellas (1990) Book -- Nicholas Pileggi

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) -- Book Thomas Harris

Fight Club (1999) Book -- Chuck Palahniuk

L.A. Confidential (1997) Book -- James Ellroy

Forest Gump (1994) Book -- Winston Groom

Winsum, Did you ever see the other movie that Jamie Uys made. He is the one who did "The Gods Must Be Crazy". The other movie is called "Animals are Beautiful People". If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Judy

The real, true "actors" of this day and age are the fellows who are not good looking, pretty faces. I am speaking about William H. Macy, John C. O'Reilly, Ralph Fiennes (although he is not hard to look at, lol)Joseph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, and others (whose names escape me at the moment)Jack Nicholson is still at the top of the list!! As for the ladies, Meryl Streep has had such a good run, some of her latest roles left something to be desired. Annette Benning. Jodie Foster. Diane Keaton, Frances McDormand. Diane Ladd. Kristen Scott Thomas. IMHO Scarlett Johansen is really terrific and if she can keep to good roles, like "Girl w/Pearl Earring". Most actresses today need only look glamorous and show a lot of cleavage.

Stigler, I would like to WELCOME you to the discussion. I'm happy you found us.
Claire and Elizabeth 78. thank you for posting your favorite movies. I share your opinion about most them.
Claire, thank you so much for giving us that link to so many good movies. I found several that I truly did like but forgot about.
Marilyne, thank you too for the Seventies link. Ahh, yes. The God Father, China Town. So many in that group it's hard for me to chose my favorite.

i suppose China town and the Sting would be two of my favorites.
Gaj, who could ever forget Forget Forest Gump. Hard to believe eleven years have passed since that movie screened.
Tomreader, it would be difficult for anyone to dispute your choice of actors/actresses. It's true they don't have to be good looking to be good.

Bill H

I suppose my favorite movie is and probably always will be "Rebecca." by du Maurier. Joan Fontaine and Olivier played the rolls in that one.
That movie is followed close by the black and white Sherlock Holmes movies, particularly The Hound of the Baskervilles. with Rathbone and Bruce..
I don't believe this book was ever made into a movie but I would love to see The Partner by John Grisham made into a movie.
Folks if you haven't read this one do yourself a favor and read it. I'm not going to spoil the ending by revealing it, however, I sort of had it figured out.
I'm sure you folks who have read this one know hat I mean.

Bill H

saw movie of grishams TIME TO KILL last night. very well done and a good actor in the main roe. . .name? didn't look and new to me, sensitive performance. . . .Claire

Claire, here's the cast list from IMDb: This is a pretty good cast - lots of whom have gone on to bigger and better things.

A Time to Kill (1996)

Matthew McConaughey .... Jake Tyler Brigance
Sandra Bullock .... Ellen Roark
Samuel L. Jackson .... Carl Lee Hailey
Kevin Spacey .... D.A. Rufus Buckley
Oliver Platt .... Harry Rex Vonner
Charles S. Dutton .... Sheriff Ozzie Walls
Brenda Fricker .... Ethel Twitty
Donald Sutherland .... Lucien Wilbanks
Kiefer Sutherland .... Freddie Lee Cobb
Patrick McGoohan .... Judge Omar Noose
Ashley Judd .... Carla Brigance
Tonea Stewart .... Gwen Hailey
Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly .... Tonya Hailey
Darrin Mitchell .... Skip Hailey
LaConte McGrew .... Slim Hailey

Patrick McGoohan from a long ago series sci fi...doyou remember it ? I used to work with his wife in a real estate office. she was very active, partly due to his contacts. . .the series was called THE soemthing or other and was very interesting.

claire

Patrick McGoohan stared in "Secret Agent" TV series (AKA "Danger Man")

Claire, I guessed The Prisoner - then checked on IMDb - here's the link to that...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061287/

Mary Z I think you are right.

a great review onit. It all comes back people are designated by numbers and kept in line, from leaving by huge GUARD BALLS which chase them down the beach. I think it's an island. In 1967 I was a loyal fan. It did become something more imaginative as it went along. . . .was it ever a book? didn't say but an attempt to revive it in 2002 is interesting. it may still happen. . . .Claire

Mary, A great list! Kevin Spacey was excellent in the movie adaptation of "The Shipping News." Oliver Platt appeared in episodes of the TV series "West Wing." Donald Sutherland was in so many good films, among them "Ordinary People" which also starred Mary Tyler Moore in her first non-comedy role, and "Klute" with Jane Fonda.

Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Oliver Platt, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland, Patrick McGoohan, Ashley Judd

All these have gone on become stars in their own right (or were before - McGoohan as mentioned, Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye Pierce in the movie MASH). I've put A Time to Kill on my DVD list to take to Blockbuster.

Claire, I missed it. What channel was it on?

Bill H

I subscribe to hbo,starz and encore. one of those....I think it was HBO.

Claire, Thank you for telling me. I don't subscribe to the pay for view channels. I have the regular extended basic program. I don't watch much TV

Bill H

Did any of you watch Tolstoy's War and Peace last night? TCM aired it and it ran for over three hours. A great cast.

Bill H

Bill,

War and Peace: Was that the one with Audrey Hepburn?

PBS, waaaaaaaay back (1969-1974) had a version done in several installments, with a very young Anthony Hopkins as Pierre. It was just wonderful.

Jean, Yes, that was the movie of War and Peace that starred Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda. I believe Mel Ferrer also played in that movie. It had quite a cast and it ran for over three hours. I read the book so long ago that I just can't remember when.
I didn't see the one that PBS aired.
Henry Fonda was such a versatile actor, playing so many different type rolls in his acting career. I wonder if we will ever again see the likes of him and so many others of his day?

Bill H

I'm so sorry I missed "War and Peace." I've been waiting for that to be shown again.

The Whale Rider ~ PBS Program Clubs ~ July 17

PBS is showing the acclaimed movie THE WHALE RIDER on Sunday July 24th at 9PM EDT (check your local listing). We will talk about the making of the movie and behind the scenes action starting on July 17th.

Horselover, keep watching the TCM movie schedule they will probably show it again in the near future. They usually repeat their movies.
Pat, thank you for the PBS link.

Bill H

Horselover, et all, if you are interested reading a good article about the movie War and Peace--Tolstoy-- TCM posted a review of the casting. This web page also gives quite a bit of information about upcoming movies on this channel. This information is found on the left of the page.Follow the link below.
War and Peace
For all of you able to receive the TCM movie channel, Here is their home page.
.
TCM Home Page

Bill H

dry eye syndrum flare-up. taking a break. back later. . . . claire

Claire, sorry to hear that.

Bill H

Last night TCM televised the movie "The Magnificent Ambersons," by Booth Tarkington. This movie starred Joseph Cotton, Ann Baxter, Dolor Costello, Tim Holt and Agnes Moorhead. Moorhead was one of my favorite movie actresses.
Ann Baxter was so young I hardly recognized her. After the movie, the commentator told the audience that Ann Baxter's grandfather was Frank Lloyd Wright the world renowned architect. When Mr. Wright visited the house that was featured in the movie he was reported to have said: "How in the world did people live in these houses."
"Her final moment before the public eye was as Irene Adler in the TV movie, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE MASKS OF DEATH (1984). On December 12, 1985, Anne died of a stroke in New York. She was 62."
TCM will show the movie again this evening at 6:pm but consult your own TV listings to make sure of the telecast time.
To read more about Ann Baxter, please use this link.
Ann BaxterTo read more about the movie, please use this link.
The Magnificent Ambersons

Bill H

I have always gotten Judith Anderson and Agnes Moorhead mixed up.
Judith Anderson Agnes Moorhead
To view a photo gallery of Judith Anderson, please follow this link. Click next when you arrive at the gallery.
Judith Anderson
to view a photo gallery of Agnes Moorhead, use this link
Agnes Moorhead

Bill H

I was still living in New York when I read in the newspaper about the death of Anne Baxter. She collapsed in the street as she was returning from shopping. She was so good in so many movies. It's amazing how many good movies actors made in those days.

I know I shouldn't say this, but the simple fact is that she shopped until she dropped.

Hello, I wonder if anyone else has read the book The Time Traverler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger? I read it a bit ago and enjoyed it a great deal! I've heard that it will be made into a movie at some point and am curious what others who have read it think about that? It is quite an intricate book with many settings and characters, so I wonder how it can be nicely woven together on the screen...

HelenaRose, WELCOME to the discussion. No, sorry to say I haven't/read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Perhaps some one else here can answer that question.

Bill H

I've been reading John Grisham's "The Client." A very powerful story. I was curious to know if they made a movie of this novel and sure enough they did all they way back in 1994.
IMDb shows a very good cast for this movie. Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon make any movie good. Glad I looked this up now I can give faces to the characters in the book.

Bill H

I made a terrible mistake in naming Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Saradan as being cast in the movie The Client. I apologize for this. I could of swore that the first time I visited IMDb they gave these names. I went back and no they didn't play in this movie

Again I apologize.<p.Bill H

Bill H, I checked, too - and there is some confusion. The 1994 movie starred Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. There was a TV series called "The Client" also based on John Grisham's book, and it starred JoBeth Williams and William Hurt. They're both listed in IMDb.

This is the TV show:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111924/

and this is the movie:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109446/

Does that clear it up? I don't remember ever seeing the TV show, but did enjoy the movie.

I read it and saw both versions. You can't lose when there is a cute kid running from the bad guys. . . .Claire

Talk about disappointment. I had never read the book, but had read enough about it that I thought it was a more or less serious story about how one woman dealt with a tragic occurrence.

So, I was really eager to see the movie, and thinking kindly of Lifetime for dealing with such a subject.

Needless to say, I was not impressed with the movie. All the actors seemed to be children. Could hardly believe they were supposed to be in their mid-twenties. Heck, in MY mid twenties, I had two kids and was concerned with what we used to call (and what no longer seems to be even a concept) 'homemaking'. Not running off to NY to 'find myself'.

I've lived waaaaaaaaay too long.

MaryZ, thank you very much for the explanation about the movie version of THe Client. I thought I was seeing things.
I can see Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon in those roles more so than the TV actors.
Thanks again for the expanation.
Claire, read the book. I do think you will love it.

Bill H

please read post 627 again. . . claire

My apologies for not being here the past while back. I am having cataract surgery for both eyes. This past week, Wednesday, I had surgery on the right eye and so far all is well. Next week I will have surgery on the left eye. When I return, I will tell you about it.

Bill H

Bill you are in my prayers.

GinnyAnn, thank you very much.

Bill H

The other day I watched Herbert Marshal acting in a movie. I started wondering how he would have faired as Max in the movie Rebecca.
I also watched a movie from Stephen King's "Insomnia." Any resemblance to that movie and the book is purely coincidental.

Bill H

Bill H

Actually, I think Herbert Marshall would have made quite a good Max. He didn't have the physical stature of Olivier, but I believe he could have portrayed the character very well. BTW, did you know he had an artificial leg?

Jean, yes, I remember reading/hearing that Herbert Marshal had an artificial leg. But I forgot that. Thanks for reminding me.
I agree Herbert Marshal would have made a very good 'Max." He had a very reserved quality about him that perhaps he could've played the roll better than Olivier. However, we will never know that.
I'm off again tomorrow for cataract surgery on the left eye. I hope it goes as well as the right eye.

Bill H

of course it will go well. . . they say it's a cinch but you've already had one eye done. It turns out I've got something called blepharitis and inflammation of the oil glands that contribute to making tears for the eye. a nuisance more than anything but like you feel very iffy about having anything happen near my eyes. good going with the operation. . . .Claire

Bill, I've been thinking about you and wishing you well with your second eye surgery. As Claire says, anything with the eyes is scary, but I think you will come through just fine.

Did someone mention Flight of the Phoenix some time ago on this site? Based on a novel by Ellston Trevor (?) it was filmed in 1965, starring Jimmy Stewart and Richard Attenborough. An all male cast, about a group of men who rebuild a downed and smashed-up plane so they can escape from their desert crash-site. It was wonderful. I loved it. I would never have dreamed it was a 40 year old production.

I just discovered this place, so I don't know how it works.

I do want to mention, off the top of my head, two bad movies-from-books and one good one and one fairly good one--in my opinion.

Good: James Joyce's "The Dead"

Bad: Malcomb Lowrey's "Under the Volcano" and

Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale

Fairly good: Brian Moore's "The Lonely Passion of Judith Heane.

Podunker

Yeah, Podunker - Sometimes they take a wonderful book and make an absolutely obnoxious movie. City of Joy. Broke my heart - the book was unforgettable. The movie the usual pap.

Hi Podunker, and Welcome. You're not from West Bend, WI are you? Just kidding. When I was in college one of my classmates was from there and her friends would kid her and say she was from Podunksville.

So glad you found your way to SeniorNet. Just keep on doing what you're doing and you'll be fine. You might want to check out some of the other discussions on Books, too. If you have any questions just ask aways and for sure someone will be able to answer you.

Harper, you're so right about good books sometimes making bad movies. I really liked Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities, but Hollywood really messed up on the movie -- tried to make it a comedy.

No, I'm not from that Podunksville. Mine has a beautiful airport but no people planes, a bus station with a few busses all of which are like milk trains (whatever those are) and no parking, and a train station at which you can't park your car overnight--it's unsafe--but with so few trains that one must stay overnight at the destination.

Podunker

It seems to me that a book like Atwood's or Lowry's, which depends a lot on its language--puns, imagery, and so on--rather than on plot-- may be hard to turn into a good movie. Especially if it has a love story in it that can be exploited and made into the main story.

Podunker

Well, I'm back from cataract surgery for both eyes and thank God all went well. And that is why I haven't been active in here for a while.
Pedln, thank you for keeping things going in my absence and for welcoming Podunker and Harper. Great.
Podunker and Harper, allow me to also welcome you. I hope you visit the Books into Movies forum often.

Bill H

Podunker, I agree it is difficult to turn a good novel into a movie. I have found few that I really thought followed the author's work well. "The Green Mile" by Stephen King was one of them.
A while back I read Clive Cussler's "Raise the Titanic" and his "Sahara." Both these novels were made into movies . However, I didn't see either one so I can't comment on how closely the books were followed.
Cussler gets quite technical and I'm sure lot of the content of those two novels would have to be eliminated.

Bill H

A while back one of the participants in this forum suggested we do a book discussion of Robert Louis Stephenson's classic "Treasure Island." This book IS a classic and I thought a great movie was made from it.
I'm going to see if I can get it up for a book discussion sometime this Fall.

Bill H

Bill, Glad you're back and all is well!

There is such a lack of imagination in Hollywood that sometimes it seems as if every book ever written has been or will be made into a movie. What did you think of the movie made from "Mystic River?" Recently, a movie was made from a book called "The Parrots of Telegraph Hill" -- a so-called true story about a homeless man who begins adopting parrots and becomes a parrot expert. It reminded me of "The Birdman of Alcatraz." I hope you don't think I am cuckoo, but now I've started thinking of titles with birds in them:

To Kill a Mockingbird

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Maltese Falcon

The Birdcage

Feel free to add any "bird" titles you can think of.

horselover, how about -

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

The Birds

The Thorn Birds

Hey, this is for the birds.
Seriously, I did enjoy these movies made from the novels. I think they were all very good. Who can forget Jack Nicholson or Gregory Peck in the staring rolls. I suppose the same could be said for all the actors in these movies. I'm trying to remember the actress who played in THE BIRDS. I don't think I seen THE BIRDCAGE.

To Kill a Mockingbird

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The Maltese Falcon

The Birdcage

The Birds

The Thorn Birds

Bill H

Perhaps we can think of other books made in to movies with the words of a like nature in the title? Not necessarly BIRDS.

Bill H

Bill - Wasn't that Tipi Hedren in The Birds?

Who'd have guessed so many "bird movies. Not trying to change the subject, but this just showed up.

Here's an "old" author, come out of the woodwork. Remember The Outsiders, movie, book about teenage gangs, written by S.E. Hinton when she was 17 years old. Those of us who dealt with "reluctant readers" loved her. Just like one's little basic wrinkle-free dress, Hinton never failed us. Here she is in an interview in today's New York Times. S.E. Hinton , and it sounds like a new version of <b<The Outsiders is coming up.

Harper, Yes! It was Tipi Hedren that played in that movie. Thank you for jogging my mind.

Bill H

Pedlin, I forgot all about that book/movie "The Outsiders." How talented Hinton was to have written so compelling a book at the age of seventeen. I'll have to go read that interview in the NY Times. Thank you, Pedlin.

Bill H

The classic sea fairing adventure Treasure Island , by Robert Louis Stevenson, is now a PROPOSED discussion. Two great discussion participants have already signed on for the voyage/discussion. I hope you folks will come aboard also.
My thanks to the folks in Books into Movies for requesting this novel.
Please use the link below to begin the search for the treasure and sign on for the sea voyage.

Treasure Island

Bill H

but then that's a choice we can make for ourselves . . . claire

Treasure Island had been moved to Upcoming Discussions and is scheduled to begin November 15th. And a formidable crew has signed on board.

Don't miss out what promises to be a fun discussion.

Treasure Island

Bill H

A night or so ago, I watche TCM's showing of THE SEA OF GRASS with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn and a great cast.
The movie was adapted from the novel written by conrad Richter.
This was a powerful and moving movie. I'm sure the novel would make for fine reading. Did any of you read the story?

Bill H

Don't remember The Sea of Grass. Didn't Conrad Richter write a book that was made into a TV series starring Elizabeth Montgomery? I think it was called The Big Land. I think it was based on three books he wrote about this family settling in Ohio, from cutting trees in the forest and ending up with a town. I liked the books better than the tv series.

Alice

Alice
Perhaps you meant "The Awakening Land." a novel by James M. Vesely. which was made into a TV mini series in 1978 staring Elizabeth Montgomery, Hal Holbrook Jane Seymour, etc.

Bill H

Bill, you are correct in that the series was named the Awakening Land, but it was written by Conrad Richter. The trilogy was made from his book series, The Trees, The Fields, and The Town.

Alice

Alice,
Barnes and Noble gives the author's name as James M. Vesely. If you use the link below you will find the book cover with the author's name.
The Awakening Land

Bill H

Bill, I think we have two books with the same name. I googled Conrad Richter and got a list of books he had written. I think his writings are the ones used for the tv series. They were some of my favorite books so I was familiar with the stories before they were televised. I'm sure not trying to be argumentive, I went to the link you put in and found your version has something to do with the Rio Grande.

Alice

Alice, I tend to agree with you about the two books with the same name by different authors. I was a bit confused on this myself.
You are not being argumentive. This is what makes a good discussion.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

Bill H

Bill, I'm sure glad we got that one settled. LOL It was a little confusing, wasn't it?

Alice

I read the books years ago and saw the TV presentations,also seemingly years ago. One (the only?) blessing coming with getting old is that you forget everything so you can re-read and re-view often. So maybe I will.

Gladys

Gladys
How true!
I didn't read either but now they are on my reading list.

Bill H

I suppose Centennial could be included as one of my favorite books. I read that story by Michner many years ago. It was a long novel but rich and rewarding in detail.
The story was made into a TV mini series that I did enjoy but not near as much as the book. But how can any TV series or movie equal a story like this? I have to find out how many of Michner's books were made into movies.

Bill H

I agree, Bill H. I think Centennial was definitely one of his best. None, though, may equal the first couple of chapters of Hawaii. When we were driving the Alaska Highway several years ago, I picked up a copy of Alaska. I'd read it before, but read it in sections as we got to different areas of the country and the state. It was great to read his story in the specific settings.

Oh Bill, I agree, Centennial was a wonderful read. I love to get into a really good, long book and hate for it to end. I've read others of Micheners books, but I think this was the best. Also enjoyed the movie, but when you read, you picture all the happenings in your own mind, and sometimes the movies don't come up to that scale.

Alice

MaryZ
That was a great experience reading the story in the different areas of the country or state. Did any of the scenes Michener wrote about ring true?
Alice
At times I hate for a book to end. I also can picture the happenings as I read along. I suppose that is why I don't get the same feelings for the movies made from books.

Bill H

It was great, Bill H. Yes, his scenes and history were always right on!

And Michener did such exhaustive research. I used to joke with one of the librarians that Michener got all these piles and piles of research information. And he felt that if he had worked that hard accumulating all that data, his readers were By Golly! going to read every bit of it.

We still love his work.

This is not exactly books-into-movies, but Tony Hillerman is another writer who does exhaustive research. A couple of his books have been made into TV movies, though. We've read all his books, and have driven extensively through the country where they are set - the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners area. You can follow his books on the maps - they are dead-on accurate.

MaryZ
Just got back from my dentist after a good dental cleaning.
TV movies are acceptable in this forum.
I did read somewhere that Michener research was extensive. I often wonder how many researchers he has working for him.

Bill H

MaryZ
Which of these Tony Hillerman books did you like the best?
Tony Hillerman

Bill H

Just read an e-mail for the TV movie MAYDAY by Nelson DeMille and Thomas Block. I haven't read the book, but may watch the TV movie.
Cast: Aidan Quinn, Gail O'Grady, Dean Cain, Charles Dutton, Michael Murphy, Kelly Hu
Director: T.J. Scott
Air Date: October 2nd on CBS

I thought I had read all of Nelson DeMille's books, but "Mayday" must be one I missed. I read the blurb in the tv guide and it sounds like it would be very edge of your seat type thing.

Alice

Hilerman and read everything he jpublishes. as for Michner, his later books were ghosted and you can tell. . . I found them to be very dull . . . Claire

Bill H, I couldn't begin to tell you which of Hillerman's books I liked best. If you haven't read any of them, I'd advise you to start with the earliest one and work forward. Each book stands alone, but the characters do develop and change, and sometimes things make more sense if you've read them in sequence. But if that doesn't work, it really won't make any difference.

MaryZ,
That is always good advice. I apologize for taking so long to answer your post but I had a very busy day yesterday. Thanks for answering my question.

Bill H

Just read in my sunday paper that they are remaking "All The King's Men" - Robert Penn Warren. It is to be released about December 14th, will star Sean Penn, Jude Law, James Gandolfini, Anthony Hopkins and Kate Winslet. Even with such stars on board, I wonder if it will be as good as the original movie.

Thought I would pass this along.

Memoirs of a Geisha was an excellent book, and there is a movie made from it being released this fall. The author, Arthur Golden, has roots in Chattanooga, so it's getting press here. I just checked the listing on IMDb, and almost all of the actors are Japanese, so it has the potential of being quite authentic. It's one we'll see.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE

Since we are drawing close to Halloween, I thought I would mention this novel by Shirley Jackson.

A movie was made from the author's book. However, when I searched IMDb I found the name was changed to "The Haunting." Shirley Jackson was given credit for the story and David Self received credit for the screen play.

But I thought I saw this movie about a month ago on TV and I'm sure the name was the same as the Miss. Jackson's book. Did any of you see it? Did Shirley Jackson write another novel with a similar name?

I found this on the Barnes and Noble web site for The Haunting of Hill House.

"Carmen, a reader who will read forever, May 4, 2005,
The Best
"Man, I loved this book so much. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. Everyone should read this book! Now i am obligated to see the movie, the remake, and the original."

You know this would be a good novel to read at this time of year.

Bill H

Last Friday while waiting for the feature, I saw the preview for Memoirs of a Geisha. Not having read the book I can't say how accurate to the book it is, but, it looked to be a very interesting movie.

Ginny Ann - I'm waiting impatiently for the movie. It was an excellent book! The author grew up in Chattanooga and has deep roots here. I think the premier is going to be here, too. Should be exciting.

Bill, remember when we talked about this movie just before it came out? Well, it was as I had suspected - - terrible. I mean, how do you ruin a Clive Cussler novel? By making it into a movie!!! If you haven't seen it, I wouldn't waste a rental fee on it. Fortunately, I had a coupon for a FREE movie, and was sure glad I didn't spend hard earned $$ on it. They took out most of the neat stuff in the book, tried to make Giordino's character a "jokester", the dialogue was thickly peppered with "Hey, Al" "Hey, Eva" this when the characters were two feet away from each other. M. McConnaghey was unbelivable as Dirk Pitt. But, if you like lots of lovely explosions, what can I say? ROFL!

Tomereader
After I read, Sahara I thought there is no way they could make a credible movie from this novel. Cussler writes his novels very technical. I didn't see the movie thanks for telling me how terrible it was. I think I'll save my money and just remember the book.
I'm somewhat hard of hearing, and I have a difficult time hearing what is being said because of the loud music that is being played in the various movies. And the more dramatic the scene is the more the violins screech.
Do any of you experience this, and why is this loud music necessary?

Bill H

Bill, I ask for an assisted listening device at the thestre where I go. There is no charge for them.

lately is too much in the forground and I become very irritated with it since it drowns out some of the dialogue on the tv movies. if it were not for the closed caption I'd miss much of it and I'm not hard of hearing. some films are worse than others. West Wing in particular. I follow it religiously but everyone talks too fast and many of them mumble. I don't think there is musical accompaniment to that but there is to many others. . . .claire

Pat, thanks for the heads up on the listening device at the theater. Are they sanitary wrapped? I'd like to get one of those for listening to TV movies.
Claire, I don't see why loud music is necessary. If you recall, the movies of a bygone era didn't have music that over whelmed the dialogue.
As far as West Wing is concerned, I hated that show from the very beginning. Nobody talks in that short clip manner. Such a fake show.

Bill H

These work well plugged in to an audio out jack on the back of your television. They also go to the movies with you, as they use the same frequency that is broadcast in most theaters. http://tvears.com/index.html

on the WW isn't as bad as the overlapping. . which is very natural really. people do keep interrupting each other when they work together or see each other regularly because they think they know what the whole message would be. I"ve done that too often. Here we can't which is a GOOD THING. WW is great for me because I agree politically. You probably don't which could make it very annoying. It reads like a long novel or series of novels an is presented so that each episode leads to the next which happens with chapters in a novel. It leads the reader along with THEN WHAT HAPPENED. . .the OZ books alternated chapters between different groups of characters and drove me crazy until I started skipping and reading ahead. presentation makes a big difference doesn't it. . . . claire

brun hilda, we have some of the TV earphones, and they work great...especially when one of us wants to watch a program and the other wants to read in the same room. I didn't know they'd work in a theater. I'd think you could still hear the noise from "outside" the earphones, though. Might give it a try to see if the volume could be turned down some.

in the afternoon a theater is almost empty and the sound is set for a crowd. I've asked the manager to turn it down and they have. . .claire

Thanks for the idea, claire. We always go to an afternoon showing, but I never thought of asking them to turn it down.

brun hilda and MaryZ
Where can I get the TV Ears? Perhaps Radio Shack sells them?
Claire
I neither agree or disagree with the program's political views. I base my political outlook on what is taking place in the world today. It is just that other than Marty Sheen, I don't care for the actors.
I was reading in of the TV reviews that two years ago WW was almost pulled from the network's lineup. The review went on to say that some new actor was added to the cast and it helped the show stay on the air.

Bill H

new actors now they have jimmy smitts . . .juymmy . . and robt alda. . . an old charmer. . .they do keep moving. they dropped rob lowe though. . .a very good character and cute too. the new series is on sunday nites at eight NBC. WE still don't know who the ew president is smitts or alda. . . but I can guess. . . .claire

Bill H - our set came from a family member, so I don't know where it came from. But I'd think Radio Shack would be a good place to start.

Claire
Do you remember the name of the detective that once played in "Law and Order?" I believe his character name in that program was Detective North.
Mary Z
I also think Radio Shack would probably carry them.

Bill H

Bill, The name of the actor I think you're talking about in L&O is Chris Noth. I don't remember the name of the character he played. But he's now in one of the other L&O programs (CI or SVU) - we don't watch either of those.

Post #60- included the URL for TV EARS, which is http://tvears.com/index.html

I got ours at www.costco.com

They work well in the theater on an afternoon..never go at night.

Mary Z
Thank you for the name of the character I was inquiring about. I think his name on N&O was Detective Logan. I saw him the last week on one of the shows. I'm sure it wasn't SVU. I'll try odd find out what show he's on.
Brun Hilda
Thank you for the link. I used the link you posted and I found there is a hearing place close to where I live that has them. I'll certainly stop by and have a look. I read that they can also be used for TV. Have you tried them with television?
Sorry I was late in answering the posts but I'v had a very busy day.

Bill H

I'll check em ut for those TV EARS I thought it was just my old set or the wax in my ears but they wouldn['t exist if there wasn't a market for them. TV sound is dependent Ithink on the strength of the signal and even though I have cable and digatal it's not consistent from one channel to another. I'c love to have a way to adjust soud as I can on my computer or sound system. . . . Claire

And the commerials are loud enough for no hearing aids at all.

Pat, those loud commercials are attention geters I'm sure they can have an adverse affect on the hearing.

Bill H

Last night TCM aired "Jamaica Inn" I believe the novel was written by D. du Maurier. The movie was produced by Alfred Hitchcock. Now this was a very dramatic motion picture and there was no loud music to point up the drama of this screen play. It was able to stand by itself without any musical help (smile) and I was able to hear the dialogue quite well. Which begs the question: Are the drama movies and TV plays of the present day so lacking that they need this musical help?
By the way, the commentator pointed out that this movie introduced Maureen O' Hara. Oh my, she was so young looking.

Bill H

Have any of Nora Robert books been adapted for the movies? I was thinking of "Northern Lights" that has just been released in paper back.

Bill H

Hey, Folks
We have ten of the best discussion participants on SN signed on as crew members of the good ship Hispaniola that sets sail on November 15th for "Treasure Island.."
Here's your chance to have a great time with some of your favorite SeniorNetters, and walk the deck with Long John Silver, Squire Trelawney and Jim Hawkins as we go in search of Flint's buried treasure. Who knows, we may even see Robert Louis Stevenson prancing the deck of the treasure bound ship..
Don't miss the boat. See all of the participants in this discussion by following the path below. There is still time to sign on as crew members. All hands are welcome on board.
.Treasure Island

Bill H

One of my all time favorite books, The Martian Child, is being made into a movie starring John Kusack. Despite the title, it's not really science fiction, at least hard-core science fiction. It's a beautiful story of a man who adopts a child who thinks he's a martian. It was written by my friend David Gerrold (who wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" for Star Trek) and I have met the martian child himself (who is now 22). I've been waiting for this movie for years and it has now been completed and is scheduled for an April opening.

Basykes
Thank you for the heads up on the Martian Child.I can tell from your post that you are really happy about this adaptation. Can you tell us if the man convinces the child that he is really a Martian?

Bill H

But...wouldn't that spoil it? It's more a question of whether the father believes he's a martian or not.

(I can tell you from personal experience that Martians make GREAT floor moppers)

"I can tell you from personal experience that Martians make GREAT floor moppers"
Basykes
Please send them to my place. I could use good floor moppers.

Bil H

Bill H,

I would love to see one of Nora Roberts books made in to a movie. I have Northern Lights. I think that would make a great movie.

Hats,
I saw the novel Northern Lights on the shelf at Wal-Mart. Is it a good read?

Bill H

Even though this forum is about books into movies, I think we should also talk about books that we would like to see made into movies.
For example I just finished reading two of a trilogy by Dean Koontz and a coauthor. The first in this series is The Prodigal Son. The second is "City of Lights" (New Orleans.)
In these stories the author takes the Frankenstein monster and makes him the good guy, while making Dr. Frankenstein the bad guy. The third in the series, "Conclusion," is supposed to hit the market sometime next summer.
Was "Odd Thomas," by Dean Koontz made into a movie? What a great movie that would make.
How about you, folks, what books would you like to see made into movies.

Bill H

Bill H,

I think you would love Northern Lights. A good murder mystery that takes place in Alaska.It's about a murder that has gone undiscovered for years.

It should be noted that there is a film plot stereotype in which the monsters are monsters by virtue (no pun intended) of the fact that the basic dislike of humanity for any obvious physical difference in an individual creates hatred of the erring individual much to the consternation of the sufferer. The spectrum of difference can vary from mere racial coloration or sexual preference to the huge innocent monster of Godzilla or Quasimodo in Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Governments, from the ancient to the present have used differences in race, religion, nationality and economic concepts to foster this manipulatable hatred for their own benefit. This is in contrast to the really evil character such as the alien in Carpenter's "The Thing from Outer Space" or Al Pacino's portrayal of Satan in "The Devil's Advocate" or the pods in "The Body Snatchers" who can evoke zero compassion.

a really great movie. steven KIng? or am I wrong about the author. and very close to the book which was a great read. , , ,claire

My husband loved The Green Mile. I didn't see it or read it.

Yep--Green Mile is Stephen King. And yes, it was a better movie than I expected.

If you haven't already forked over your good $ for Northern Lights, I have a copy that I will share with you if you want it. I can put it on the Book Exchange, or just send it, and you reimburse postage. I'm afraid if I put on Book Exchange, someone else will snap it up before you get a chance. Let me know.

ALL HANDS ON DECK!
A friendly reminder that the good ship Hispaniola sets sail for Treasure Island November 15th, in the year of our Lord 2005. Just follow the guide posted below to….
TREASURE ISLAND

Bill H

I don't know if Dean Koontz's latest novel "Life Expectance" will be made into a movie, but it was sure one heck of a good read. If you haven't read it don't miss out on it. You'll love it.
The novel is a good combination of horror and humor. I think it was one of Koontz's best novels.

Bill H

I saw the movie back when it was released, and it has become one of my favorites. This passed summer I read the book on which it was based. I liked the fact that the book gave me alot more background into many of the characters in the book. It was based on a true event, and I think the book and movie complemented each other.

Mamabear,
I watched the movie on a cassette but I never read the book.

Bill H

Hi Bill

I found that Midnight was a bit of a slow read in parts, but I did enjoy it. And, as I said, there was a bit of background info on the characters you met in the movie.

Mamabear, thank you.

Bill H

Just a reminder to let you know the "Treasure Island" discussion opens tomorrow, November fifteenth. Let's all assemble at the Admiral Benbow where we can plan our journey.
Hope to see you there.
Treasure Island

Bill H

In this morning's local paper -- a small blurb about the Montana bison hunt resuming yesterday after a hiatus of 15 years. The practice had been discontinued because of protests.

This brings to mind Glendon Swarthout's Bless the Beasts and Children (I think that's the title) and the movie of the same name. The bison hunt was a big part of this story about a group of so-called losers at an Arizona boys' camp.

Pedln,

That is very interesting about the bison hunt.

When this book was on the NY Times Book list for so many weeks I decided to read it.

and I did see the movie .I am not good a remembering actors names , but it was a good movie .....whateve "good" means

probably good = mediocre . not excellent not garbage.

Max

Hard to be live this movie first showed in 1997. Time does move on quickly.

Some of the cast:
John Cusack
Kevin Spacey
Jack Thompson
Irma P. Hall, etc.
The only name I'm familiar with is Kevin Spacey. I can't expaliin why but I never cared for him. Was the book better than the movie?

Bill H

I can't remember if I read the book Memoirs of a Geisha but I know that the movie is coming out this month...I will have to look to see if I read it and if not read it quickly so that I can see the movie!

I read the book this summer and have been watching the clips from the upcoming movie and I can't wait to see it.

We're so lucky here in Chattanooga. The author, Arthur Golden, is from Chattanooga. A special premier of the movie will be held here on 16 December, with a talk by Mr. Golden. We going to be able to go see it then. It's a wonderful book, and we can only hope that the movie does it justice.

What a great evening we had. We went to see a special Chattanooga premiere of the new movie, Memoirs of a Geisha.The movie is one of the most stunningly beautiful movies we've ever seen - cinematography, sets, actors - everything. We had read the book a couple of years ago when it first came out (the author is from Chattanooga). There's no way a movie can capture the whole scope of the novel, but, in our opinion, the movie stands on its own. Try to see it in the theater if you can - it's that gorgeous!

The bits and pieces of the movie I've seen in previews look gorgeous. Glad to hear it lives up to its press!

I am glad you had a chance to go. What a wonderful evening! I bet the movie is beautiful. Yesterday I happened to see Arthur Golden on that afternoon show called 'This N That.' I did not see all of the interview. I think it took Arthur Golden fifteen years to write that book. He did a lot of research.

The new Curious Minds' discussion: "The Patriot Act" is now open. Here is a link:
The Patriot Act

Bill H

"Memoirs of a Geisha" is a wonderful book. I was totally enthralled when I read it and can't wait to see the movie.

It is a beautiful movie, horselover. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Thanks, Mary. I'm planning to see it Friday if nothing comes up to prevent it.

I finally got to see "Memoirs of a Geisha." It was a beautiful production, but (as others have said) it did not capture the whole feel of the book. For example, although they did show a couple of the kimonos, the sensuous descriptions of these clothes that are so important to the story was lost in the movie. However, as in the book, it is still a wonderful story of hope and the eventual triumph of love.

Horselover,

So good to hear from you again.

Bill H

It's separate xperience from the book it seems. I haven't had either. what do suggest I do first. am just finishing up THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL. . . ANN getting what she deserves delt with quickly no gore. the book is almost seven hundred pages. lots of discription of the court of Henry VIII and would make a great movie. . . .claire

Claire, I think we would suggest that you see the movie first - you really get an idea of the sensuous colors and setting, etc., and then read the book for the incredible richness of the story. It'll be interesting to see what the others have to say.

Claire, I would suggest that you read the book first. It helps to mentally fill in much that is left out in the movie, including the subtleties of character.

Maybe you'll get a third opinion.

I really think you'll enjoy them both, regardless of which you do first.

by Phillipa Gregory and it would make a great movie. the two tv movies about Elizabeth, Ann's daughter with Henry the eighth are natural sequels to it. Gregory has written fourteen novels and has a masters in English Literature, so I look forward to reading more of her works. As she says research is the structure but the fictional writing part is the BREATH. . . and she does make everyone come alive. I'm going to miss Ann's younger sister, Mary, the protagonist and the story teller, first person. She ended up having a good life with her husband that she married for love' after having been married, at her parents desire, at age thirteen and Henry's lover for four years beginning at age fourteen.and eventually widowed from her legal spouse. Henry depicted as a powerful, very spoiled and self-indulgent child. the story covers about ten years. . .very visual treatment as well. I await the movie. . . .Claire

Horselover, I think I'll follow your advice and read "Memoirs of a Geisha" before watching the movie. It's probably not out in DVD yet anyway.

Right now my dilemma lies with Umberto Eco. I am midway through "The Name of the Rose," reading it for my local book group. Netflix delivered the DVD yesterday. And I'm asking myself, will I get a better perspective on the book if I watch the movie now, or will it spoil the mystery and the ending for me? Eco seems to have lots of stories and more stories in this book. I can't believe they will all be in the movie.

Finish the book! Then watch the movie.

I have been reading Dr. Death by Jonathan Kellerman, and I got to wondering if any of his books were made into movies. Well, I found one. It was When the Bough Breaks. The first of the Alex Delaware series created by Kellerman.

The movie starred Ted Danson (Cheers). I didn't see the movie but somehow I can't see Ted Danson playing the part of Alex Delaware. Did any of you see this movie?

Here's a link to the cast of the screen play.

When the Bough Breaks

Bill H

I thought the movie using the aubrey/maturin novels was a disservice to the material in that one of the main characters-- the doctor-- was deliberately miscast to look handsome, thus doing away with the concept of intelligence and force of character overcoming an unpreposessing appearance.

I was disappointed that Aubrey dominated the movie. To me, the doctor was much more interesting, multidimensional, while Aubrey seemed almost a characeture (?). Of course Russel Crowe had to be the "star" character. What ever happened to him, anyway?

I saw "Brokeback Mountain" yesterday. This was made from a short story, not a book, but the movie was 2 1/2 hours--quite long for a story. I did not read the short story yet, though I imagine they must have added to it to get such a long film. In any event, the movie was very sad and depressing. The acting was fine, but I recommend that you be in a sunny mood when you go to see it.

I have read many of Annie Proulx's books; did not read the one that this story is in, however. She is not a writer who sheds joy; but her characters are memorable, compelling. I'm glad that she has had another story made into a movie, and that her stories seem to be well treated.

I read the story, and I don't think they added much. Just long pauses and sweeping vistas. Remember, this first appeared in the New Yorker, where "short stories" are really more novellas, I think!

My local mystery group just finished reading Stuart Woods Chiefs, published in 1981, and his first novel. Someone mentioned a 6-hour mini-series that appeared on TV, (In 1983, I later found out) starring Charlton Heston and John Goodman. Does anyone know if it might be available on DVD or Video. I checked Netflix and could find nothing. The book is excellent and I would love to see the media production.

pedln, I remember seeing the TV miniseries - but wouldn't know about it on DVD. We love Stuart Woods' books - and read them as soon as they come out. I admit, we do like the earlier ones better than the more recent ones, though.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde…

…has been moved to the UPCOMING and PROPOSED discussion table. I plan on doing a two week discussion of the Stevenson's classic, and I will post a schedule if it achieves a quorum. Please use the link below if you wish to sign on. With your posts, I'm sure it could develop into a fine discussion.

Jekyll and Hyde

You can use the link in the heading to reach the online reading web site that has included chapter numbers to help the reader to keep tract of the schedule pace.

Bill H

I just finished reading "Girl With a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier. I did see the movie made from this book some time ago, but it does not prepare you for how wonderful this book is. The author manages to create the world of Vermeer and his household so well that you are drawn into that world and believe completely in the events that unfold, though our own world is so different.

I have also listened to "Girl with a pearl earring" on CD, and that is also very enjoyable. It is unabridged. I do not recall the reader's name, but her voice works very well. isak

Horselover, I second your comment. I read the book first, thank goodness, and it is as you said - right into that household! The movie was good too, but not nearly as engrossing as the book. Scarlett Johansen was perfect for "The Girl".

Hello to all!

I'm new over here. Am doing the Jekyl/Hyde group with Bill next month and was invited over here.

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING- I just loved the movie. Every frame was like a Vermeer painting. When I read this book, I read a whole bunch that were art- related. One that stays with me was entitled (I think) TULIP FEVER and I think there was talk of it being made into a film.

I guess the latest movie /book for me is THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS by Booth Tarkington. I read it for my f2f B&N group and then watched two versions of the movie. I don't ever expect the movie to be as good as the book- that's asking for too much, imho. They are two different mediums and really should be judged that way, as far as I'm concerned.

Not to mention that one can hardly beat the BBC productions of some of the great classics like Great Expectations, Middlemarch, et al.

and fond the authors page and an except to this FOOLISH THINGS BY DEBORAH MOGGACHH. . .which looks to me like movie fodder. anyhow it's about a group of older people who live in a third world country because it's cheaper her explanation is probably here at the front. all about it-- Debpraj MOGGACH

And now I've read about TULIP FEVER and I must read it. how it was written and it may be a movie yet. . . . claire

winsum,

I had no idea she had written so many books. I thought I had heard Spielberg's name mentioned in connection to this project. It says on her site that it was going to be started in 2004. I wonder if that project is now dead?

I hope you enjoy the book. Post and let me know what you think if you do read it.

Gosh, I had a flashback when you mentioned CHIEFS. What a great book it is/was. Don't hold me to this but I think it was a tv miniseries or moive and I seem to recall one of the Carradine boys. Or, I could be all wet. LOL

Have you checked amazon for it?

Scootz, Chiefs was a TV miniseries in 1983. Here's a link to IMdB.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084997/

Keith Carradine was in it.

I'm so happy all you folks found this place. I'm sure it is due to the link our Pat posted in Jekyll and Hyde. This is a great place to discuss the book/movies you have both read and watched.
Thank you, Pat, for placing the link and showing the way here.

Bill H

Thanks m'dear! You have restored my faith in this fading memory of mine.Had I scrolled back in the board I would have seen that you already said this- sorry!

I did take the time to look for the video on amazon. As happens with these old films, it is very expensive. Might be able to find it at a used bookstore, etc. I will keep an eye out for it.

And yes, Bill- sometimes all it takes is a gentle nudge in the right direction. I had no idea this board existed. I'm pretty new here to all the ins and outs.

"I had no idea this board existed. I'm pretty new here to all the ins and outs."

Scootz

It's my fault for not advertising it more frequently. I had better go into the Booknook Café and post a link to this forum. So sorry you didn't learn of it sooner.

Bill H

Bill- no fault involved here. I'm new and haven't really looked around all that much. BTW- your picture is very nice and just as I expected you to look! LOL

Scootz, thank you for the compliment!

Bill H

Scootz, Which picture are you refering to?

Reviews of TULIP FEVER

Horselover:

Now that you've asked about Bill's picture, I can't find it.

On one of the home pages about books, there was a slide show of member's pics. Anyone know where it is?

---The Book Nook: A Meeting Place for Readers-- Everyone is Welcome! NEW"

Have thought about this discussion for a long time and think it is time to check it out so here I is posting to let you know I hope to join all of you here. Ginger

Oh, Ginger.
WELCOME!

I'm so happy you found us. I'm sure you have read many books made into movies that you can tell us about.

Bill H

I think we were talking here about GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING and other art related books. I came upon this today. It's about that famous pice of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss.

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/painted_kiss1.asp

Scootz

Thanks for the link. You know, the discussion question pertaining to that novel could be applied, with a little imagination, to most of the novels we discuss.

Bill H

Pat, Thanks for the link to Bill's photo. It is a really nice one, but I had to let it scroll through several times so I could get another look--it goes by so quickly. Is there some way of stopping the scroll?

Horselover

Bill H

How about some of the rest of you getting your pictures up, too. Just email your picture to Pat Westerdale or JOan Grimes (see the links to them in the Book Nook heading) and they will put them in the revolving slide show. Wouldn't it be great if all the readers from SeniorNEt had their pictures up.

I missed the PBS series of Dickens' Bleak HOuse earlier this year, so broke down and ordered the 3-DVD set from Amazon. It is so enjoyable. I keep telling myself to slow down and enjoy it longer, but it's hard to stop. It came Saturday and I've already seen three of the 15 episodes. When I finish with it I'll pass it on to friends and family, so it should be well-used.

mine is right here under my handle. just click on my name. . .winsum

Hello,

Just a friendly reminder that the discussion of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" opens April 1st. Follow the link below to the discussion.

Jekyll/Hyde

Bill H

Have you given up this discussion?

Hi Horselover,

I hope BillH is not ill.

Hats and Horselover

I'm OK. It's just that no one seems to post in here, and I sorta got tired talking to myself.

I just finished The DaVinci Code. Well, I wasn't all the wild about it. Brown gave too much of cryptology to the novel. Got lost trying to figure it out.

The movey of the novel is coming in May, I think? I'm sure a lot of the book will be eliminated.

There are so many books made into movies that I don't understand why this forum is not more popular.

Bill H

when you break down a subject into catagories you split up the group of people who read so they are all over the place and no particular subect gets the participants. I keep seeing the same people in all the light weight book discussions and another group in the non fiction heavier stuff. why don't we just have two categories i.e. fiction and non fiction. most of us read both. . .claire etal

went and read everything Dan Brown has written. He's usually simpler to understand. . d.branches out into sci fi also. . . .claire

Claire

I really liked Brown's Angels and Demons and Deception Point much better than DaVinci. I liked Angeles and Demons best of all, learned quite a bit about the Vatican.

We reopened this forum (remember it used to be Lorrie's) for the readers to express their views concerning the creditability of the movie to the written novel. This forum wasn't intended for the discussion of the written fiction or non fiction book, per se.

For instance DaVinci is supposed to hit the silver screen in May. Well, this round-table will give the readers an opportunity to thrash out among one another how the two vehicles compare. Was it a favorable screen play? Did it do the book justice or otherwise?

I was reading (I do forget the movie, book and author) on line that one author felt the movie was so bad he would not allow his name to appear in the credits. I wonder how badly the movie producers and directors will mangle the DaVinci Code?

This forum is also meant for documentaries made into either TV or movies. I'm sure we all have thoughts regarding this.

Bill H

Hi Bill and everyone. I read Da Vinci Code when SeniorNet read it a year or so ago. It was okay, a good yarn, a good read, which is what you want a mystery to be. I don't know what all the hoopla is about. As for the movie, I'll have to wait for the DVD and closed captioning, but those DVDs come out might quick these days. (I just saw Good Night and Good Luck last week).

I missed the first few starts of the PBS Bleak House, so didn't attempt to tape, but instead bought the 3-disc set from Amazon. So glad I did. It was wonderful, all I could do not to watch it all at once. I tried to make it last -- 15 episodes -- but I'm going east next week, and wanted to take it with me to share with family out there. They'll pass it around and in about three or four years it'll come back to me to pass on elsewhere.

Now I have three films from Netflix that I'm taking with me on the road next week. I'm really looking forward to watching My HOuse in Umbria from the book by William Treavor -- which they've talked about over in the Houseboat discussion. It stars Maggie Smith, whom I just saw along with Judi Dench in Ladies with Lavender. I don't know if that's from any book or not.

Now it's time to sit back and watch the Lynley Mystery (from Elizabeth George) that I taped a few weeks ago.

In regards to the DaVinci Code, I liked it. As a cradle Catholic, raised to be open minded, to be for woman's right's, I got stirred up by the 'topics' presented in the novel. It got me looking up books on Church History. What fun to research Brown's view and then to form my own view.

I hope that the essence of the book is retained in the movie version of it.

Horselover and All,

I get Netflix too. My husband enjoyed The Manchurian Candidate. I have watched "Finding Neverland." Nothing to go crazy about. I expected it to be about J.M Barrie's life, at least, more in depth. I really want to see Ladies in Lavender. I did see another one. I really enjoyed it. The title is gone from my mind. That makes me so mad. I will think of it later. Is DaVinci Code on DVD? If it is I am going to put it in my next queue. I am glad you are fine Bill H.

I ordered Ghandi with Ben Kingsley which I really wanted to see. It had words at the bottom. I can't read words and look at a movie all at the same time.

I remember the movie. The movie is "National Treasure." I loved it! The Declaration of Independence is in danger. A family believes a treasure map is invisibly drawn on the back of the declaration of Independence. There is a lot of action in the movie.

Hats, I love Netflix -- it's been the answer to my prayers. As for reading the words below, once you get used to it you don't even realize you're doing it. And of course you need them for foreign films. I would love to see Brideshead Revisited and Housekeeping as they're talking about those books in Houseboat, but I don't think they have captions.

I'm glad you mentioned "National Treasure" -- and I've just put in on my que. Maybe I'll skip "Finding Neverland" since you didn't think it anything special. "Peter Pan" is on my list, but the DVD isn't out yet.

There's been so much talk about Agatha Christie at SeniorNet that I'm in a real mood to "see" one of her books. I buy very few DVDs, but it would be nice to have a few of those packaged Christie and Sherlock Holmes sets. Guess I'll put 'em on my wish list.

OH, I forgot another Book that's on my que -- The Thief Lord by Carolyn ???. She's a German author and has won some award for this book, which has been designated as a children/young adult book. One of my grandchildren had it on her wish list a year or so ago and I gave it to her.The review compared it to Oliver Twist and Fagin. Some children's books make good movies. I taped Felicity (from American Girl series) and now have Samantha on my list. I'm going to DC later this week and while there I always watch the latest Harry Potter movie. I've only read the first book and it didn't do as much for me as it does for many others, but I do enjoy watching the HP films with my grandkids.

Hi Pedln,

I would love to see "The Thief Lord." I am glad you mentioned it. I am going to put it on my queue. I have been putting off Harry Potter until I finish the series.

I want to see The Chronicle of Narnia. Have you seen it?

I have The Golden Bowl, Washington Square and most of the Henry James books made into movies on queue. The movies look very romantic. And reading Henry James is not possible for me unless read with a group. I am scared to death of his books.

Hi, Pedlin, I share your opinion about DaVinci. I thought it was OK but that's all. I feel it was highly over rated but that's just my view of the novel.

gaj, the essence of the story will probably be retained, however, I'm anxious to learn what the movie does with the cryptology. What fun that would be to watch as it unfolds. Movie goers will have to pay close attention.

Hi, Hats, I'm with you I can't read words and watch the movie at the same time. Like some of those WW2 movies, when the German officers speak in German and the words crawl across the bottom of the screen. I can't watch both.

I'm happy that you folks mentioned so many movies made from books. That's what this fourum is all about.

Hats, you read the novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and then watched the movie with Tracy and Bergman. How did you like the movie compared with the book?

BillH,

The movie was totally different. I like the book much better.

There have been quite a few mystery movies from books that have appeared on PBS, such as Agatha Christy, Dorothy L. Sawyers, etc.

PBS has aired many Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot stories to say nothing about all the Sherlock Holmes movies that have appeared on TV.

The classics are also a part of TV history of movies made from books. I just know happened to think of Lawrence of Arabia and found this review at Barnes and Noble.

Lawrence of Arabia: The Life, the Legend
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"T. E. Lawrence was the first modern celebrity. From the moment, not long after his death in 1935, that Alexander Korda set out make a film of his life - a dream that only became a reality in the hands of David Lean in the 1960s through Peter O'Toole's riveting performance - the almost mythic figure of the man on a camel enacting a heroic dream has captured the imagination of each succeeding generation." "Now seventy years from Lawrence's death, this visual biography takes us inside the mind of a man of extraordinary energy, ability and charisma who seemed to have everything in his hands only to throw it away, turning the rest of his life into an obsessive quest for anonymity and sanctuary." "In Lawrence's own atmospheric photographs, haunting paintings of the desert and its peoples, evocative drawings and ephemera, all supported by quotations from his personal account of his experiences, we are able to enjoy the unfolding drama at first hand." "Fiercely ambitious, yet fatally ambivalent about recognition, Lawrence made a brilliant academic career at Oxford before the First World War with a thesis on Crusader castles, before excavating at Carchemish while learning Arabic. Army intelligence work in Egypt in the early years of the war was the prelude to his participation in the great Arab Revolt against the Ottomans, fame at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and work with Winston Churchill in the war's aftermath. But then came a relentless, restless, self-abasing search for obscurity under assumed names, culminating in a motorbike crash and death at the age of only forty six." This book, and the major exhibition at the Imperial War Museum that it accompanies, combine to shed new light on this enigmatic, contradictory and troubled man - a character of universal appeal who lived on the edge in all that he did."

Bill H

If any of you folks read the story of Lawrence of Arabia and then watched the movie, do you beleve the silver scrren did justice to Malcom Brown's Lawrence of Arabia?

Bill H

My favorite book-into-movie of the past few years is, "The Hours", by Michael Cunningham. I loved the book, but actually thought the movie was even better. It had great star power with Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman. But it wasn't the stars so much as what these fine actresses did with the story.

Bill, no offense, but I don't think you'd like it much. It's strictly a woman's book and movie too. It addresses lots of issues that are serious for women, but probably hard for a guy to relate to? It's one of those books/movies that has three stories going on, in different time frames, but they are all interconnected by the Virgina Woolf book, "Mrs. Dalloway". Some people found it too depressing, but I thought it was uplifting at the end. I'd love to know what anyone else thought of it?

Oh, and the soundtrack music is absolutely beautiful! I bought the CD, and listen to it almost every night when I go to bed.

Marilyne, thank you for telling us about that movie. Maybe there are some ladies here that that would like to read/view "The Hours.

There are some books/movies I find depressing. I can't read/view them because I don't wish to be placed in a somber mood. One of the most depressing movies (for me, at least) that watched was Lonesome Dove. So depressing. However, I don't be live it was in book form. Maybe someone here can say.

Bill H

I thought "Of Mice and Men was depressing, the book and movie. I watched and read it a long time ago, just too sad.

I'm with you there, Hats. I read the book and saw the old movie version. I didn't want to see the new movie version.

One of the newer book/movies out is Bee Season -- about a girl who competes in spelling bees. (Not to be confused with the documentary Spellbound, which was fantastic and uplifting. Hats, Netflix has it.) Has anyone seen Bee Season? The book really got depressing because the family was so dysfuntional.

Hats

I'll go along with that also. I thought "Of Mice and Men" was very depressing.

There was another old time movie I thought was depressing. It starred Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. It was abut the dust storms that left most farms ruined. The name is on the tip of my toung but I can't recall it.

Pedlin

I'll be sure to avoid Bee Season.

Bill H

Hats

I'll go along with that also. I thought "Of Mice and Men" was very depressing.

Pedlin

I'll be sure to avoid Bee Season.

I just remembered it was John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath."

Bill H

Bill - It was Larry McMurtry who wrote the book "Lonesome Dove". He also wrote "The Last Picture Show" and "Terms of Endearment", that were both made into excellent movies.

Pedln - I also disliked the book "Bee Season". Very distasteful story, with characters that were unlikeable. I didn't even care about the kids, although I felt sorry for them.

Now that I think about it, many of the great books that are made into movies could be considered to be depressing. Certainly anything by Steinbeck, and most of the contemporary authors too. Many with unhappy endings or stress filled story lines. But I do tend to gravitate to those kinds of books. I like "real life" situations. Probably why I don't care for science fiction, or most mystery novels. Not realistic enough for me.

Hi Bill, Pedln and Marilyne,

I remember seeing "The Grapes of Wrath" with Henry Fonda. It is very depressing. I don't want to see it again. Another one is "East of Eden." I didn't see the movie. The woman in the book was so cruel it just made me ill. I could hardly wait to finish the book. It was an effort to pick the book up and read the next chapter. I can't remember the woman's name. From childhood onward she was just plain mean.

Pedln, I haven't seen "Bee Season." I haven't read the book either. I am going to try and read the book one day. I will prepare myself for this dysfunctional family.

Oh please, don't avoid Bee Season because of anything I said. I may end up watching it, just to see if I feel differently about it from the book. But I'm not in any hurry.

But do see Spellbound, about kids competing at the National Spelling Bee. It is so positive and upbeat. And recently there have been articles about Starbuck's promoting another spelling film -- "Akeelah and the Bee." Netflix has it and it's on my list for when the DVD comes out.

Some time ago, over in RATW, I believe, someone talked about the book The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Giorgio Bassani. I got the movie from Netflix and loved it. It's a Holocaust film, sad in parts, but not depressing, about Jews in Italy during WW II. I recommend it, and sometime I'd like to read the book. (In Italian, with English subtitles.)

Bill and Hats, I know you don't like subtitles, but some of the really good foreign films are worth the trouble -- Cinema Paradiso, Children of Heaven, Ponette -- don't forget the kleenex.

Lucky you didn't live in the early days of silent film. My mother and my aunt told of seeing Poor Little Rich Girl. My aunt hadn't learned to read, so my mother read the dialogue to her. Then she came to the line "I wish a rich man would come an marry me," and the audience around her laughed and she wouldn't read any more.

Pedln and All,

I have seen previews of "Akeela and the Bee." I want to see that one too. Is it on Netflix yet? Oh, you answered my question. I am going to put it on my queue now.

I will try one with subtitle. I am glad you gave some recommendations. Maybe I should try "Ghandi" again.

I have never seen "Rebecca" by DuMaurier? Is there a movie? Is it good?

Marilyne, I enjoyed "Terms of Endearment. "

It would be interesting to read Larry McMurty's Lonesome Dove" but I think I'll pass on that. I can't help but wonder how much of the book was left out.

Hats, Yes, the Grapes of Wrath was very depressing. I never watched it again no matter how many times it aired on TV.

Pedlin, I was born the year before the "Talkies" hit the Silver Screen. Was it the 'Jaz Singer" with Al Jolson?

Hats, there are several movies of "Rebecca" by duMaurier, The one I liked best starred Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. I did a book discussion a few years back about "Rebecca" it is one of my all time favorite mystery stories.

You can probably get the movie from the library but be sure to ask for the one I mentioned.

Several years ago,another good "Rebecca" was aired on TV and it starred Jeremy Brett and Joanna David. This was very good and done in color.

Jeremy Brett is better known for all his Sherlock Holmes stories that PBS aired. He also played the part of "Freddy" in "My Fair Lady." I can still see him moving his lips as someone else sung the song "On the Street Where You Live."

Bill H

Pedlin, when you mention "Spellbound," I always think of the Alfred Hithcock movie with Ingrid Berman and Gregory Peck.

Bill H

Bill, did you know that the Hitchcock movie is based on a book by (I don't remember) titled "The House of Dr. Edwardes." That came out in 1945. I don't remember seeing it, remembering more the Alfred Hitchcocks with Jimmy Stewart.

WOW! It's so wonderful that all of you have come back to this discussion and made such great posts. I get so many ideas for good movies to watch reading your comments.

I don't think "Ladies in Lavender" was a book. I think I read somewhere that it was a script written by the director for the two actresses. I did like it, but it got a little claustrophobic after a while.

The movie version of "Rebecca" with Lawrence Olivier is terrific. I have watched it many times.

Many of the books on the list in the "House in the Title" discussion were made into very good movies: "Housekeeping" is one of them.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Yes, I would like to see and read "Housekeeping."

BillH, thanks for some Rebecca recommendations.

I'm trying to get caught up after being away for a week. Bill, I agree wholeheartedly about "Angels and Demons" and hope that DaVinci Code is such a success that they go on to make A&D.

The thing about both of those books is that when you get about 2/3 of the way into it, you suddenly realize that all this action has taken place in one day. That's when you realize that you must suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the story.

Pedlin, I did a Barnes and Noble search for "The House of Dr. Edwardes," and they gave Francis Beeding as the author's name. But, no, I didn't know that.

Horselover, I just hope all of you keep visiting here.

Hats, you are very welcome.

Bev,

"...the thing about both of those books is that when you get about 2/3 of the way into it, you suddenly realize that all this action has taken place in one day."

Yes, and the thing that amazes me is that they can continue doing all of of the physically tiring exploits without any sleep. It makes me tired thinking about it.

I would like to see Angles and Demons made into a movie. Just learning more about the Vatican would make the movie worth while.

Were any of Dean Koontz's novels make into movies?

Bill H

Bev - LOL

That's exactly what I thought while I was reading "DV Code"! How could they possibly cover so much ground and accomplish so much in ONE day? When I commented on that fact to my husband, he had not noticed the time frame at all. He liked it alot more than I did, and went on to read all of Dan Brown's other books. Not at all my style of book, but I have to admit that as ridiculous and illogical as it got at times, it did hold my interest.

Yes, and the thing that amazes me is that they can continue doing all of of the physically tiring exploits without any sleep. It makes me tired thinking about it.

Sleep you can deal with...I'm imagining criss-crossing across Rome by car that many times in one day! (I also think it takes place in 3 different countries, too, doesn't it? US, Switzerland, Italy?)

Dan Brown has finally succeeded in making the 7-day day!

I see that Tom Hanks is playing Robert Langdon in the movie The Da Vinci Code.
I'm not that familiar with the rest of the cast but if you would like to see the names of all the actors, please click here.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/

The only other name on the list I recognized was Ian McKellan.

Alfred Molina is playing the part of the Bishop. I really liked him in the movie "Frida". He played Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo's husband, and well known Mexican artist.(muralist.) I highly recommend that movie to anyone who hasn't seen it. It's one of the very few movie DVD's that I've purchased.

Marilyne,

Thanks for the recommendation.

Ron Howard directed the Da Vinci Code.

It's so hard to believe that so much time has passed and so quickly since Ron Howard played Opie Taylor on the Andy Griffith show.

Remember that TV show that starred Andy as the sheriff of the small town of Mayberry.

Bill H

It's probably difficult to realize how much time has elapsed because you can still catch it in reruns, so it's hard to remember exactly when it stopped filming.

But a look at the later episodes of Matlock is also a good indicator!

I can't believe Opie is a grown man. I always think of him as the little boy with the fishing rod following behind Andy Griffith. Now, he's a little bit bald. The face, I think, is the same. Ron Howard seems like an honorable man. He's like Opie grown up.

Even before Opie, he was Winthrop in "Music Man," where he was even cuter.

You won't believe it. I haven't seen "The Music Man." I have seen "The Sound of Music."

Haven't seen The Music Man? Oh you must. It's a classic! (Well, if you're into musicals, that is.)

I have a special soft spot in my heart for the show because my son played Winthrop in two different productions of it, so I pretty much know the show verbatim.

I will definitely get it and look at it.

I love musicals. I loved "The King and I." Yul Brynner saying "etc. etc. etc." Great movie.

I loved "Porgy and Bess" too with Sammy Davis Jr.

I loved "King and I" too. I was always sorry that I never got the chance to see Brynner do it live, since he played it his whole life. But that sure is a wonderful movie.

Speaking of "kings," Have you all seen "The Man Who Would Be King" from Kipling's story? I think they did a good job with it, and I love Sean Connery.

It is hard to belive that at one time Sean Connery was 007 (James Bond)in the movies. He has a wonderful speaking voice. Lorne Green of Bonanza fame is another person with a great speaking voice.

Bill H

Bill, we all get older, but Sean Connery is still sexy. And, by the way, the James Bond movies are mostly all from books, too.

Hats, Netflix has Music Man. Stars Robert Present, Hermione Ginggold. It has some great music. I love "76 trombones."

Didn't Sean Connery star in several Tom Clancy movies? Clear and present danger -- or am I mixing him up with someone else.

Hi Pedln,

I have Music Man on my queue now. Thanks.

Pedlin, it was Harrison Ford that played Jack Ryan in "Clear and Present Danger." And he was always in the Indiana Jones movies. Although, I believe Sean Cannery would have made a good Jack Ryan but maybe his speaking voice would have been too British.

Bill H

A movie from a book that I thought was great was "From Here to Eternity," with Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Donna Reed.

Monty, as he was called died at the age of 46, so young. He and Robert Walker seemed always to have a forlorn look about them. Here's a nice little bio of Montgomery Clift.

"Monty was born just after his twin sister Roberta and eighteen months after his brother Brooks. Their father William made a lot of money in banking but was quite poor during the depression. Their mother Ethel "Sunny" was born out of wedlock and spent much of her life and the family fortune finding her illustrious southern lineage and raising her children as aristocrats. At 13 Monty appeared on Broadway ("Fly Away Home"), and chose to remain in the New York theater for over ten years before finally succumbing to Hollywood. He gained excellent theatrical notices and soon piqued the interests of numerous lovelorn actresses; their advances met with awkward conflict. While working in New York in the early 1940s he met wealthy former Broadway star Libby Holman. She developed an intense decade-plus obsession over the young actor, even financing an experimental play, "Mexican Mural" for him. It was ironic his relationship with the bisexual middle-aged Holman would be the principal (and likely the last) heterosexual relationship of his life and only cause him further anguish over his sexuality. She would wield considerable influence over the early part of his film career, advising him in decisions to decline lead roles in "Sunset Boulevard" (originally written specifically for him; the story perhaps hitting a little too close to home) and "High Noon." His long apprenticeship on stage made him a thoroughly accomplished actor, notable for the intensity with which he researched and approached his roles. By the early 1950's he was exclusively homosexual, though he continued to maintain a number of close friendships with theater women (heavily promoted by studio publicists). His film debut was Red River (1948) with John Wayne quickly followed by his early personal success The Search (1948) (Oscar nominations for this, A Place in the Sun (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)). By 1950 he was troubled with allergies and colitis (the army had rejected him in WWII for chronic diarrhea) and, along with pill problems, he was alcoholic. He spent a great deal of time and money on psychiatry. In 1956, during filming of Raintree County (1957) he ran his Chevrolet into a tree after leaving a party at Elizabeth Taylor's; it was she who saved him from choking by pulling out two teeth lodged in his throat. His smashed face was rebuilt, he reconciled with his estranged father, but he continued bedeviled by dependency on drugs and his unrelenting guilt over his homosexuality. With his Hollywood career in an irreversible slide (despite giving an occasional riveting performance, such as in Stanley Kramer's "Judgement at Nuremburg"), Monty returned to New York and tried to slowly develop a somewhat more sensible lifestyle in his brownstone. He was set to play in Taylor's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), when his companion Lorenzo James found him lying nude on top of his bed, dead from what the autopsy called "occlusive coronary artery disease." His death was called the longest suicide in history by famed acting teacher, Bobby Lewis"

Bill H

BillH,

I had forgotten about the "Book and Movie" connection. Sorry. Now I have the idea and won't forget.

Hats, the movie was great but the book was even more powerful. If you haven't read it, you will be in for a treat if you do. But it is a long story.

Bill H

"A Place in the Sun" was based on Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy". I haven't seen it since its original release in 1951, thought the casting -- Shelly Winters as the working girl the protagonist gets pregnant and kills to keep her from interfering with his socially and economically advantageous romance with the factory owner's daughter, Elizabeth Taylor -- was great. The screenplay was less textured than the novel, but that's almost an inevitable thing with screen adaptations.

Robert Walker was married to Jennifer Jones who starred in several movies made from books. She won an Oscar for her role as Bernadette Soubirous in "The Song of Bernadette." She was competing with her friend,Ingrid Bergman, who was also nominated for her role in "For Whom The Bell Tolls," another great book made into a movie.

Oh, I would love to see "The Song of Bernadette" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls." I haven't seen any of Hemmingway's books made into movies. Are there others of Hemmingway's made into movies?

I love both Jennifer Jones and Ingrid Bergman. I will add Bette Davis too. There is a book made into a movie in which Betty Davis played with the word "heaven" in it. Can anybody think of it? I think the word "all" is the first word in the title. This will drive me nuts. Anyway, I loved the book and the movie.

Hats, you need to go to IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and you will find all you movie questions answered. A quick scan of BD movies did not show a title including Heaven. Happy hunting.

Mrs. Sherlock, thank you. I will go to IMDb.

Andara, welcome to the discussion. I believe this is the first saw you here but I hope it's not the last. I saw the movie you mentioned, but I forget if the jury found him guilty. I didn't read the book. Must do that.

Bill H

Hats, Are you thinking of "All That Heaven Allows?"

Another Hemingway book into movie is "Old Man and the Sea." His famous short story, "The Killers." was also made into a movie years ago. "The Sun Also Rises" is a movie with Tyrone Power.

Horselover,

That sounds like the title. Those look like all the words I had in mind. The Old Man and the Sea, thank you. I would love to see that one. I have read the book. I think seeing the movie would help me understand the book.

Hats, You can probably rent it from your library.

Old Man and the Sea is a WONDERFUL movie. I think it might not be for everyone, but I loved it. One of Spencer Tracy's best.

Thank you for the welcome, Bill! I am an occasional visitor -- "too many books, too little time" :>.

As to Hemingway books into movies, "Farewell to Arms" and "To Have and Have Not" also come to mind.

Horselover,

Dummy me, I go to the library all of the time. I didn't think of looking up "The Old Man and the Sea" in our online catalogue. My mind is so one tracked. Now I'm on the Netflix track. My head just goes straight there. I am going to check my library now.

Andara8,

Thank you for more of Hemmingway.

All these Hemingway books into movies reminded me of the F.Scott Fitzgerald books into movies: "The Great Gatsby," "This Side of Paradise,"Tender is the Night," and "The Last Tycoon." He lived around the same time as Hemingway. "The Great Gatsby" with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow is really good. You can rent this from your library also.

I have seen "The Great Gatsby" many times. I have read the book too. I rarely say this, in this instance, I liked the movie better than the book.

I have read "Tender is the Night." I loved it. Is it a movie too?

I just remembered. It is "All This and Heaven Too" by Rachel Fields. Bette Davis starred in the movie. Years ago I did read the book. Isn't that Funny?? Rachel Fields name just popped in my mind.

Hats, (since you and I use the same library

)I go to the on-line library catalog to see if they have a specific book. If so, I can place a hold on it. The site ask from which branch I want to have the book delivered. Then (so far), I get a card in the mail telling me when the book is ready for pick-up. Or I can check my library acocunt on-line to find out when the book is ready. It works great, and I can get a book from anywhere in the system, and have it delivered to the branch closest to me.

Hi Mary Z,

Isn't our library wonderful? I am totally spoiled by the online system I just love it! Now we can renew online too. So, using the same library system really gives us something in common.

Hats, we really should get together sometime for coffee. Let's see if we can find a time and place.

Way back 20 posts or so there was a question about Sean Connery ...
He played the Russian sub captain in The Hunt for Red October, which is one of the few movies I like enough to see more than twice.
Did anyone see Connery in Medicine Man, which is probably not a book-to-movie, so may not have been mentioned here?
Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions here!

Mary Z,

It's lovely over here where I live. I live right off of Gunbarrel Rd. The Starbucks is near, Pinera Bread is near. You have to know where Hamilton Place Mall is located. Also, there is Barnes and Noble and Books A Million.

We can talk more in an email. Wait until Mother's Day passes. Then, we can really talk. If you don't head out of town.

I bet we have seen each other somewhere.

Hats, you're probably right. I live near Northgate Mall in Hixson, so getting to Panera's over your way or to one of the book stores would not be a problem. As you suggest, we'll talk next week sometime.

Mary Z,

I will look forward to it.

Mippy, I did a Barnes and Noble book search for Medicine Man and I found two.

one is by Francisco Rojas Gonzalez. The other is by Joan Price. But I'm not sure if they are the ones you mean.

Bill H

BevSykes, Another powerful Spencer Tracy movie was the 1937 screen play of Rudyard Kipling's novel "Captains Courages."

When I viewed the cast of characters I saw some of the old time greats. Inculded was Lionel Barrymore, Mickey Rooney John Caradine, etc.

If you would like to see the entire cast, please click here.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028691/

Bill H

MaryZ and Hats, My library works exactly the same way. And there is also a Panera Bread not far from there. The two of you don't live in the San Francisco Bay Area by any chance???

Mippy, I also have seen "The Hunt for Red October" several times. But I did not like "The Medicine Man."

Afraid not, horselover - although we'd love to visit sometime. We live in Chattanooga, TN. We'd love for you to come visit us, too.

Yep, we would have a ball.

A new version of The Poseidon Adventure is coming out and so the book is now featured in many B&N's AND the old movie with Shelley Winters is playing on tv, and so I bought the book and am absolutely hooked. Can't put it DOWN it's riveting.

I'm planning to see the new movie but first to rent when I get thru the book the old one to compare all three versions. In the book which is absolutely terrifying, the Shelley Winters character is grossly obese, I don't recall her that big in the old movie, will have to watch it again, I remember she was big but not 400 or so lbs, or do I not recall that correctly?

At any rate now libraries carry DVD's and a lot of us have Netflix so our opportunities to chat together over books into movies are greatly improved, I'm excited about the new Poseidon Adventure and the old book, what do you remember about either? It was Paul Gallico, what else did he write? I need to read more of his, very exciting, very scary, U R THERE kind of thing, really good.

I remember hearing so much about "The Poseidon Adventure" movie. I never had the chance to see the movie. Ginny, now, after you are talking about it, I can't wait to see it. I didn't know about the book either. Shelley Winters was a very good actress. I would love to see her appearance in the movie. I am going to put it on my queue now.

The Poseidon is showing this week in our local Fandango complex. Andrew reports it is good and scary, that Grandma must see it.

Ebert gives it a 2.5 / 5.

Paul Gallico: How about The Snow Goose, all the Mrs. 'Arris books, Thomasina? Check this link to amazon for a listing...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_hs/104-9582073-6503142?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Dblended&keywords=paul+gallico&Go.x=15&Go.y=10

Ginny, thank you for the heads up about the Poseidon Adventure. I saw the movie a couple of times but never read the book. I plan on doing so. That must be quite a novel, if it is more frightening than the picture.

Maryz, thank you for the link. I never read any of his novels. So little time and so many books. That's an old oriental proverb.

Bill H

Mary Z,

Thank you for your links. Wonderful.

MaryZ and Hats, Thanks for the e-vite. I have never been to TN, but would love to see it and meet the both of you. You are, of course, urged to visit the Bay Area and get together with me and Judy. There's lots to see here, and I promise there will be no earthquakes while you are here.

The reviews I've read of the new Poseidon Adventure were all bad,so I think I'll try to rent the original which you gals liked so much. Shelley Winters was not always very heavy. When she was young, she was quite pretty. Did you know she was pursued by the poet, Dylan Thomas.

No but that's fascinating, I'd read the book first, it's quite...stunning. Bill YOU will love it!!

I'm half way thru and will rent the old movie first, the characterizations in the book are splendid and that's what the old movie is known for, so it will be interesting to compare them. I don't remember the character of the Minister at ALL in the old movie but he dominates the book.

I didn't know about the poet, Dylan Thomas and Shelley Winters. Very interesting.

Here are some books coming in development (to film);

THE LIFE OF PI (now, that'll be interesting!)

INTO THE WILD non fiction by Jon Krakauer

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN- Cormac McCarthy

Jonathan-

I wanted to tell you that I finally got around to watching the last half of Trollope's THE WAY WE LIVE NOW. It was stunning! What a great production, as you said. I felt the gal who played Melmotte's daughter was outstanding. Trollope really wrote quite a story and BBC did him proud.

I haven't read any of the above books. Now I have a new list of three for the library and the movies. I am stunned about "Life of Pi" too. Scootz, have you read "Life of Pi?" What did you think of it?

Hi hats!

I read LIFE OF PI years ago and frankly, I didn't like it so well. It got such hype!! It should be interesting to see how they do it, though.

I read INTO THE WILD, which was the young boy who went off to the wilds and died...can't recall too much of this one. It was in the Yukon, or Alaska...? Anyhow, a young kid who was an independent sort- lived in a bus. Sad, really.

The McCarthy one I haven't read and won't- I don't like him though mnay consider him "the bee's knees". He's more a man's writer, imho.

Hi hats!

I read LIFE OF PI years ag and frankly, I didn't like it so well. It got such hype!! IT should be interesting to see how they do it, though.

I read INTO THE WILD, which was the young boy who went off to the wilds and died...can't recall too much of this one. It was in the Yukon, or Alaska...? Anyhow, a young kid who was an independent sort- lived in a bus. Sad, really.

The McCarthy one I haven't read and won't- I don't like him though mnay consider him "the bee's knees". He's more a man's writer, imho.

Oh hats! These are just now in development. The library won't have them as yet.

Scootz,

I haven't been drawn to McCarthy either. "Life of Pi," I read the first page and gave up. People talked so much about it. Still, there is talk about "Life of Pi." I would like to see if the movie will turn out a success.

Scootz, thank you for letting us know about the upcoming books into movies.

The Da Vinci Code and the Poseidon Adventure seem to be two hot topics today. So, if any of you folks would care to discuss these two novels and how they compare to the movies here in this forum, please feel free to do so. I would like to hear your opinions about them.

Bill H

Great! I'm going to see both of them next week, can't wait, hopefully you all can see the old or new Poseidon Adventure too, I'm almost thru the book and it's turned ugly I don't recall that in the movie, this is going to be MOST interesting. The "Minister" character I don't remember being so much the forefront of the Poseidon Adventure either, I am going to watch the old movie before the new one!

I am planning to see Da Vinci Code this weekend if I can get in! LOL I'll be sure to come here and chat about it once I do.

You know that IS a thought? The crowds are going to be incredible, I wonder if we need tickets before hand. I'm used to being the only ones IN the theater, private showing.

Ginny, I always get my tickets online beforehand, but still with a film such as this (can you say Block-buster?) it's going to be lining up once we get there, inside the theater. I'd like to go this weekend, but we shall see. May be better to try and do on a week night, say.

I can't wait to hear what you and Ginny have to say about the Da Vinci Code. I haven't read the book. I am awfully interested in the Albino Monk. He seems like a miserable character. All of this week Matt Lauer is over in Paris. He has gone through the Louvre, spoken to the cast, etc. The portrait of Mona Lisa is small. I think Matt said that wherever you stand her eyes follow you. Isn't that something?

I had not thought about the online tickets, actually, maybe we better do that. Yes I have heard Matt Lauer is in Paris, the hype on this thing is a publicist's dream.

I've seen the Mona Lisa, or the way it used to be displayed, you can't get within 20 feet of it, the crowds are packed, so if your eyes aren't good it's hard to see hers. haahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I hear, is this what's being said on the Today Show, that the Louvre does not sell ANYTHING connected with the book which does not surprise me. I love the Louvre but the crowds now must be gigantic (I heard he was there on Tuesday when it is closed so he got a lot closer than I ever will) hhahaaa

People are divided about the book. I thought it was just ridiculous but people are different. I hated Angels and Demons and throughout all of it all I could think of was the feeling of the first editor who read it: ("I have a certified nut on my hands here)."

Too much violence. Too much torture in Angels, just have to force yourself to get thru the stupid thing.

Ginny,

I thought you might have seen the Mona Lisa. Oh, I would love to walk through the Louvre. I would like to do it without such a huge crowd.

Yep, people are divided about the book and the movie. I don't understand the problem. You know the same thing went on about "Harry Potter," the books and movie.

Ginny and Scootz,

I hope you have a good time seeing it. The spots of it I have seen, talking about "The Da Vinci Code," look very exciting. I like Tom Hanks too.

I haven't sat in a theatre in sooooo long. We went to see "First Knight" and "Mr. Hollins' Opus."

ahahah HATS is up early, too!

The Louvre is incredible. Did he take you below it? There is a gigantic bus terminal UNDER it that you have to see to believe, it's as good as any movie, I once took a half day tour including the Louvre, just to get IN the devilish thing and avoid the crowds. Now you can do that thru a multileveled mall called the Caroussel du Louvre, which you can enter under that glass pyramid.

On that trip our group, packed shoulder to shoulder with others waiting to get IN, with the group, suddenly took on a young man in expensive jogging clothes and red cap. I did not remember seeing him on the bus but it was only a half day and it's hard to remember anybody. Suddenly his hand went right into the backpack of the woman in front of us and, not thinking, what a fool I am, I slapped him hard on the back, forcing him into her and causing a disturbance. If looks could kill I'd be dead and he was every bit as tall as I was. There is a lot of security in the Louvre, all I had to do was scream but I did not.

The pickpockets travel in the most innocent looking costumes in Paris and this bunch of kids looked like a Sunday School outing, there were about 20 of them in packs and cute little outfits.

I think it was the year before last I walked 27 miles in the Louvre, it's HUGE.

Wow! Ginny, you have so many travel experiences. You describe each one with enthusiam. You are funny too. You should write a travel book, I think.

I also saw the Mona Lisa in the Louvre- but many years ago, before the new pyramid thingy was complete. (not a brag, just fact)

hats- I have been watching Matt this week as well- it has been interesting. They just announced that Hardball will be done from the Opus Dei HQ tonight. I want to watch that.

I'm not Catholic- and I think you all know how I feel about talking religion online- so I will just say this- i think the "stuff" (and I'm being nice here) about that book is insanely ridiculous. Can we say book? can we say novel? can we say perhaps examining one's religion is a good thing? I think you know where I'm coming from there. I would be highly insulted by anyone being afraid that a book may change my entire faith system. Ok, so, I guess I said it all!

Scootz, I totally agree. The anger is out of control. One angry man, on Sunday, tried to tear up the book. Then, he threw it on the floor. I think that is really stupid.

I am looking forward to watching "Opus Dei" tonight. I will, at least, record it. I might fall asleep.

You are a traveller too? I love to hear travel experiences. I have only travelled around in the U.S. I would love to go overseas. I would like to take a literary tour.

I would love to read a fictional book about the Mona Lisa. On one book site, I happened to see a book titled "Leonardo's Chair." It seems very interesting. I have forgotten the author.

hats, I did some travelling years ago with my husband who did a lot of European travel in his job at the time. Now, since I have RA, I find a three day trip to see my Mom in Toronto a chore. I just can't travel easily any more. So, I'm glad I did some when I was younger and healthier. RA not only affects your joints, tendons, etc but also makes you feel as though you have a slight flu all the time. It takes me twice as much energy to do normal things.

Ginny,

We could sure discuss the book now before we see the movie. I'd like to. Then, after we see the movie we can dish about that. I need to refresh my memory anyhow on it.

You go first!

( I'm actually watching the window for my doggie's mobile groomer to arrive any sec, so whilst he's playing beauty parlor later, I'll come back and post some thoughts on the book.)

Hats, have you done any Elderhostels? Lots of them are done with books as part of the subject matter. One we just attended in New Mexico had as one part the books of Tony Hillerman.

Well, I picked up today's USA Today and they have a review of DVC in it. Wow! Only 2 *'s out of 4 and the statement that the suspense is gone, and Howard has played it safe. I don't think that gives too much away, and I'd be happy to paraphrase more from the review if anyone wants it. I don't want to spoilt it for prospective viewers, if reviews happen to spoil it for you- they don't for me, so long as they don't give away plot details.

I had read the book, thought it was a page turner with a big nothing at the end, could not understand the reason for its success. Perhaps it left me so cold because I am without religious belief, so it's all just uncorroborated stories to me, while to the believers the book might have had the thrill of the "forbidden" in its attempt to challenge the dogma?

I have no intention of seeing the movie -- not a Tom Hanks fan, for starters, and not having liked the book, why would I waste seven bucks on the movie?

Hats

you are so supportive about everybody, thank you!

OK well if we're going to say what we REALLY REALLY think, I absolutely was disgusted by the Da Vinci Code, the book, it's rubbish. I disliked most everything about it, including but not limited to the unsupported "conclusions," built on totally incorrect logic, by building on facts and then switching to stupid conclusions which don't follow the reasoning to the gasps and incredulity of those in the book. So MANY inaccuracies, things which simply are NOT true. I can't think what sort of reasoning that is, what it's called, fallacy or something but it's a common problem in logic. It's full of that and simple inaccuracies, it's rubbish.

I read it in Europe and when I flew from Athens to Rome the security scanner spotted it and shook his head. hahahaa

I agreed with him at that point. I HATED the character of Langdon, came to call him Chuckles because he was always chuckling at the "ignorance" of others, like clockwork, Langdon chuckled, wanted to kill HIM. He then proceeded to lecture US on whatever piece of history or inane conclusion Brown wanted us to know then. I think Brown got a lot of angst out with this one. Just repulsive.

But I did not throw it away I gave it to the Prison Library Project, because they like books that movies are from. Throwing away I reserved for the absolutely disgusting Angels and Demons, that thing is nauseating, simply nauseating. At least the chuckling stopped after the first chapter or so. All I could think as I read IT was how the first editor who saw it felt: I am sure he felt he had a nutcase on his hands and I'm not at all sure, truly, he does not.

At any rate DaVinci to me is ridiculous, it's fiction which insults the reader, and his intelligence. Yes it's a page turner, and at the end it's almost a formula you could outline: that's about it and Angels to me is a disgrace in writing.

So? You said tell it how it is with ME, that's how it is. Maybe I was having a bad couple of days when I read it (weeks in the case of Angels, I had to force myself to finish the stupid thing)….er….how was it with you all? I know a LOT of people who loved it. Just loved it. Doesn't mean a thing if somebody else loved it and I hated it, not one thing except somebody else loved it and I hated it. hahaha

:::thud::::

Well, let me pick myself up off the floor first of all. LOL if you feel this way, why on earth are you going to see the movie? Or did I get that wrong?

Sorry! Because I like Tom Hanks and I like Ron Howard and I'm interested to see how they present it (Tom Hanks continually says in every interview "It's FICTION, it's FICTION, it's FICTION," and for the same reason I'm going to see the much panned Poseidon Adventure, out of curiosity.

Now it's your turn, what did YOU think about the DaVinci Code? Somebody has to love it, it's spurned a billion books and now a movie?

We're not all going to agree! More people in the Book Nook liked it than disliked it, in fact I think it was 99:1, so you're in the majority: what did you think?

I remember loving DaVinci Code, however I couldn't tell you why because I read it too long ago. I don't intend to see the movie until the crowds thin a bit, so I think I'm going to reread the book and remind myself of why I liked it in the first place.

I remember thinking that you had to TOTALLY suspend disbelief in reading it because the whole thing was so implausible, but if you accepted that, it was a great page turner.

"Angels and Demons" was better. And what a movie THAT would make!

Ginny, No need to be sorry at all!!! I was just so surprised to hear your take on it knowing you wanted to see the movie, that's all. If I hated a book that much, I doubt I'd go pay to see the film.

I did this one with my f2f group. When I first started it, I was very intrigued, and I did become fascinated with some of the cryptology etc. However, as it went on, it just became more and more implausible and far fetched for me. I can't say I hated it- and I'm glad I read it. It was termed a pulpy page turner in USA Today and I'd say that spot on! But I can't say I loved it either. It held my interest;it was poorly written; it was far fetched; but i read the whole thing, yes I did! lol

I got out some of the paintings that he talked about in the book and when I looked at them for what he was saying, I said "Oh come on now!"

So, I fit in neither group- not a hater nor a lover of this one. Just an interesting no brainer type book. I do want to see the film because my second love is film and I always enjoy seeing the adaptation of a book to movie.

I liked the book (DVC) - it was a good yarn, to me, AND, it was fiction. I'll probably see the movie at some point, because I love movies, I think Tom Hanks is a very good actor, and Ron Howard a good director. I certainly won't go see it in the theaters, unless I have a really dull afternoon late in its run. And I surely wouldn't go see it with all the crowds. Usually by the time we see a movie in the theater, we go at the senior-price afternoon showing, and there are maybe 10 people in the theater.

I don't remember hearing anybody else talk about another recent book-to-movie - Memoirs of a Geisha. The author is from Chattanooga originally, so there was lots of interest here. We read the book when it first came out, and thought it was exceptional. There was a special benefit premier of the movie here, and we went to it (with the crowd

). There's no way a 2-hour movie could encompass the vast scope of the book, and we didn't really expect it to do so - and it didn't. Having said that, I would highly recommend the movie. The cinematography is gorgeous - it's a visually stunning film. The actors are great. We really did enjoy the movie, but to get the full story, you'd have to read the book, too.

Oooo...that was one I intended to see, and didn't. Loved the book.

John is really not a movie-goer, at least not like I would be given a chance. But we both came out of Geisha saying what a breathtakingly beautiful movie it was. Accept that you'll only be getting a fraction of the huge story, and you'll love it.

I loved "Memoirs of a Geisha" also. I couldn't wait to see the movie, but was disappointed in how much was left out. I guess you're right though--there was no way they could have done full justice to the book.

Did you know there was a Da Vinci Diet book? Now that's going just a smidge too far. LOL

Da Vinci Diet Book

The DaVinci Code was a good read for me. It got me thinking and looking up to learn more about how women were treated by the church. I love history and doing research, so Brown's book got me on a research trail.

A priest at a Mass I attended reminded us all that it is just a book(novel).

I am looking forward to seeing the movie. However, I plan on waiting awhile. lol

Mary,

I have never been to an Elderhostel. I would love to do one. I have told my husband about Elderhostels. I couldn't tell him much. I didn't know much myself. Where would I go on Seniors to find out more about Elderhostels?

I haven't read all of the messages here. I had a bad hand yesterday. Then, my computer lost contact with Seniors. After all of that, since Sunday, the top of my right has been hurting. Yesterday it was worse. My family think it's carpal tunnel. My husband is going to buy a new mouse. I am going to try a new mouse before going to the doctor.

Now I am sooooo behind in reading messages.

Ginny and Scootz,

I ended up looking at "Poseidon Adventure." It was wonderful! Shelley Winters and Red Buttons played great. In the movie Red Buttons is such a sweet guy. I shouldn't say too much in case others want to see the movie, right? I just had to cry. Well, boohoo is more like it.

A Da Vinci Diet??? Isn't that funny??? Where will it all stop?

Great comments here! I don't think it WILL stop.

WHY is the question?

Why won't it stop? What's causing this incredible reaction?

Tell you one thing, you could do an Angels and Demons Diet, that would work!

We read Memoirs here but I have not seen the movie yet.

OH NO Hats, now you must adjust your chair and angle here we can't have you flagging out with the Mouse Wrist!!!

It's amazing what a little adjustment can do!!

Hats, did Red Buttons play Mr. Rosen, Shelley Winters' husband? I'm almost thru the book then I'm going to watch the movie then I'm going to go see the next one. The cast who are still alive of the old Poseidon are quite critical of it. In the book it's not the effects that seem to matter it's the people, this is going to be interesting, apparently in the old movie that's the same too. In fact somebody on the old cast said something to somebody on the new about you didn't have many lines and the new cast memeber said we didn't have ANY, so this is going to be interesting.

Still it's the human element of it.

I love this discussion here!!! I may have to get tickets on the internet first for DaVinci, that's a good idea, I HATE crowded movie theaters, they are milking this thing for all it's worth. I can't understand I just can't UNDERSTAND the hold this thing has on people: it's a phenomenon. I JUST read the book in March, myself.

What do you all think is the REASON for the furor over DaVinci Code??!!??

What do you all think is the REASON for the furor over DaVinci Code??!!??

Well, shoot I don't find the high interest to be difficult to understand at all. You have paintings to look at that supposedly have hidden thingies in them, secret societies, murder, mayhem, cliffhanging chapters.

Or did you mean the furor as in by the Church? If so, well, Jesus is being portrayed as something which we never thought him to be. For some people, I guess that's a faith -shaker, or some sort of heresy. For me, who did my faith journey long ago in my 30's, it's neither. Nothing that any novelist could say about Christ is going to make any difference to me. I've already examined my faith and am happy with where I arrived. It's why I think people need to examine their faith- question it, examine it, come to terms with what your particular faith is. Be comfortable in it.

We used to attend the Episcopal church here in my town and that's the church I was confirmed in. Two years or so ago, the rector spearheaded the division in the church over the gay fellow in NH, was i,> who was ordained. I could no longer attend a church that had this sort of belief. I don't consider myself all that religious, maybe more spiritual, but my beliefs are solid and an entire church who thinks being gay is wrong is not where I wanted to be.

So- I guess I must feel comfortable in this group because I have now talked about religion AND politics in the same week! LOL

Hi Ginny,

No, Red Buttons is the single guy. Mrs. Rosen worries about his loneliness. Mrs. Rosen is married to the other star. I can't remember his name. Oh, I just hated it so when Mrs. Rosen died. Remember Mrs. Rosen, in her younger years, had been a swimming champion. This is why she offered her help and did help too. Then, poor Mr. Rosen. I just had to keep my kleenex nearby. He didn't want to leave her side.

Then, Linda died too. She was married to the loud mouthed guy. She was sooo beautiful. Before she married I think she had been a call girl. She fell in all that fire.

Now I am going to get the book. I use to worry about whether to read the book first or see the movie. I don't care as much now. To me it's not all about the middle or the ending. It's what I am going to take away from the book. The book always gives some and then, some more. If that makes sense, I don't know.

I started Da Vinci Code here at Seniornet. I only made it through a few pages. Now I want to read it. I heard Tom Hanks say the same thing. It's fiction. What do the young people say? Chill out! It's all cool! Wow! I'm using slang. I never can get the hang of slang until everybody has moved on to something else. When I was young, it was the same way. When everybody would say, "do you dig it?" I never said it. When they stopped saying it, I caught on a little bit. Now I'm really off topic.

Scootz,

I surely hated to hear about your RA. That is very painful. I have been having trouble with the top of my hand hurting and up through my arm. It feels better today. I might have caught cold in it. This central heat and air is going to kill us. At least, we will have experienced comfort while here.

I can't wait to hear what you guys will say about "Da Vinci Code." I think all the furor is because of the religious theme. I think everybody drew a line on the ground when "The Passion of the Christ" came out. I don't like heavy violence. So, I didn't go see "TPOTC."

That's exactly what I'm saying. If a person's faith is strong, there is no need to fear a movie or a novel. Some people are going nuts because in the movie and book Jesus is said to have married Mary Magdalene.

By the way, when younger, I didn't love movies like my friends. I loved reading. I couldn't read on the porch. People would laugh and lovingly or unlovingly call me a "bookworm."

Now late in life, I am beginning to enjoy movies. I am so proud of myself.

Hats,

I just bought a new mouse not to long ago because of my wrists. I got it at Best Buy and it's a rollerball type and I use my thumb to click . Seems like my wrists have been better. I know i told you my neck had been bad. I have really had to start limiting the time ta the computer. I go for short blasts and more often, and I am having PT for my neck right now. They have really taught me how to sit, etc so as not to starin anything.

Did you watch Hardball last night from Opus Dei? I forgot the dang thing was on.

Well, the lukewarm (and worse) reviews on DVC keep rollin' in. Did people actually walk out of it in Cannes? Our Dallas Morning News gave it a pretty poor review. I will still see it out of curiosity, but don't know when. Soon, though.

Scootz,

Thanks for the good information about the mouse. Bill said I should limit my time on the computer. You won't believe it! I missed Opus Dei. I didn't record it either. I felt so badly yesterday. I think my mind had totally shut down. Just a little pain makes me draw up and want to die.

How did you like Opus Dei?

Hats, there is a SeniorNet page on Elderhostels - It's in the Travel Topics section. Or you can go to the source...

http://www.elderhostel.org/

I don't know why all the hoo-rah about the DaVinci Code, but I know the producers and investors are LOVING it. Any publicity just makes for bigger box office. As with The Passion thing, I agree with Scootz, if you're secure in your faith (whatever it is) no novel or movie is going to change that.

MaryZ, thank you. I needed the link. I looked in the folders and couldn't find it.

I love the diversity of opinions in this discussion!

On an unrelated subject, saw "Lost City" (which is NOT based on a book, so doesn't belong here, by rights) Andy Garcia's original script with some input from Cabrera Infante about the takeover of Havana by Fidel and his mob; liked it a good deal, especially the refreshingly realistic portrait of Che Guevara, as what he really was: a ruthless practitioner of the "end justifies the means" dogma, inherited by Fidel & Co. from their Leninist-Stalinist mentors.

I am planning on seeing the Code just because I thought it was a good mystery and thriller. Brown is such an easy read that I cannot see why all the nonsense over this book. I also read "Angels and Demons??" but thought it was just like the Davinci Code and lost interest. About good reviews, there were three good reviews according to Fox, yesterday afternoon including Roger Ebert. I don't think I would agree with the "Great!" accolade given by the Fox News movie person. What does Great mean, anyway? Its all in your own perception. One of the big things discussed was Tom Hanks' hair. Have we lost something here? Does hair now count for a good review?

It may with this movie, the buzz as of yesterday's paper is not good. Yesterday's USA Today was full of DaVinci Tours and tour companies, DaVinci Tour Books where you can follow in the footsteps, outrage from those who have seen the movie, some of it hilarious, and the somewhat ominous reviews that it's "talky," which of course killed the book too, all those lectures. Apparently the movie has them too and Ron Howard was faithful to the book. It's getting 2 out of 4 or 5 stars for being slow and "talky," but who knows what THAT means? Does it mean they actually stop in one of the action sequences and say something? hahahaa but I'm going, anyway.

See yesterday's USA Today on The Davinci Code, it's in two sections, including Travel, showing photos of people gazing up at one of the spots.

John had a good point last night. There was none of this controversy when the book came out three years ago. It was big seller early on, and has continued to be ever since. But there was none of this hoo-rah until it was almost time for the movie to be released. Wonder why that is.

The movie industry has better publicity people than do publishers.

Ya think?????

Or maybe there are folks out there who think people are more influenced by movies rather than books (boy, are THEY wrong!) Or maybe there are just so many people out there who never read books. Hmmmmmm....

There was definitely controversy from the get- go. Maybe you just didn't hear about it as much. My f2f group did the book when it first came out. We were aware then of the controversy and several churchs (and SMU) did lectures about it. People were upset here from the start.

Guess I just missed it, Scootz, but I don't remember anything like that around here - just talk about what a good yarn it was - an easy, exciting read.

Could have to do with my livin' in the so called Bible Belt, I dunno. (?) Churches around here were really rying to calm people's fears. Frankly, I found it amusing.

Amusing, yes. I grew up in Houston, so I know whereof you speak. And then we moved to the 'buckle' of the Bible Belt - Nashville, then Chattanooga.

I'll probably wait til I can rent the movie rather than visit a theater. My hearing isn't very good and I'm sure I'd miss a lot of dialogue. But with the tape, I can rewind and rewind to my heart's content til I understand what is being said.

John Gibson of Fox's "Big Story" was interviewing the movie critic Bill Mc Cuddy as to his thought of the Da Vinci Code. Mr. Mc Cuddy went on to give a negative review. But what does he know? However, one remark I found interesting was what he said about the French laughing at it when it opened in France. I wonder what part in particular they laughed at. Maybe the whole thing.

I share the opinion of those who expressed the thought that the novel would not alter their faith in Christianity. Nor would it mine. However, there are those of the Christian faith, as well of those of other faiths, that are seeking to justify the reason for their decline or strength in religious beliefs.

Bill H

I have just come from the movie, and Langdon (Tom Hanks) didn't chuckle and only smiled once or twice. I rather liked it, but then I am not too discerning, because I have not seen many movies until the last couple of years.

As a movie, without all the hoopla, it was a good show, lots of action, some shooting, a couple car chases, story line not always easy to follow, hard to figure out who was after who.

I listened to the book on CD about a year ago, and thought at the time, it would make a good movie. It is classed as fiction and since I have no church background that includes the divinity of Mary Magdalene, I would consider it fiction. It gave me no cause to examine my beliefs or faith.

I saw the movie, "Absolute Power," a while ago, but did not realize it was made from a book. Now I bought the book by David Baldacci at a library book sale and will let you know if the movie was faithful to the book. I did enjoy the movie which starred Clint Eastwood.

I wonder if the popularity of the book is a kind of backlash resulting from the deluge of priest abuse stories in the press. My sister, a devout Catholic, has left the church because she cannot abide the hypocracy. She was enthralled by DVC. I haven't read it so do not know if it casts a bad light on any organization, this is just speculation.

My sister, a devout Catholic, has left the church because she cannot abide the hypocracy.

How very brave, and how very, very admirable.

Scootz...I left the church for the same reason.

I have not read the book, yet from the maze of media comment that has emerged mostly in the past week, I see it as a historical novel. Plots of this type are subject to suspect because all too frequently they incorporate an unsupported rewrite of history to suit the author’s literary purpose.

I suppose this might be acceptable writing ethics, if there is some substantial historical basis for the new plot, but in the case of the Da Vinci Code, I am particularly suspicious because from the media comment that has emerged this last week there seems no real historical basis for the author’s rewriting of Christian origin history that he seems to have incorporated in his fictional plot. Though there is substantial early, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th century tradition supporting the conventional history of the early church, any basis for the Da Vinci Code rewrite seems to have emerged undocumented in relatively modern times. Yet many people reading the book will find it easy to accept the novel’s account as actual history.

I hope to see the movie next week and will add additional comment at that time.

Has anybody read the book Holes by Louis Sachar? It was made into a movie in 2003. Susan Sarandon and Jon Voight were both in it, but it was mostly acted by unknown youngsters. A great movie and book! I just thought of it tonight, and will have to get both again to read/view.

Bev-

Then you are also brave and I am always admiring of people having strong principles.

harold- I look forward to your comments about it.

patwest- you win the award for first one to see it! Was it crowded? I think it made a lot of money - $77M domestically, and $224M worldwide. In Italy it was the all time top weekend grosser- ever.

I just told my hub that we should go see it tonight.

We never go on weeknights but it may be less crowded.

Bill- the French don't need much excuse to laugh at us any time they get the chance, do they?

Bev,

"Bill- the French don't need much excuse to laugh at us any time they get the chance, do they?"

How true!

Bill H

Mary Z -- Re: Holes. Yes yes. Read the book and saw the movie. Great -- both of them. In 2001 it won the Mark Twain Award, an annual award sponsored by the MO Ass. of School Librarians, and voted on by Missouri school children.

My next Netflix DVD will be another children's book/movie -- The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funk. I believe she is German and has won awards there, but I think the movie is in English.

I had returned "My House in Umbria." I liked it, but it gets a little weird and sometimes off-putting towards the end. One must keep an open mind. Probably 3 or 4 stars (OUt of 5).

Today I returned "Crash." I don't think it is associated with any book, but I'd sure read it if it were. 5 stars.

pedln--I loved Crash. I think it was an original screenplay. I'll have to check IMDB.

On March 5, 2006, Paul (Haggis) became the first person in the history of the Academy Awards to write two back-to-back Best Picture Winners, for Crash and the previous year's winner, Million Dollar Baby.

Crash, a movie Paul co-wrote, directed and produced, was nominated for six Academy Awards, and on that evening Paul took home both Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay Oscars

Oh, I haven't seen Crash. Everybody is talking about Crash. I have it on my queue.

"Crash" is not a pretty movie. It's not a movie that one "enjoys," exactly, but it's so well crafted and in the end, I realized why it had won the Oscar.

Bev,

Is there a lot of violence? I only heard Oprah talk about this movie. I didn't see the whole show either.

There is some violence, but it's more emotional violence, I think. It was significantly different from what I expected, and it really makes you think about the relationships between people.

"Emotional violence," two very heavy words. I suppose the movie really makes you think.

Bev, I agree that "enjoy" is probably not the word to use with Crash. It was totally different from anything I expected, and I found it absorbing and fascinating. I think the Netflix description - "It forces audiences to confront their prejudices" is right on target.

This is a negative. Last year I read Italian Niccolo Ammaniti's I'm Not Scared, and then later saw the movie -- about a boy's involvement in a kidnapping. I was disappointed in both, actually thought the movie better than the book. Have any of you read anything by him?

Our daughter saw Crash. She commented that it was very dark and depressing, but that she was glad she had seen it. I don't know whether this is one I'll want to see or not. I know John won't - he doesn't do dark and depressing. I had to make him see Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, but he refused to watch Philadelphia - all of which were excellent movies.

"Saving Private Ryan" is really sad too.

Mary Z, didn't Meryl Streep play in "Saving Private Ryan?"

I don't think so, Hats. Actually, I don't think there were any women in the cast - at least not of any importance. I tend to avoid any movie with Meryl Streep. She's just one of those actors that grates on me.

Well, maybe I didn't see "Saving Private Ryan."

Hats, it's the one that based on D-Day. The opening 20 minutes has almost no dialog - it's battle scenes - extremely violent and disturbing. I watched the movie one weekend when John was gone. When he came home, I had him watch it, but I skipped that first part. You'd remember it if you had seen it. We saw it after we had visited Normandy and many of the beaches, which made it even more real.

Mary Z, you are right. That's not the movie I had in mind. I am thinking about a tv movie. The mother is played by either Meryl Streep or Joanne Woodward, can't remember. Anyway, the son is killed in friendly fire. Very sad.

Yes, I agree completely with the Netflix description. It's too bad that people dismiss "dark" movies out of hand. It's where some of the best performances are found. It would be difficult to find a better performance than Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia," for instance. For that matter, even "Gone with the Wind" had more dark moments than light as well!

Bev, I do agree - and it depends on the movie and my mood at the time. The only thing I hated about Philadelphia was that Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington couldn't both win Oscars for best performance. I thought they both deserved it.

I agree wholeheartedly. I was very surprised when Hanks gave his acceptance speech. I hadn't realized until then that he went to high school with a friend of ours, whom he named in his speech. (The man later died of AIDS)

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE WAS VERY INTENSE, IN MANY WAYS IT WAS BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE. THERE WAS ALOT MORE ACTION ALSO MORE REAL,AND YOU WERE ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT MOST OF THE TIME. THE FIRST ONE THAT WAS MADE GOT MORE INTO THE CHARACTERS.

I'm reading Herman Wouk's The Caine Mutiny right now, or just finished it. We're discussing it in my on-line book club, and I will be watching the movie this weekend. I remember liking Wouk's other books-into-miniseries, and this movie in particular, although it's been ages since I've seen it.

We're enjoying reading books that we can watch either the same book in movie or a related book in movie form in my club, with mid-twentieth century authors. It's nice to meet groups of folks who appreciate both venues.

I didn't read Da Vinci Code because I was almost conked out from boredom in the first couple of pages, so I won't bother seeing the movie. A couple people I know saw it. One person, whose taste in movies seems to be like mine, loved it. The others thought it was very campy, a contender for knocking Attack of the Killer Tomatoes off the all-time-campiest list.

I think that people often respond more strongly negatively and positively to movies than to books. Maybe because there's less effort in watching something you don't like than in reading something you don't like. Or because movies are more social than reading.

Kleo

Speaking of The Da Vinci Code, here is what 3 people in a movie review chatroom are saying about it:

Brise de Mer wrote:

Jesus Christ had brothers and sisters. Did it not occur to anyone that whether or not the hypothesis that Christ & Mary Magdalene married and had a child is true, the family bloodline very likely exists today, through his siblings?? Or through his extended family? Somewhere, there are people today who have a genetic tie to ancestors who were related to Jesus Christ.

(REPLY) Hmmm .... This fact pretty much takes the wind out of BOTH sides' sails, doesn't it? A "bloodline" exists without all the mystery, hoopla and Knights Templar baloney .... and on the other side, the Catholic Church can't deny it's existence.

(REPLY) Jesus had siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas. Somewhere, someplace, descendants exist who are from this family. They could be Rabbis in the middle east ..... or the kid punching the register at Walmart...interesting.

P.s. I did not see the movie or read the book, so can anyone who has please comment on those interesting opinions? [HappyBill]

Hi Everybody, thank you Annie44, for letting us know about the new Poseidon Adventure, the old one is on TV tonight. Since you said that I will try to see the new one, too.

I just saw the DaVinci Code in a theater with about 12 people in it (but they are running it in 4 theaters in that big theater) and...what can I say?

Bill, I can't comment on those opinions, certainly the movie is not likely to make any converts to that cause!

Other than the main premise, which is ridiculous, the movie is not bad, it's not good, apparently quite a few people had not read the book, (they gasped). I have no idea how Tom Hanks kept a straight face with some of that stuff (he's stopped saying "think fiction think fiction," and now is saying "think hooey") but it's...there ARE parts where you do feel like laughing and where he looks like HE is going to laugh, and I think he does roll his eyes and grimaces a bit, but he does keep a straight face, which is more than some in the audience did.

It's...I don't know what to say. It's better than the book because a lot of the illogical conclusions are left out but there are enough strange things to make it almost sci fi. Nice scenery. Follows the book very closely and Tom Hanks of course is a lot more palatable than Dan Brown's alter ego Robert Langdon, Tom Hanks makes up for a LOT of problems the book has.

You can see in person some of the sites that the book talks about, or some made up to look like the sites, (like Westminster Abbey which refused to let them film there) other than that...it....I don't know. If I had to give it stars I'd say * 1/2, out of 5, it's much much too long. I saw a lot of people looking at their watches, it started at 1:15 and we got out near 4 and really when it should have been over it was not and they started up on a different thread again, the ending is beyond credibility and seems quite stupid when you see it in person, really weak. Really really weak.

It did make some people in the theater want to read or reread the book.

One thing tho, I had some time getting over, is that Jean Reno, the actor who plays Captain Fache the French detective chasing them, is currently starring in an obnoxious commercial playing all over Europe. I think it's about UPS, it's in English but it's hard to tell what it's about, but I can see why French audiences laughed at the movie, at least at the outset, I nearly did, myself, (in more than one place), the commercial features Jean Reno sitting up in a tree talking about possibilities to …it's hard to explain but it plays every 30 seconds till you could recite it, and it was hard to see him out of the tree. He did a good job tho, in his part, he really did.

In the IMDB Trivia area for this movie it says that According to Jean Reno, Dan Brown wrote the part of Inspector Fache with him already in mind.

I'd save my money unless I just wanted to see something to make party conversation. I think it would make a nice rental, in case you are not likely to see the places mentioned in the film any time soon, other than that, it's nothing? Really. Nothing. I've seen worse but I sure have seen better. And it translates Ron Howard's faithful rendition of most of the book (with accompaniment of swelling vaguely religious sounding music) to the screen much better since we are used to people flying Ninja like through the trees in movies, this was not so far fetched. It's just stupid.

C'mon, now, Ginny - don't hold back. Tell us what you REALLY think!

That's why we're here.

Now, Ginny, most of the pro reviewers are giving it at least a 2 out of 5, or a C-. But 1/2 out of 5???? Surely with Hanks it's got to be better than that. Guess I'll have to see it. See 120 reviews at MRQE.com, or click:
http://www.mrqe.com/lookup?^Da+Vinci+Code,+The+(2006)

Thank you for the reviews, Bill, we're here to talk about what WE think. That was one star and one half, and that's generous. Enjoy the movie, and/ or read the book and tell us what YOU think?

Since I'm still here I do see in the old Poseidon Adventure, currently playing, a marked difference from the book in the fate of the child Robin. I am interested, those of you who have seen the new movie, what happens to him, or would that spoil it? If so please email me I'd like to know? The old Poseidon Adventure is different from the book.

"Lolita" is another book into movie which you can rent. It also starred Shelley Winters in her younger days.

The old Poseidon Adventure, with what appears to be a young Gene Hackman and Earnest Borgnine, is quite different from the book. Here again I guess the filmmaker's art took a turn.

The premise in the book is quite different from the movie, a lot more disturbing. It's going to be interesting to see what the new one is about. I'm looking forward to it and to seeing if it carries the same hopelessness. For instance in the book 30 other people from the dining room they left are also saved at the end, so they need not have risked life and limb to get there. The child is lost.

In the old (and it IS old) movie not only is the child there, the minister has not committed suicide and they are the only 6 left on the boat. The way their rescuers entered also is quite different. I did not see enough to see if the drunk and his girlfriend were even in the movie but in the book they break into a wine storage area and stay and are rescued, it's quite a statement in the book of....you'd just have to read it.

Now I really want to read it. I really enjoyed the old movie. My husband enjoyed it too. It's great!

It's up on the Exchange, Hats, if you need a copy, and it's a brand new copy too but paperback. ( I had two and one is gone already).

I'm really going to be interested to see which you think was better, the old movie or the book!

Ginny,

I have put my name on the Exchange. I need to send you my snail address. Thanks.

GREAT!! Can't wait to hear what you think of the two!

Ginny, I have emailed you my snail address. Thank you.

Super! I can't WAIT to hear your thoughts on both of them, the old movie and the old book!

Here are two things in the DaVinci Code new movie that our SeniorNet Latin students know and you might like to, also:

1. If you go to see the movie the DaVinci Code, be alert for this painting as they run along the corridors of the Louvre, quite early on.

This is the famous Oath of the Horatii by Jacques-Louis David (1784)

Ullman Henry II says:

The painting is a "great example of classicist painting." In this picture the father of the triplet Horatian brothers (on the right) presents them with their swords to decide which city shall rule Latium—Rome or Alba. To the right huddle their mother and the sister (who was betrothed to one of the Curiatians), each fearful for her own reasons of the outcome.

The Horatii , according to Roman legend, lived in the reign of Tulus Hostilius in the 7th century BC. There was a struggle between Rome and Alba Longa (in Latium) and this was decided by the

…single combats of three Roman brothers, the Horatii, against three Latin brothers, the Curiatii. Two of the former were killed but the survivor killed the three latter. As he returned to Rome he met his sister weeping for the death of one of the Curiatii, whom she was to marry. He stabbed her to death, was tried for murder and eventually acquitted on appeal to the people.

(OCCL)

For a larger view of this very famous painting and an in-depth of what the artist was trying to do and more about the painting view The Oath of the Horatii, when it flashes by (they actually spend a second or two on it) you'll know what it was!

2. You won't have any trouble noticing that the killer monk Silas speaks only in Latin and they only speak to him in Latin on the phone, in case you wonder what language he is speaking, and the pronunciation veered toward the Classical Latin, which in itself is interesting.

Ginny, I might enjoy it just to see all the artwork- hope there is a lot of it! The more I hear, the less I want to see it, yet I'm just driven to somehow.

I finally got around to watching THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA dvd this aft. I've had it for months. Did any of you see it? I thought it was well done, overall, but very very scary for young kids. Those wolves!! Does anyone know if Disney intends to do more of the Narnia chronicles besides Lion, Witch, Wardrobe? I have the complete set of Narnia chronicles on dvd to listen to. have only listened to the first two so far- The Magician's Nephew, and this one with Aslan. But there are eight in all, I think.

I recall reading THE LION, THE WITCH, and THE WARDROBE when I was young. I was so captivated by that wardrobe that opened out into a total other world1

Ginny,

Wow! This is all very interesting. It seems Matt Lauer should have zoomed in on this painting while at the Louvre. Maybe he did show it and I missed it. I'm not sure. Thank you for sharing it here.

Scootz,

I did see the DVD of The Chronicles of Narnia about a couple of weeks ago. I thought the youngest girl, Lucy, was so adorable. Of the siblings, I liked her the best.

The wolves scared me to death. You are right, not good for small children, too real and frightening. I haven't read the Narnia books. I want to read the books. I liked Thomas too. By the way, I thought the witch was really frightening too.

I loved the wardrobe. I wouldn't mind having that experience.

Didn't you just love Mr. and Mrs. Beaver? So cute.

So, did they actually film parts of the DVC in the Louvre? Or did they fake it and the Mona Lisa as well. I can't wait to see the Silas and Latin dialogue parts. It will be interesting to see what captioning does to the Latin words.

I haven't seen any of the Narnia movies, nor read the books -- have just never been a fantasy fan. As for scary movies, I only watch them with my grandchildren.

They did film in the Louvre, according to an interview I saw with Ron Howard. "The Today Show" also filmed from the Louvre and it was impressive watching Matt Lauer walking through a totally deserted museum.

I never read the Narnia books either, but my daughter loved them. The only real "fantasy" that I got caught up in was the hobbit books.

I read the first Hobbit book and loved it.

I liked "The Hobbit" more than the Lord of the Ring trilogy, but I still made it through all of the LOTR books.

I would like to make it through all the books too. I haven't seen the movie yet either.

Well, in all honesty, I've "seen" all 3 movies, and fell asleep in each of them!

I'm really not much of a fantasy reader either but I did want to see Narnia.

I saw all three Lord of the Ring movies- the best, imho, is number three. Two was the worst. The first one had way too many battles with yet another group of monsters- ::yawn:::

But hey, I can handle looking at Viggo Mortensen for any amount of hours.

I'm just reading about a movie coming out in December (can't wait!) about Beatrix Potter, entitled "Miss Potter". It will start Renee Zellwegger (only my favorite actress and Ewan McGregor.

I was trying to find out if this film is based on a particular book, but haven't yet. But I did find this neat site about her.

Hats- check out the adorable cottage down on the left hand side next to where it say 'Beatrix Potter at Home in the Lake District'. Click on that house to see it full size. It is so cozy!!!!

Beatrix Potter info

Scootz,

I would love to see a movie about Beatrix Potter. I would love to read a book of her life too. Thanks for awakening my mind to a new thought for my reading. I can't wait to look at the link.

Scootz,

"Adorable" is the perfect word. It fits her perfectly, at least, the way I see Beatrix Potter in my mind. I like her face too. She looks like all those stories came from her mind.

That link really boosted my spirits.

I have bookmarked it.

I'm off this afternoon to see "The DaVinci Code," much against my better judgment.

Maryal

Maryal, have fun! I know what you mean. I can't decide whether to read the book.

I remember enjoying "The Incredible Journey." I read the book to my mother who enjoyed any book about dogs and cats. I think there is a newer "Incredible Journey."

We are going with friends to see The DaVinci Code this evening. We figure that we will get the tickets, then go to have supper at Eat & Park. They are close to each other. After we finish eating we are going to see the 8:00 showing. We all read the book so with mine we will have 4 opinions.

deems, Isn't it curious how we are all going to see it "against our better judgments"?

Did you read the book?

Scootz--Yes I read the book while we were reading it here on SeniorNet.

I'm too tired to provide a good review at the moment.

God, that movie is Longgggggggg.

Reread Ginny's review--mine will have spoilers in it so I'll wait a while.

Suffice it to say that it lived up to my expectations.

If you've read the book, you've seen the movie except the book is more talky.

Maryal

We're seeing it this weekend. For sure, or Dan is in deep gimshee!

Hats, why don't you get the book (DVC) from the library and start reading it. Then if you don't like it, you can stop and just take it back. No cost, nothing lost.

Mary Z,

Good idea! Duuuuhh! At times, my mind just doesn't think. I am going to put it on hold now. If I don't like it, it can just go back.

hats, It's also a good "listen" if your library happens to have it on tape/cd. That way you can spend less hours on it and not have to read it.

Scootz,

I am not hooked on audio yet. Still, back in the day with books and pages to turn. I am trying to move up. I want to listen to audio books. I really enjoyed "The Namesake."

I think you have a good suggestion. If I don't like the book, I am going to try the cd of "Da Vinci Code." I am going to get the book today.

Tell Colby hi.)

hats-

When I first began listening to books, it took me quite a while before I could slow my mind down to do it. In the days when I could still walk for exercise, I used to always listen to books on tape. I always remember listening to CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR. I liked it, but probably would never have read the book.

Scootz,

Thanks for the encouragement. I am going to definitely keep trying. Maybe I should try "Clan of the Cave Bear?" What do you think? Give me a title to try.

Oh gosh, hats....you might want to try a short story selection or something not too complex. I don't think we have the skill of listening any more and seriously, it took me a long while to be able to sit still and listen without my mind wandering- I did a lot of rewinding of tapes, trust me!!

If you try something short, and not too difficult, it may get you going. Even now, I have trouble. It's a skill, no two ways about it.

I will give Colby a tummy rub in your name.

Scootz,

I didn't think of short stories. That's perfect.

I tried the books on tape years ago, but I didn't care for the format. Like you mentioned, Scootz, if my mind wandered, and I missed something, it was too hard to go back to "read" it over again. I'm not usually able to read for sustained stretches, so with a book, it's always easy to reread the last sentence or two to get into the story again. I have thought of trying it again, though, so I could read and knit at the same time. Like you suggest, maybe something shorter.

mary-

I never found that I could do anything else at the same time as listening except walk, which didn't take any brain power. But, if I tried to listen while doing housework, say, I couldn't do it, or at least it was much more difficult. Funny, huh?

"Jane Eyre" is a good movie and a good book.

Hats: Beatrix Potter is the subject of a delightful new mystery series by Susan Wittig Albert, who also writes the China Bayles series about the herb shop in Texas. Susan Wittig Albert

My sister is an avid fan of audio books and I have enjoyed listening to them while we were traveling through Washington state and Vancouver Island in Canada. I've listened to Jan Karon and Maeve Binchy. I decided to try them when I found that my library has books that can be downloaded to the computer. My daughter gave me a 2G Ipod Nano for Mother's Day and am in the process of learning to go through the software to access the books. There are so many titles available on CD but this method does not appeal to me as the MP3 player does. No changing discs!

I may try one of those Beatrix Potter mysteries, myself. They look perfect for poolside reading. Thanks for that sweet link!

I saw The DaVinci Code last evening with Ray and some best friends. Ray and I had read it as had Marilee, but Bob hadn't read it. We 3 that read the book felt it followed the book. However, since it was already a 2 1/2 hour movie we agreed it would have been too long if more of the book was added to the movie. Marilee mentioned her complaint was the camera angles were too tight.

Bob hadn't read the book and he considered it an ok movie. Can't say more because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read the book or seen the movie yet.

We bought our senior priced tickets, then went to Eat'Park for dinner. We got back to the theatre in time to have our choice of seating. The theatre did fill up. One thing that surprised me was how quiet the audience was after the movie ended.

I listened to one of Rebecca Well's books while driving to substitute teach. Not sure if it was Ya-Yas in Bloom or Little Altars Everywhere. I had read one before listening to the other book. What I liked about listening was I got the correct pronunciation of the names and got a good sense of the southern dialogue.

Ginny Ann--that's exactly my problem. I'll give the movie minus one star, but I can't explain why until more people have seen it because I always get too specific and ruin something someone else might find interesting.

I put it up there with one of the worst movies I have recently seen. That's probably harsh but I won't even go see movies like "The Poseidon Adventure" because I know I'm going to hate them. I didn't like the original; this one has even less character development and more roller coaster like ooopsies. I'm not kind to movies that are composed, primarily, of special effects, though I do like special effects when they work.

I guess I can say one thing about DV without ruining anything. There are a number of flashbacks in the movie. The ones set in the distant past (Rome, hills somewhere, the crusades) I thought were terribly done.

I agree with the camera angle comment of your friend--or the lack of any difference in camera angle. Very little interesting is done with the camera at all.

Maryal

I am going tonight- have the tickets in my grubby little hands- so don't dare say anything more yet, all. I hate spoilers!!! I'll post my thoughts in the morning since we're going tonight and I'll be ready for jammies when I get home.

I got the beatrix Potter mystery at Half Price books- the first one, I think Hilltop Farm? It looks cute.

I agree about the flash back sequences. They looked to me like they were using old movie film.

Oh Boy, thanks Mrs. Sherlock. I will look at the link now. I am behind in reading the posts.

Hats, You said, "Jane Eyre" is a good movie and a good book. Which version did you see? I've seen the first one with Joan Fontaine as Jane. Now I rented the new one starring William Hurt, Joan Plowright, and Anna Paquin. I haven't watched it yet.

I have seen the old one with Joan Fontaine. I loved that one. I think there are two or three new ones. I can't remember which actress played the new Jane Eyre seen by me. I am going to look on Netflix. If I see her name or face, I will recognize her. Joan Plowright sounds familiar.

Anna Paquin is the Jane Eyre I have enjoyed. Here is the link.

Eyre

Let me be the first to say her- I really liked it! I didn't think I would, but we both did. If you hated the book, you won't like the movie because it's very true to the book.

For both my husband and I it was like watching a summarized version of the book. I don't know if people who hadn't read it saw it, they would be able to follow all thse theories. It wasn't exciting for us, but interesting to see it all in visual form.

I feel badly that all this bad press on the movie came out after Cannes. I honestly don't see that this is such a bad film, and think Howard did a good job adapting it. It's not going to win any awards but it was interesting.

When the part came where Teebing said "Mary Magdalene was pregnant at the time with Jesus' child" some guy in the audience yelled out "Hogwash!" I was really afraid that something was going to start up, but thankfully it didn't. Quite a few people chuckled, actually.

That's my comments. I'm going to recommend to my son that he see it. He wasn't going to, but he loved the book.

I don't know what the French were laughing at but they always laugh at us anyhow. Who cares?

Wasn't one of the gents here going to see it this week?

BTW- is there a movie discussion board here at SN? I love the movies, almost (but not quite) as much as books.

Scootz: Here is a link to the Movies and Videos under Arts and Entertainment.

"Movies and Videos"

Thanks, Pat- I'm there!

I might join in too. At least read the pages.

Oh goody, yes do come over too, hats!

Well don't run off, we'd like to talk here, too, if it's Books into Movies? Maybe you could do both?

At any rate, I suspect if the book irritated for whatever reason the movie would not improve on it. Love that minus one star, Deems, and your endorsement, Scootz, and Ginny ann, I like to hear opposite ends of the spectrum: that's why we're here. I thought personally that the movie made the errors in judgment, the conclusions more clearly a mess. San Greal. Constantine a pagan. The Romans loved anagrams (that apparently stems from ONE erroneous "Wikipedia" article and no scholarship whatsoever). Ol Wikipedia again: that's Strike Two for me (Cicero's supposed "anti Semitism in the Pro Flacco speech" being a major Ignorant Strike One). I personally think Wikipedia is one of the most dangerous things on the internet.

Was that "jerking" in aid of the flashbacks? I thought that the theater was presenting an abridged version (which happens here, sometimes?) Do you mean it was deliberate?