literature screened

Have just discovered by chance, while surfing at IMDb.com, that The Corrections is being made into a movie to be released in 2007, with Judi Dench already attached to the project --presumably in the key role of matriarch Edith Lambert. No other actors are announced yet, but I'll be watching that space. My interest in seeing the Lambert family of The Corrections come to life on screen is more than passing, having immersed myself in their world just a couple of months ago. It should be wonderful to see Judi Dench, an actor of depth and subtlety, embody the pivotal Edith. And the producer/director, Robert Zemeckis, is no slouch either, having been the power behind some major projects (not to mention a long list of successful drek).

The person at the top is critical, of course. They are entrusted with the millions required to actualize our fondly-held literature-based imaginings. Memoirs of a Geisha, another wonderful engrossing book of recent years, has just been released as a film, and I can't wait to see it, but critics have unfortunately found it lacking in soul, which is sad.

As Peter Howell, of the Toronto Star, puts it:

It is axiomatic in filmmaking that screen adaptations of books should never attempt to match the frame to the printed word. They are two very different media, with different dramatic requirements.

There are exceptions that prove the rule, however. And it must be said that in bringing Arthur Golden's 1997 bestseller about geisha mystique to cinematic life, director Rob Marshall (Chicago) and screenwriter Robin Swicord (Little Women) should have paid more heed to the original text. They have sanded away many of the fine lines that made the novel such an engrossing read.

Reading great books before seeing their movie versions is always dicey. I'll never forget my disappointment at the film versions of Zorba the Greek and The Color Purple, soon after reading those books. I thought those movie versions sucked majorly, though others who hadn't read the books (or not so recently, perhaps) found them quite acceptable. Let's hope Zemeckis gets it right.

Now, what I'm wondering is, who will play Chip Lambert? He's a little past his peak, both academic and rough, adventurous, impetuous, irrresponsible. I've been trying to think of hot, pushing-40ish actors with substance who aren't too pretty or sexy, and it's tough. I'm thinking Mark Ruffalo would be perfect. Any other suggestions?