Tuesday, May 05, 2009

The long and winding The Road

Reports are surfacing that the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning The Road finally has a release date.

This is something that's been on my radar since first reading the novel a couple of years ago. I remember thinking at the time that a movie version was a foregone conclusion. The book is written almost as a screenplay.

And, with the critical and commercial success No Country for Old Men, a movie based on another of McCarthy's novels, it seemed studios would be anxious to get on The Road.

Well, it now looks like the film version of The Road is set for release this October, just in time to be the feel-good hit of the holiday season. Original reports were that it was supposed to be out early this year, but it has been delayed for various reasons.

There's not much info yet on the official website, aside from the mention that Viggo Mortensen will be playing the lead. And try as I might, my five-minute Google search produced no video trailers for the film yet.

But there has some hype about the movie being a leading contender for more awards at the next Oscars. I just hope it lives up to the quality of the book.

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5 comments:

  1. Because of the "happy" ending, probably a Christmas release, eh?

    ; ' )

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  2. Nick, this is destined to be the funniest movie since The Exorcist.

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  3. That's gonna be one long, sad, movie. With more rain than Blade Runner and about as much dialogue as a Buster Keaton flick. That book was great but I disagree that it translates well to a screenplay. There are actually very few things/events that happen in that book--its mostly psychological or internal dialogue. I suppose if you turn it into an I Am Legend action-adventure movie, but I think that'll really weaken its power. And I agree it was a powerful book.

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  4. You make a good point, Lodo. I'm putting a lot of faith in director John Hillcoat.

    I'm sure there's pressure to make this a big mass appeal action thriller. That would be a huge mistake and I think (hope) it's not the direction Hillcoat is taking.

    I hope he's letting the photography and imagery do most of the work. There's a great opportunity for some amazingly bleak, stark and impactful imagery in this story.

    I think there are enough encounters on The Road (scavenging for rotten apples and fresh water, finding the bomb shelter, escaping from cannibals multiple times -- not to mention the end sequences) and enough flashbacks that action sequences won't be a problem.

    They just shouldn't be the main point driving the film.

    I guess we'll see in October.

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  5. One thing I can tell you right now if that movie pic is any indication is that the kid appears to be older than I'd envisioned him in the book.

    I too hope the movie's good and would only add that in the hands of a visionary, any story can be made great. So I'm not gonna hate till I have no choice.

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