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I loved Audrey Niffenegger's novel The Time Traveler's Wife when I read it several years ago. I tell people that it is the single most romantic love story I've ever read, hands-down. So I jumped at an opportunity to get passes to an advanced screening of the movie based on the book (which opens in theaters tomorrow). I was primed to love the movie, but worried that I would be disappointed. The novel's structure is complex, and I wasn't sure how well it would translate to the screen.
Last night, my wife (who hasn't read the book) and I saw the advanced screening in Washington, DC. I'm glad I did. I enjoyed this adaptation, which captures much of the magic of the novel. While the movie re-orders some of the storytelling, and some of the details are changed or glossed over, this was to be expected. The book had far to many details to include them all, and the complexity of the book's structure needed to be simplified for the screen. In spite of all of this, the core of the story remains intact. While time travel is the central conceit of the story, at its heart, this is a love story. Henry and Claire are soul mates, with a deep love that buoys them through all the difficulties their unusual life presents them.
Perhaps it helps that I'm several years removed from reading the book. Someone who has read the book more recently might find the changes in the movie more jarring. But, for me, this was as faithful an adaptation as I could expect, and I found it both entertaining and moving. Maybe that's just because I'm an incurable romantic, but I'm recommending this movie as a romantic alternative to the noise and action of the typical summer movie.
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I've written before about Patrick Cady, one of my high school friends, who is making a name for himself in Hollywood. My parents just e-mailed me a link to an article in the local paper back home about Patrick and his latest project. He has made a documentary about "The World's Biggest Trivia Contest" which takes place each year in Steven's Point, Wisconsin. This is his debut as a Director and Executive Producer, and now I guess I'll have to buy a DVD...Check out the film at its website: Triviatown.
Last night, I watched Waterland on IFC. It was a very good movie, very much character driven rather than plot driven, with stunning photography. Well worth a look if you get a chance to see it.
One piece of the movie struck a chord with me and I've been thinking about it all morning. One of the students in the narrator's history class questions the need to learn history because, as he says, "the world is all going to end." They never really elaborate on how or why he feels the end of the world is imminent, but it struck me as a common fear. I remember growing up afraid of the Soviet Union and the possibility of a global nuclear war destroying life as we know it. Today, its global warming that is the impending doom of the planet. It makes me wonder if we have a need to feel like the end is imminent. When one threat diminishes, we very quickly find a new threat to take its place. I find it a curious that, as a society, we seem to be so fearful of the future. I can't help but wonder why that is the case...
One piece of the movie struck a chord with me and I've been thinking about it all morning. One of the students in the narrator's history class questions the need to learn history because, as he says, "the world is all going to end." They never really elaborate on how or why he feels the end of the world is imminent, but it struck me as a common fear. I remember growing up afraid of the Soviet Union and the possibility of a global nuclear war destroying life as we know it. Today, its global warming that is the impending doom of the planet. It makes me wonder if we have a need to feel like the end is imminent. When one threat diminishes, we very quickly find a new threat to take its place. I find it a curious that, as a society, we seem to be so fearful of the future. I can't help but wonder why that is the case...
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I was looking for something to watch on TV last night, and randomly stumbled upon a really good documentary on HBO. Paper Clips tells the story of an effort by a group of middle school students in Whitwell, TN to collect six million paper clips, to symbolize the six million Jews killed by the Nazis in the holocaust. I had read about this somewhere, but this hour and half long documentary traced the origins of the project and followed it as it ballooned beyond anyone's expectations. Ultimately they collected almost 30 million paper clips from around the world.
What struck me the most was the impact this project had on the community. It wasn't only the kids that gained an empathy for people with different backgrounds, but also the community as a whole. Its a reminder of how easy it can be to educate people to the dangers of intolerance and prejudice. It is quite a moving story, and I'm glad I discovered it.
What struck me the most was the impact this project had on the community. It wasn't only the kids that gained an empathy for people with different backgrounds, but also the community as a whole. Its a reminder of how easy it can be to educate people to the dangers of intolerance and prejudice. It is quite a moving story, and I'm glad I discovered it.
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I was beginning to despair of finding anything worth watching tonight when I happened to hit IFC at the beginning of "Jump Tomorrow." I've been wanting to see this movie for a while (it was made in 2001) because the Director of Photography is my best friend from high school, Patrick Cady*. I'm really glad I stopped surfing when I saw that, because it was a great movie. My friend's photography is amazing, and the movie is very funny.
What happens when a Nigerian, a Frenchman, and a Hispanic girl share a ride from New York to Niagara Falls? The result is a wonderful multi-cultural farce. I won't get into the details, but the resulting situations are a lot of fun to watch, and if the end is a bit predictable, well, it still feels right. And yes, the river in the background of the final scene really is the Niagara. However, the road Girard dances down in the closing doesn't really exist within miles of the Falls.
To my friend, Patrick...you done good, boy! I'm proud of you for following through on your dreams. Keep up the good work, and I'm looking forward to your next film...
If you're looking for a good movie, but are tired of the mainstream, mass market movies, look for "Jump Tomorrow" at your local rental outlet. You won't be disappointed.
* Patrick was also Director of Photography for "Girl Fight," another independent release that I would highly recommend and "Sunshine State," which was beautifully shot, but needed better editing, as it ran about 20 minutes too long. He also was Director of Photography for 10 episodes of CBS's "Cold Case" during the 2004-2005 season. I'm proud to say that I knew him when...
What happens when a Nigerian, a Frenchman, and a Hispanic girl share a ride from New York to Niagara Falls? The result is a wonderful multi-cultural farce. I won't get into the details, but the resulting situations are a lot of fun to watch, and if the end is a bit predictable, well, it still feels right. And yes, the river in the background of the final scene really is the Niagara. However, the road Girard dances down in the closing doesn't really exist within miles of the Falls.
To my friend, Patrick...you done good, boy! I'm proud of you for following through on your dreams. Keep up the good work, and I'm looking forward to your next film...
If you're looking for a good movie, but are tired of the mainstream, mass market movies, look for "Jump Tomorrow" at your local rental outlet. You won't be disappointed.
* Patrick was also Director of Photography for "Girl Fight," another independent release that I would highly recommend and "Sunshine State," which was beautifully shot, but needed better editing, as it ran about 20 minutes too long. He also was Director of Photography for 10 episodes of CBS's "Cold Case" during the 2004-2005 season. I'm proud to say that I knew him when...
