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Asta Kask
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Sweden
263 Posts |
 Posted - 05/10/2006 : 04:52:14 AM
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117942127?categoryid=13&cs=1
I have a very bad feeling about this. Now, I love the book - I think it's a great philosophical and aesthetical piece of art - but I'm very suspicious about turning it into a movie.
My main fear is that these people will do the same mistakes as Travolta did when transferring Battlefield: Earth to the silver screen.
First of all, the Ayn Rand Institute are very loyal (some might say too loyal) to their founder and I fear that they are going to resent any change in the novel. But books are one medium and movies are quite another, and what works in one does not necessarily work in another. That's one reason Peter Jackson had to do so many changes in the Lord of the Rings (although some of the changes seem to have been made on more of a "what the hell"-attitude).
Second, Angelina Jolie is a great fan of the book and wants to do play the female lead. This risks turning it into a vanity project, just like Battlefield Earth was. Now, I haven't seen Jolie in anything but the "Lara Croft" movies (and GOD they sucked - how come mr. Bregg hasn't mentioned them) so it's possible she can act if given a good script. But she's the wrong type for the role. Dagny Taggart is beautiful, but she's also a hard-assed, crap-kicking businesswoman. When I look at Jolie all I see is "Sex Kitten". (Brad Pitt, OTOH, may be very good for the role as John Galt - and I think someone like Nicole Kidman could make a good Dagny Taggart).
Third, a theme in the book is about portraying two ways of life and what different results they lead to. This is difficult to do on movie - to little and the movie is tepid, too much and you end up doing "Billy Jack goes to Galt Gulch".
So, what do you think? Am I wrong or do you smell a disaster in the making as well. |
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Pip
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2006 : 8:03:14 PM
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It still looks a ways off to me. Also, I'd hardly take the following paragraph as solid evidence of usage of Pitt and Jolie:
"As for stars, book provides an ideal role for an actress in lead character Dagny Taggart, so it's not a stretch to assume Rand enthusiast Angelina JolieAngelina Jolie's name has been brought up. Brad Pitt, also a fan, is rumored to be among the names suggested for lead male character John Galt."
The low budget is worrisome. The big question is what they do with Galt's speech. Cut it entirely is all I can think of. It's so important to the point and impact of the book, but it's seemingly unworkable in a movie. I think the movie will just have to settle
for being Rand-lite.
Pip |
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Sardu
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1126 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2006 : 8:12:47 PM
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DUDE!! If they couldn't even adapt I, Robot properly how do you think this is going to turn out *lol*
Seriously, I can't imagine how AS could make it to the screen with its philosophy unmangled, and without that it's meaningless. As a pure entertainment story it's frankly not that interesting. It only exists to illustrate Objectivism and I don't think in a million years that's going to come through in a Hollywood movie. John Galt making a 45 minute speech 3/4 of the way through the film explaining his principles- not possible. Yeah, they can still make some salient points, but I doubt that anyone involved will have any real understanding of Objectivist principles. In all probability the message of the book will be distorted into something almost opposite of what it should be. In fact, I predict an action/thriller: Why are important people disappearing??!! Are they being murdered?? NO!! It turns out they are all under the mind-control influence of EEEVIL capitalist and terrorist John Galt, but when computer genius and entrepreneur/humanitarian Hank Reardon disappears his spunky lover Dagny Taggert (herself the head of a major fashion empire) will save the day by killing Galt and his henchman Francisco in a thrilling shoot-out paving the way for her and Reardon to serve The People once again.
I predict Ayn Rand will come screaming out of her grave to take revenge on all concerned.
Now as for Jolie as an actress playing Dagny as written- I think she'd be decently good. if you saw her in Sky Captain you'd know she plays tough and smart pretty well. Would there be better choices- definitely.
Coming soon-
Eraserhead: The Musical!! |
Edited by - Sardu on 05/10/2006 8:19:31 PM |
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Food
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2006 : 11:40:44 PM
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I'm a fan of Atlas Shrugged, and I agree with Sardu: Any attempt to adapt it to film will be a joke from pillar to post.
I never thought of Dagny Taggart as being exceptionally gorgeous. Pretty, but not stunning. The ages of Taggart, Galt, and Reardon were never given except that they were roughly the same age. For whatever reason, I superimposed the image of Tom Berenger circa Major League over Reardon. |
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Pip
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2006 : 12:53:43 AM
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Tom B? Okay. A laconic, stoic and flinty southerner. Hmmm, yeah. Maybe. I'd like to see him in Hugo Boss and Justin boots first. For Dagny though, I think of Helen Mirren at 38 or so.
Pip |
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Sardu
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
1126 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2006 : 01:29:53 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Pip
For Dagny though, I think of Helen Mirren at 38 or so.
Definitely.
Coming soon-
Eraserhead: The Musical!! |
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Asta Kask
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
Sweden
263 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2006 : 04:42:03 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Food
I never thought of Dagny Taggart as being exceptionally gorgeous. Pretty, but not stunning. The ages of Taggart, Galt, and Reardon were never given except that they were roughly the same age.
It is given, but it's not a major factor. They are thirty-ish (given that the novel takes - what? - seven years to play out they age somewhat...)
- Who is John Galt? - |
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governor_breck
Diocesan Ecclesiarch of the Sacred Order of Jabootu
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2006 : 09:55:44 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Asta Kask
quote:
Originally posted by Food
I never thought of Dagny Taggart as being exceptionally gorgeous. Pretty, but not stunning. The ages of Taggart, Galt, and Reardon were never given except that they were roughly the same age.
It is given, but it's not a major factor. They are thirty-ish (given that the novel takes - what? - seven years to play out they age somewhat...)
- Who is John Galt? -
I always pictured Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dagny Taggart when I was plowing my way through the book. But I also thought the sexual tension between Reardon and d'Anconia was so high that they just should have sent Dagny out for pizza and gotten their fabulous Objectivist freak on together. Maybe Wilmer Valderama could play Fransisco? I dunno, both actors I've listed lack a certain gravitas for the part.
Personally, while I enjoyed some aspects of the book, but I felt that it needed the cold touch of an editor's hand. Not just for Galt's infamous 65 page monologue but for all the other, 5-20 page monologues scattered throughout the book. d'Anconia (I think - it's been a while) gives a 15 page long speech in the middle of a wedding reception to all the guests. It had me thinking, "What, are all these people just standing around listening to this guy?" Same deal with Galt's speech, which was delivered over the radio, if my memory serves. How long before the listeners started saying, "Screw this guy - when's Paul Harvey on?"
A lot of times when I'm reading a novel, I'll think about how it could be made into a movie and this book was a tough one. All these speeches would just be death on the big screen. Are people really going to stay in their seats to listen to somebody prattle on about the "virtue of selfishnes" for an hour? |
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Paul LoJ
Supreme Potentate
USA
420 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 09:01:42 AM
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I had something like David Caruso's face on my mental Hank Reardon... don't know if he could ditch the Shatneresque delivery of Horatio Caine though; Conveying Reardon's "I have no awareness that you're not supposed to be this frank" persona would be a major challenge for someone's acting abilities, wouldn't it?
Dagny had Jodie Foster written all over her for me.
Somehow I could see Shyamalan directing this; I hear he's adapting The Life of Pi now or soon. Atlas' story strikes me as the kind of project that would be good for his creative instincts about now. (Peter Jackson comes to mind too, but his appreciation for the sacrament of brevity would need a major kick in the arse).
Ultimately though, taking Atlas' visual story from the reader's imagination and conforming it to a fixed timeline and set of images is gonna be well nigh impossible. Whatever you do with the speech is bound to feel contrived. To me, representing it indirectly through others' perceptions of it would be about the best capitulation to the medium that I can think of.
"...You know perfectly well what is the matter with you. You have known it for years, though you have fought against the knowledge. You are mentally deranged." |
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Ken HPoJ
Supreme Potentate
USA
1530 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 09:18:14 AM
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In case anyone is wondering, the reason I never mention the Lara Croft movies is that I haven't seen them. Anything in the Michael Bay school of film making gives me hives.
On New Year's I was at somebody's house, and they had Van Helsing on, and I think it ate a good portion of my soul just from watching half an hour of it. I'll take Navy vs. the Night Monsters any day of the week.
PEGGY: I don't see how having a girl on the team would ruin it. Did a woman judge ruin the Supreme Court?
HANK: Yes, and that woman's name was Earl Warren.
--King of the Hill |
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governor_breck
Diocesan Ecclesiarch of the Sacred Order of Jabootu
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 09:26:07 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Paul LoJ
I had something like David Caruso's face on my mental Hank Reardon... don't know if he could ditch the Shatneresque delivery of Horatio Caine though; Conveying Reardon's "I have no awareness that you're not supposed to be this frank" persona would be a major challenge for someone's acting abilities, wouldn't it?
Dagny had Jodie Foster written all over her for me.
Err...David Caruso...? I think part of the problem is that the book has these Big! Larger than Life! characters and I'm not sure that there are many actors in Hollywood of the right age who are capable of pulling it off. I mean, I suggested Wilmer Valderama for Christ's sake. What the hell? Why not get Ashton Kutcher while we're at it?
I don't think this book can translate well to the big screen. Of course I once said that about Lord of the Rings, so I could have my head lodged squarely in my ass. |
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BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 1:25:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ken HPoJ
In case anyone is wondering, the reason I never mention the Lara Croft movies is that I haven't seen them. Anything in the Michael Bay school of film making gives me hives.
On New Year's I was at somebody's house, and they had Van Helsing on, and I think it ate a good portion of my soul just from watching half an hour of it. I'll take Navy vs. the Night Monsters any day of the week.
PEGGY: I don't see how having a girl on the team would ruin it. Did a woman judge ruin the Supreme Court?
HANK: Yes, and that woman's name was Earl Warren.
--King of the Hill
I've seen the first Lara Croft movie. As I recall, it would've been pretty awful, but Angelina Jolie was perfectly cast (and gave a pretty good performance) as Lara; she made it relatively painless. |
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RVHorror
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
532 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 4:32:26 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Sardu
John Galt making a 45 minute speech 3/4 of the way through the film explaining his principles- not possible.
What if he gives the speech while shooting revolvers at a crowd of crooks chasing him through an underground parking garage? Never underestimate Hollywood.... |
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BradH812
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
1294 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 7:26:11 PM
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A 45-minute speech.
Hmmmmm....
(scroll down)
Steven Seagal as Galt? (ducking and running) |
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Food
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 9:04:18 PM
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| **angrily chases brad for a few blocks before running out of breath** |
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Pip
Holy Cardinal and Five Star General of the Righteous Knighthood of Jabootu
USA
333 Posts |
Posted - 05/12/2006 : 10:59:59 PM
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Steven Seagal?
[url]http://www.geocities.com/evandergeld/BadIdeaPip.JPG[/url]
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