RIP Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, 89. Known as Betty to friends, she shot to stardom at 19 opposite Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not (1944), her first film. Circa 1972, in a lit class, our professor, Dr. Galligan, described the ruckus in the movie house when the actress spoke the immortal lines: "You know how to whistle, don't you? Just put your lips together and blow." Although she was nominated for only one Oscar, as Best Supporting Actress in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), she won two Tonys: Applause (1970), a musical adaptation of All About Eve (1950) and Woman of the Year (1981), an adaption of the 1942 film of the same title. She married Bogie and was his co-star in many films. She later wed Jason Robards, but the marriage ended in divorce after eight years. She wrote By Myself, a memoir that won a National Book Award in 1980. Here's a quote attributed to her: "I put my career in second place throughout both my marriages and it suffered. I don't regret it. You make choices. If you want a good marriage, you must pay attention to that. If you want to be independent, go ahead. You can't have it all." Well done, madam. Thank you. Facts culled from IMDb.
Several months ago I read E. Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Shipping News. Last night I watched the 2001 film adaptation directed by Lasse Halstrom, whose work has always been difficult for me. This one was not difficult, but there was something missing, although it is true to the spirit of the book. The leads, Kevin Spacey and Julianne Moore, great actors, do not match my physical image of the main characters. Then again, finding a perfect match for a literary figure is rare. I can think of only one, Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), although there must be others. Except for the Newfoundland landscape, the book does not lend itself easily to cinema. Since there has been a lengthy gap between my reading and viewing, I don't know how closely the film adheres to the book, but it does so much more than most adaptations. There is only one daughter rather than two in the film, that much I recall. The supporting cast is impressive: Judi Dench, Scott Glenn, Cate Blanchett and Pete Postlethwaite bring their considerable talents to the proceedings. It's running time is only 111 minutes. I don't know how anyone who hasn't read the novel would grasp its essence. The contributor comments at IMDb were mixed, most of the negatives coming from Canadians, particularly a Newfie who felt slighted. I don't see it as a negative portrait of our friends to the north. I see it as an examination of damaged humans living in a harsh climate. Broad analysis is a common error. 25,000+ users have rated The Shipping News at IMDb, forging to a consensus of 6.8 of ten. I rate it three on a scale of five. Robert Nelson Jacobs had the unenviable task of adaption. Christopher Young's melancholy Celtic-based score fit the narrative precisely.
My thanks to the kind folks who patronized the floating book shop today. I have missed only one session since June, and it had nothing to do with the weather. It has not rained during the early afternoon since May. I hope I haven't jinxed myself.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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