Change is a good thing...maybe?

Greetings, all.

Lately I've been feeling the great conviction as both a book and movie lover, to shed some light on film adaptations, which I think we can all agree are tricky. This is probably due to the fact that I keep running into more and more buzz, news, and speculation on upcoming movies (i.e.- The Great Gatsby), and have also been reading up on some articles on that infamous discussion which will undoubtedly never be resolved--BBC Pride & Prejudice vs Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice (Matthew Macfadyen is my leading man, in case you were wondering).

When discussing something like this which tends to be so controversial and which holds the great potential of the looming threat of people breaking out in passionate argument, there is something you should know about me and my personal opinions: I love books, I love movies, and I don't usually get too ruffled about details that have been skewed, providing that they don't change the entire outcome of the story. I'm the person you were sitting next to in the theater at the midnight premier of the Harry Potter movies who just shrugged and said, "That's not so bad," much to the chagrin of people around me. Although even I, like everyone in this world, have my limits.

Now, that also leads me to point out one of the number one things which I encourage people to keep in mind when it comes to film adaptations of books:

It is never going to be perfect.

Never. There is always going to be something that isn't quite the same, and to that same effect--you can't make everybody happy. Even if a film adaptation is outstanding and nearly perfectly done, there is always going to be somebody who is bent out of shape because that one line wasn't said right, or that one scene was cut off, or because what's-his-name doesn't look the way they imagined. 

Having said all that, in my personal opinion, I feel that good and sometimes even excellent film adaptations are entirely achievable on a general level if these most basic of guidelines are adhered to:

1) Do your best to cast actors and actresses who actually look like the characters they are expected to portray.

    I made this #1 because it generally seems like it doesn't matter what else happens in the rest of the movie--if the leading man or lady makes their grand entrance and they don't look the part, then people are automatically going to be moaning their distress. I stick by what I said earlier when I mentioned that you cannot make everyone happy when you bring a character to life on the big screen. Minor changes are acceptable. However, that doesn't give you license to get "creative" and pick someone who looks nothing like the person they are expected to portray. Daniel Radcliffe has dark brown hair and blue eyes, but he still made a great Harry Potter. On the other hand, I can't even begin to list the cringe-worthy differences between the novel version of Little Women's Professor Bhaer and Gabriel Byrne, no matter how good of an actor he is. And, for the love of all that is holy, please choose someone who is at least somewhere within a 5-yr range of their character (cough*Greer Garson*Pride & Prejudice*cough). On the totally opposite side of the coin, I'd have to say the best on-screen character representation I've seen would have to be Gemma Arterton in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, hands-down.

Such a basic thing to make your target audience happy. So just remember:

TRAVESTY:

BAD:

BETTER:

BEST:

2) Do not change the story.
    You can be forgiven for the occasional line fub, and we won't entirely hold it against you if you mesh some scenes together for times sake. We will probably even overlook a small number of location details, but if these things or anything else are part of an overall equation that leads to a totally and completely different story, then you're condemned.

3) Don't make a character into a person that they are not.
    So, the movie has started and most of the theater is grumbling about the imperfect presence that is the main character but that's all they're doing for now--grumbling, huffing, sighing, etc. I guarantee that will instantly become much more vocal and violent if this impostor opens their mouth and says things in a manner, tone of voice, or with such facial expressions that it gives them a different personality than what was originally insinuated or intended in the book. I just hate to add fuel to the fire here, but my case in point would be Colin Firth's Darcy vs Matthew Macfadyen's Darcy. Entirely setting aside the fact that I think MM is McDreamy, the main reason I approve of him over CF is because he actually portrays some emotion towards the end of the movie, which is what happens in the book the last time I checked. Honestly, CF is too stiff and you can never discern any of the discomfort or emotion or love for Elizabeth that should be there--not even by the final scene.

FITZWILLIAM DARCY:

FAKEWILLIAM FARCEY:

4) Don't eliminate the entire ending of the story.
    I'm not talking about changing the outcome, as mentioned above. I'm talking about completely and totally cutting it out, like it never happened. When the 2011 version of Jane Eyre came out, I was excited to see it because I really enjoy the book. I went to see it, and the imagery was beautiful! The characters were okay. Overall, I was thinking, "You know, this is a pretty okay film adaptation. I might even watch it again." And then what happens?Nothing. It just ends....and not where it is supposed to. It doesn't show the proper ending of the story which is the whole point of the story. Never watching that one again.

Cute but not good enough. Shame on you, Cary Joji Fukunaga.

Those are the main and most basic rules I have on the list, however even I must admit there are some adaptations that will probably fail even if they do follow the rules (which are not more like guidelines). Unfortunately my main example of this would be the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Naturally, as I'm sure you would probably guess, I love the book. I think it is an interesting and sad story that is told through amazing verbal images of life as the elite in the 1920s. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that film adaptations of that story have already been done and they were not at all successful. Every once in a while you just run across a story that is wonderful in book form, but it just does not translate on the big screen. Besides The Great Gatsby, another example would be The Portrait of a Lady.

So, to be honest, I guess the main point of this was just a rant that led up to the fact that I will probably just watch The Great Gatsby from Redbox in the comfort of my home if I choose to invest in viewing it at all. And to say that Matthew Macfadyen wins.Always.

"Catastroph!"

A Very Vintage Christmas post #8

Today is December 23, so there are two days until Christmas!

We have a classic Christmas film for you today, but it also happens to be in conjunction with TCM's Star of the Month for December, so here she is:

STAR OF THE MONTH

Barbara Stanwyck

Born July 16, 1907

Died January 20, 1990

Barbara Stanwyck was in fact born as one Ruby Catherine Stevens in Brooklyn, New York in 1907. She had a difficult upbringing and developed a tough skin because of it. She was the youngest of five children who were orphaned from a young age. Her mother was killed in a streetcar accident when she was 4 years of age, and soon after that her father left for a job on the Panama canal dig and he was never seen or heard from again. Ruby was left in the care of one of her sisters who was only 5 years older than herself. She stayed with her older sister, Mildred, until the latter decided to pursue a career in show business. From that point on Ruby and one of her brothers were placed in innumerable foster homes. During summer vacations, Ruby was reunited with her sister and would travel and tour with her, memorizing routines and developing a passion for performance. Mildred tried to discourage her from getting involved in the business, but Ruby desperately wanted to be on stage--to be noticed. She never attended high school, and when she was still just 15 in 1923, she landed herself a job at a night club in Times Square. She was only there for a short time until she auditioned and won a part as a Ziegfeld girl for two seasons.

Ruby worked the circuit as a chorus girl for the next 3 years until she met director Willard Mack in 1926. At the time, Mack was attempting to cast the roles for his play The Noose, and Ruby was referred to him by a friend and mutual acquaintance. She was given the part, but the play was not successful until it was rewritten with adjustments to her character. After the tweaks were made, it became an amazing success on Broadway. It was during this time that Ruby Stevens officially became Barbara Stanwyck. The name of her character was Barbara, and the last name was taken from another actress. And thus, a star was born.

In 1927, the new Barbara Stanwyck was cast in a leading role in the hit show Burlesque. She quickly began taking up small parts in silent films later that same year. It was also during this time that she met her future husband, Frank Fay, while working on the stage. They were married in 1928. The two were married less than 10 years, and reportedly fell apart due to career differences. Fay was also an actor, but he could not successfully switch from silents to talkies, whereas Stanwyck's career skyrocketed shortly after talkies rolled into production. Fay also had alcoholic tendencies and was abusive to his wife in public.

From her first talking picture in 1929, The Locked Door, Stanwyck just kept going and building momentum as she went. She quickly was cast in memorable pictures such as Ladies of Leisure (1930), Stella Dallas (1937), The Lady Eve (1941), and Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). She was also considered for the part of Scarlett O'Hara in the film adaptation of the classic novel, Gone With The Wind.

Stanwyck went on to marry fellow actor Robert Taylor in 1939. She was very hesitant to get involved with anyone else after her previous disastrous relationship, but Taylor was persistent. She claimed that he was the love of her life, and they were happy for a while, but he began to stray and the couple fell apart after a while. They agreed that it was best to divorce, and they officially did so in 1951. Stanwyck stayed active after her divorce, but her personal life took a toll on her career and she slowly began to decline in the film industry. After 1957, she began to dabble in the television industry, and had some minor success.

Barbara Stanwyck was looked upon as the friendly face of Hollywood. She was known for showing warmth and kindness to all of the crew and backstage workers on her films, and she was a great favorite with all of her costars. During her time in the film industry she starred in over 80 motion pictures, and won an Academy Award in 1981. She died of heart complications at the age of 82 in 1990. There was no funeral according to her wishes.

"I'm a tough, old broad from Brooklyn. I intend to go on acting until I'm ninety and they won't need to paste my face with makeup."

-Barbara Stanwyck

"'Career' is too pompous a word. It was a job and I have always felt privileged to be paid for doing what I love doing."

-Barbara Stanwyck

And now, for our Movie of the Month pick starring Barbara Stanwyck, which is also the main part of our post for A Very Vintage Christmas today:

Christmas in Connecticut

1945

Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Reginald Gardiner, S.Z. Sakall, and Sydney Greenstreet

During World War II, a smart, young, single woman by the name of Elizabeth Lane (Stanwyck) has a job as a writer for a successful housekeeping magazine. To all of America, Elizabeth Lane is a loving wife, nurturing mother, and sensational cook who lives on a country farm in Connecticut. Only three of her closest friends know that she is in fact a single woman who cannot cook to save her life and lives in a small apartment in the city. Certainly her boss, Alexander Yardley (Greenstreet) has no idea--he's an old stickler for the truth and is in favor of anything that will boost circulation. There doesn't seem to be any reason to inform Mr. Yardley about Elizabeth's real home life...that is, until Mr. Yardley receives a letter from a nurse who is engaged to a sailor and she wants him to be able to go and spend Christmas in a good, happy, comfy, traditional home. Mr. Yardley thinks it will make for an excellent story--Elizabeth Lane, America's model housewife, taking in a naval hero for the holidays.

Elizabeth finds out about what Mr. Yardley is planning and she is devastated, knowing that she must tell Mr. Yardley the truth and lose her job. Whenever she goes to meet with him, she can't work up the courage to tell him that she is not a housewife from Connecticut. Then, she is even more dispirited than before when her friend John Sloan (Gardiner), who has always been determined to marry Elizabeth even though she's not interested, pays her a visit. John is an architect and he mentions in passing that he has a house in Connecticut, which sparks an idea in Elizabeth's head. In order to keep her job, Elizabeth says that she will marry John; that way the two of them can go to his country house in Connecticut and receive the sailor there and pretend that she is the housewife she claims to be in her magazine articles. John thinks her whole predicament is rather ridiculous, but he goes along with it because it means Elizabeth is finally accepting his proposal.

So, shortly before Christmas, John travels to his country farm in Connecticut with Elizabeth, who insists on bringing her "uncle" Felix (Sakall) who is a professional chef and who has been giving her recipe ideas for the magazine articles for years. Everything is ready; they even have a baby to complete the picture because the housekeeper watches a baby whose mother works at a munitions factory during the day. The only problem is that Elizabeth has qualms about marrying John since she knows she doesn't really love him. They are supposed to get married as soon as they arrive at the farm by a justice of the peace but Elizabeth manages to put it off. John gets upset and insists on knowing what they're supposed to do, but she manages to placate him by saying that they will just pretend they are married but she will sleep in the guest room at night. Things only get more complicated when the sailor arrives two hours early and Elizabeth very quickly falls head of heels in love with him. Then things get even more crowded when Mr. Yardley himself also joins them for Christmas.

Everything turns into a big, jumbled mess as Elizabeth tries to keep up her act so she doesn't get fired, but she can't help showing her attraction to the sailor, Jefferson Jones (Morgan). Uncle Felix helps her keep her secrets for a while but eventually Mr. Yardley starts to catch on, but he only picks up on some of the details--he thinks that Elizabeth and John really are married but that she is having an affair with Jefferson. Everything gets more confusing and tense until the truth finally comes out. Elizabeth quits her job and is heartbroken because she never realized Jefferson was engaged until his fiance turned up at the farm. But new truths are being unveiled all over the place and Jefferson discovers his fiance came to break the news that she is now married to somebody else.

Everything seems melancholy and chaotic until Uncle Felix steps in. He gets Elizabeth her job back with a pay raise, and he fills in all the gaps for Jefferson so that he knows Elizabeth is in love with him. They then reconcile and proclaim their love for each other, and everyone has a very merry Christmas in Connecticut, after all.

Christmas in Connecticut is a great family Christmas movie. It is a true comedy of circumstance and is full of humor, and a little romance too, of course.

It is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I even own a copy of it myself.

Alright, so tomorrow is Monday so we will be doing a post then for Christmas Eve.

I can't believe Christmas is so close at hand! We here at Think Classic truly do wish you all a wonderful, happy, blessed Christmas. Be safe this holiday season, and in light of recent tragedies that have befallen those across the country and most especially in the Northeast: as you reach out to those around you whom you love this Christmas, remember those who have now lost their loved ones. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Have A Very Vintage Christmas!