Film News (08/08/09)

A day late with the news today, all because I went to a wedding yesterday and whilst I planned to write the news articles on my return I was later and drunker than my original plane. Not that it's been a terribly interesting week in film news anyway. Some trailers (It's Complicated, Cirque du Freak) and posters (Avatar) have been shown for the first time - to verying degrees of fanboy interest - and there have been plenty of rumours (an adaptation of Huxley's Brave New World) and innuendo (Jeremy Renner wants to be the next Mad Max), but nothing substantial.

Except for the incredibly news last weekend that Steven Spielberg has chosen a remake of Harvey for his next film. Due to start filming in the new year Spielberg aims to complete the film and release whilst tinkering on the long post production of the Tintin movie. With this announcement (released to the press on Sunday!) the invisible rabbit jumps ahead of Old Boy, Matt Helm, Lincoln, Interstellar, 39 Clues, Indiana Jones 5 and probably many others. I think we can all agree that's a huge selection of films with great variety being shunted back.

Of course what most of those titles have in common is they're big special effects laden movies with long gestation times, and they just wouldn't be able to fit them in before Tintin is completed so when novelist Jonathan Tropper's adaptation arrived on his doorstep it set the wheels in motion. I'm not going to gripe about the wisdom of filming a 65 year old pulitzer winning play (even if it's themes are "timely, uplifting and relateable."), nor am I going to say that classics such as these shouldn't ever be remade - mainly because I believe if it's a classic then it can be remade without diluting the quality of the original. What i will do though is respond to the press release's which states that the adaptation will be brought into the 21st century by telling Mssr's Spielberg and Tropper 5 things that need to be done to make the film work.



1. Don't set it in a Mental Hospital.

Back in the 1940's it was easy to believe that funny farms were delightful places where doctors and nurses fall in love and prize begonias grow on the front lawn. However films like the Snake Pit in 1948 slowly began to show how dishonest that image was. Violance and drug abuse were rife, there was little regulation in how the mentally ill were treated and abusive guards/nurses were not kept in check or worse the staff were indifferent to the patients. If you are updating the film why not try using a celebrity rehab centre. After all it's alcoholism that's the real problem - not the white rabbit.

2. Hide the bunny.

Everyone in the audience can make their own mind up about whether Harvey really exists. The punters will be adults - don't give us horrid CGI representations or let the story lie too heavily in one direction. In my mind the original went too far with the door opening at the end.

3. Lose the second romantic subplot.

This could be a problem with the casting in the original, or with the script itself, but whilst Charles Drake and Peggy Dow have a playful chemistry about them the romance between Victoria Home and Jessie White seems terribly forced. And while we're at it don't you dare give Elwood a love interest...

4. Social Climbing is passe.

Veta Lousie wants her daughter to marry someone of the right social standing in their small town (perversly Myrtle May jsut wnats a man). Whilst marrying well is still talked about - just look at The Ugly Truth (if you really feel that you have to) - it's not the be all and end all it once was. Generation X have a much more relaxed attitude about pairly off their children and love is the order of the day. Veta Louise may want to get her daughter married off, but it's more likely to be because she wants to stop worrying about her or wants her to be happy rather than the wedding being on the society pages of the local rag.

5. Don't cast the first people that come to mind.

The internet was abuzz with rumours of Tom Hanks or Will Smith taking the lead, and whilst I'm sure both would be fine you don't need them. Remember Jimmy Stewart lobbyed hard for the role in the original (taking basic pay and a cut of the profits in order to nad the role) and there was nobody else involved with a big name. You alone can open a picture you don't need BIG STARS. Look at some interesting characters actors. Why not try making Elwood and Veta younger (with Veta looking for her own husband) and see what that does? Just try something inspiring.


Buttercup

I only found this story whilst researching for that above and was so far through I didn't want to break my flow, but it seems Niki Caro has takne helming dutied from Sarah Polley in this father/adult daughter drama. The two hander focuses on the relationship between the two as they recover from the death of the mother. Caro is a profficient, if not exciting director, and I've liked her output so far, so I'll keep an eye on this.