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Sundance ’08! A Brief Reaction To THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
I like Chabon, but I don't think he writes books that are particularly well-suited to screenplay adaptation. I don't think he thinks in terms of movies. He's a novelist... and that's as it should be. He doesn't write his books thinking about the eventual Hollywood sale... or at least, that's not how his books feel to me.
Anyway... did this attempt to bring this early book of his to life work? Here's our first answer from Sundance:
Well, if you're looking for reviews... Caught the Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball) directed, Mysteries of Pittsburgh tonight. Hm.
Bland. Unfortunately bland. The cast is great - except for the lead (kind of a problem). It was introduced as a "coming of age" story and it deals with a young man's last summer before he commits to a boring/legit job that his "gangster" father has set up for him. It's based on a novel by pulitzer prize winning Michael Chabon and here's the thing: there was nothing in this movie that wasn't familiar. Here's the young naive kid who's drawn to danger in the form of a couple - sexy Sienna Miller and Peter Sarsgaard: her beauty, his recklessness/freedom. Pretty sure he's gonna learn a lesson. Pretty sure there's gonna be some violence, sex, love and loss before that lesson's learned. But it's all been done before - and better (Something Wild, for instance. Almost Famous. Or that other movie where the young guy is drawn to the bad-boy-self-destructive-mentor...).
Bottom line - though competently directed, the story was unengaging. Keep the faith in Thurber and most of the actors, but check this flick out only if you're hardcore for any of 'em.
If you use this call me - The Seeds.
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never heard of it
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Hardly a match made in heaven - I know where I'd place the blame. Curtis Hanson did a wonderful job with Wonder Boys so no point blaming the source material here - just its handling.
BTW - boasting about ignorance. Is that the norm? -
Dig ma bad self. That is all.
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Go Browns!
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The book is a great first effort by him. While it does have its problems as far as plot (the gangster elements seem shoehorned in), you can tell he was a great prose writer from the beginning. When are we gonna get Kavalier and Clay?
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What is he talking about? That could be a lot of movies.
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Kavalier and Clay could be an incredible film in the right hands. Would've been great in Coppola's hands 15-20 years ago. Not sure who I'd want to do it now.
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That is all.
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And Chabon rules! "You fight like Anne Rice".
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Wonder Boys the novel and the movie were both excellent, there's no reason Mysteries of Pittsburgh shouldn't/couldn't be either. And I actually thought, of Chabon's stuff, this novel would be the "easiest" to adapt (not to suggest there's anything easy about the process), Kavalier and Clay strikes me as damn near impossible.
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The problem with book adaptations is that what works on paper is usually the "voice" of the writer, even if the story isn't that new or interesting. But, sadly, that "voice" is the first thing out of the window when it's adapted to film. Chabon is truly an excellent writer, and that's why his books are so good. But distill the plot into a 110 page screenplay and it'll probably end up dull.
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"...I don't think he writes books that are particularly well-suited to screenplay adaptation..." - What? What about WONDER BOYS? A great film. A GREAT adaptation. Casting. Direction. Location. Pitch perfect.
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I agree with Back Asswards. How on earth are they going to get K & C on the screen? The Golem scene alone could be a whole movie (and I suspect the Golem is completely abandoned in the finished script). Most problematic is probably the stuff that takes place in Antarctica, which for my money is the best stuff in the book. Except... nothing happens. It's all tension and release and internal dialogue.
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to pull off. The fact that the movie takes place over such a long period of time is tricky in film. The book doesn't have the basic three acts that a film often requires. I read somewhere that they were thinking of including the Antarctica scenes in comic book form, which sounded pretty cool.
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Wonder Boys ruled. It gets harder and harder to imagine a Kavalier and Clay movie. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it gets harder and harder to imagine. Chabon is a great novelist. I just got "The Gentlemen of the Road" for Christmas, which looks pretty cool. I've heard great things about the Yiddish Policeman's Union, too.
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Saw the morning show of Pittsburg today, and my reaction was completely different from the above. Great performances (especially by Saarsgard and Nolte) and a very polished production. I think the screenplay was significantly different from the book (which the director mentioned in the Q&A afterward), but the main details and overall tone were preserved. Some minor flaws, but despite these my friend and I were both greatly moved by the story- and I feel the audience responded enthusiastically in general. Definitely a great nostalgia piece and coming of age story. I'm really looking forward to seeing this one again when it goes to wide release. Would also like to hear what Quint and Rav have to say about it as well.
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All you need to know about Da' Burgh is that the city is the home of Primanti Bros sandwiches and they fucking kick all kinds of ass. http://www.primantibros.com
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after she mouthed off about Pittsburgh?
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before this?
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would probably end up focusing on the history of comic books told through the two boys experiences. A lot of the other cool stuff would be shortened or completely dropped. Not that it couldn't be a great movie, but there is no way you can adapt that book straight to the screen.
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It seems the positive reviews the film is getting always seems to be from those who haven't read the book and use Thurber's defense-Chabon approved the changes. As for Kavalier and Clay, considering who is supposed to be involved-Stephen Daldry and Tobey Maguire-let it sit on the shelf until Chabon comes to his senses and lets more talented people get involved.
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