Pages

Thursday, October 11, 2007

NEWS: An insiders guide to film adaptations | BostonNOW

Authors on the movies of their work

Jean Bentley, BostonNOW Correspondent

To read the book or see the movie, that is the question.

The genre of the film adaptation provides a unique quandary for viewers. Read the book first and spend the whole movie thinking about what was cut and changed. See the movie first and kiss your imagination goodbye, since you'll only be able to see what the filmmakers have already created.And what of the authors whose work gets adapted? Some are integral in the book-to-screenplay process. Others have no say in how their work is interpreted on screen.

On Thursday, Oct. 11 at the Coolidge Corner Theater, the nonprofit writing center Grub Street will present 'Adaptations II: Novels into Films,' a panel of authors whose works have been turned into movies.

'The authors will spend some time talking about the ways in which novels have been adapted into films, what artistic choices have been made, and what role the author plays in that process,' said Grub Street Program Coordinator Sonya Larson.

Grub Street held a similar (sold out) event in 2004, and Larson said a highlight was an interactive book/movie comparison. 'The authors will read a scene,' Larson said, 'then they'll watch the corresponding scene in the movie and talk about what changed."

Thursday's event will feature Russell Banks (The Sweet Hereafter), Arthur Golden (Memoirs of a Geisha), Scott Heim (Mysterious Skin), and Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic), and will be hosted by Steve McCauley (The Object of My Affection).

Adaptations II: Novels into Films at the Coolidge Corner theatre on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Presented by Grub Street. Tickets ($15 non members, $12 members). 617-734-2501.

Published on October 11, 2007

No comments:

Post a Comment