The news about the riots in Baltimore are hard to ignore.
But there is hope for us.
While her name is not known, her face is everywhere.
This mother, knowing that her son was taking part in the riots, stopped him before he could get in trouble. She was unaware that the cameras were rolling. Her only concern was her son’s safety.
I nominate this woman for mother of the year. Maybe our country would be in a better place if every child had a mother like her.
Adapting a film based on a novel is like walking a tight rope. The screenwriter or screenwriters and the production staff must be true to the novel and it’s fan base, but the movie must also be appealing to audiences, regardless of whether they have read the book.
In some cases, the movie succeeds. In other cases, the movie is a failure and readers, especially traditionally minded readers are reminded why the book was and still is the better medium.
In 1995, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter was adapted for the big screen.
In 17th century Massachusetts, the Puritan lifestyle is law, spoken and unspoken.
A newcomer, Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) arrives in the colony. She believes her husband Roger (Robert Duvall) has died at the hands of the local Indian tribe. Relishing her independence, she starts a secret love affair with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (Gary Oldman). The result of the affair is a child. Refusing to the publicly name her child’s father, Hester is forced to wear an a scarlet A (for adulteress) on her outer clothing. Then her husband reappears and starts to stir up trouble.
Were the critics wrong? In this case, no. The screenwriting and production team tried very hard to walk the fine line of being faithful to the book while attempting to fill in the seats at the cinema. But try as they might, the film is not very good. The other issue with this film is casting. At the end of the day, Demi Moore was not only wrong for Hester, but her accent was questionable. Robert Duvall did not give me the chills that a villain of his sort would normally give. The film’s only saving grace, cast wise is Gary Oldman.
Do I recommend this movie? No.
Writergurlny 