MovieChat Forums > American Pastoral (2016) Discussion > How do you screw up such a great book?

How do you screw up such a great book?

posted 8 years ago by HarveyManfredSinJohn
4 replies | jump to latest

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This angers me.

I love this book but the word from TIFF is that the adaptation isn't good.

Why let a first-time director anywhere near this project? If should have gone to Scorsese or Ang Lee, or someone else with a pedigree.

Plus, apart from Peter Reigart as Lou Levov and maybe Straithern as Nathan Zuckerman, the casting is all wrong. The Swede is meant to be Jewish, albeit a slightly WASPy looking Jew, so why cast an actual gentile? Plenty of WASPy-looking Jewish actors exist. And Dawn is meant to be the gentile, and yet a Jewish actress has been cast in her part, whilst a gentile actress has been cast as he'd half-Jewish daughter.

Some people will argue that I'm too hang-up on the racial identities of the actors/characters, but I'd counter by arguing that they clearly haven't read the book or understood the significance Jewish and gentile identity play in the narrative.

[–] ms moss 8 years ago

I'm sorry, I have to disagree. I just started reading the book today and it's one of the most boring books I've ever read. I find myself skimming pages just to find some interesting dialogue. I'm thinking the movie has to be better.

It's a shame because I like the premise of the story. I'm just not fond of how it was written.

[–] etsis 8 years ago

I don't understand why a Scotsman is directing and starring in this quintessentially American story.

[–] stoobaker-14941 8 years ago

You probably didn't understand Braveheart either then.

[–] sdfan3 8 years ago

Haven't read the book, but read up on it after watching this. I was surprised to read that it won a pulitzer and that it's on TIME's 100 greatest novels. The movie DID NOT do it justice. After reading about the book, I was dissapointed that many things were omitted, particularly about the main character, the Swede. In the film he is practically a saint. Incredibly likeable, and you feel terrible for him because all these terrible things are happening to him, yet he is portrayed as being the most moral, upstanding, loving, ethical, fair, loyal, hardworking, kind, etc etc etc man you could imagine. In the book, it appears he is more flawed, which I imagine makes for a more interesting and compelling story, along with amore compelling overall message and gives one more food for thought.

While I didn't, dislike the movie, per se, it is NOT well done. It is very disjointed and ultimately leaves you wondering that the point of the entire thing is. What is the message? WHY was it made? For what purpose? What are we, the audience, supposed to take from it, or think about, or consider. Themes are introduced but them completely forgotten. It becomes more of a "who-dunit?" thriller after the daughter disappears. The scenes with Rita Cohen are truly bizarre and add nothing to the character development or overarching themes that may have been there. I like Mcgreggor immensely as an actor, but as a director..... this was a mistake. The acting, also, particularly in the first half of the movie is stilted, theatrical, odd and not natural - which suprised me, coming from such an A-list cast.