Comments on: Revisiting an old friend http://www.winterspringsummer.com/blog/2007/04/02/revisiting-an-old-friend/ the home of all things Autumn Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:50:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: autumn http://www.winterspringsummer.com/blog/2007/04/02/revisiting-an-old-friend/comment-page-1/#comment-320 autumn Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:19:00 +0000 http://www.winterspringsummer.com/blog/2007/04/02/revisiting-an-old-friend/#comment-320 i have. and i thought it was terrible. probably because, as with most book to move conversions, it couldn't come close to the breadth, depth, and complexity of the book. and my biggest complaint with it was that, because its so difficult to actually age the small, strange-voiced (Owen/Simon), they just didn't do it. Simon's heroics happen when he's a child, before the story is really able to build up its full power. John Irving actually disowned this adaptation, going so far as to request that all of the characters' names be changed for the film version. I think the only adaptation that got his full stamp of approval was cider house rules, and that's because he wrote (and won an oscar for) the screenplay. i wasn't thrilled with it... but it was far far better than Simon Birch. I think my favorite Irving adaptation was The Door in the Floor, which was an adaption of the beginning (first 200 pages, max) of A Widow for One Year. To me, that's the only way to go with an Irving novel... they're just too big and broad to really do justice with a beginning to end adaptation. i have. and i thought it was terrible. probably because, as with most book to move conversions, it couldn’t come close to the breadth, depth, and complexity of the book. and my biggest complaint with it was that, because its so difficult to actually age the small, strange-voiced (Owen/Simon), they just didn’t do it. Simon’s heroics happen when he’s a child, before the story is really able to build up its full power.

John Irving actually disowned this adaptation, going so far as to request that all of the characters’ names be changed for the film version. I think the only adaptation that got his full stamp of approval was cider house rules, and that’s because he wrote (and won an oscar for) the screenplay. i wasn’t thrilled with it… but it was far far better than Simon Birch. I think my favorite Irving adaptation was The Door in the Floor, which was an adaption of the beginning (first 200 pages, max) of A Widow for One Year. To me, that’s the only way to go with an Irving novel… they’re just too big and broad to really do justice with a beginning to end adaptation.

]]> By: renee http://www.winterspringsummer.com/blog/2007/04/02/revisiting-an-old-friend/comment-page-1/#comment-319 renee Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:08:11 +0000 http://www.winterspringsummer.com/blog/2007/04/02/revisiting-an-old-friend/#comment-319 The movie Simon Birch is based off this book. Have you seen it? The movie Simon Birch is based off this book. Have you seen it?

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