Book to Movie: This Is Where I Leave You

The movie This Is Where I Leave You opens today in theaters nationwide with a powerhouse cast that includes Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Jason Bateman and Adam Driver. I had the opportunity to see a screening earlier this week and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. In fact, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie because I have been evangelizing this book since I read it a number of years ago (I have recommended it to so many since then) and I was a little hesitant about the movie since they often disappoint as compared to the book. I knew, however, that the author, Jonathan Tropper, has been very involved in the movie and had even written the screenplay - that, coupled with the cast, convinced me to give it a try. And I was not disappointed in the least.

 This Is Where I Leave You tells the story of the Altman family and the movie opens with the death of the patriarch, Mort Altman. Recently widowed and mother to the clan, Hilary Altman, played by Jane Fonda, informs the family that their father's dying wish was to have the entire family sit shiva for him. This places the adult Altman children in their childhood home receiving family and friends offering their condolences for seven days. It is clear there is a lot of love in the family but there is also tension which is exacerbated by their grief and being forced into close proximity day after day. As the week progresses, each sibling has personal revelations and secrets are exposed.

 I had the chance, with some other bloggers, to speak with Jonathan Tropper about the movie and the book to move transformation. I was especially interested in his thoughts as the author and screenwriter on the differences between the two media and the impact on his story.

  What do you think TV and movies can do better than books in telling a story? What can books do better than something on screen?

A movie has the benefit of being able to transport for an hour and a half, two hours with no interruptions and give you the whole story and take you on the entire journey in a kind of encapsulated way.  And you just sit back and watch it all unfold...the book kind of lingers.  But you have to kind of refocus.  So, that's also the plus of the book is that you can live with the characters in the book over a period of weeks, whereas you know a movie you're done in two hours . . .I think you know the rest is kind of obvious.  The movies can give you score, and the movies can give you mood, and the movies can give you sort of wonderfully comedic actors who can make you laugh in a way that the narrative can't.

And on the other hand, the book can take you much deeper into their minds and their emotional states and really make you understand them in a way that in a movie sometimes you really have to do that math yourself.

One thing I definitely noticed in the movie is the score/soundtrack - it enhanced my enjoyment of the story and the nostalgic selection of 80's and 90's tunes was perfect for a group of siblings returning to their childhood home. It certainly added to the ability of the movie to transport.

I noticed while watching the movie that I felt more empathetic to Judd (played by Jason Bateman) than I did while reading the book. I was interested to hear Jonathan Tropper's thoughts on my different reactions to the character in the movie versus the book:

There's two things there that you're reacting to.  The first is I think just that you know Jason Bateman happens to be a very charming guy.  He’s extremely likable.  And he brings that into whatever he does.

But beyond that, in the book I could allow the character to be slightly more reprehensible and slightly less sympathetic because you can kind of do that in literature and still redeem the character because I'm giving you the inner workings of his mind.

So, I'm sort of bringing you to a place where you understand.  And even if you find some of his behavior a little outrageous, in the movie because I can't make you privy to the inner workings of his mind and his thought process, I have to work with him a little harder to make sure I'm not making him you know too much of an asshole.

And so, there is some balance in that, where there are certain things he did in the book that I wouldn't have him do in the movie because I wouldn't be able to explain to you why he's doing it.

Screenplay writer and author, Jonathan Tropper (on set with book in hand)

Finally, I observed that the movie is so close to the book - which as a lover of the book, I appreciated. Tropper, as the screenwriter, was able to ensure the story stayed close to the one he wrote in the book but he also gave credit to the director (Shawn Levy) saying "he [Shawn Levy] was just such a fan of the book that we were actually in this strangely reverse position where the director was actually pushing me to be truer to my own source material than I was being".

This book is a wonderful book to movie transformation and I enjoyed hearing Tropper's thoughts on the differences between the media and how he brought the characters to life in the movie versus in the book.

If you are looking for a comedy, with just the right touch of sentimentality (I cried twice during the movie), see This Is Where I Leave You - - it opens today (Sep 19th) at theaters nationwide.  

Weekend Cooking: Peach Pie ala Joyce Maynard and Labor Day

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to see the movie Labor Day which is based on Joyce Maynard's book of the same title. The movie, starring Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet, features a scene where their characters make a peach pie - the peaches look luscious and juicy on a hot summer day and there is a sensuality between the two characters as they make the pie from scratch. While sitting in the theatre, I was transfixed by the scene and was hungry for pie when I left!

Credit

 After doing a little research, I learned I was was not the only one affected by the scene - people are comparing it to the pottery wheel scene from the movie Ghost.. In this article, the author Joyce Maynard talks about the importance of the scene and how she even went on set and taught Josh Brolin to make the peach pie. The hard work paid off - the scene was definitely memorable!

From Epicurious, here is Joyce's peach pie recipe (they also have an article on the "sexy" peach pie scene with photos from the shoot).  I can't wait until the summer when Farmer's Markets have fresh peaches so I can whip this up!

Credit

Ingredients:
3 pounds peaches
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
2 tablespoons Minute tapioca (plus 2 additional tablespoons to stir into peaches)
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Stir in 2 tbsp Minute Tapioca to help absorb juices. Let stand, stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, work in the shortening and 1 stick of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ice water over the flour mixture, stirring gently with a fork. Continue adding the water just until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a ball and divide it into two discs, one slightly larger than the other.

3. Place the smaller disc on a sheet of waxed paper, and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, dust it lightly with more flour. Lay a 9- to 10-inch pie pan face down on top of the circle; flip the pan over and remove the paper. For the crust, on a sheet of waxed paper, roll out the other disc to form a 14-inch circle. Do not roll the dough more than necessary.

4. Sprinkle the tapioca on the bottom crust. Add the filling, mounding it in the center, and dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Lift the waxed paper with the remaining crust and flip it over the filling. Peel back waxed paper. Trim the edges of the crusts and pinch together the top and bottom crusts. Optional: Roll out the trimmings and cut into decorative shapes. Brush the pie with the egg, and arrange the shapes on the crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Poke fork holes or cut vents in the top crust. Put pie plate on cookie sheet to catch drips. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2014/01/worlds-sexiest-pie-labor-day-kate-winslet-josh-brolin.html#ixzz2sgmYG32a

Giveaway: Admission Prize Pack

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz has been made into a movie starring Paul Rudd and Tina Fey - it arrives in theaters on March 22nd.  The trailer looks very funny:

SYNOPSIS

Tina Fey (Date Night, 30 Rock) and Paul Rudd (I Love You Man, Knocked Up) star in Admission, the new film directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Weitz (About a Boy), about the surprising detours we encounter on the road to happiness. Straight-laced Princeton University admissions officer Portia Nathan (Fey) is caught off-guard when she makes a recruiting visit to an alternative high school overseen by her former college classmate, the free-wheeling John Pressman (Rudd). Pressman has surmised that Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), his gifted yet very unconventional student, might well be the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption many years ago. Soon, Portia finds herself bending the rules for Jeremiah, putting at risk the life she thought she always wanted -- but in the process finding her way to a surprising and exhilarating life and romance she never dreamed of having.

To celebrate the movie opening, I have a Admission Prize Pack to offer as a giveaway.  The Prize Pack includes:

·        Movie Tie-In Book

·         Notepad

·         Pen

·         Drawstring Bag

·         Toothbrush

·         Folder

·         Bossypants by Tina Fey (I reviewed this last year - it is great!)

Rules

To enter, leave comment below about your favorite book to movie project. Please also leave a way to reach you.  The giveaway closes on March 21st.  Good Luck!

Prize provided by Focus Features and giveaway open in the US only.

Virtual Advent: Would You Like It Gift Wrapped?

Kaliana from The Written World and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader host The Virtual Advent Tour every year where participants post about the holidays - a favorite tradition, memory, food, whatever on their assigned day. Last year, I participated for the first time and blogged about my Christmas ornament collection. 

This year I am sharing a scene from a favorite Christmas movie - Love Actually. I first saw the movie in 2003 in a theatre in England - I spent Christmas with family there that year. For a lot of reasons, that Christmas was very special and I think the movie benefits from the halo effect of those memories. I just loved the connected stories, the music and the star-studded cast. There are many great scenes in the movie but perhaps my favorite is played by Rowan Atkinson - better known as "Mr. Bean". As a customer anxiously awaits his present which he is stealthily purchasing while his wife is in another department of the store, the shop clerk (Rowan Atkinson) painstakingly wraps the present unfazed by the urgency of his customer. It is a perfectly executed scene.

 I watch Love, Actually every year and remember that wonderful Christmas in England. I hope you enjoy the "Would You Like It Gift Wrapped?" scene! Check out the other Virtual Advent posts today:

Teri @ Henningsen Happenings
Cam @ epiBloguer
Jane @ Life @ Number 8