Only Colin Firth Can Be Mr. Darcy
When I’m reading a book, I get a very distinct picture of the characters in my mind. Sometimes a certain actor or actress will seem like the perfect fit. Often, the images are just a blend of traits (hair, build, voice, etc.)
I’m trying something different with the book I’m currently writing; a technique an author recommended. I’ve selected photos of actors who resemble my book’s characters (or how I see them in my mind’s eye). I keep these photos next to my computer so that I can visualize Arlie and her best friend, Mo; Arlie’s love interest, Cody; and Arlie’s Uncle Frank.
This book is YA contemporary. Working title: Sensing You. More details later as the story progresses. For now, I’ll leave you with these pics of my main characters.
- Arlie (actress Hanna Mangan Lawrence)
- Mo/Maureen (actress Chloe Moritz)
- Cody (actor Cord Overstreet)
- Frank (a cross between actor Zac Galifianakis and a family friend, Frank Baxter)
Have you been pleasantly surprised or horrified by a book to film translation? Do share!
Horrified on every level with “Water for Elephants.” Not only did they leave a major character out of the movie, the actors chosen we so far removed from what I’d envisioned, I found it unwatchable. Great book, very marginal movie.
I tried to watch “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” I really did. I couldn’t make it past 15 minutes — it’s one of my favorite books and seeing it in movie form is just all sorts of wrong.
Having read some of your pages, I LOVE your casting choices!
Not so much? Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Sorry, but I just saw this as another one of Ted’s Excellent Adventures… with fangs.
I think they did okay with The Hunger Games, although the book was far more gripping. I thought the casting in The girl with the dragon tattoo was spot on.
The worst book-to-film I’ve seen lately was Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money. Especially the casting of Debbie Reynolds. What a mistake!
I like your blog; I’m adding it to my blogroll.
Pleasantly surprised by “The Secret Life of Bees”. I LOVE LOVE LOVED the book! I couldn’t say enough good things about it. I even got my 28 year old daughter to read it and love it!! Then I saw the movie, thinking that it would not be as good as the book. (The movies usually aren’t.) But I was pleasantly surprised that it was a good version of the book… They seemed to follow the story line well, and the characters did (mostly) what I had visualized in my mind’s eye.
In my opinion, a book does just that for me. It enables me to come up with my own concept of what the house – person – office – landscape – anything, can look like. And when it’s put on the screen, it narrows my imagination to what the screenwriter/producer/director has visualized. Sometimes good, sometimes not. But “The Secret Life of Bees” was one that was mostly good.