From books to movies

In recent years, we have had a slew of novels being adapted into the big screen. And with good results — some were blockbusters, others critical success, and a lot of excitement because we saw our literary heroes and heroines coming to life. Who would forget the delicious pairing of Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in the film version of Ian McEwan’s Atonement?

These days, the literary world is abuzz with Stephenie Meyer’s The Twilight Saga which will hit the theaters soon, with some disgruntled fans complaining that the actor chosen to play Edward isn’t handsome enough.

In the recent Academy Awards, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen snagged most of the Oscar trophies including Best Picture not only for their bravura camera work but also because of their excellent screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel No Country for Old Men.

The 70-year-old McCarthy himself is no stranger to accolades having won a Faulkner Prize for his first novel (The Orchard Keeper) and a Pulitzer for The Road which is now being filmed with Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron in the lead roles. His 1985 novel Blood Meridian will be seen on the big screen in 2009 adapted by Oscar winner William Monahan (The Departed) and director Ridley Scott.

Other excellent films adapted from books include 2008 Oscar Best Foreign Film The Counterfeiters based on the The Devil’s Workshop by Adolf Burger; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly from French Elle editor Dominique Bauby’s harrowing memoir; and The Dark Knight inspired by the legacy of Bob Kane’s comic book character Batman.

John Grogan’s novel Marley and Me is set to delight audiences in December with Hollywood golden girl Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson as the proud — and sometimes embarrassed — owners of Marley the neurotic dog; while Richard Gere and Diane Lane will heat up the screen as they play romance novelist Nicholas Sparks’ lovers in Nights In Rodanthe with outstanding support by James Franco (otherwise known as Harry Osborn in the Spiderman movies).

Is it possible to change the past or the future? The Time Traveler’s Wife is premised on that difficult question. Based on Audfrey Niffenegger’s bestseller about a Chicago librarian (Eric Bana) who possesses a gene that causes him to time-travel, the screen adaptation promises to be a three-hankie movie. Meantime, the much-awaited film version of the self-help book He’s Just Not That Into You is poised to become the date-movie of next year with a host of popular Hollywood actors including Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Aniston.

Young readers and moviegoers are not to be left out. Awesome offerings for teen girls include the TV adaptation of Zoey Dean’s How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls retitled The Privileged; Nim’s Island from Wendy Orr’s book with Abigail Breslin and Jodie Foster teaming up as mother and daughter; the much-awaited Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 based on Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer on the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares.

Just recently movie versions of books for young readers hogged the box office, including The Spider Chronicles written by novelists Rony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince of Caspian, a C.S. Lewis classic; and The Golden Compass from Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials, Book 1.

Now who isn’t eagerly waiting Harry Potter Books 6 and 7’s film adaptations next year?

With movies’ universal appeal, film adaptations of literary favorites are guaranteed to make our popcorn nights more pleasurable.

Check out the TV-movie tie-in books at the 29th Manila International Book Fair from Sept. 12 to 15 at the SMX Convention Center.

CRIBS Foundation, Inc. teams up with the museum sector and the Fernando Amorsolo Art Foundation in launching a project highlighting the works of the country’s very first National Artist as the crux of a values formation and art education programme. His Art, Our Heart — The Amorsolo Retrospective features a joint exhibition of the artist’s works at the National Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Ayala Museum, Lopez Museum, GSIS Museum, Yuchengco Museum, and the Jorge B. Vargas Filipiniana Resource Center beginning next month until the early part of 2009.

Kicking off the multi-pronged agenda is a benefit musicale on Sept. 19 at the Rizal Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La Hotel featuring the country’s top performers Kuh Ledesma, The CompanY, Grace Nono, Joey Ayala, Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña, Mon David, dance-scholars from the Angono Regional Pilot School for the Arts and Cris Villonco. Alex Cortez directs from the script of Agnes Caballa, under the technical supervision of Ding Fernandez, with set design by Mio Infante and lights design by Joey Nombres. Bobby Gomez, band leader of the three-time Aliw Award-winning group First Born Child, heads a top-rate instrumental ensemble which also features the string quartet from Peace Philharmonic Philippines of Cebu.

For details, call or text 0906-3099595, fax 817-7216 or log on to www.amorsoloretro.com