It doesn't need to be a movie

In the past I did this all the time. I wrote blog posts that were not strictly factual. They were more my views on book-related issues, or pieces that helped the reader see things from the author’s side. Though I won’t do it often (I assume you did not subscribe to my blog to be deluged with my every thought), here goes with something that seems to need saying:

Since the new book came out, I’ve already had at least two dozen people tell me it would make “a great movie.”

Now, this is not meant to suggest that any of them were wrong or bad, or should feel guilty for having said it. But let me just take a moment to unpack this idea from my side of the thing.

As you know, I’ve had a book adapted into a major motion picture. It's a harrowing process for an author.

And, now, let’s just lay down an opinion I think we can all agree on: the movie is never as good as the book. They make changes more or less at random. They do things I never would have done, and everyone who sees the movie thinks I wrote that. I feel especially strongly about books like this and Luis Velez, because they are sensitively written, and I don't trust that sensitivity to carry over into film.

I just think it's interesting that when people say “This would make a great movie!” they are picturing a great movie. I'm picturing it getting slaughtered.

But let’s take it beyond the idea of the quality of the adaptation. Why does it need to be a movie? It's already a book. What's wrong with a book? Why can't it be exactly what I wrote?

If I did get an offer to adapt it, I’m not suggesting I’d say an automatic “No.” I’d have to think long and hard about it and I’m not sure what I’d do. In the meantime I’m investing absolutely no time or energy in wishing for another movie. It was a very mixed blessing, to phrase it mildly.

This society values movies much more highly than books, and I think that’s too bad, but there’s nothing that can be done about it. But we’re all readers. I’m just happy it’s a book, and I hope you’ll join me in that.