There is something magical about seeing the characters of a novel you have just read come to life on a movie screen. The possibility – or probability – always exists that the movie will not quite measure up to the book, but yet I get a feeling of satisfaction from being able to see the characters living their story. I have had the fortune that many of the books I have read in the recent past have made it to film, or were already on film before I read them. However, three stand out that I would love to see made into movies.
1. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards: This would be a drama in line with “My Sister’s Keeper” – very personal, poignant, and evocative. The novel tells the story of a young woman, Nora, who believes that one of her newborn twins has died in childbirth. In fact, her husband has secretly sent the baby, born with Down syndrome, away. Nora spends her life with a gaping hole in her heart where her daughter once was, without knowing she is being raised elsewhere in the world. Viewers would walk away from the film with a brand new topic of conversation for ethics and a haunting mixture of love, shame, and sadness in your heart for the characters. An actress capable of portraying deep, brooding emotions, such as Angelina Jolie, should take on the role of Nora.
2. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: This autobiographical story of self-discovery would be an effective feel-good film, probably falling under the “chick flick” category. The main character, Liz (the author), embarks on a journey to seek answers about herself and the world in Italy, Indonesia, and Italy.With the amount of travel, humor, and romance provided by this story, along with the author’s quirky and lighthearted story-telling style, viewers would get drawn in and leave with a whole new outlook on life. Happily, after having written this paragraph, I discovered this movie is post-production and slated to come to theaters in August of 2010 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/). I would have chosen Kate Hudson to portray Liz, but the casting director arguably one-upped me by placing Julia Roberts in the starring role.
3. The Shack by William P. Young: A stirring and impactful novel, “The Shack” could be a movie that reshaped the public’s view of Christianity from a religion of strict moral codes and stifling teachings to one of mind-blowing love. The main character, Mack, having experienced great personal loss and tragedy, receives a note from God, inviting him to visit the very place where his young daughter was found murdered. When he gets there, he is introduced to an unlikely trio that represents the Holy Trinity, and they introduce him to an understanding of his Christian faith, loss, healing, and love, he would never have expected. While many have read the book, I am sure even more would see the movie, and I would be thrilled to get its message out there to as many people as possible! Mack would be a tough character to portray, but I am sure the likes of Clive Owen could manage it well.
What books would you like to see made into movies?
