Book Vs Movie: Little Women
The Louisa May Alcott Classic Novel Vs. the 1994 Winona Ryder-Starring Film
The Margos take a trip back to mid-19th century America with the Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 & 1869 and became a smash hit. To describe the life story of Alcott as fascinating does not do it justice. Hers was a life filled with riches and poverty, with humiliation and joy, with love and hate, with incredible access to the best writers in the world and the worst images of the Civil War and the damage it did to humanity.
Alcott’s father, Amos Bronson Alcott, was a transcendentalist and educator who belonged with the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in the Concord area of Massachusettes. She was raised to be an abolitionist and feminist and was raised to be independent. In her peripatetic life, she moved over 20 times in 30 years before becoming a successful writer and the highest-earning author in her generation.
Little Women is loosely based on her own family story of the protagonist, Jo, being a substitute to Alcott. In the novel we have Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March who are being raised by their mother “Marmee” and their father is serving as a chaplain during the civil war. The sisters are poor but smart and kind. They all have special talents and want to live life to the fullest.
Jo is the most modern with a lack of concern for marriage and society’s expectation of women. She is spunky and whip-smart. A hero to generations of girls, she had been played by Saoirse Ronan, Katharine Hepburn, Maya Hawke, and in the 1994 Gillian Armstrong-directed film Winona Ryder.
Released on Christmas Day 1994, it became an instant classic.
In this episode, the Margos talk about Alcott’s life, the original novels, and how they differ from the 1994 adaptation. So which did they like better? Have a listen and find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The incredible life of Louisa May Alcott
- The success of Little Women and how it changed publishing
- Key differences in the most popular adaptations
- The cast: Winona Ryder (Jo March,) Trini Alvarado (Meg March,) Samantha Mathis (Older Amy March,) Kirsten Dunst (Younger Amy March,) Claire Danes (Beth March,) Christian Bale (Laurie,) Eric Stoltz (John Brooke,) Gabriel Byrne (Friedrich Bhaer,) Susan Sarandon, (Marmee,) and Mary Wickes (Aunt March.)
Clips used:
- Little Women trailer
- Jo declines Laurie's proposal
- Amy declines Laurie's sorta proposal
- Beth gets a piano for Christmas
- Music by Thomas Newman
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie: His Girl Friday
The 1928 Play (The Front Page) Vs the 1940 Howard Hawks Film
Writers Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur changed Broadway (and later Hollywood) forever when they created The Front Page, a comedy about irascible, mean reporters in Chicago who are waiting for the hanging of Earl Williams--a communist who killed an African American policeman which makes him a pariah in Cook County.
The reporters who hang around the jail to write about his fate couldn’t care less about justice--they just want a story. Our lead, Hildy Johnson, is ready to leave the newspaper business for good and marry a New York City gal. He claims to be eager for more money and respectability--but his cohorts in reporting know better.
As does his boss, Walter Burns, he schemes to keep him on duty and in Chicago. (Even “kidnapping” Hildy’s mother in law!)
Earl Williams escapes jail and manages to find Hildy alone in the press room. Realizing that Williams is innocent of the charges, Hildy hides him in the company desk and comedy ensues.
The “rat-a-tat” style dialog was a revelation at the time which may explain why it had been adapted several times for film, TV, radio, and on Broadway several times.
The 1940 adaptation from Howard Hawks is titled His Girl Friday switches genders for Hildy with Rosalind Russell playing the part against Cary Grant as Walter Burns. The script was credited to Charles Lederer but Ben Hecht most certainly had a hand in the dialog. (He would later be credited as one of the most successful screenwriters in history with Scarface, Spellbound, and Wuthering Heights in his official credits.)
The Margos talk about the original play and the most successful movie adaptation and decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- How The Front Page changed Broadway
- Ben Hecht and Herman Mankowitz in Hollywood
- The biggest changes between the original text and the 1940 script
- The many problematic themes of the original material
- The cast: Cary Grant (Walter Burns,) Rosalind Russell (Hildy Johnson,) Ralph Bellamy (Bruce Baldwin,) and John Qualen (Earl Williams)
Clips used:
- His Girl Friday trailer
- Walter Burns, Hildy Johnson, and Bruce Baldwin have lunch
- Hildy returns to quit
- Walter convinces Hildy to stay
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie: Harold and Maude
The Colin Higgins Story & the Direction of Hal Ashby
The Margos want to sing out! Today’s special episode is based on the novelization of a screenplay by the talented Colin Higgins who manages to good luck his way into having his first attempt at a screenplay produced by Paramount in 1971. Before that, he was an American-Australian who traveled around the globe trying to figure out how to turn his passion for writing into a career. (He would go on to write & direct 9 to 5!)
Harold and Maude became the second film of legendary director Hal Ashby who won an Oscar for editing In The Heat of the Night in 1967 and was eager for the challenge of creating a movie about peace and love.
The film stars Bud Cort as Harold Chason, a young, lonely man obsessed with death and pranks his stiff, upper-crust mother (played by Vivian Pickles) by staging phony suicides. (This is a very dark comedy, by the way!)
One of his hobbies is attending funerals for strangers where he meets his soulmate--Maude Chardin. Maude is 79 years old and lives her life to the fullest. Together they discover the glories of planting trees, stealing cars, music, and fighting the good fight.
Academy Award-winning actress Ruth Gordon plays Maude and this ultimately uplifting film has been a cult favorite since its release in 1971 (though it was trashed by the critics at the time.)
We talk about the journey of Harold and Maude from the script stage to the inclusion of Cat Stevens’s music which makes the whole movie feel like a wonderful daydream.
We also want to give a special shout-out to the Hal documentary directed by Amy Scott and the book Hal Ashby and the Making of Harold and Maude by James A. Davidson which were essential to our research.
Listen to this episode to hear us talk about the book & movie and decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The intriguing lives of Colin Higgins and Hal Ashby
- Behind the scenes trivia about the filming of the movie in the Bay Area
- How the music of Cat Stevens is its own character in the story
- The controversial nature of the May December romance between the leads
- The cast: Bud Cort (Harold,) Ruth Gordon (Maude,) Vivian Pickles (Mrs. Chasen,) Cyril Cusack (Glaucus,) Charles Tyner (Uncle Victor,) Eric Christmas (Priest,) George Wood (Psychiatrist,) Ellen Geer (Sunshine Dore,) Judy Engles (Candy,) Tom Skerritt (credited as “M. Borman”) as the cop.
Clips used:
- Maude encourages Harold to LIVE
- Maude steals a car
- Mrs. Chasen applies for computer dating for Harold
- Harold’s Date, Sunshine Dore, and her scene as Juliette
- Tom Skerrit as the police officer
- Music by Cat Stevens
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie: Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer
The 2006 Novel Vs the 2020 Millie Bobby Brown Movie
The Margos feel the love of mystery and the thrill of self-reliance with the lively Enola Holmes as our main character. The teenage younger sister of brothers Mycroft and Sherlock. Both are brilliant and confounded by their sister’s pluckiness and determination.
When we first meet Enola, we meet her mother Eudoria who wants her daughter to be independent and clever. When she goes missing, Enola travels to London to find out what happened to her.
There are quite a few BIG differences between the novel (Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquees. Author Nancy Springer wrote several books throughout her long career and has been nominated for the Edgar Award several times for her work.
The movie, directed by Harry Bradbear (Fleabag) and starring Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes (a brilliant casting decision!) also features Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter and, Louis Partridge. It’s a delightful production and we had so much fun delving into this world.
Listen to this episode to hear us talk about the book & movie and decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The life story of the author Nancy Springer
- The multiple “Sherlock Holmes” iterations over the years and the strange lawsuit against this film
- Why “breaking the fourth wall” is important to tell the story about our lead.
- The cast: Millie Bobbie Brown (Enola Holmes,) Henry Cavill (Sherlock Holmes,) Sam Claflin (Mycroft Holmes,) Helena Bonham Carter (Eudoria Holmes,) Louis Partridge (Tewkesbury,) and Fiona Shaw (Miss Harrison.)
Clips used:
- Enola Holmes trailer
- Enola escapes to find Tewkesbury
- Enola meets Tewkesbury on a train
- Sherlock Holmes being kind to Enola
- Music by Daniel Pemberton
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie: The Turn of the Screw/The Innocents
The 1898 Henry James Novella & the 1961 Classic Horror Film
The Margos decided to go back to being a little spooked as we were in October by tackling the Henry James classic The Turn of the Screw (neither one of us had read it before!) Originally published in 1898, the ghost story has been adapted several times.
The basic plot is an unnamed narrator is reading the experience of a governess who is tasked with looking after two small children whose parents have died. Their Uncle gives her the orders of looking after the boy & girl and not communicate with him as he is not interested in parenting.
The kids are named Miles and Flora. Miles was expelled from his school but no one wants to bother with having to bring up why. The governess starts to see ghosts in the house and is convinced Flora is being visited by the spirit of their former caretaker Miss Jessel.
Miss Jessel and a co-worker Peter Quint had a relationship and both of the kids loved them.
Flora is taken away and Miles is shielded from seeing the ghost of Quint by the governess.
The original script of The Innocents (directed by Jack Clayton) was written by William Archibald and treated the paranormal as real. Clayton’s friend Truman Capote (who used Archibald’s stage play as primary text) created a more psychological explanation for why the governess is convinced the house is haunted. (We LOVE the dialog in this film!)
Listen to this episode to hear us talk about the book & movie and decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The life and literary career of Henry James (and the influence of his family on his writing)
- The many ways the work has been interpreted over the years
- Truman Capote’s contribution to the screenplay
- The cast: Deborah Kerr (Miss Giddens,) Michael Redgrave (the Uncle,) Peter Wyngarde (Peter Quint,) Megs Jenkins (Mrs. Grose,) Martin Stephens (Miles,) Pamela Franklin (Flora,) Clytie Jessop (Miss Mary Jessel,) and Isla Cameron (Anna.)
Clips used:
- The Innocents trailer
- Miss Giddens starts to go mad
- Flora acts strangely
- Miles sees Quint (finally)
- “Oh Willow Waly” by Isla Cameron
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie: Elvis & Me
Priscilla Beaulieu Presley’s 1986 Autobiography & the 1988 TV Movie
What was considered “racy” in the 80s is viewed quite differently now (and for good reason!)
Are you lonesome tonight? Listen to this episode of Book Vs Movie with the Margos and feel like you are part of an 80s Book/TV Movie club! Elvis & Me is Priscilla Beaulieu Presley’s 1985 autobiography and wow, this caused quite a stir when it was first published.
Her extraordinary life story began at 14-years-old meeting the King Of Rock & Roll (Elvis Presley) in 1959 when he was stationed in Germany in the U.S. Army. He was 24 at the time and the person who introduced them, Currie Grant, was married and 27 at the time. (We have THOUGHTS about THAT guy!)
None of this would be okay in these times and we realize that this is going to be a very delicate situation to discuss. We want to honor Priscilla’s truth while acknowledging that this is not an ideal situation for anyone.
Elvis Presley was the biggest star in the world when they met. Priscilla spending her senior year in high school living at Graceland was tabloid fodder for years. So were the sexual dalliances of Elvis who had a thing for his co-stars Ann-Margret, Shelley Fabares, and Juliet Prowse. Also, he was long known to have a fascination for very young girls which may be the reason his manager Colonel Tom Parker told Elvis to marry Priscilla in 1967.
Priscilla goes through much of the gossip at the time and gives an unflinching look at the man who would be the father of her daughter--Lisa Marie. Drug use, infidelity, and the King shooting TV shows that featured Robert Goulet get their due. Plus., we learn about how she managed to bring Graceland back from the brink of financial ruin after Elvis’ death in 1977.
Listen to this episode to hear us talk about the book & TV movie and decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- Priscilla’s fascinating life (and how true is her autobiography)
- Why her version of their relationship is controversial
- The King’s peculiar life
- Our love for TV movies of the 80s
- The cast: Susan Walters (Priscilla,) Dale Midkiff (Elvis,) Linda Miller (Ann Beaulieu,) Jon Cypher (Priscilla’s stepfather,) Billy Green Bush (Elvis’s father,) Hugh Gillin (Colonel Tom Parker,) and Anne Haney (Elvis’s grandmother.)
Clips used:
- Elvis & Me trailer
- Priscilla meets Evlis
- Elvis meets her parents
- Singing in the film by Ronnie McDowell
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
The Silence of the Lambs
Thomas Harris’s 1988 Novel Vs the 1991 Classic Film
The Margos are closing out our Halloween episodes with one of the best films about a serial killer of all time--The Silence of the Lambs. The Thomas Harris book was released in 1988 and is a sequel to 1981’s Red Dragon (which is the basis for the 1986 movie Manhunter and the 2002 remake Red Dragon.)
There is also an origin story about Hannibal Lechter in 2007’s Hannibal Rising and a TV series called Hannibal (NBC TV 2013-2015) which uses many of the original Red Dragon characters but set in more modern times. Confused? Don’t worry, we stick to the Jonathan Demme-directed film for this episode.
The story features FBI trainee Clarice Starling (played by Jodie Foster in this film) who meets convicted killer Hannibal Lechter and with his guidance--finds the serial killer named “Buffalo Bill” before he is to kill Catherine Martin (Brooke Smith.) (Spoiler!)
Anthony Hopkins is (perhaps) the most celebrated version of Hannibal Lechter and the film not only made millions at the box office at a usually quiet time of year (released February 14, 1991) but there were multiple awards for the cast and crew from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs over a year after its release.
Listen to this episode to hear us talk about the novel & film while we decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The reclusive life of author Thomas Harris
- Major changes between the 1988 book and the 1991 film
- The controversies that still surround the film 30 years later (and how Jonathan Demme felt about the character of Jame Gumb)
- The incredible art direction of the prisons
- The cast: Jodie Foster (Clarice Starling,) Kasi Lemmons (Ardelia Mapp,) Scott Glenn (Jack Crawford,) Frankie Faison (Barney,) Anthony Hopkins (Dr. Hannibal Lechter,) Anthony Heald (Chilton,) Ted Levine (Jame Gumb,) and Chris Isaak (hunky FBI guy.)
Clips used:
- The Silence of the Lambs trailer
- Clarice meets Dr. Lechter
- Jame Gumb with Catherine
- Clarice visits Dr. Lechter at the courthouse/jail
- The last scene
- The Silence of the Lambs score by Howard Shore
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
Psycho
Norman Bates in book & movie forms are discussed here as the Margos talk about the Robert Bloch novel versus the Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece
The Margos are here Mother, and we are going to talk about Psycho whether she likes it or not!
The 1960 masterpiece by Alfred Hitchcock is considered one of the best horror films of all time and typecasted Anthony Perkins for decades as the nebbishy killer Norman Bates (though he eventually embraced his most recognizable role.)
The story of Norman and the fate of Marion Crane are a part of movie history but did you know it was a book first? Robert Bloch based his most fictional character on 50s Wisconsin killer Ed Gein (who will also be mentioned in our next episode…)
What else can we say? Listen to this episode to hear us talk about the novel & film while we decide which we like better.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- Author Robert Bloch and his history with pulp novels/magazines
- Changes between the novel and movie
- The incredible art direction and cinematography that makes the move a classic after 70 years
- The cast: Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates,) Janet Leigh (Marion Crane,) Vera Miles (Lila Crane,) John Gavin (Sam Loomis,) and Martin Balsam (Detective Arbogast.)
Clips used:
- Marion and Norman talk about “mother”
- News clip about Paramount promotion for Psycho
- Marion and Norman have dinner
- Lila finds “Mrs. Bates”
- Psycho final scene
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
The Stepford Wives
Ira Levin’s Terrifying 1972 Novel Vs The 1975 William Goldman’s Screenplay (Or is it?)
Also, the really bad take by Roger Ebert in 1975 (and the sequel!)
The Margos are heading back to the Burbs with our long 70s flowing hair and obsession with waxing kitchen floors in the Ira Levin classic novel The Stepford Wives that was turned into a film in 1975 and directed by Bryan Forbes. Stepford, Connecticut is the fictional setting where families move in and within four months--the wives turn into robots who love, sex, cooking, and cleaning
Joanna Eberhart leaves her beloved NYC for Stepford because her husband wants to experience life in such a surreally lovely setting. He also joins the local men’s group and stays every night. Joanna knows something is messed up but can’t figure out exactly what is going on to the women of Stepford--until its too late.
The 1975 adaptation did modestly well and had some bad reviews by top critics like Paulene Kael and Roger Ebert (he was a bit of a sexist, y’all!) The screenplay was adapted by past Book Vs Movie subject William Goldman (The Princess Bride) and directed by Bryan Forbes who chose his wife as one of the first Stepford wives we meet--which therefore changed the proposed costuming of miniskirts to modest dresses. Many people think is a mistake in the telling of the story. They are wrong and we discuss that in the podcast.
The film was nightmare fuel to so many kids who saw it on TV in the 70s and 80s and revisiting the book brought back was such a fun treat (we originally covered this in 2016.)
So which did we prefer between the book and the movie? Have a listen and find out.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The biography of author Ira Levin
- The main points of the story and the women’s rights movement of the 1960s & 1970s
- Changes between the 1972 novel and 1975 film
- Our theory as to why some top critics at the time (coughs, Roger Ebert, coughs) missed the whole point of the film
- The cast including Katharine Ross (Joanna Eberhart,) Paula Prentiss (Bobbie Markowe,) Peter Masterson (Walter Eberhart,) Nanette Newman (Carol Van Sant,) Tina Louise (Charmaine Wimpiris,) Patrick O’Neal (Dale “Diz” Coba,) Josef Sommer (Ted Van Sant,) Franklin Cover (Ed Wimpiris,) Carol Eve Rossen (Dr. Francher,) and Mary Stuart Masterson (Kim Eberhart)
Clips used
- The Stepford Wives have a “consciousness-raising” discussion
- “The Stepford Wives” trailer (1975)
- Bobbie meets Joanna
- Joanna finds out what really happens to the women
- Music: Michael Small
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
The Phantom of the Opera
The 1910 Novel Vs. the 1925 Lon Chaney Classic
The Margos had an excellent suggestion for this episode--The Phantom of the Opera which first appeared in a series featured in Le Gaulois in 1909 & 1910 by author Gaston Leroux. Inspired by events that happened at the Paris Opera in the mid-19th Century, including a secret underground lake that was used for firefighter training as well as a chandelier crash that was a source of mystery at the time.
The 1911 novel takes place at the Palais Garnier (which still exists) where a “phantom” is causing fear among the workers, singers, and dancers who are creating a production of Faust. Soprano Christine Daae is the lead as her main competition Carlotta is ill. Victome Raoul de Chagny recognizes Christine as his childhood friend/love of his life and visits her dressing room to rekindle their flame when he overhears her talking to another man. When he enters the room, the man is gone.
Christine claims she is being tutored by the “Angel of Music.” In the meantime, the new managers of the opera house get a letter demanding that Christine is a permanent lead and that box 5 will be left empty--or else he will put a curse on the place. The managers ignore this and a chandelier winds up crashing in the audience and killing a spectator.
The Phantom abducts Christine and tells her his name is Erik and that he is hopelessly in love with her. She sees he is wearing a mask covering part of his face. When she removes it --she sees why he has been hiding from people most of his life.
He wants to have her live with him indefinitely but she offers a deal--let her go for two weeks and she will wear his ring. Christine meets with Raoul who wants to take her away permanently. Christine wishes to run away with Raoul but Erik overhears their plans and kidnaps her again.
Raoul and “the Persian” are caught in the lake trying to rescue Christine and almost go mad in a mirrored room. After helping to free them, Christine promises Erik she will carry his ring and come back to visit him on his death day.
In the end, she runs a mention of him in the local paper with the note saying “Erik is dead.” We then learn from “The Persian” Erik’s life story and how he came to live under the Paris Opera House.
The 1925 adaptation stars Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin and is considered a classic in silent film horror. Chaney was known as “the man of a thousand faces” and he did his own makeup which excited and terrified audiences for decades to come.
The film is beautiful and a feat of ingenuity.
So which did we prefer between the book and the movie? Have a listen and find out.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The backstory of Gaston Leroux
- The main points of the story and how different it has been adapted over the last 100 years
- Changes in this particular adaptation
- The cast including Lon Chaney (The Phantom,) Mary Philbin (Christine Daae,) and Norman Kerry (Raoul.)
Clips used:
- “Phantom of the Opera” trailer (1925)
- Music: “Phantom of the Opera” trailer”
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck’s Classic Story Vs the 1992 Adaptation
The last week in September is “Banned Books Week” and the Margos want to celebrate by talking about one of the most controversial of John Steinbeck’s work-- 1937’s Of Mice and Men. Censors have attacked the story for its use of vulgarities (including racist language) and it is listed by the American Library Association’s list of “Most Controversial Books of the 20th Century.”
Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley area of California where he based many of his novels & short stories. Some of his best work includes Cannery Row, East of Eden & The Grapes of Wrath. He was known as a ‘giant among American letters” and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
Of Mice and Men is a story about migrant farmworkers during the Great Depression George Milton & Lennie Small. George is intelligent and thoughtful while Lennie is very large and has some type of mental disability. Different from most migrants, they stick together on their journey with George being the caretaker of his friend who has a habit of crushing small animals by accident and violent outbursts.
The men travel to Soledad, CA to work at the farm of Curley and his father. Curly is a short brutish man who hates Lennie on sight. Candy is an older worker who wants to join them in their scheme to one day own their own farm & land. The story has a tragic yet predictable ending that has haunted readers for over 80 years.
The 1992 adaptation was written by Horton Foote (who changes a few things from the original material) and is directed by & stars Gary Sinise. John Malkovich plays Lennie with Sherilyn Fenn playing the part of Curly’s lonely wife who is never given a name. The film made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
So which did we prefer between the book and the movie? Have a listen and find out.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The messy/intriguing life of John Steinbeck
- The history of migrant farmers in the 1930s
- Changes in this adaptation
- The “Looney Tunes” version of Lennie
- The cast including Gary Sinise (George,) John Malkovich (Lennie,) Sherilyn Fenn (Curly’s wife,) Ray Walston (Candy,) Casey Siezmaszko (Curly,) John Terry (Slim,) Joe Morton (Crooks,) Alexis Arquette (Whitt,) and Noble Winningham (The Boss.)
Clips Featured:
- Of Mice and Men trailer
- “George & Lennie at the beginning of the movie”
- “Curly’s wife & Lennie in the barn”
- “Lennie at the end”
- Music: by Mark Isham
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Muriel Spark Novel Vs the 1969 Maggie Smith Film
The Margos are celebrating September with a series of “Back to School” episodes starting with 1961 classic The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. Brodie is a popular teacher at a girls' school in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1931. Each year she picks a group of students to be an elite part of the “Brodie set”--under her tutelage learning mostly about the arts & beauty (and not science!)
Brodie is single and considers herself at her “prime” with two gentlemen vying for her affection. Mr. Lloyd who is a painter, father of six, and a bit of a letch. Mr. Lowther is a kind person but a bit wishy-washy. The competition for her attention and affection marks their relationships and is a game the girls enjoy watching.
Turns out Brodie is a Fascist which is her ultimate undoing. The complicated story about education and mentorship is an indictment on giving one person too much power over a young mind.
The 1969 movie was not a huge hit at the time but when Dame Maggie Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1970, it went back into the theaters and became a classic.
There are many changes between the book & the film. Which did the Margos like more?
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The interesting life story of Muriel Spark
- The central characters and how they differ in the adaptation
- The moral quandary of liking Maggie Smith and despising Brodie
- The cast including Maggie Smith (Brodie,) Robert Stephens (Teddy Llloyd,) Pamela Franklin (Sandy,) Gordon Jackson (Gordon Lowther,) Celia Johnson (Miss Mackay,) Diane Grayson (Jenny,) Jane Carr (Mary McGregor,) and Shirley Steedman (Monica.)
Clips Featured:
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie trailer
- Miss Brodie confronts Miss Mackay
- Sandy confront Miss Brodie
- Miss Brodie shows her vacation slides
- Music: “Jean” by Rod McKuen
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
A Room With a View
The E. M. Forster 1908 Novel Vs the 1985 “Merchant/ Ivory” Film
The Margos are closing out our “80s in August” with the James Ivory/Ismail Merchant film A Room With a View which is based on the 1908 novel by E.M. Forester. The book took a few years fro Forster to complete before his better-regarded works Howards End and A Passage to India but he felt it was “much nicer.”
The story centers on Lucy Honeychurch who comes from a strict English background and is traveling with her spinster cousin Charlotte Bartlett when she meets exciting George Emerson in Florence, Italy. They share a moment of romance but she must return home to her drab Edwardian life with its social structure.
This means marrying Cecil Vyse, even though he’s dull and she doesn’t love him. George comes snack into her life by staying at a rental cottage nearby and the romance heats up again. But will George & Lucy take a chance on love even though her family doesn’t consider him an equal?
The 1985 movie stars Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy, Maggie Smith as Charlotte, Julian Sands as George, and Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil. It made a fortune at the box office and won dozens of awards including an Academy Award for best-adapted screenplay.
This is one of those rare occasions that neither Margo has read the book or seen the film before recording this show. So between the two, which did we like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The biography of E.M. Forster
- What it was like to travel as an English person in early 20th Century Europe.
- Changes between book & movie
- The cast including Carter, Smith, Sands, Day-Lewis, Denholm Elliott (Mr. Emerson,) Rosemary Leach (Mrs. Honeychurch,) Rupert Graves (Freddy Honeychurch,) Judi Dench (Eleanor Lavish,) and Simon Callow (Reverend Beebe.)
Clips Featured:
- A Room With a View trailer
- George loves Lucy
- Emerson’s come to visit
- Mr. Emerson tries to help Lucy
- Music: A Room With a View soundtrack Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro”
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
Steel Magnolias
The 1987 Play Vs The 1989 Classic Film
The Margos are making sure Shelby drinks her juice and that Drum doesn’t shoot Oiuser in this special episode talking about a play to movie adaptation from the 80s. Based on a true story about his sister’s death at a young age after giving birth, Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias is the smart, funny tale of strong women who are underestimated by the men in their lives.
The play, which opened Off-Broadway in 1987, is notable for having one setting (Truvy’s beauty parlor in Northern Louisiana) and an all-female cast. The lines are so witty and sharp, audiences embraced it very quickly.
Soon Hollywood came calling, and now we have one of the ultimate “chick flicks” of all time which came out in 1989 and stars the soon-to-be-famous Julia Roberts as well as a huge cast of amazing actors. (This is truly an ensemble piece.)
This is one of the most quotable films of the last 30 years and we have a ball dissecting the differences between the play and film.
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The story of Robert Harling’s sister Susan Harling Robinson
- The main themes of both play and film
- Biggest changes between the original work and adaptation
- The cast including Roberts, Dolly Parton (Truvy,) Sally Filed (M’Lynn,) Shirley MacLaine (Ouiser,) Daryl Hannah (Annelle,) Olympia Dukakis (Clairee,) Tom Skerrit (Drum,) Sam Shepard (Spud,) Dylan McDermott (Jackson,) Kevin J. O’Connor (Sammy,) and Ann Wedgeworth (Aunt Fern.)
Clips Featured:
- Steel Magnolias trailer
- “30 minutes of wonderful vs. a lifetime of nothing special”
- “Hit Ouiser!”
- Music: Steel Magnolias soundtrack George Delerue
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
Top Gun
Yes, it was based on a magazine article so it counts!
In 1986, a movie entered the popular culture starring Tom Cruise--Top Gun. It was a massively successful hit and San Diegos’ Margo P. as a teenager saw it almost every week that summer which is a thing that teens used to do to pass the time.
Meanwhile, on the opposite coast, a teen Margo D. stubbornly decided she hates four things: Madonna, Bon Jovi, Tom Cruise, and sushi. None of those things would enter her life. (This is a dumb stand. I am Margo D. by the way.)
The movie is based on a 1983 article in California magazine by writer Ehud Yonay and is a deep dive into the Top Gun naval school based in San Diego. It’s a fun, quick read and it’s easy to think of mega producers Don Simpson & Jerry Bruckheimer knowing they would have a hit here.
Top Gun is an action-packed film filled with good looking men (that volleyball scene!) a ridiculous romantic subplot and truly impressive camera work. Cruise plays LT Pete “Maverick” Mitchell who is a king among the pilots (“Top Gun”) and he has a best friend named Goose (Anthony Edwards), a girlfriend Charlie Blackwood (Kelly McGillis,) and his real love interest “Lt Tom “Iceman” Kazansky played by Val Kilmer at his swaggering best.
Margo D. has finally seen the film and we have things to discuss here!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The story behind Ehud Yonay and Top Gun
- The 80s model for successful films
- The soundtrack that was everywhere
- Why the film was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2015
- The cast including Cruise, Edwards, McGillis, Kilmer, Tom Skerrit (Viper,) Michael Ironside (Jester,) John Stockwell (Cougar,) Barry Tubb (Wolfman,) Rick Rossovich (Slider,) Tim Robbins (Merlin,) Meg Ryan (Carole,) and Adrian Pasdar (Chipper.)
Clips Featured:
- Top Gun trailer
- “I was inverted”
- “A confidence problem”
- “You can be my wingman anytime!”
- Music: “Top Gun Theme” by Harold Faltermeyer
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
The African Queen
The C.S. Forester Novel Vs the John Houston Classic Film
We are feeling the heat and humidity of summer in the city so the Margos decided to have some fun and travel to Africa for early 20th Century adventure with The African Queen by C.S. Forester. The book was published in 1935 and Forester was an expert on nautical tales with his Horatio Hornblower novels.
The African Queen is the story of missionary Rose “Rosie” Sayer, who has lived and worked in Africa for several years with her brother Samuel who dies suddenly after Germans take over their village. Rose pairs with British explorer Charles “Charlie” Allnutt on his janky ship “The African Queen” down the Ulanga River. She schemes to have explosives on the boat turn into torpedoes to attack the Germans on their boat, “Konigin Luise.”
Rose and Charlie fall in love as they find their way into the enemies and then the British consul. What becomes of them? Forester wants us to come to our own conclusions.
The 1952 movie is a classic directed by John Houston and starring Humphrey Bogart & Katharine Hepburn. It’s divine and amazing. Seriously, this may be the best movie we have talked about so far. :)
Between the novel and film--which did the Margos like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The life of C.S. Forester
- The plot of the book and movie
- The cast including Humphrey Bogart (Allnutt,) Katharine Hepburn (Rose,) Robert Morley (Rev. Sam Sayer) and Peter Bull (Captain of Louisa)
Clips Featured:
- The African Queen trailer
- Lauren Bacall talks to Johnny Carson about shooting “The African Queen” (1987)
- “The Rain Scene”
- “I Never Dreamed …”:
- Music: “The Chuch Scene”
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
Blue Crush
The Susan Orlean Article Vs the Kate Bosworth 2002 Film
The Margos are ready to hit the beach with this episode devoted to surfing in Hawaii. In 1998 Susan Orlean penned Life’s Swell in Outside magazine talked about a group of Maui girls who loved to surf and dealt with poverty and sexism to enjoy their passion.
That’s pretty much the whole story and in the early 2000s, dozens of magazine articles were turned into movies which is what happened here. The 14-page article somehow became a 104-minute film which we find--perplexing, to say the least!
Blue Crush is directed by actor/directed John Stockwell and stars Kate Bosworth as a young woman raising her younger sister in a parentless home and pursuing her dream of being a professional surfer. She has two best friends and dates an NFL player while overcoming her fear of injuring herself again. (We see her accident several times in the movie.)
Between the Orlean article and film--which did the Margos like better?
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The twitter life of Susan Orlean
- The surfer life in Hawaii
- The cast including Kate Bosworth (Anne Marie,) Matthew Davis (Matt Tollman,) Michelle Rodriguez (Eden,) Sanoe Lake (Lena,) and Mika Boorem (Penny.)
Clips Featured:
- Blue Crush trailer
- Matt gives a pep talk to Anne Marie
- “Jessica from Billabong”
- Music: Cruel Summer by Blestenation & Bananarama
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
Book Vs. Movie podcast https://www.facebook.com/bookversusmovie/
Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
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Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/
Book Vs Movie
Coal Miner’s Daughter
The Margos Head to Butcher Hollow to Talk About One of the Top Country Music Artists of All Time
Loretta Lynn is a multi-hyphen: singer, songwriter, musician, wife, mother, and author. The Margos were thrilled to discover that the 1980 movie Coal Miner’s Daughter was based on her 1976 autobiography of the same name. As superfans--we needed to bring this episode to our followers--you are all welcome!
Loretta began her life in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky and later became one of the most revered & successful artists in recorded music. She was the oldest of eight children and by the time she was just shy of 16--she married her life mate Oliver “Doolittle” Webb. The film stars an incandescent Sissy Spacek as Lynn, Tommy Lee Jones as “Doo” Lynn, and Levon Helm (of “The Band” fame) as her father, Ted Webb.
Sure, you can argue that the movie follows the “music biopic” re the humble beginnings, the creation of the first hit song, drugs, loneliness, and the downside of fame. But dammit if this film isn’t first-class entertainment features incredible live singing performances and a complicated love story. And the hair in this film? To die for!
Spacy won an Academy Award for her performance and the film aired on cable TV in the United States repeatedly throughout the 1980ss which means there is an entire generation that knows this movie backward & forwards.
Lynn just released her second book Me & Patsy: Kickin’ Up Dust which is all about her friendship with the legendary Patsy Cline. At 87--she continues to be creative and vital. An example of resiliency to us all!
So between the autobiography and the movie, which did we like better? Click on the link below to find out!
In this ep the Margos discuss:
- The life story of Loretta Lynn
- How Sissy Spacek got into character for the part of her lifetime
- Behind the scenes tidbits from the set
- The cast Sissy Spacey (Loretta Lynn,) Tommy Lee Jones (Doo Lynn,) Levon Helm (Ted Webb,) Phyllis Boyens-Liptak (Clary Webb,) William Sanderson (Lee Dollarhide,) and Beverly D’Angelo (Patsy Cline.)
Clips Featured:
- Coal Miner’s Daughter trailer
- Doo walks Loretta home
- Doo and the “studio engineer”
- Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline
- Doolittle in the studio
- Outro music Coal Miner’s Daughter (Performed by Loretta Lynn)
Join our Patreon page to help support the show! https://www.patreon.com/bookversusmovie
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Twitter @bookversusmovie www.bookversusmovie.com
Email us at bookversusmoviepodcast@gmail.com
Brought to you by Audible.com You can sign up for a FREE 30-day trial here http://www.audible.com/?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R
Margo D. @BrooklynFitChik www.brooklynfitchick.com brooklynfitchick@gmail.com
Margo P. @ShesNachoMama https://coloniabook.weebly.com/