Film rights. As a reading teacher I dedicate my life to helping kids refine their reading comprehension skills and cultivate a love of the written word, so it should come as no surprise that I am an avid reader, mostly of young adult fiction. You may scoff at my literary choices, Jason, but books written for the aged 8-14 set are often much more interesting and innovative than the literary trash aimed at us old folks. These books also happen to make for great movies. Um, Harry Potter, anyone? As your friend I would almost feel obligated to alert you to teen classics that have been overlooked by Hollywood, so you could snatch up the rights and start banging out an equally classic screenplay. Five of the top ten grossing films of 2008 were aimed at kids, so not only is this area near and dear to my heart, it is also lucrative for all of those involved (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). A few titles ripe for the big screen: Maniac Magee and Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli (hell, almost anything by Spinelli is celluloid-worthy), the heart-pounding survival story Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, a brilliant love story that takes place in an unbelievable world. Just promise me, Jason, that you won't break tween hearts everywhere by completely changing what is so great about these books. The new Lightning Thief movie is dreadful because all of the plot points and humor that make the book a page turner were left on the cutting room floor (if they were part of the script at all). Sure, the Twilight movies have made an obscene amount of cash, but they would have been so much more bearable to watch if they actually mirrored the novels. And don't even get me started on the travesty that is the film version of The Westing Game, one of my favorite middle school books of all time. I almost wept upon watching that DVD, and in front of my students no less! To paraphrase the mom from Freaky Friday, another highly enjoyable movie based on a book, I am trusting you to make good choices, Mr. Segel. Don't let this teacher down.Sunday, February 21, 2010
Reason 83
Film rights. As a reading teacher I dedicate my life to helping kids refine their reading comprehension skills and cultivate a love of the written word, so it should come as no surprise that I am an avid reader, mostly of young adult fiction. You may scoff at my literary choices, Jason, but books written for the aged 8-14 set are often much more interesting and innovative than the literary trash aimed at us old folks. These books also happen to make for great movies. Um, Harry Potter, anyone? As your friend I would almost feel obligated to alert you to teen classics that have been overlooked by Hollywood, so you could snatch up the rights and start banging out an equally classic screenplay. Five of the top ten grossing films of 2008 were aimed at kids, so not only is this area near and dear to my heart, it is also lucrative for all of those involved (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). A few titles ripe for the big screen: Maniac Magee and Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli (hell, almost anything by Spinelli is celluloid-worthy), the heart-pounding survival story Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, a brilliant love story that takes place in an unbelievable world. Just promise me, Jason, that you won't break tween hearts everywhere by completely changing what is so great about these books. The new Lightning Thief movie is dreadful because all of the plot points and humor that make the book a page turner were left on the cutting room floor (if they were part of the script at all). Sure, the Twilight movies have made an obscene amount of cash, but they would have been so much more bearable to watch if they actually mirrored the novels. And don't even get me started on the travesty that is the film version of The Westing Game, one of my favorite middle school books of all time. I almost wept upon watching that DVD, and in front of my students no less! To paraphrase the mom from Freaky Friday, another highly enjoyable movie based on a book, I am trusting you to make good choices, Mr. Segel. Don't let this teacher down.
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