The Winnipeg Free Press reviews Kill Chain, astutely gloriously kindly calling it “a hit” that’s “begging to be made into a movie.” The reviewer adds:
You just want to see what Rachel Weiss could do as Evan Delaney, a Santa Barbara freelance journalist whose father has gone missing.
Rachel Weiss is awesome. And not just because of her great work in The Mummy. But this is the first time I’ve heard anybody say that they see her as Evan. I’ve heard people mention Sarah Michelle Gellar and Keira Knightley. (Which gives us gals who fight mummies, vampires and ghost pirates. Should I like this trend?) I’ve heard Sandra Bullock, in her Speed incarnation. And I’ve heard Sarah Connor, or rather Linda Hamilton, from the Terminator movies.
This is all great. Because, of these fabulous women, not one is the Evan of my own imagining. That’s the wonderful thing about fiction - after I write the book, readers do creative work of their own, and imagine the world of the novel fresh in their own minds. So Jesse Blackburn is crystal clear in my head, and he’s not Christian Bale or Jude Law - but he is to some readers. Likewise Phil Delaney is not exactly Mark Harmon or Sam Elliott. Yet he is.
Everybody has their own mental cast list. And everybody - everybody - has their own personal family edition of the nosy, bossy, obnoxious relative. The world, I’ve learned, is rife with Cousin Taters.
9 responses so far ↓
Snart // January 30, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Well, of course we all have our own visions of the characters, but I challenge anyone to come up with a better Cousin Tater than this: Tatum O’Neal.
Agreed, she’d have to have lots more hair piled high on her head, but, as I told the author of the books, there are wonderful inventions she can use…such as possums.
Therefore, a winning equation:
Tatum + Possum = Tater
I rest my case.
Kate // January 30, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I love Rachel Weiss dearly and think she is a brilliant actress, but I just can’t see her as Evan. Sorry Winnipeg Free Press.
daveg // January 30, 2007 at 10:52 pm
I usually pride myself on having a good imagination, but sometimes when books are made well into films, I can’t stop picturing the actors if I’m reading after viewing. I’ve re-read Silence of the Lambs (many times), but since I’ve seen the film I just can’t picture anyone but Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster as the characters. On the somewhat lighter end of the fiction spectrum, I’ve had the same problem with Harry Potter.
Meg, I was wondering, if someone played Evan well in a film, really nailed the character, do you think *then* that it would effect the way you write about her in the future? Is she enough a part of you that you could still ’see’ her the way you do now? The way movie portrayals affect literary characters is something I’ve always been really interested in - apologies if it seems like too much of an intrusion into your writing process!
Wayne C. Rogers // January 31, 2007 at 2:37 am
I could see Sandra Bullock right now playing Evan Delaney. That would be a good casting decision. Authors, however, are always facing this problem when a movie is made from one of their novels. Think of Sean Connery as James Bond. The author, Ian Fleming, saw David Niven as Bond. Robert Parker had problems with Robert Urich starring as his private eye, Spenser, though I thought Urich was perfect for the role. Now, Tom Selleck is playing Parker’s Jesse Stone in a number of made for TV movies, which everybody seems to agree is the perfect match. Last, but not least, I always see Alec Baldwin as Dave Robicheaux from the James Lee Burke series, though Alec only appears in one movie based on the “Burke” novels. Novels will always be seperate from movies. Or, as both Stephen King and Robert Parker say, “Take the money and run.” It never hurts financially to sell the movie rights to your books. If a good movie is made, then it can definitely increase the sell of your novels around the world.
Meg // January 31, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Tom Selleck brings a weary nobility to Jesse Stone. He’s terrific. So was Robert Urich as Spenser. And of course, Avery Brooks IS Hawk. He even managed to turn Benjamin Sisko into Hawk on Deep Space Nine. The moment he shaved his head, grew the goatee and began giving enemies that slow, sidelong glance, the show became cool.
Alec Baldwin, on the other hand, is not my Robicheaux. He’s a fine Jack Ryan in Hunt for Red October. He’s an excellent villain in a number of films. He’s a fabulous puppet in Team America. But he’s not the Streak of my heart.
Thomas // January 31, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Jack Ryan can only be played by Harrison Ford - Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck are merely weak wannabees
susan // January 31, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I can see Jesse so clearly that I don’t think any actor could do him justice for me (with the possible exception of Andy Garcia as in, say, Dead Again)
I love Sandra Bullock in anything, and yeah, she fits my image of Evan. But I think I would simply see her as Sandra playing Evan, not BEING Evan.
Patti // January 31, 2007 at 4:50 pm
I keep seeing pieces of various actors as your characters, Meg.
Mark Harmon’s eyes and mouth would work nicely for Phil. David James Elliott’s eyes, laconic grin, and height might do for Jesse, along with some Andy Garcia edge. Susan, I’m with you on Sandra Bullock–the attitude is right.
I second the Robert Urich / Avery Brooks casting. Kathleen Turner
as V. I. Warshawski was a good fit too. When I saw Maggie Smith, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane, and Emma Thompson in the Harry Potter films, I couldn’t see anyone else in those roles.
Most of the time, though, I’m a real whiner about movies made from my favourite books.
Wayne C. Rogers // February 1, 2007 at 3:36 am
Meg,
I have to admit that I didn’t see Alec Baldwin as Dave Robicheaux either, until I finally saw Heaven’s Prisoners several years ago. I was actually surprised at how good I thought Baldwin played the role of a recovering alcoholic who still craves that glass of whiskey, while trying to get revenge against the men who murdered his wife, Annie. Baldwin was tough, violent, sympathetic, loving to his wife and their new-found daughter, Alafair. and a man of his word. If he said that he was going to get some payback, then he meant it. I’ve probably watched Heaven’s Prisoners fifteen or twenty times during the past decade, and it still grabs me by the heart each time. In fact, I just watched it while I was reading Burke’s newest “Robicheaux” novel, Pegasus Descending.
To the other readers,
Though everyone has their opinion, the fact is that Alec Baldwin did an excellent job as Jack Ryan in The Hunt For Red October. The movie was a big hit and made a lot of money and Tom Clancey was very pleased with the film. Baldwin was even asked to continue the role of Jack Ryan in Patriotic Games, but turned it down because he didn’t want to get locked into a “continuing” character role. Harrison Ford was also excellent as Jack Ryan. He too did a magnificent job. I love the first three “Jack Ryan” movies. Last, I can’t wait to see Harrison as Indiana Jones again in 2008. Boy, that sure is a long wait. And, yes, Sir Sean will be returning as Indy’s father.
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