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Show B6 _ The Salt Lake Tribune TIME, MONEY & COMPUTERS Monday, June 12, 1995 Movie Better Than the Book? Novelists Say It Happens A movie better than the book? Howoften does that happen? “My guess is rarely,” says Ra- fael Yglesias, who adapted his novel Fearless for the 1993 film ‘The Godfather’ improved on book,” he says. And, of course, there was Yglesias pauses, struggling for more ex- good movie,” Yglesias says. “It’s amples. But nearly everyone agrees the new film romancestarring Clint Eastwood as a photographer/adventurer and Meryl Streep as an lowa farmer's wife is vastly superiorto its source material, Robert James Waller's overwrought best- seller of the same name “Bridges,” which opened June 2. earned a healthy $10.8 million at the box office in its first three days. other novelists for examples of written works that aresignificantly better on screen and you'll find a phenomenon not so rare as Yglesias maythink “Rosemary's Bab: nominates Lisa Zeidner, ho wrote Limited Partnerships. “Love Story,” offers Paul Rudnick, author of 7 Take It andof the play ‘Jeffrey,’ which he recently adapted for the screen. * ‘The Big Sleep,’ says Phillip Lopate, who wrote The Rug Mer- chant. ‘Rear Window,’ volunteers Robert Plunket, author of Love Junkie. In fact, says Plunket, “there's an old saying that good books make bad movies and bad books make good movies.” Pop novels have certain qualities that more easily lend themselves to film. “A bad novel doesn’t clutter you up with ideas, so you can make the points visual- ly,” observes Zeidner, a literature professor at Rutgers/Camden. “Literature is about innerlife. Pop novels are about plot.”’ Lopatereflects. “And since what's important about movies is momentum, that makes pop novels more adaptable to screen “Take TomClancy,” says Yglesias. “His characters do not have inner lives. His characters do not Mery! Streep and Clint Eastwoodbring "B ridges”to the screen. have ambiguities. Jack Ryan [the CIAoperative and hero of Clancy ter exposition in a suspense format. You have a detective asking novels] has an adventure, solves a mystery, battles his enemies. He is a ‘hero in jeopardy’ — it’s a questions that propelthe plot.” Otherpop genres ideally suited for Hollywood are gangster novels — because they likewise have characters in jeopardy — and love stories, because they offer an attractive showcaseforstars. “Movies can be more deft with the cheaper emotions,” says Rudnick. “They can be better than novels at epic sweep, panorama romance’ — all attributes, he notes, of The Bridges of Madison County.” For Rudnick, Bridges was natural for the screen “The characters are described in movie-star terms. He's this rawboned cowboy and — this is whereit’s diabolical a man who is well-muscled, but also sensitive classic Hollywoodform.” tremendous reason for the success of potboiler fiction as movie material is the way movies are written,” reflects Plunket ‘Some pivotal action has to take place at the 20 percent point; somereversal has to take place at the 80 percent point. John Grisham novels are textbook exam- ples of this.” Myster! such as Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, Da- shiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, and the Cornell Woolrich short story Rear Window, are also ideal for Hollywood, Yglesias thinks, “because you get charac- only hard if you want to make money, It’s only hard if you have to get Tom Cruise or Mel Gibson to play the leads. The requirements and logic of Hollywood makeit hardto tell a goodstory.” The Hollywood requirements, Yglesias says, are these: That the story be centered on a male. That the lead actor be in most of the scenes. Thatthe plot hinge onsuspense. While most great literature lacks these components, Yglesias argues, this does not mean a great work of literature can’t make a great movie. * ‘Tess.’ ‘Schindler's List.’ ‘Lolita,’ ’ Yglesias fires off, marshaling evidence that there are any number of great books that turned into great movies. And don't forget the Forster Paradox: that all the movies based on E.M. Forster novels — ‘Howards End,” “Maurice,” “A Passageto India,” “A Room With @ View” — have been uniformly excellent The reason, Yglesiassays,is the Forster movies were made outside the Hollywood system. This permitted the development of “screenplays conceived with the same complexity as the source Main, 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $8 and $6, $5 for chil- dren 12 and younger. “The Secret Garden," nonmusical, City Rep, 638 S 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $7.50, $4.75 children 16 and younger. “Annie Warbucks,"’ Pages Lane Theatre, 2 E, Pages Lane, Centerville, 7:30 p.m. Tickadults, $7 and$8, children, $6 and $7. “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,"" Weston’s Sherwood Hills dinner theater, north of Brigham City in Sardine Canyon. Dinner, 6 p.m.; show, 7 p.m. “See How They Run," Heritage Communi- “Charlotte's Web,"Draper Theater Play house, 12366 S. 900 East, Draper, 7:30 p.m Tickets, $7, children $5; $1 disecunt on Mondays. ; A word about the family,’" Mount Olymp' Presbyterian Church, 3280 E. 3900South. 7 p.m. Presented by Jeremiah People, a Christian musical-theater company “'Singin’in the Rain," StageStop Theatre 3585Bigler Road, Collinston, 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $5. “Gnatman Forevermore — material.” Plunket agrees. He doesn’t think his Hollywood axiom applies across the board. “Midnight Cowboy was a wonderful novel and a wonderful movie. So was FromHere to Eternity. So was Dangerous Liaisons. But then you have Bonfire of the Vanities — a good novel, but the movie wasa total misunderstanding of Tom Wolfe’s book.” Not to mention a bomb ofhistoric pro- BYU Musicians Offe r Opera With Dinner PROVO — “Italian Dinner Operas in English,’ two popular comic operas preceded by dinner, are being offered through June 17 on Brigham Young University’s de Jong Concert Hall stage. Tickets for the Italian gourmet dinner and two operas are $15 and can be purchased from the BYU Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 378-4322 Both of the one-act operas, Puc- BARGAIN MATINEE cini’s ‘Gianni Schicchi’’ and Thomas Pasatieri’s “Signor Deluso,” are set in RenaissanceFlorence. : S zs ON_SHOWS. BEFORE 6 PM aca AT GIFT BOOKS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND: SVNtap ytbasta GATEWAY 6 292-7979 $3.50 TICKETS MAS ANTRL $00 $0. ECT EOD 645 om WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (pc-13) 4:30 4:45 7:00 9:45 (STEREO) gets 2s HMSONTE (DTS) DIGITAL SOUND SYSTEM ik CONGO (°643) CONGO (r6-13) 0 42:30 2:45 5:00 7:30 9:45 (STEREO) NO PASSES, NO_ LITTLE PRINCESS (c)] DIE HARD WITH A WAS 445 5:15 VENGEANCE(g)(015) FRENCH KISS ros7209 4:30 7:20 9:50 WHILE Y' BRAVEHEART(2) :0 3:20 7:45 (STEREO) SENG 2 |30600690, FAMILY DAY IE HARD 3 (2 42:00 2:45 6;00 8:45 (STEREO) OLYMPUS 2 272-1227 BLVD. CRIMSONTIDE (a) 4:45 4:00 7:00 10:00 (STEREO) BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (peas) 42:00 3:20 7:45 (STEREO) © BUY NOW ONLY $40.00 TOMMYBOY (pc-13)1A GOOFY MOVIE (c) 45 3:45 5:45 7:45 9:45 [4:00 3:00 5:00 7.00 9:09 iILY DAY 800 E. 9400 SO. 572.2525 _¢ ALL SEATS $4.00 NO PASSES, NO DISCOUNT BRAVEHE, ART(py 42:00 3:20 6:40 40:00 (STEREO) WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (pc) 4:30 445 7:00 9:30 (STEREO) RADY HIKE WOME a ess JURY DUTY (PG-43 MLE A THE PENGUIN cisions] 4:15 3:45 8:15 7:45 9:45 IN JUAN DeMARCO MAN OF THE HOUSE 3) 400 3:00 500700900] PG 1:403:40 $40 740Sa FAMILY DAY . SEATS 5150 Snows Before pm $200 Ate N OF THE HOUSE(PG) 7:05 LITTLE WOMEN(PG) 6:55 TALL TALES (PG) 7:15 JAJOR PAYNE (PG-13) 9:10 L@ (PG) 9:45 OUTBREAK (R) 9:05 INGO IGO ( (P-43) 42:30 2:45 5:00 7:30 9:45 NO PASSES, NO DISCOUNTTICKETS ONGO(Pc-13) $2.00 SPECIAL SUMMER MAT. SHOWS © BUY NOW ONLY $40.00 4:45 4:00 7:00 9:45 (STEREO) NO PASSES, NO DISCOUNTTICKETS (LPI ae af [b) CatandaiGaetceca betes MAD LOVE(ec-13) portions. 2:00 4:30 266-7600 © 4861 S STATE With AY ATeso 8:30, FORGET PARIS (rc-13) iis ig TRATRE Filmed on the Coast of Ireland A Great Family Movie in Color “THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH” (PG) 7:00 9:00 3,500 Cl lassics for Re nt HYPNOTIST VANDERMEIDE SAT. 9:30 ONLY SS FAMILY NIGHT ALL SEATS$2.00 Walt Disney's "A GOOFY MOVIE" (G) 5:45 “TOMMY BOY” (PG-13) 7:45 9:45 CO-HIT FRENCH KISS(PG-13) 30550 OPEN AT Ay IG 228gar,scroteORSnccy IEEN MARGOT (8) 5.15 ends Thurs Power, betrayal and forbidden romance Showtimes Onlyh 1645 S, 500 W., 292-5220 52 KIDS $2.50 ADULTS “OUTBREAK” Ip OF THE HOUSE” (PG) 7:20 {R) 9:00 “BRADY BUNCH MOVIE” (PG-43) 7.00 915 Tues. Wed. Mal. at 11:45 445 3:45 THE PEAT BRAINY Tues, & Wed Mol of 11:00 4:00 300 + CONGO (PG-13) 12:35 2:50 5:10 7:25 9:40 + CASPER (PG) 4:30 3:30 §30 730 9:30 + BRAVEHEART (R) 1:00 4:30 8:45 + THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (PG-13) 00 4:35 7:409: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (PG) 42:55 3:00 5:05 7:45 9:25 vinexance BRUCE WILLIS © KE: [iy ¢ ASPER § HMORPAINE== SUnDCrae MADISON COUNTY f Donjuan CLINT EASTWOOD Eo) Jonny Bere tay, YEAR'ROUND SUAPMEET EVERY SAT. & SUN. mn STOP I TIDE 7:00 9:30 (STEREC FLUKE(pc) 4:45 4:30 (steREO) NIC (a LITTLE PRINCESS (pc) 1:45 4:30 (stERE0) FRENCH KISS (rc) 7:00 9:30 (stereo iftyssy74 (R) 1:00 8:0010:00 ends Thurs, Buxom babes kick hineyin this exploitation classic! Friday: THE WILD BUNCH (director's cut) BE STATEMN (i RUee eS aor ousk (PG) 3:00. Heldover again to Thurs. GNATMAN forevermore The BATMANSatire @ LIVE ON STAGE Preanno basaheaean 412 SPECIAL SUMMER MAT. SHOWS @ BUY NOW ONLY$40.' % Tickers Cottonwood Mall 4A &% SECRET OF ROAN INISH Kaysville 2 neteoin. Bat Satire," Desert Star Playhouse, 4861 S, State. Murray, 7 p.m. Tickets, $10 and $8, children $8 and $6 Hansen Planetarium, 15 State St., Salt Lake City. Current shows: “Gate to the Mind’s Eye,” “Stars of Springtime,” “DIGISTAR 11,” ser Stone Temple Pilots in 3-D,” “Laser 32 in 3-D," “Laser Zeppelin in 3-D,” “Laser Floydin 3-D.” Call 538-2098 or 363-0559 for more times andprices. 5 — Dallas Morning News. atre, 745 S. State, Orem, 8 p.m. Gina Bachauer June Festival, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Call 355-NOTE for more information. Concert by Mark Anderson, Assembly Hall, Temple Square, 7:30 p.m. Free. Brown, , featuring Salt Licks, Red Lion/American Towers Plaza, 255 S. West Temple, 12:15 p.m Free "James Blond: Apt. 007 in The Spy Above Me," Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S = m Es = S| = 2 = acon- summate emotional experience” the He's this man Z| a “Exquisite master’s degree. i the film: and artistic. He’s like Fabio witha who comesto your house andfalls in love with you as you are, not you 10 poundslighter. It’s a very satisfying fantasy.” And fantasysells movietickets, whether it's about “Star Wars” hero Luke Skywalker or “Bridges” heroine Francesca Johnson. While Rudnick also subscribes to “the worse the book, the better the movie” theory, this kind of thinking peeves Yglesias. “WhenI hearthat axiom,I get really [angry], because it's not hard to make a goodbookinto a Tickets, $4 and $5. “Promised Valley,” Terrace Plaza Play house, 99 E. 4700 South, Ogden, 7:30 p.m Tickets, $7.50 adults, $5 kids under 12 e ."" SCERA Shell Outdoor The- : ty,” B ty Theatre. 2505 S. Highway 89, Perry, 8 p.m 3 3 : = 3 B 5 S| 2 Sj B g =| a! = ByCarrie Rickey KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE The Bridges of Madison County, the book: “Simplistic, sketchy, emotionally phony” — The New YorkTimes “The Bridges of Madison Coun- HAPPENING TODAY Bae2c, Sa FR CONGO (P-13) 42:30 2:45 5:00 7:30 9:45 (STEREO) OP 5 Eepererane Pastrami H DOWNTOWN.” «=. De l WEST VALLEY Se Me UR aes eg CRIMSONTIDE(x) 9:30 {STEREO) Cea aL le) Special Wedding Party Dance Lessons & Program The Bride and Groom, yourfar mily and close friends can arrange special group and private lessons for your wedding party at the studio. Learn todays popular dancesteps andballroom movesthat you can use "Now & Forever” 7:45 J NO PASSES, 3 NeKETS 42:00 3:20 7:15 (sTEREO) Karey 12:00 (STEREO) 3:20 7:15 (GometameTre) 42:30 4:45 2:45 4:00 5:00 7.00 7:30 9:15 9:45 42:25 2:40 5:20 8:0010:15 ig 1:00 4:30 8:30 8:40 see} 4:30 5:00 8:30 (STEREO) 3300 So. 700 East 487-1366 12:35 2:50 5:10 7:25 9:40 4th _} HO PASSES, NO DISCOUNT TICKETS . 10am-10pmMon.-r'ri.. Sat, Noon-Spm (By appt. only) 14:25 2:45 4:55 7:35 10:45 Carman Data iy SOOTHagan abeene4 Chacies Ooeon 00Suh Gate St. 3502112 Savoy woviEs& 599 SetEat 70801 Cama PLAZA 5400 Fama Re Soar W410 sw Treats We ovatbat 615 202.1079 eden HUNRedd RS 9737088 WHILE YOU WERE Nereis 1598 Sowth 70 font 974.0001 GB) 640 & 1300 font TES Bay hows $1.8 COUNTY (PG-1)) 1100 4:05 7:00 10:00 * BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (PG-13) 11:00 1/50 4:60 7.60 CASPER (PG) 12:40240 840 745 1045 CASPER ("G) W190 200 4:90 7110 9:40 466-797 KBD. 3005 8 2700 4 tet! ™ 12:30 3:30 6:45 948 JUAN DeMARCO(PG-1) 44145 2.00 4:25 7:00 9:40 THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE {P@-13}12.00 240 4:30 DOLORES CLAIBORNE (2) 42:48 4:00 7:08 40:10 £ & THE PENGUIN 1156 4:18 6:50 9:20 @ (r6) 12.10 2:30 4.48 7:20 9:65 BRAVENEART (8) 1200 400 840 RIMSON TIO JURY DUTY (PG-13) 12005 220 4.98 7.15 9:25 FRENCH KISS (PO-19) 11.40 220 6:00 7:40 10:08 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (PG) 44198 240 45 7:20 9:65 MAN OF THE HOUSE (NG) 1:40 2:08 4:206:58 9:30 MAJOR PAYNE (PG-«3) oa 6 240 4:60 7.3010:00 OUMB AND DUMBER DUM (PG-19) 11:80 245 4:407:28 1008 e ie) 19:08 1:40 4:20 7-20 10:10 , a $0 go 2 Wheeichalt occe MAJOR PAYNE (PG-)) 12:35 2:50 5:00 7:45 9:40 PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN (G) 1425 4:20 3:25 $25 7:25 9:25 MAN OF THE HOUSE (PG) 11:80 2:10 4:25 7:00 9:20 OUTBREAK(2) 4445 2:00 4:48 7:98 40:20 @ JURY DUTY (PG-43) £4100 4:40 3:40 5:20 7:40 9:60 © TOP DOG (PG-13) 4440 1:18 9:20 8:38 7:90 10:00 © DON JUAN DoMARCO (PG-13) 1200 2.30 840 7:48 40:05 # THE BRADY BUNCH (PG-t3) 12:25 240 48 7:10 9:90 * DOLORES CLAIBORNE (R) 11108 1.60 4:35 7:20 10:10 COMmaemo) $3.50 BARGAIN MATINEESAIL SHOWSBEFORE 6:00 PM IN PARENTHESIS. INDICATES NO PASSES EROer SAHICROSSROADSCINEMAS <7 CONS NG 300 South State Street 359-2112] 55 W. South Temp 365.3883 BOSerm aa) CRIMSONTIDE (A) (00.87) HRS. OF PARKING 5 50 WITH VALIDATION * CASPER (PG)(ON? SCREENS) 4b 4 ¥ * CASPER (PG)(ON2 SCREENS) (OTS. STEN 10) (078 STEREO) me DIE HARDWITH A VENGEANCE (R) ‘ roa FORGET PARIS (PO-13) (ON 2 SCREENS) (00L.8Y) ’ FLUKE (PG) (OTS STEREO) WHILE YOUWERE SLEEPING (PG) JOHNNY MMEMONIC (M) (OOBY) * THE BRIDGES OF MADISON (OOLBY) 4 COUNTY (PG 13043 SeREEN 00.8 COOeepay| MY FAM. MUP AMLIA (report SEATSNARI| 1 188 CH m8 (G19)(OLY RRAMANNED COURDIGITAL) EYrcs)ontcneee) POR PL) (018 4h 34 DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE (R) |DOMFY (ON9 SCREENS)(07S DIGITAL) * CASPER(PG) (ON SCREENS) (DoLBy) (OTS STEREO) 9G. 5 MapLove Pas3)(oouny) JOHNNY MNEMONIC (A) neartens COU MRON 8, OF MAPIBON } H COMIN MA MMMMEAITS) |v oncie'y wamie weesvay SOaa FLUKE (Pa) (OTS BTENEO) MY MNEMONIC (4) (00LRY) i MY FAMILY, Mi FAMILIA (1) D0.0Y MERYL STREEP THE BRIDGES MADISON COUNTY PG 13} a>, LERIQIISI Sr ames cn) ALITTLE PRINCESS (0) THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A Hite BUT Came Bown & Abs FORGET PARIS RG:12)(0N.2 screen MOUNTAIN (PG) GO.BY) aa (oouny TALES PROM THE HOOD Wyony MEARE MAYFAMILY, Mi FAMILIA (A) CLINT EASTWOOD IRR wagingHi] Reman FORGET PARIB(PG-13)(00LBY) OIE HARDWITH A VENGEANCE (MN) . fgcgyy ts TROLLEY NORTH FORGET PARIS (PG.13) (00.0%) “SUPERB.THESTARSSHINE THE WAY THESTARS ARE MEAI T TO SHINE.” Otnee CO 300 Both Baie BE 4.90 2:00 4:30 600 7:90 12:48 3:48 7:00 9:50 £100 {0:10 (DOLBY) (018 DIGITAL) 448 4:45 7:30 10:10 {DOUY) (NO PASSES) ECOG CIT 120NO0A 1550 7.00 7:80 4000 FAME OF Dac NO PASSES CO HUPURLAVIRE 14:00 4:00 4:50 4:05 Diese ON yom U1 ICIS: OE " " 12:45 3:45 00 9:45 (stemecy HO PABMES OF DISC. cits Cian ay COT) OPEN AT 6:45 PM Demarco” “DON JUAN |
