This past school year I read out loud Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson to my 8th graders home room. I don't really like young adult novels, I know I teach middle school, but this book awed me with its wonderfulness. Speak is told from the perspective of a witty, bright ninth grade girl filled with angst and anger. She has reason for the anger; she was assaulted by a creepy predatory senior guy. What follows is her year of coping with this incident and her perspective on mean girls and clueless teachers. So that’s the book. Now for the movie. At the end of this school year we watched the independent film of the movie with the kids. It’s PG-13, but ok for 8th graders, I thought. When you love a book, you really want the movie to not ruin your view of the book. My favorite movie interpretation of a book is Of Mice and Men, 1992, John Malkovich version. Speak may be coming in second. This movie exceeded my expectations. The lead, Melinda played by Kristen Stewart, is great. The cool, hippy art teacher played by Steve Zahn is hilarious and the whole movie is moving and authentic. I actually wanted to watch it again after I saw it with the kids. Well, it is hard to concentrate when you are watching a movie with 50 8th graders but still.
So I suggest you (meaning female readers of this blog) read the book and then watch the movie. You will probably not be able to find it at a video store and will need Netflix or some such online DVD .
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Mary compiles a list of ALL the movies she has watched. Blog Established June 29, 2007
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Wondering what Mary thinks about a movie? Search this blog by title or genre. Genres included in blog are romantic comedy, independent, foreign, action adventure (very few), Jane Austen (suprisingly numerous), documentary, movies based on books, period pieces ...etc.
Great Newsroom Movies
All the Presidents Men, Of Course!
Broadcast News, Who's the devil?
His Girl Friday, Oldie but a goodie
Zodiac, spooky but good
Shattered Glass, answers the question What if I made it up?
Broadcast News, Who's the devil?
His Girl Friday, Oldie but a goodie
Zodiac, spooky but good
Shattered Glass, answers the question What if I made it up?
Spotlight
Notable Miniseries
REALLY GOOD
Middlemarch, 1994, the best! With a steamy performance by
Rufus Sewell
Lonesome Dove, 1989, books is great too if you haven’t read it
Forsyte Saga, 2002, I read the big long two part book in
preparation and was really impressed
with the TV adaptation.
The Jewel in the Crown, 1984, long ago, I remember loving it.
Prime Suspect, Probably should be classified as a TV series
but on Masterpiece Theater, but so great if you haven’t
seen it. Helen Mirren rocks as beleaguered police
captain in London.
Brideshead Revisted, 1981, I just re-saw and was re-
entranced!
PRETTY GOOD
North and South, 2004, about a mill town in the north of England
Cranford, 2007 Judi Dench, starts slow but gets better
Bleak House, 2005 with Gillian Anderson, at times bleak, but good
Into the West, 2005 A&E Western Saga
Our Mutual Friend, 1998, one of the better Dickens adaptations
Horatio Hornblower, 1998, ooh that cute Ioan Gruffud
The Buccaneers, 1995 based the Edith Wharton novel
The Woman in White, 1997, a cheesy but good adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ novel
Daniel Deronda, 2002, George Eliot saga, with a very cute Deronda played by Hugh Dancy
The Mill in the Floss, 1997 Emily Watson as Maggie in this George Eliot novel made movie
Middlemarch, 1994, the best! With a steamy performance by
Rufus Sewell
Lonesome Dove, 1989, books is great too if you haven’t read it
Forsyte Saga, 2002, I read the big long two part book in
preparation and was really impressed
with the TV adaptation.
The Jewel in the Crown, 1984, long ago, I remember loving it.
Prime Suspect, Probably should be classified as a TV series
but on Masterpiece Theater, but so great if you haven’t
seen it. Helen Mirren rocks as beleaguered police
captain in London.
Brideshead Revisted, 1981, I just re-saw and was re-
entranced!
PRETTY GOOD
North and South, 2004, about a mill town in the north of England
Cranford, 2007 Judi Dench, starts slow but gets better
Bleak House, 2005 with Gillian Anderson, at times bleak, but good
Into the West, 2005 A&E Western Saga
Our Mutual Friend, 1998, one of the better Dickens adaptations
Horatio Hornblower, 1998, ooh that cute Ioan Gruffud
The Buccaneers, 1995 based the Edith Wharton novel
The Woman in White, 1997, a cheesy but good adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ novel
Daniel Deronda, 2002, George Eliot saga, with a very cute Deronda played by Hugh Dancy
The Mill in the Floss, 1997 Emily Watson as Maggie in this George Eliot novel made movie
TV SERIES
GREAT!
Six Feet Under – despite some self-indulgent characters fascinating from beginning to end
The Wire – some say it’s hard to get into but once you do you become entranced
The Sopranos – Violent in parts but so smart with fascinating characters
Deadwood – I wish it would have lasted and lasted
TheGilmore Girls – I guess it could be diminished by calling it a chick show but I loved it until the end though some thought it got lame at the end
Felicity -- adorable Keri Russell plays a New York college student wooed by some gorgeous men.
My So Called Life -- Claire Danes only got one season of this teenage angst classic.
LIKED
WonderFalls- cute, only one season and cancelled
Big Love – regular-old plural marriage family ---wha?The West Wing—probably all have seen it but if you haven’t . . .
Veronica Mars – some silly storylines but VM is great!Lost – a blit silly at times but hard to stop watchingDexter – the first season was appallingly good
Battlestar Galactica – hard to believe I liked this sci-fi series as much as I did but love the tough women in it esp.
Six Feet Under – despite some self-indulgent characters fascinating from beginning to end
The Wire – some say it’s hard to get into but once you do you become entranced
The Sopranos – Violent in parts but so smart with fascinating characters
Deadwood – I wish it would have lasted and lasted
TheGilmore Girls – I guess it could be diminished by calling it a chick show but I loved it until the end though some thought it got lame at the end
Felicity -- adorable Keri Russell plays a New York college student wooed by some gorgeous men.
My So Called Life -- Claire Danes only got one season of this teenage angst classic.
LIKED
WonderFalls- cute, only one season and cancelled
Big Love – regular-old plural marriage family ---wha?The West Wing—probably all have seen it but if you haven’t . . .
Veronica Mars – some silly storylines but VM is great!Lost – a blit silly at times but hard to stop watchingDexter – the first season was appallingly good
Battlestar Galactica – hard to believe I liked this sci-fi series as much as I did but love the tough women in it esp.
Mary's Favorite Movies
- Gigi 1958 (I don't know why)
- Ordinary People 1980
- Reds 1981
- The Princess Bride 1987
- Pride and Prejudice (A&E version) 1996
- Broadcast News 1987
- You Can Count on Me 2000
Edgy Teacher Movies (NOT feel good teacher movies!)
- Bad Teacher (2011)
- The Class (2008)
- Half Nelson (2006)
- Notes on a Scandal (2006)
- School of Rock (2003)
- Election (1999)
Favorite Classic Romantic Comedies
- His Girl Friday (1940) Rosalind Russel and Cary Grant
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Maragaret Sullavan and James Stewart
- Philadelphia Story (1940) Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant
- Adam's Rib (1949) Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy
- African Queen (1951) Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
- Roman Holiday (1953) Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
- Sabrina (1954) Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
- To Catch a Thief (1955) Grace Kelly and Cary Grant
- High Society 1956 Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby (Philadelphia Story remake and not as good)
Good Quirky Documentaries
- The King of Kong (2007)
- The Up Series (1964-2005)
- Grey Gardens (1975)
- My Brother's Keeper (yr?)
- American Movie (USA 1999)
- Capturing the Friedman's (2003)
About Me
- Mary's List
- This blog is about movies. I am a movie lover who doesn't usually like horror, action-adventure, and violent movies. I love character-driven movies with intriguing plots. I called this blog Mary's List because I want to keep a list of movies I see. And a "list" is also a sailing term which means to heel or lean to one side.
4 comments:
Mary..my daughter is in competitive Speech in HS. I wonder if this book would make a good prose category speech? what do you think??
I think this book is awesome but it has some difficult material that some people may find objectionable (that's what I would say to a parent such as yourself). She should read it and see what she thinks. There is some really funny lines about teachers, bullies at school etc.
Yay! You did review this movie! I think there are a lot of passages from this book that would make a really powerful speech team selection.
(And btw, many ya books are of this caliber...just to put in a little plug for reading more ya lit, even though we've had this conversation before!) :)
I also thought it was amazing, difficult to watch though. I picked it up at the public library. Haven't read the book, on the summerlist.
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