More Books to Films

The start of the holiday season brings gift catalogs, decorations, and dozens of large color advertisements for new movies. What follows are updates on more films based on books, graphic novels, plays, and short stories. This list is not comprehensive, but it does represent some of the more popular feature films opening during November, December, and the early weeks of 2006. Some of the films are opening only at film festivals and major markets in 2005 and, then, moving into wide release in 2006.

The short book by comedian Steven Martin, Shopgirl: A Novella (Hyperion), has been adapted for the screen, also by Steve Martin, and stars Martin, Claire Danes, and Jason Schwartzman. Shopgirl opened nationally earlier in November. The book is available from Simon & Schuster Audio on CD and cassette, read by Martin, whose bemused tone fits the story like a kid glove.

Myla Goldberg's popular novel Bee Season, was adapted for the screen by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, mother of the talented actors Maggie and Jake. The movie, which is playing in limited markets, stars Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche as the Naumanns, parents of spelling phenomenon Eliza Naumann, played by Flora Cross. Goldberg's novel is available as a tie-in edition from Anchor, and on CD and cassette from Recorded Books.

Walk the Line, the heavily promoted biopic of Johnny Cash, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, opens nationwide on November 18. Those interested in the grittier details as recalled by the legendary country singer can read Cash: The Autobiography, written by Cash with Patrick Carr (HarperSanFrancisco).

Opening on November 23 with a heavyweight Hollywood cast is The Ice Harvest, based on the acclaimed debut novel by Scott Phillips. The Ballantine title, which has been described as a literary Fargo or Pulp Fiction, is available as a tie-in edition, and is on audio from Blackstone Audio. Novelist Richard Russo, of Empire Falls and Nobody's Fool fame, wrote the screenplay with Robert Benton, and John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Randy Quaid, and Oliver Platt star.

Breakfast on Pluto, based on the shortlisted Booker Prize nominee by writer Patrick McCabe, opens to wide release in December, and it has been receiving acclaim at many film festivals. The story of the Irish foster child who morphs into a London transvestite cabaret singer is available in a movie tie-in version from HarperPerennial.

November 23 marks the release of the film version of the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning musical Rent, based on the Puccini opera La Boheme, starring many of the original Broadway cast members, a mere 11 years older. The play, whose rock music, lyrics, and book, were written by the late Jonathan Larson, is considered a contemporary classic and boasts many young fans. Perfect gifts for the thousands of Rent Heads is the compendium book, Rent by Jonathan Larson, which includes the complete libretto, color photos, behind-the-scenes interviews, and oral history. It is published in paperback by Hal Leonard. Only 35-years-old, the gifted Larson died of an aortic aneurysm after the final dress rehearsal of the show. Two different recordings on CD are available: from Dreamworks is the original Broadway cast recording, released in 1996; from Warner Brothers, the original movie soundtrack, released in September 2005.

Anticipation is great for the "gay cowboy" movie, Brokeback Mountain, opening on December 9. Stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger play the cowboys created by author Annie Proulx in her short story by that name. Larry McMurtry co-wrote the screenplay. A movie tie-in paperback is available from Scribner. An audio version, narrated by Campbell Scott, is available from Simon & Schuster Audio. The story was originally published in Close Range: Wyoming Stories, by Proulx, published by Scribner. --Nomi Schwartz