From “The Human Stain” to “The Humbling,” Philip Roth adaptations are a tough sell. Brooding, yet devoid of the author’s rich insights, these films often die on the vine. “Indignation” is a rare exception, partly because the eponymous 2008 novel is an unusually lean, plot-driven effort for Roth. (It’s no coincidence that “Goodbye, Columbus,” his most successful adaptation, is also uncharacteristically plot-driven.) Partly too, this is the first feature by writer/director James Schamus, who wrote the screenplays for “The Ice Storm” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and, as the CEO of Focus Pictures, was responsible for such elegant indies as “Far From Heaven” and “A Serious Man.” In watching this meticulously crafted film, I get the sense Schamus would have waited forever for the perfect project for his debut. This is not to say this film is perfect – it is too dour to qualify as perfection – but every frame speaks of an unflagging, ultimately winning dedication. Continue Reading →
Archive | Past Matters
Sustainable Fire, Early Prose
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Blonde
How do you get past it, I ask my shrink, when you never got that sense of acceptance and security as a kid? You’ve got to nurture yourself through those instants, he says, recognize the source of the misery as out of kilter with the stimulus. Realize you’re not lost. You’re an adult….But when you’ve been hurt enough as a kid (or maybe at any age), it’s like you have a trick knee. Most of your life, you can function but add in right portions of sleeplessness and stress and grief, and the hurt, defeated self can bloom into place.–Mary Karr