(detailed information about this entry from Wikipedia)
All the King's Men (2006) is an adaptation of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize winning novel All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, which was already made as a movie by Robert Rossen in 1949. It is directed by Steven Zaillian, who also scripted the film. Although it does not follow the original film's narrative at all, and is more faithful to the novel than the earlier movie, the 2006 film is often considered a remake of the 1949 version.
The film is about the life of Willie Stark, played by Sean Penn, a fictional character resembling Louisiana governor Huey Long.
As of December 2005, extended post-production has pushed the film's wide release by Columbia Pictures to September 22, 2006. Meryl Streep was originally cast for the role of Sadie Burke; however, Variety announced that she has in fact decided to drop out (she was replaced by actress Patricia Clarkson).
The film was first screened to the press at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006, as reported in the September 11, 2006 edition of USA Today. Although the film "drew an overflow crowd," audiences were "not bowled over". The world premiere was held at Tulane University in New Orleans on September 16, 2006. The film received mostly negative reviews upon its release, and was not a box-office success.
[edit] Reviews
For a movie that has received a plethora of Oscar buzz, it has garnered mostly negative reviews. [1] Richard Schickel (Time Magazine) liked the movie, arguing that "it's much more faithful to the tone of the novel" than the original.[2]
Kenneth Turran (Los Angeles Times) praised the film's "undeniable moral seriousness" and the actors' "exceptional ensemble work." He argued that Zaillian's script and direction "expertly extracted the core of this greatest of American political novels, a work that is both of its time and outside it." [3]
However, A.O. Scott (NY Times) expresses disappointment with the film: "Nothing in the picture works. It is both overwrought and tedious, its complicated narrative bogging down in lyrical voiceover, long flashbacks and endless expository conversations between people speaking radically incompatible accents."[4]
Michael Medved gave All the King's Men two stars (out of four) calling it "..depressing and disappointing..", a "..stodgy melodrama.." and a "..pointless, pretentious, plodding period-piece."[5]
Steven Zaillian was clearly stunned by the critical and box-office failure of this film, which opened with only $3.8 million and barely made more than $7 million at the end of its run in US' theaters. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Zaillian said that it was "like getting hit by a truck. ... I don't know what to make of it." [6]
[edit] Differences between the book and film
- The film (with the exception of flashbacks) is set during the early 1950s. The book is set during the Great Depression.
- Willie Stark's son Tom has a more prominent role in the book than in the film. In the book he is portrayed as rebellious and arrogant, and clearly resentful of the way his father attempts to live vicariously through his youth. None of those features are portrayed in the film.
- Sugar Boy is portrayed as a stuttering imbecile who worships Willie's every move in the book. In the film, he rarely talks, and is portrayed as a strong and silent bodyguard. His adoration for the Boss is not emphasized.
- Jack’s character is far more complex in the book. He is a pessimist, seems to be apathetic towards life, and is obsessed with Anne Stanton. The film only partially captures Jack’s feelings. Notably, his philosophical discussion in the novel about what he calls "The Great Twitch" is absent in the film. He is also semi-hostile towards negroes, an aspect that is not portrayed in the film.
- Jack’s doctoral research storyline is not in the film. His research was about Cass Mastern, an ancestor who lived in the Antebellum South and fought in the American Civil War. The book devotes an extensive passage to the story of Mastern and the way in which he unwittingly and drastically influences the lives of others, which many critics have argued serves as the novel's moral center. Jack walks away from his study of Mastern because he is unwilling to accept the way in which people's actions influence the fates of others.
- Jack is far more enraged in the book when he learns that Willie has taken Anne as a mistress.
- The whole storyline in the book involving Tom Stark is removed. He is only seen a few times in the film. In the book Tom impregnates a girl, which threatens his governor father with a huge scandal (A scene to this effect is included on the DVD). His father whitewashes the situation by bribing the girl’s family, while his wife agrees to raise the child. Shortly afterwards, Tom gets seriously injured during a college football game. After an unsuccessful surgery performed by Adam Stanton and a revered spinal doctor, Tom becomes a vegetable, eventually dying shortly after his father’s assassination.
- The film ends a few minutes after Willie Stark’s assassination, explaining little (through newspaper headlines) about what takes place after the event. In the book, the author/Jack Burden explains many things that take place after the assassination, which includes Tom’s death. By chance Jack encounters Sugar Boy at a library and nearly coaxes him into assassinating Tiny Duffy to avenge the death of Willie (A scene to this effect is included on the DVD). Jack also reveals that he and Anne got married. In addition, Jack returns to his study of Cass Mastern, now prepared to cope with "the awful responsibility of time."
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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All the King's Men (2006) 
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