It's beyond me why anyone would even try to make a film adaptation of Ther Bell Jar. The story *does not* lend itself well to film. There's too much inner monologue - even if you turned it into a voice-over, it would get old very quickly. Also, it's so episodic and vignette-ish that it would probably be confusing as all hell onscreen. They should have left it alone.
shareMust agree with you about the quality of the movie... just plain bad bad bad. I wouldn't call it unfilmable, though... if only because I want to be Esther when they finally make a good one(haha)!
sharei disagree this book could make a great movie if the actress was right. the subject is one everyone woman can relate to and the story is engrossing.
shareI haven't seen the movie, but I agree it would be very hard to make a "good" or even "subpar" version of the book. Too much would be left out(Plath's main character, as you noted, had a lot of inner monologue which I agree would take out meaning as a voiceover). I recently heard they were going to make a new movie of it...something about Julia Stiles. Not sure if seeing the movie would ruin some of my own takes on the book or not though.
shareI haven't seen the movie but I rtaher agree with you that it doesn't lend itself to a film. The book gives you insight into Esther's mind, where the true breakdown is happening. In a film you would only see her on the outside, just a crazy lady. But the book made her breakdown and thoughts seem logical, to the point that you didn't realize it was happening. I don't see how a movie could deliver all that.
Without rules, we all might as well be up in a tree flinging our crap at each other.
I agree that it would be hard to film, but if the writing was really great it might work. Who knows? I guess we'll have to see, won't we?
sharePerhaps the best adaptation of The Bell jar has already been made--Girl, Interrupted (a postmodern treatment of the same hospital).
shareI haven't seen the film yet and I didn't know that one existed until now. Whenever I thought of the book, I always wondered how it might be adapted into a movie. Maybe Sofia Coppola could write the screenplay. I didn't think that The Virgin Suicides could be made well into a movie and I found the film to be pretty faithful to the book, so who knows... though Sofia may feel apprehensive about writing another screenplay involving suicide.
"Oh no, that's cool - that's why I got 'em!"..."Touch 'em... she likes it."
i dont think they ever should have put this on film, theres to much thought and people today...gah. but i can see wat ur saying about sofia coppala...if anyone should be writing it, id pick her.
you are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity- Buzz Lightyear
I agree!
Geo.
Casting alone, would be troublesome. I guess Julia Stiles could play Esther well, but in terms of Buddy, Doreen and Constantine... This is a widely-read book with masses of fans, so it'll be under heavy scrutiny and anticipation. Whoever makes it has an enormous responsibility to the fans of the book. Of course, we'll all be looking out for certain crucial scenes in the movie, from the book.
I'd also be interested to see how they'll interpret summer of 1953 New York, through the eyes of a 19-year-old depressive.
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The book is unreadable, too.
Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!
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Here's the part where you conclude I am certifiably insane: I didn't dislike this film. In fact, I rather liked it.
It doesn't do the book justice – really, the book would be better as a stage monologue or performance art – but I think Marilyn Hassett did a decent job playing Esther, considering the severe limitations of the script. This is a slice of late '70s cheese, melodramatic and disjointed, yet never boring or distractingly bad.
OK, it's been good knowing you.
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The book isn't unfilmable at all....what you are too attached to is the novel's actual prose.
The Bell Jar is a coming of age story...basically regarding the conflict a young woman feels in the early 1950's, between her own career/artistic drive and the standard expectations society and she herself places on her as a potential wife/mother.
There is also the conflict of Esther transitioning from succeeding in the academic world to succeeding in the "real world" beyond college.
Not to mention the conflict of being anxious and depressed in seemingly "normal" New England society.
These are all very fertile, dramatic situations.
.
But that isn't what it is at all. You are too attached to is the novel's actual plot.
Which is the same reason this 1979 filming was so ghastly.
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