The Road

[Dustinl]

After reading McCarthy's "The Road", and coming to the conclusion that not only is he my favorite author, and "The Road" is my favorite fiction, I will finally be able to see the movie.

The Road was not released in a theatre close to us so we had to wait until today for it to be released on DVD. I have mixed feelings about seeing the movie. First, the book was extremely sad, as with all McCarthy books and I'm afraid the movie will be much worse. I know the story is about goodness prevailing over darkness and evil, it just hits home because i have a young son.

At any rate, my wife just bought the movie for us. Has anyone else watched it? What are your thoughts? How does it compare to the book?



DL

 

[Obsessed]

I really want to see the movie. I thought the book was amazing, although I think "extremely sad" is actually an understatement.

 

[The Knize]

After reading McCarthy's "The Road", and coming to the conclusion that not only is he my favorite author, and "The Road" is my favorite fiction, I will finally be able to see the movie.

The Road was not released in a theatre close to us so we had to wait until today for it to be released on DVD. I have mixed feelings about seeing the movie. First, the book was extremely sad, as with all McCarthy books and I'm afraid the movie will be much worse. I know the story is about goodness prevailing over darkness and evil, it just hits home because i have a young son.

At any rate, my wife just bought the movie for us. Has anyone else watched it? What are your thoughts? How does it compare to the book?



DL

I have seen the movie. I just recently downloaded the book from Audible.com, but have not listened to it yet. I like Coleman McCarthy a lot. And I liked both the movie and the book of No Country for Old Men.

Tell you what though, I would rather you see the movie "cold," so to speech and not be influenced by me or for that matter any reiviews if you can avoid them. I was glad that I had not read any reviews when I saw it.

We can chat about it after you see it. I will certainly go so far as to say it is worth seeing, so you will not be wasting your time! From what I have heard if you can handle the sadness/bleakness of the book, you should be able to handle the movie. And, yes, you may be affected all the more for having a son. I think I was!

 

[proxymoron]

I like Coleman McCarthy a lot.

Cormac's a pretty fair hand, too.

I was impressed by the book. Utterly bleak yet somehow compelling. Stayed away from the movie because I just wasn't convinced that they'd be able to stick to the ending (which, from my perspective, was already too Hollywood and nearly ruined it for me).

 

[gaseousclay]

Haven't seen the movie yet, but like some of you, i'm apprehensive about watching it after reading the book. i'm concerned about some of the embellishments that were added to the film, which may or may not add anything. I love Viggo Mortensen and thought the director did a good job with The Proposition, so I guess it has potential.

I'd still like to see someone make a movie for Blood Meridian

 

[LarryAndro]

I've read the book. Stunning! Wrenching!! But, as a father with two sons, it was a good kind of hurt as one of Gary Larson's Far Siders said.

(Clem... leaning against a wagon wheel, with an arrow thru his chest... as I recall.)

I've seen the movie. I wasn't disappointed. The movie felt just like the book in my opinion. There will be difference of opinion. But, I believe the movie was faithful to the spirit of the book, and very often and usually was fair to the facts in the book. (Often, my imagination of scenes when I read were not much different than the scenes portrayed in the movie that I saw later.)

"The Road" didn't show anywhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth area I ever could find except for an artsy theater in Dallas. I drove 20+ miles to see it.

My two bits...

 

[Confilo]

one of my favorite authors

 

[The Knize]

"Cormac"! Believe me I know better. Thanks for the correction.

I just checked the reviews on Rotten Tomato. This movie got good reviews. I do not understand why it was not released more broadly and/or why its release was delayed multiple times, as if the film really had problems of some sort.

I changed my mind and will comment briefly on the film before Dustini sees it. I thought was very good. Not an easy film to watch, of course, but quite compelling, and a well realized version of humanity turned to barbarism. And the Father-Son relationship is well rendered and moving. The only distraction was that it did remind me of so many zombie movies of the past decade or so. I do not know why it would not have been well received if released more broadly. From what I can tell it captured the book pretty well--a book that many apparently considered unfimable.

 

[Luc]

I didn't like the Road (book) either... However, the Border triology (All The pretty horses and I forget the other 2) and No Country for old men where a very good read!

 

[David in Boston]

Didn't read the book but did see the movie.

It is not your typical Hollywood movie.

The movie was "dark" yet it honored the strength of the "Human Spirt".

You'll come out of the movie thinking about what is important in life.

See it!

 

[SmoovD]

Loved the book. Haven't seen the movie but I shall.

 

[Sullybob]

I loved the book. I read it as an assignment in an American Literature class. I haven't seen the movie only because I was afraid that it won't do the movie justice. After reading the comments here, it appears that I need to see the movie also.

 

[Mic360]

Loved the book and I refuse to watch the movie after the previews I have seen.

 

[Wendy]

My hubby is putting it in as we speak, I hope it is good.

 

[Yonjuro]

I loved the book, couldn't put it down, it has been a long while since a book had me that enthralled.

I watched the movie last night on Blu Ray. I wasn't disappointed it was very well done, I would find it hard to imagine a better film depiction of the book.

My wife hasn't read the book, and she was put off initially but she was crying in the end, and you generally wont do that if you can't connect with the characters or story.

Dont be put off by the previews , if they don't appeal.

 

[Verderer]

The book was very powerful, and reminded me in some ways of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Civilization is only skin deep. But unlike Conrad, it seems McCarthy has some faith in the human nature, despite all the bleakness and despair.

Haven't seen the movie.

 

[dom1610]

Having watched the movie a few nights ago and having re-read the book again not long before that, I'm happy to report it was a very good film. The look and feel of the world felt almost ripped from the pages of the book, everything dusty and dilapidated. I felt the flashbacks to the mans' wife were a little over used, but it seemed they were used to lift the spirits of the audience. All in all, a very good adaptation, not 100% true to the book, but I don't think the book would translate perfectly to the big screen. I'll definately watch it again.

 

[LarryAndro]

My wife hasn't read the book, and she was put off initially but she was crying in the end...

Women cry when they finish this book. But, us men...

 

[The Knize]

I remember now that there was some written about how the trailers for this film were poorly done and seemed to try to put a different spin on the movie than they should have, apparently in a misguided efffort to sell more seats or something like that. Apparently the trailers did not make anyone want to see the movie. I think this was a movie that the studio did not quite know what to do with.

 

[David in Boston]

...Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Civilization is only skin deep. But unlike Conrad, it seems McCarthy has some faith in the human nature...

Well said.