Lasse Hallstrom's films, such as The Cider House Rules and
Chocolat, tell convincingly life-affirming stories about the
strength of the human spirit, where characters come to terms with the
unearthing of long-held taboo secrets. The messages in his films often
suggest that moral boundaries are crossed more often than not, and
everyone eventually has to face the skeletons in their closets. In
his latest film, The Shipping News, Hallstrom continues in this
tradition exceptionally well. The problem is, the film is based on
the Pulitzer-prize winning novel of the same name by E. Annie Proulx,
and films often pale in comparison to their literary counterparts. This
film is no exception.
The movie stars Kevin Spacey, as the hapless Mr. Quoyle, a simpleton who
works as an ink setter for a newspaper. He fumbles into a marriage in
name only, and has a child named Bunny. His wife dies about ten years
later, after having sold their daughter to a black market adoption
agency and trying to escape with a barfly she recently met. It's when
Quoyle's father dies that his life takes a change. It turns out his
father had a stepsister named Agnis (Judi Dench), who shows up one
day to claim his ashes, and Quoyle decides to follow her back to
Newfoundland, with daughter Bunny in tow. There, the three begin a
new life in the long-abandoned house his father and Agnis grew up in,
and where Quoyle slowly learns of his ugly family secrets of murder,
incest and rape. Through a complex series of events and relationships,
Quoyle evolves a new sense of reconciliation and purpose in life
As a churning backdrop of the cold and desolate seascape of Canada's
Newfoundland, the movie evokes the same emotions from its characters
and from the audience. Mood is the major strength of the film, and is
done so effectively that it almost overshadows its weaker points. All
the performances are top-notch, the story is compelling, and the
messages are cognizant of human emotion. So, what's wrong? It's Quoyle
himself. This isn't really Kevin Spacey's fault; there's no question
that his performance is one of his best, and this grade-A film owes
its success to the depth and warmth he portrays. No, it's that there is
still something not quite right about the character that irked me. To
understand that, we have to go to the source: the book itself.
I hesitate to do this so reactively, since literary works and movies
are inherently different narrative forms, and comparing one with the
other is, in my opinion, like comparing apples and oranges. Movies,
by their nature, are forced to focus on a smaller set of issues than a
book, but, if done well, they can be extraordinarily moving on the same
storyline. The challenge for a filmmaker is to choose which parts of
the book to adapt and express well. In the case of The Shipping News,
the main thrust of the book is Quoyle. Ms. Proulx's characterization
of him is that of a physically grotesque and freakish oaf, and it is
partially this persona that makes the impact of the things that happen
to him have the profound effect that is felt from the book. By contrast,
Spacey's portrayal of Quoyle is too "normal" and likeable, both in his
personality and his physical presence to have the kinds of quirks and
inconsistently positive/negative behaviors that he's supposed to have.
There are other differences in depictions between the film and the novel,
but I can more easily forgive them as creative interpretations by two
equally gifted story-tellers and mediums. That Hallstrom beautifies
scenics or other features of the story that the novel is less sentimental
about is an example of this. Again, the book was much better, but
the movie is hardly an unmoving experience. It's fantastic. But not
acknowledging the main thrust of the main character is where I take
exception.
I understand that it's nearly impossible to compress an incredible novel
into a two hour movie, so I'm more forgiving than others may be. In fact,
as a film, I found The Shipping News to be one of the best I've seen in
ages. If you don't read the book, you may even agree.
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