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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Elaine May is my favorite director of all time and her adaptation of this short story is in my top 3 films — so I was fully expecting to love this. Sadly, it in no way stacks up to the film (I think this will be the first and last time my literature-loving self will ever say this about an adaptation), Jack Ritchie’s writing and sparse attempts at comedy throughout the story are bland and fall flat; the funniest thing in the story isn’t even related to the story itself in the long run just a little fun fact that a character in the story (who does not appear in the film) is named Elaine, and that for some reason made me giggle when I read it. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone unless, like me, you are drawn to the idea of comparing and contrasting May’s film to the source material; other than that I’d just suggest watching the movie.
Ever since I read the following in Roger Ebert’s review of Elaine May’s A New Leaf (1971) I was desperate to read the short story: “newspaper reports indicate that her original cut was an hour longer and included two murders.”
I looked everywhere for this story online but to no avail, if it hadn’t been for a very nice online friend, I wouldn’t have gotten my hands on it.
It is so funny! Two of my favorite lines are William’s “Me, selfish?” and Henrietta’s “He’s rather fond of me. It was very thoughtful of him to cry at our wedding.”
Absolutely loved it!
I looked everywhere for this story online but to no avail, if it hadn’t been for a very nice online friend, I wouldn’t have gotten my hands on it.
It is so funny! Two of my favorite lines are William’s “Me, selfish?” and Henrietta’s “He’s rather fond of me. It was very thoughtful of him to cry at our wedding.”
Absolutely loved it!