[hardy-l] film to novel: Tess

[Arthur Efron]

I have seen both of the two hour screenings of the new TESS film on PBS. 
It's very moving.  I was overwhelmed with sadness in the last sections 
of the first, as Angel and Tess approach their wedding day, and I cried 
at the end of the second one.

I have no strong objections to the film. It is a good user of Hardy's 
plot lines, and makes intelligent condensations for the most part. The 
acting is fine. It can stand alone.  Nonetheless I think it is nothing 
next to the novel.

Here is a little story about what might be at stake.  Me friend the 
novelist Charles Baxter was able to sell one of his novels, THE FEAST OF 
LOVE, to Hollywood a very few years ago. He was too smart to try to take 
part in making the film, but had confidence in the director. The 
director went to some trouble: he got Morgan Freeman to do one of the 
main roles. But the result with the changes that were made thoroughly 
disgusted the author. He said that I should not even see it! I did see 
it and I think it is a good film. Charlie, though, said that the only 
good thing that might come from the film it is that  a few people might 
be interested enough to read or re-read the novel.

It is, by the way, a wonderful novel.

I'll have more in a later post.

--Art Efron