Friday, August 19, 2011

One Love

 The big-screen adaptation of the novel "One Day" comes out today, and that made me want to pull out my review of that book, which I wrote on 10/23/10. As I read this now, I find that I was less kind than I thought. I like the book much more, and now really have higher hopes for the movie. 

 


I remember this past summer, everyone and their mother seemed to be reading "One Day," by David Nicholls. I knew it was one of those love stories, but I wasn't rushing to read it. I told myself I would when I found a cheap copy of the book. Then one day I got an email from Amazon saying that the e-Book version was on sale for $6.00 so I said why not.

The story isn't new. Two people, who obviously are so right for each other, live their lives tip-toeing around having a relationship. But timing is never right, and they move along. If done well, it could be entertainingly maddening, with you screaming to the characters: "Can't you see how much you two are meant to be together?" And, that part of the book is done so well that I did find myself screaming that to the characters. There is much wit in the dialogue that I wanted to read them out aloud. Even though much of the references are British in nature, they were all accessible enough that you got them. I found myself rooting for them to be together, cursing their obstacles. I rode the roller coaster ride of their love story.

But the last eighth of the book was so disappointing. I would have preferred for the tone to have been lighter, but it just turned dark, and I felt blind-sided. I guess that was part of the strategy, but I never want to get built up only to find I have been set up.

This book is Hollywood ready, and Anne Hathaway has been cast as the female lead, which I think is a great casting choice. It is to be directed by the man behind "An Education," so I hope the tone of the film would be similar to "Love Actually."  I do feel, though, that there would be a Nicholas Spark influence in the screen adaptation somewhere there. And that would be not good. But I will hope. They say it springs eternal.

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