Up & Coming Weekly

20 UCW JANUARY 20-26, 2010 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Cormac McCarthy is a spare, philosophical, masculinist author. His work doesn't always translate well to the big screen … beyond the fact that Matt Damon starred in the adaptation; All the Pretty Horses is a complete blur. No Country for Old Men was a surprising suc- cess, but even after watching the end three times I can't explain the deeper meaning behind Tommy Lee Jones' ending monologue (feel free to write in and explain it to me!). The Road (111 minutes) is in my top ten favorite novels, and while the film doesn't manage to translate all the nuances, it comes pretty close. While Australian director John Hillcoat must have been a risk, he certainly knows what he is doing. He kept the film in the real world and favored locations such as Pittsburgh and New Orleans over CGI work. His decision pays off in suspension of disbelief, and offers a nice contrast to most modern films. His 2005 film, Proposition, made it onto my queue immediately. The Father (Viggo Mortenson) and The Wife (Charlize Theron) survive an unspecified apocalyptic event. They are lucky enough to be in a sheltered area, and unlucky enough to be in an extremely vul- nerable position — The Wife is pregnant. Though unclear why they are living in an isolated area during the last stages of a pregnancy, The Father manages to facilitate the birth of The Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Aside: Smit-McPhee has amazing presence for one of his age, but doesn't quite fit my idea of the Boy, who I expected to be smaller and quiet- er. At least he does not come off as overly poised or precocious, which might have ruined the character. Unable to deal with the reality of the world they now share with few others, the Wife takes another path than the Father and the Boy. The Father plans to head towards the coast, under the tenuous hope that life by the ocean will be an improvement. As they travel down The Road, they are met with a twisted Grimm's fairy tale version of the world. As in the book, they encounter a variety of other survivors dur- ing the course of their journey. These survivors include Old Man (an almost unrecognizable Robert Duvall), Motherly Woman (Molly Parker from Deadwood), and Veteran (Guy Pearce, who is desperately in need of a dentist and a salon). In one of the tensest scenes, Father and Boy unknowingly enter the lair of cannibals. This particular scene is shot very tastefully (pun totally intended). Enough is shown to reveal the horrors, but via judi- cious editing the viewer is left to imagine what is not shown. Fans of the post-apocalyptic genre will enjoy the powerful adapta- tion even if they haven't finished the book. Fans of the book will not be disappointed, although they will notice the expanded role of the Wife, as well as the compression of certain events. Other characters are slightly altered from the book, but that seems primarily a practi- cal decision. With so much of the novel consisting of internal mono- logue and descriptive narrative, the protagonists needed someone to interact with in order to fully develop on-screen personas and plot. Most changes are consistent with the intention of the novel. Post - Apocalyptic Fairy Tale The Road (Rated R) by HEATHER GRIFFITHS HEATHER GRIFFITHS, Contributing Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com Special thanks to E 24th Annual Mid-Carolina Senior Games & Silver Arts April 14 - 29, 2010 April 14 - 29, 2010 Entry Forms Now Available Early Bird Registration Deadline: March 10 Final Registration Deadline: March 26 All entry forms must be received in our offi ce by 5 p.m. Sponsors still needed! Sponsors still needed! For more information on registration, sponsorship or to volunteer Contact Local Coordinator Tracy Davis at 910-323-4191, ext. 27 or email tdavis@mccog.org.

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