While browsing Entertainment Weekly’s website, I ran across an article talking about how now that J.D. Salinger has passed, Hollywood is buzzing about obtaining the rights to Catcher in the Rye. Yes, the man isn’t even buried yet, and they want to get their grubby, literature destroying paws onto this literary masterpiece.
Now thankfully for Mr. Salinger, if the bloodsuckers in Hollywood DO manage to get a hold of Catcher in the Rye and they maim it (as they probably will), he will not be around to see it. But on the other side, if they get their hands on it and manage to make a beautiful, well cast, well written adaptation (I am laughing hysterically at the thought of them pulling that off), then he won’t be around to see its beauty.
But either end of the spectrum you look at, Salinger did not want Catcher to be made into a movie and for almost 60 years he outright refused to allow them to touch his work. There is a reason for that. This is why I have a short letter to Hollywood…
Dear Hollywood,
There is a reason J.D. Salinger spent the last 59 years of his life refusing to give you the rights to Catcher in the Rye. That reason is because you have the ability to take amazing works of literature and turn them into two hours of complete and utter crap.
Once you get your money-hungry, masterpiece-ruining paws on a single word of a classic like Catcher in the Rye and you would update the setting and whatnot and then cast the likes of *Justin Timberlake, Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson, or Taylor Lautner** as Holden and that would already be a travesty. We won’t even begin to go into the directors they could potentially employ.
So Hollywood, I beg of you, step away from Catcher in the Rye and go find something that’s not a classic, and not so beloved to ruin for the millions of people that pay a small fortune to sit in a theater with 200 strangers to see. Just don’t ruin this.
Sincerely,
Samantha LeAnne
*These are the names I saw mentioned in the comments of the EW.com article…no, I am not making this up.
**His absolute gorgeousness does not excuse the fact that I would never ever want to see him portray Holden…ever.
How do you guys feel about the idea of Cather in the Rye becoming the next casualty in Hollywood's string of book-to-movie adaptations?
First off are you actually sending that letter o hollywood? Cause if you are (and it would be good that you did) you gotta tone down the insults a little bit if you want to be taken seriously xD
ReplyDeleteOther than that it made me laugh! And you are right they do take masterpieces and make then crap, BUT not all the time mind you.
Great post :)
I totally support you, it's disrespectful to make a movie out of a book right when the author dies, it's so rude!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Taschima, you could make this into an editorial: use facts and 'tone down the insults'.
Thanks for the opinionated post!
How do I feel about Catcher bieing turned into a soulless work of cinema? I feel cold all over and slightly nauseated.
ReplyDeleteI love that book! Holden is one of my favorite characters and there's just no way any of those actors could do him justice.
I hope that Sallinger fit it in his will that Catcher was never to be sold to the Hollwood wolves!
Great post! I liked your letter. Too bad we're not in the movie blogosphere, then our opinions on this matter might be taken into account. :(
Thanks guys! And no, I'm not actually going to send them the letter! lol. I would, but I can't be unannoyed by the thought enough to be polite :P
ReplyDeleteIt was more a way to get out frustration by the thought of a Catcher movie, and to amuse everyone else :)