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Movie Preview: Revolutionary Road

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:29:08 PDT

I have been waiting anxiously to see what a movie version of Richard Yates's classic novel, Revolutionary Road, might look like. Back when the casting news (a Titanic reunion for Winslet and DiCaprio) first appeared, we hadn't heard of a TV show called Mad Men and we didn't have a drama set in this time period unfolding - complete with spectacular costume and set design - in our homes Sunday after Sunday. So now that we have this film, all about the repression and the ennui of living in suburbia during this era, will audiences be as interested if it's not about the Drapers?

Perhaps the cast and the director (Winslet's husband, Sam Mendes, who directed another movie about suburban frustration, American Beauty) will help to lure people in. I personally think everyone should read the novel first, as it quickly became one of my favorite books of all time. The trailer shows pretty much all you need to know about the story, so to check it out,

Revolutionary Road - Trailer | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

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Buzz Book Club: The End of Revolutionary Road

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:30:14 PDT

Welcome back, members of the Buzz Book Club! Now that you've finished Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road, we can talk about what all this suburban-life-in-the-1950s stuff is about. In fact, it will be interesting to discuss this book now as a whole work, rather than section by section, because we have every piece of the puzzle in place to sort out what Yates is driving at here.

The movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, will be out in December, so we have plenty of time to mull over how on earth such a powerfully written book can be adapted for film.

Last week's assignment was to finish the book. After the jump you'll find some discussion topics that struck me as I read to the end. Also, if you're just joining and want to catch up, you can find all of our Revolutionary Road discussions thus far here.

Hopefully you're not too emotional after finishing this novel, so to discuss

Can you imagine Leo as Frank and Kate as April? I'm having such a hard time with that! And while I love Kathy Bates, I had a totally different impression of what Mrs. Helen Givings would be like. What do you think? Who would you cast?
Speaking of the movie, I’m curious which parts of the story you think will translate well to a movie and which you think are best suited to print. For example, in my mind, the events of the novel wouldn't work well in chronological order, so I'm curious to find out how the movie will give us the backstory as well as the "present day" happenings.
After the first assignment, we discussed how there wasn't exactly one single character who stood out as the person we were supposed to be rooting for. By the devastating end, however, April had become almost like the heroine in my eyes, as she seemed like she was becoming more honest with herself. Did you find yourself rooting for any of the characters in particular by the end of the book?
The theme of abortion is clearly front and center in this book - both literally (April's abortion) and figuratively speaking (the Wheelers abort their plan to move to Europe, for one). Is there a grander message about the idea of abortion that Yates is trying to get across?
What did you think of the ending? Could you envision a different ending that also could have worked?

Buzz Book Club: Revolutionary Road, Section Three

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:38:14 PDT

Round Three, fellow Buzz Book Club readers! This third section of the March book club selection, Revolutionary Road, was longer than the others have been, so we have much to discuss after the jump.

If you're new to the Book Club, this is how it goes: every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in March). In these weekly Book Club posts, I'll posit a few questions to prompt discussion in the comments section.

Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.

The next assignment: Finish the book! Next week I'll post our final Revolutionary Road discussion post and announce the title of our next book club selection.

To discuss the second section of Revolutionary Road (in which we read to the end of Part Two, Chapter 6),

April and Frank go to such lengths to manipulate each other's perception of their gender roles. April wants to get to Paris, but feels the need to convince Frank that it's all for him and that, as the good wife, she's willing to go to work to support the family. Do we believe this? Or is she just supporting Frank's idea of what a man and a woman should be like when she truly wishes to work?
What does Paris represent for Frank and April? What did the East Coast represent for Shep? Are those two things related, and what do all the escapism fantasies in the book really mean?
Does Frank want to "find himself" or does he really just want to be appreciated? Would accepting the promotion be resigning himself to a life he doesn't really want, and if so, why would he consider it? Does he really want to "excel at crap like that" (p. 126) despite protestations otherwise? What does that say about the nature of work and his relationship with it?
What's up with Mrs Givings? She's another one of the Wheeler foils we meet in this section, and as such, what part of their lives is she reflecting? Her breakdown scene really struck me because it was so sudden - does she represent the suburban lie that everything is really just fine?
Then there's her husband. If anyone's pretending suburban life is just fine, it's him turning his hearing aid off. Is this perhaps the key to surviving this world? Is he maybe the happiest, and most well-adjusted character because he is able to tune it all out?
Finally, it's interesting that the Givings' son John is so creepy and mentally disturbed; clearly he is supposed to represent something. Is his ugliness and crudeness like a cautionary tale? It's all autumn leaves and glossy appliances on the outside, but maybe John represents the ugly truth about what's going on deep down inside the American suburban soul.

Buzz Book Club: Revolutionary Road, Section Two

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:30:56 PDT

Welcome back, fellow Buzz Book Club readers! Last week we examined the first section of our March selection, Revolutionary Road, and now we're moving onto the second section.

This second section was slim, but definitely intense. Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.

The next assignment: Read from Part One, Chapter 7 to the end of Part Two, Chapter 6.

To discuss the second section of Revolutionary Road,

In this section we get more information about Frank, his identity and how he perceives himself. As he rides home one day, he thinks about the way "a man" should ride a train. What is Frank's ideal of a man?
Along similar lines, Frank initially viewed his job as a temporary thing when April was first pregnant, and he still considers it something he is above doing but needs to do in order to provide for his wife and children. Is Frank right to believe he was unfairly sucked into a monotonous and unfulfilling work life, or should he bear some more responsibility for his decisions?
The description of Frank's office and the monotony of his job struck me as similar to that of Office Space, or an unfunny version of The Office. Do you find it depressing that the same boredom and blandness of office life continues to plague us, almost 50 years later? Or do you think things have changed?

Buzz Book Club: Revolutionary Road, Section One

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:42:56 PST

Welcome back, members of the Buzz Book Club! Last week I announced the title of March's book selection: the classic novel Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

As I mentioned before, every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in March). In these weekly Book Club posts, I'll posit a few questions to prompt discussion in the comments section.

The first assignment was to read from Part One, Chapter One to the end of Part One, Chapter Four. Of course, you are welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this first section.

The next assignment: Read from Part One, Chapter Five to the end of Part One, Chapter Six

Ready to discuss the first section of Revolutionary Road? Well, then

While the story thus far is told mostly from Frank's perspective, no one has really emerged as the protagonist, or the person we connect emotionally with and want to root for wholeheartedly. How do you feel about this?
The failure of the theater company's production seems significant. What do you think this failure represents?
Yates' use of imagery is absolutely masterful. I was struck over and over by this, but one section I found particularly impressive is the description of Milly Campbell lighting up when she recalls a piece of gossip to share with the Wheelers:

She was off again, but this was a wholly different kind of monologue: everyone was listening. The urgency of her voice and the eager way she leaned forward to tug her skirt down over her wrinkled knees had galvanized them all with the promise of a new theme, and Milly savored the capture of her audience, wanting to let the revelation come out as slowly as possible.

Are there any moments in this section that you found particularly striking?

Buzz Book Club: Revolutionary Road

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:29:39 PST

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! I had a great time reading The Other Bolyen Girl all throughout February, and I'm equally excited about this next selection: Richard Yates' 1961 classic Revolutionary Road.

Now, full disclosure: I have read this book and recently wrote about my uneasiness at the thought of turning this emotional novel into a movie. However, I so enjoyed Yates' writing and found the book to be so rich with discussion topics - especially in regard to the idea of modern dystopia - that I just couldn't resist reading it again.

For those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works:
I'll announce a new book each month. Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in March). In these weekly Book Club posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

By the end of the month we will have gotten through this dark, gorgeously written look at life in the suburbs in the 1950s, and we'll be fully equipped to watch the movie later this year to see how it compares. To see what Revolutionary Road is all about, and to get your first assignment,

The synopsis for Revolutionary Road reads:
"From the moment of its publication in 1961, Revolutionary Road was hailed as a masterpiece of realistic fiction and as the most evocative portrayal of the opulent desolation of the American suburbs. It's the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a bright, beautiful, and talented couple who have lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves."

Your first assignment: Read from Part One, Chapter One to the end of Part One, Chapter Four. (Feel free to read ahead, but no spoilers, please!) We'll chat about this first section next Friday, March 7.

Ready? Set? Go read!

Revolutionary Road: Too Good a Book to Be a Movie

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:33:39 PDT

Recently there has been a surge of books being turned into movies. While that's not a new concept, it's becoming a frustrating trend, mostly because the film versions so rarely live up to the experience of reading the book.

I am squeamish about The Time Traveler's Wife (despite some good casting choices) as well as the adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir Eat, Pray, Love. I can just envision the most powerful moments in those books being reduced to neat little scenes that can't possibly deliver as strong a punch. Just this week, too, there was the news that The Bell Jar is being made into a film, and I'm still not comfortable with that idea. Simply put, some things should not be adapted for the big screen, and The Bell Jar is one of those things.

Joining this parade now is Richard Yates' 1961 novel Revolutionary Road. As TIME Magazine puts it, Yates' "great novel is a bitterly funny and bitterly unfunny account of lethal disappointment in the Connecticut suburbs in 1955." Having just finished reading it, not only can I not imagine it on screen, I definitely cannot see the casting choices in the two main roles: Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. While I think they're both exceptional actors (or rather, Winslet is and DiCaprio can be), I just don't want to see this book adapted for film. For more on why,

It's an astounding work of fiction, touching on issues and complexities from the time period in a way I've never before encountered. It's a very dark tale but not without humor, and the way in which Yates presents this couple's experiences - along with comments on the society at the time - feels like a three-dimensional experience. To force it into two dimensions will be to dramatically detract from the story.

Director Sam Mendes is on board for Revolutionary Road, which makes sense in some ways since he was responsible for another stark tale of American suburbia, American Beauty. Thus, I'm not utterly without hope. At the same time, I feel the need to encourage everyone to read Revolutionary Road before it loses its shine on the big screen.

What books do you wish were not made - or were not being made - into films?