Yikes!!!!!! A Major Motion Picture!!!!

One of my favorite mystery writers is Patricia Cornwell. Her Dr. Kay Scarpetta series is a really excellent!! I've read all sixteen books in the series. I received her newsletter in my email a few days ago and it brought the news that the latest book, "Scarpetta" is being made into a major motion picture. The website has the info in detail.

Sigh. Yawn. Now I don't know about y'all, but more often than not, I find that when books I've read are made into movies, 99.9% of the time I'm disappointed. Now I'm intelligent enough to understand that a lot of revision has to be done to condense a book to the length required for the silver screen and that some screen writers do better than others at understanding what's essential to the plot and characters.

What's got me frosted is casting. They are casting Angelina Jolie in the title role. After reading the entire series -- all sixteen books -- I think I ban say that there is no way in hell I can see her in that role and I'm sure other Scarpetta fans agree. Somehow I simply don't see what the producers were thinking as she really isn't the right 'type' to play Kay Scarpetta. (Nor is she the right type to play Kay Dennison. lol) I have not been impressed with Ms. Jolie and have decided that I will not see this film as the writing will probably as bad as the casting. I try to avoid getting annoyed when possible so I doubt that I will see this film.

It's been my experience that anytime Hollywood gets hold of a mystery series detective, they botch it. They did it to Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder and John D. McDonald's Travis McGee (although the latter said he never let them do it again). They've done it time and again -- botching plots and casting badly. Adapting is one thing; changing stories completely is another. I'd like to think Ms. Cornwell is maintaining a certain amount of creative control but with the choice for the title role, I think not.

I rarely like movies made from books. They have to cut too much from the story so my feeling this way is no great surprise. And yeah, as far as I'm concerned, the only Bond ever worth a damn was Sean Connery so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

The reason I wrote this is that I wondered if any of y'all are fans of this series and want to know what you think.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Kay