Three Good Bets to Become Movie Blockbusters

If ever there is a situation where the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for," applies, this is it. There have been any number of excellent books that have somehow managed to end up as really bad movies. Joseph Heller's Catch 22 is probably the most prominent example I can think of, off the top of my head. Please do take that observation to heart: read the book; shun the movie.

In an earlier essay, I wrote about John Kennedy Toole's wonderful novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. You are more than welcome to read that article in your copious and abundant spare time, but I bring it up here because it went into the movie-making possibilities for that story. I did discuss that aspect in some detail, but, the more I think about it, the more I have a premonition that, if somebody does eventually decide to produce it, they are going to have improper relations with the pooch. For that reason, as much as I liked the book, I am leaving it off my very short list.

The three books I did select are all by authors who have already had some of their novels turned into movies, with varying results. Of the three, Elmore Leonard has the best "batting average" in terms of film adaptations that have been good to excellent. Stephen King has the worst, although a few of his books translated all right onto the screen. Needful Things, on the other hand, was an abomination unto the Lord. The third author, Ken Follett, has not had as many books made into movies. The film adaptation of his best-known spy novel, Eye of the Needle, at least did not let the written story down, inasmuch as they were both mediocre.

I learned that there is a movie being made of his best novel to date, The Pillars of the Earth. Of course, I plan to see it when it comes out, but, for now, let me implore all who are involved with the making of it: please, please, please, please, PLEASE do not screw it up.

Let me now discuss the three I would like to see Hollywood take a chance on, in chronological order of their publication.

1. The Long Walk by Richard Bachman, but, really, Stephen King, 1979

This was among the first of the "Bachman Books" and probably the best thing King ever wrote. He put a few books out under that pseudonym because he felt he had been flooding his market with Stephen King books, and he may have been right. The man is entirely prolific.

I was amused when I heard that some literary critic (who had not been clued in about the alias) said of the first Bachman stories, something like, "This guy writes like Stephen King would write, if Stephen King knew how to write." There are a number of people out there who want to put King a cut below the better novelists because of the nature of his material: horror and the supernatural. That is a crock. He is one of the greatest novelists of our time, and that's that.

To be sure, anyone who puts out so much stuff is bound to misfire, every so often, but The Long Walk was a straight shot to the bull's eye.

The story is set in a future and very grim America, where this contest, called "The Long Walk," has become a major spectator sport. A hundred young men start a marathon walk from the north of Maine, and just keep walking, night and day; rain or shine; no rest, until there is only one walker left. The first prize is the winner is set for life. The second prize is very much like the 99^th prize, and it's one that a contestant would probably wish to decline, if only he could.

The contest is run by a man only known as "The Major," sort of implying a paramilitary state for our future America. It is certainly a state whose values are far removed from the ones we hold today, in or out of the mainstream.

Director Frank Darabont, who had a success with another King novel, The Shawshank Redemption, has taken out an option to make a film of The Long Walk, but, so far, nothing definite has come about. In the event it ever does, I am not going to spoil the plot any further. If you want, go to your library or bookstore and spoil it for yourself.

By the way, a Bachman Book is, by no means, a ticket to cinematic success. Another of them was Running Man, which was also excellent, until it got made into a stink bomb of a movie.

2. Tishomingo Blues by Elmore Leonard, 2002

Elmore Leonard has written a few westerns, some of which weren't bad, but he is best known for his gritty crime fiction.

The title refers to a Mississippi enterprise known as the Tishomingo Lodge & Casino, where the story's protagonist works as a daredevil diver, for the entertainment of the gamblers. The diver, Dennis Lenahan, is joined by a number of characters who serve to make his life "interesting," including a black visitor from Detroit, named Robert Taylor, with an extensive agenda; a sheriff who pays a skinny whore to beat him up, and a number of ne'er-do-wells who compose the local outpost of the Dixie Mafia or, as some would have it, "The Cornbread Cosa Nostra."

To add an extra element of excitement to the mix, the story comes to a climax in and around a Civil War reenactment of the battle of Brice's Crossroads, in which Nathan Bedford Forrest of the CSA prevailed, as he generally did. Pity no one ever got around to killing him. He went on to found the KKK.

Just for the climax alone-and, again, I'll spill no more beans-this book deserves to be made into a movie. As I said, Hollywood has generally had good luck with movies from this author's books, so I hope they will give this book-one of his best-some serious consideration.

3. World Without End by Ken Follett, 2007

Start with the fact that the story unwinds during one of the most fascinating and horrible periods in the history of Western Man. That, by itself, should create excellent fodder for an enterprising filmmaker. Add in the riveting personal stories of the fictional characters involved, and you would seem to have a wealth of material for an excellent movie. This could even herald the return of the epic, where they had to give the audience an intermission.

Those of you who have been putting up with my various ramblings for the past several months will be aware that I have already reviewed this book, and fairly recently. For those of you who are new to my writing or (like me) of limited short-term memory, I would refer you to the article itself. Better yet, I should refer you to the book itself. It's a long one, but, since they haven't even broken ground on a film adaptation, you'll have plenty of time to read it.

When I was considering any of several books I might have put on this very tiny list, I thought of the best ones that had recurring characters, such as Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch and J.A. Konrath's Jack Daniels. The only reason I left their books out is that, to do them justice, you would have to make sequel after sequel to represent the best of those novels. Still, I wouldn't gripe if someone in Hollywood decided to take on such a project.

Sources

The Long Walk, Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

Tishomingo Blues, Elmore Leonard

World Without End, Ken Follett

Wikipedia