The Only Atlas Shrugged Movie Preview You'll Ever Need
As you've read, the shoestring screen adaptation of Ayn Rand's epic philosophical novel Atlas Shrugged is underway -- as is the definitive discussion of its potential: "How could you put a film like this in anyone else's hands but the most superior person available for every position involved, Paul Johansson of One Tree Hill? The positive here is that if Ayn Rand's novel is any indication, they won't need to hire an editor." And there's so, so much more. Happy Friday. [Tiger Beatdown via The Awl]
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If the point of Rand's novel is essentially, "Rich People Are Great and Screw You If You Think Otherwise (You're Just Jealous of Their Money"), and the film adaptation of said novel has a budget of what is essentially a pouch of shiny marbles...what am I supposed to think?
Why are you dead, Ayn Rand?! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TELL ME WHAT TO THINK!
It's funny that a major theme of the novel is people begging others to think for them, and the comment above mine does just that. Of course in the same comment "Rich People Are Great and Screw You If You Think Otherwise (You're Just Jealous of Their Money") could have been pulled directly from the mouths of the villains in said novel.
It appears this film is being made in the same manner and for the same reasons as the early 90's incarnation of The Fantastic Four, where with time running out on the rights the owner chose to get anything on film to fill those obligations and retain said rights.
I don't expect this film to make it to theaters, and perhaps not even to the straight to DVD bin. it will be, as was TFF, an asterisk.
Thanks for the wonderful writing. I will be returning.
Obviously somebody doesn't get it. The theme of the book is not Rich People Are Great and Screw You If You Think Otherwise (You're Just Jealous of Their Money") it is that you are responsible for your own life and actions. That you should work to the best of your ability at whatever you do. It is about self reliance and not about government handouts. Capitalism is good and Socialism is bad. Individual Freedom versus Collective Slavery.
I just started to read this book. Wow. It saddens me that a bunch of virtual unknowns (and inexperienced) actors (And actor/producer? Really?) are going to try to pull off this epic novel. For Metroville's erroneous conclusion of the plot, I can say this: the message is clear from the very beginning: Inaction does not deliver progress. Business decisions made on anything less than solid deliverables is a good way to ruin the business. I don't see it as a "Rich People Are Great" scenario at all. In fact, if the business can't make the right decisions, people lose jobs. Something we've already seen because some idiot thought it was a good idea to make sure people without the ability to pay for a mortgage was "given the chance" because "everyone should have the opportunity to own a home." Yeah. That worked out real well.
Dagnyfan and Al are RIGHT!!! I read this book two years ago and I adore it. It SICKENS me, however, that most people just don't get it. And worst of all, it is happening right before our eyes. I NEVER thought it could happen in America. But it is. And right now. I envisioned people as I read it----a young Charleton Heston as Hank Reardon, Johnny Depp as Francisco, unsure about Dagny (looks like Julia Roberts but acts like Demi Moore?), etc. But the more I think about it and follow the production, I think they've made some good selections on these actors, and if they pull it off in a quality style, the movie will sell itself. The message is priceless.
Wow- Randroids aplenty here.
Wow - neo-socialists aplenty, everywhere else : university system, msm, and the majority of pop culture, but to be sure, the intellectual path of least resistance is to claim fans of Rand and the Tea Party are the closed minded oppressors, while stroking your own ego with delusions of righteous rebellion.
The main theme of Atlas Shrugged is that only a fatalistic fool contradicts his own existence; identity is the core of any coherent moral philosophy. With the birth rate of secular humanist cultures dropping bel0w replacement, we are seeing the most direct application of this principle. Modern liberal humanism contradicts humanity.
The other article link from IMDB equates Rand with Mussolini and Stalin, a silly proposal of oppressive and regressive propaganda attempting to marginalize one of the few works that doesn't tow the social digressive line.