I actually read Water for Elephants a couple of years ago. (I’m not as much of a reader now, as my attention span has reduced along with technology. I get books on the iPad and end up watching movies on Netflix instead. I tried to read The Help a couple of weeks ago, but ended up putting it down. Is it racist to only have the black women speak in poorly rendered slang or am I reading too much into that book?)
Water for Elephants was an incredible read and I was so excited to hear that was being made into a movie with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. I pictured someone younger than Reese for Marlena, but Reese’s acting ability will surely help her carry that role. Circus star Marlena is regal and wounded, and young Jacob comes along to provide some respite from an abusive relationship with her cruel husband, played by Christoph Waltz.
This trailer makes it look like the film really does justice to the book, and I love that they’re using the same premise of the having it retold by the protagonist as a 93 year-old nursing home resident. (Hal Holbrook plays the other version of Robert Pattinson.) Also, I just checked IMDB and James Frain is in it! I just squealed a little.
I won’t give away anything more about the film, which is out in the US on April 15. It’s so nice to see a good trailer and get jazzed for a new movie.
for sparkle sake i hope this movie will be critically acclaim and do well at the box office
They did location shots here (TN/GA) this summer (all the teen girls were going nuts)and I can’t wait to see this movie. Reese looks gorgeous.
Reese & Christoph look really good in it! Perhaps Oscar noms for them. Sparkles looks goony, as usual.
RIP, Hal Holbrooke.
This trailer is amazing, visually stunning and the music, so perfect. I too loved the book and can not wait to see this in the theatres. I too hope this gets Rob out of his “sparkles” mode in many peoples eyes.
@Kaiser…did Hal Holbrook die? So sad.
Crap I didn’t realize that Hal Holbrooke died! Sad! This movie will be a nice tribute to him then.
Edit – Kaiser he is not dead! His wife Dixie Carter passed in April but he’s still kicking at 85.
-Edit 2 – you caught it right when I did, ha!
Whoops! Hal Holbrooke isn’t dead. I was thinking of his wife, Dixie Carter. my bad.
Long live Hal Holbrooke!
The book was AMAZING! Watching the trailer, it is aesthetically beautiful, and I think it will do well and be pretty good 🙂
CB- I had a hard time with the ‘voices’ of black women in the Help at first, too. Especially when written by a white woman- Stick with it, though. I think the author creates something really authentic and truth-telling.
My icky feelings went away and I really got into the story.
Yay….Hal Holbrook lives!!!!
It gives me a Big Fish vibe. Looks like one of those movies that, regardless of the plot or acting, will be a treat to the eyes.
Is it just me or Sparkles sucks in this movie? He’s playing Edward Cullen all over again.
Christoph Waltz is amazing. I’ll probably watch it for him
Thanks Susanne – maybe I will give The Help a chance, especially now that it’s being made into a movie. I appreciate it!
can’t WAIT to see this! rob p. looks gorgeous, imo!
I am looking forward to it 🙂
I read The Help last month and I’m STILL conflicted about the language thing. And the suburban white guilt redemption thing. I think it’s a good read, as long as you don’t put too much weight on it.
Does look beautiful and I’ll probably try to catch this in theaters.
I have a question though, I never had a chance to read the book, but I did catch a synopsis of it and aren’t there some rather brutal scenes in the book? From what I understand it’s not a light read by any stretch the imagination … and this trailer makes it seem sort of like a love story at the circus (very magical and fairy lite).
Are they setting up the teeny twihard girls that are gonna go see this for the sparkledong thinking it’s light and happy and than crush them? Or do they take out the bad parts or am I just confusing this with another book?
Kaiser:
December 16th, 2010 at 9:21 am
RIP, Hal Holbrooke.
****************************************
EDIT: I saw you additional post, Kaiser. Hal Holbrooke is alive.
But I feel for the man being a Widower. He and Dixie Carter were happily married for (I think) 25 years.
LittleDeadGirl – good questions. This is just a first teaser trailer, I’m sure they will portray some elements of the brutality in this story in later previews. This first blush is geared toward women, certainly, but there is a sadistic and cruel ringmaster that will bring out the guys and add depth to the story. It’s needed. And this is quite a heavy book, the story being retold by 93 yr old Jacob is whimsical yet lined with sadness too.
Hal Holbrooke is very much alive!
I loved the book, looking forward to the movie but watching the trailer something struck me.
Period movie set in the early 20th century about a poor boy falling in love with a beautiful girl who is attached to a cruel man? Tragedy being retold in the present by one of the players once they are old?
IT IS TITANIC IN CIRCUS FORM! YAY!
The trailer does looks good, but I’m still waiting for a movie to describe how cruel the circus is towards the animals.
I’m just so tired of books/movies/shows that only portray the circus as the most magical show on earth, it may be magical, but above all it’s cruel.
Animal activist ranting mode off/
At Solveig: If you’ve read the book, there is a part where the elephant does get beaten and Jacob (Robert Pattinson) is very upset by it.
I have almost read that book 20 times but ended up picking something else. I have to go and read that book now. I don’t even want to watch the trailer.
@ Marianne No spoilers please!!
The book was exhausting….
the music sort of ruins it for me… i realize they amp that stuff up on the trailers though.
This looks great thanks to Sparkles–yum. Ms. Witherspoon is bugging me lately, not sure why she is getting on my nerves but I think the movie would do best without her. Either way it’s one to put down on my list.
The Help is well worth the read. The accents are not racist–the author treaded very carefully through that sensitive material and rendered all of her characters, especially “the help” with a great deal of dignity. I’m looking forward to the film too!
Wow.. It looks good.. I didn’t think I would be interested in it when they were filming.. I have not read the book so I don’t know anything about it. But the trailer looks really good. I might have to get the book..
@Marianne, I haven’t read the book but lately I’ve seen lot of pictures of these poor tortured animals I can’t help but feeling upset seeing how this trailer glamorizes what in reality is a very cruel world.
But I would be glad if the movies will show also the other aspect of the circus.
they should call it Titanic 2.
1-old man instead of old woman telling theyre life story of a great event.
2-poor guy loves a rich girl except this time shes not rich but a star.
3-she’s engaged to an a**hole.
I dont know the story(havent read the book)but if at one point the big tent folds unto itself and people die and he saves her life,that will be highway robbery. 🙂
I’m not a big fan of Pattinson, but this looks amazing. Maybe Reese can carry him?
@Solveig I completely agree with you. I hate the circus! And I will never take my children to one. It actually pains me to see a beautiful and majestic animal like the elephant forced to parade around, and do handstands like in the trailer for this movie. This does look like a good film but I’m too much of a crazy animal lover watch it. Seeing an elephant get beaten would tear me apart.
Not an RP fan but Reese and Christoph hooked me.
Gosh Sparkles is hopeless. Not for a second you could see the Character. All you can see is Robert Pattinson. And the whole trailer he Stares 🙂 Stares at circus. Then stares at Reese. Then stares at Christoph. Then stares on them both at the dinner. Then stares again and again. One face expression in the whole trailer.
Can’t he go to film school and learn how to act? It did help Franco, didn’t it? 🙂
Reese looks fantastic. But I probbaly won’t see it because I’m against animal cruelty and circuses are rife with it. Also, I’m a bit anti Pattinson because the whole Twilight pop star deal but I’m thinking I should probably get past that and be more open minded. But it’s good to see Hal Holbrook making a bit of a comeback, not only has he come back from the dead but I recently saw him in the 2009 film “The Evening Sun” You get can get it on DVD and it’s worth checking out.
I read “The Help” like last April from the friend who recommended “Water for Elephants”. I opened the first page and was like ‘I cannot read 400 pages of horrible grammar’. But my friend insisted it was good. She was right. I really enjoyed it and was flying through it to see how it ended.
I so hope Robert Pattinson does a good job in this. In interviews it seems like he’s scared of failure and seems to really want to be a good actor and not a heart-throb.
For the staring…I didn’t notice, but, in general, I like it when actors are more subtle and not over the top because in real life that is how people are. Their expressions and emotions are very often subtle on their faces unless it’s like some big rage scene.
I also am confused why they cast Reese W. In the book Marlena I think is around 21 because she met her psycho husband when she was 17 and was married for 4 years when meets Jacob.
I so hope this movie does well for Robert P – I think he’s a sweet soul who deserves it.