Can Sam Raimi Actually Adapt a Dennis Lehane Novel?
The master of goofy is going to take a stab at it
Clint Eastwood did it with Mystic River. Ben Affleck did it with Gone Baby Gone. Martin Scorsese is doing it with Shutter Island. However, the idea of Sam "Spider-Man" Raimi doing it with "The Given Day," Dennis Lehane's upcoming novel, doesn't have me excited.
I am not a big fan of Raimi's films, they are too goofy and he can't seem to avoid it. I haven't seen all of his films, but I think I can tell from the ones that I have that he is not a director I would ever consider for anything carrying the weight of a Lehane novel. Raimi doesn't seem to have the ability to be serious for an entire film, Darkman came close, but for the most part that film isn't all that great. The Quick and the Dead tried, but casting Sharon Stone was goofy enough to hurt that one, along with several other complaints. The Gift wasn't any good and neither was A Simple Plan.
Raimi's more successful films, however, have been filled with goofy behavior and after reading the description of Lehane's new novel I just don't see Raimi pulling it off.
As described by Variety "The Given Day" is set in 1919 Boston, with the city in turmoil as soldiers are returning home from WWI, having brought back an epidemic of Spanish influenza. Attempts to unionize the police department have set the stage for a historic strike and two cops take center stage.
Raimi is quoted saying, "While it deals with many of the same themes as (Lehane's) earlier work, it is also his most ambitious book, tying events of a century ago to the subjects we struggle with today."
One thing is for certain, I never thought Affleck would have been able to pull off what he did with Gone Baby Gone, and Raimi is obviously a smart man. So this may work. I just won't hold out much hope. Just as I am not to excited to know Raimi may also direct the next installment in the Jack Ryan franchise based on the character created by Tom Clancy.
For those interested in the book, it will be published by HarperCollins on Sept. 23.
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