Just saw the movie, loved it, exceeded my expectations. Theatre was about half-full on a Sunday afternoon, there was applause at the end. It looks like they’re still #3 in per-screen average.
The production values weren’t 100% — you can tell this is a small-budget film. And if you haven’t read the book, it’s probably a bit hard to follow. But they still managed to put together a beautiful picture that is very true to the book and fun to watch.
For a more objective opinion, my wife, who has not read the book and is basically nonideological, quite liked it, to my surprise. Going in, I was worried she might fall asleep.
A list of theatres is here.
I’m not clear on what the budget was exactly — I’ve seen numbers from $4M to $20M bandied about. It should certainly make back the former after Blu-Ray sales, but the latter could be tough since it’s only in 300 theatres. Hopefully we’ll get a Part II, and I just hope Part III isn’t a musical.
Comments
5 responses to “Atlas Shrugged, Part I”
Yep. This IS brilliantly hilarious. Thanks!
I believe Francis Ford Coppola owned the original movie rights, and wanted Clint Eastwood as John Galt. THAT would have been interesting. The SF Chronicle gossip columnist, Herb Cain, wrote about having dinner with Eastwood in Carmel at his home. Eastwood said that he turned down the offer from Coppola because there was little action with very long speeches in the screenplay. The rumor was that Coppola gave up because he wanted good actors with name recognition, and couldn’t get them.
I never could imagine Atlas as a movie – maybe a miniseries.
I don’t know when it was that “hilarious” became devalued, but I’m sorry that has happened, and I wish you would not follow that trend. The zipper scene in “There’s Something About Mary” is hilarious. This voice mail message may be “cute” or “amusing” but “hilarious” it ain’t.
Not to sound like a grouchy old square, but I would note that the original Greek “hilaros” meant “cheerful” or “gay.”
So, if hilarious is gay, then isn’t gay being devalued along with hilarity?
I worry about the implications….
For those interested in a critique of critics of Atlas the movie, Claire Wolfe’s take is worth the read:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/ClaireWolfe/