Who SHOULD have written and directed the movies?

[Tamara]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "Susan Atherton" <suzloua at h...> 
wrote:
> Great thread, Tamara, but I have to agree with Joan that some of 
your choices are a little eeshk. I mean, the genius who gave us the 
Pearl Harbour script? I've tried to watch that film twice now and 
both times had to give up because I couldn't listen to it anymore - 
and I've sat through Hope Springs, Glitter, and Cruel Intentions 2. 
And Akiva Goldsman? You can almost hear Joel Schumacher eyeing the 
director's chair...
> 
> However, your choices of Emma Thompson and Frank Darabont are dead 
on. I've only ever seen S&S of Thompson's work (although, did she 
write Dead Again? I saw that some years ago) but Darabont especially 
is fantastic at adaptations of this scale. As you mentioned, he did 
Shawshank and The Green Mile - I don't know what the general world's 
consensus is of the Green Mile (I think it's FANTASTIC myself, but 
that might be just me) but Shawshank is number two on the IMDb's 250 
movies of all time list (The Godfather is number one, if you're 
interested - GF part II is number 3.) Admittedly Stephen King came up 
with the stories both times, but like JKR, he has a rich and varied 
imagination, and like JKR, he has a *massive* following (King, not 
Darabont). Having read the books of both those films first, they, 
along with Bridget Jones, are among the few adaptations I think truly 
stand up to the book (and as wonderful as Richard Curtis is, I don't 
think I would have been as forgiving had Helen Fielding not been part 
of the script team too).
> 
> As for directing, I've got to agree with Joan again - Terry Gilliam 
aaaaallllll the way. Sigh... we couldn't have a teeny independent 
studio make HP, could we... Damn you JKR!!! Damn you for selling to 
WB!!!!
> 
> From your list, I'd probably go with Zemeckis - God help me, I just 
love Back To The Future...
> 
> Susan
> 
Thank you Susan, I try to come up with interesting topics.  Note TRY 
being the opperative word lol.  It makes me wonder though, what is 
more important in a movie, a good movie that is: director or 
screenplay writer?  I mean, as for HP, I don't think they chose well 
on either.  The screenplay lacked every bit of wit and charm that the 
books have, and the direction was horribly cheesy and too geared 
towards 7 year olds who wouldn't care about the plot but just wanted 
to see flying brooms and such.  

As for my choices, why not Randall Wallace, he might have given us 
Pearl Harbor, but he also gave us Braveheart!  And I was going for 
writers who have written on a large scale, or who have successfully, 
at least in my view, adapted a popular novel.  If it were TOTALLY up 
to me, which, God, I wish it was, I would have chosen Joss Whedon to 
write the screenplay and Alan Parker to direct.  That would be my 
dream team.  That is of course excluding me writing the screenplay 
lol which would have been my real first choice.

Tamara
Who is not sure to be more excited about OoP coming out or Prince 
William's bday party on the 21st.