Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, the movie

From: Lawrence Coates ( coatesl@bgnet.bgsu.edu)
Date: 02 Dec 2007


It's definitely what Hollywood would call a high concept story, complete with a Macguffin. I was very skeptical about the book and didn't read it when it came out, despite being a big fan of McCarthy. When I did read it, in part because of Rara Avis, I enjoyed it... and if it had used the Hollywood ending (the old time Sheriff is the only one who is really a match for Chigurh) I would have thrown it against the wall.

That being said, the other people I saw the movie with had all expected to see the final showdown and were surprised when it ended with Tommy Lee talking about his father going ahead of him toward death.

Lawrence

www.lawrencecoates.com

---------Included Message----------
>Date: 1-Dec-2007 21:32:31 -0500
>From: "cptpipes2000" < cptpipes@hotmail.com>
>Reply-To: < rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com>
>To: < rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, the movie
>
>
>> Today, I saw NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. It was pretty faithful
>> to the book, up to and including the denouement, which
>> wraps up nothing.
>
>Thanks for posting this, Jack. I saw the movie last weekend and with each passing day, I
>have appreciated it more. I enjoyed it just as much as i did the book back when.
>
>That said, I would love to hear what you folks think about this: the basic plot point is not
>dissimilar to A Simple Plan or The Sweet Hereafter. I'm sure with another 15 mins of
>thought we could come up with another 15 books that fit such description.
>
>I mention this because...
>
>If I were standing in a bookstore and saw a first novel the hinged on such a plot point, I
>would put it back with a bit of disgust. Nevertheless, I gobbled up the book when it cam
>from a trusted author like McCarthy and a movie from the Coens. I admit that I would
>have missed out had I not done so, but had the same book been written by Dick Schmick, I
>would have ignored it purely because it imitates a plot I have read before.
>
>Did anyone else feel the same way about this?
>
>
>
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Lawrence Coates Associate Professor of Creative Writing Bowling Green State University



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