13 Writers on the Screen

1. Oscar Wilde

Wilde, 1997 – Stephen Fry is just freaking brilliant in this movie that depicts Oscar Wilde’s career, wit & torment as he struggled with a family, his homosexuality (represented by the jazzy pink suit) & the absurd trial that resulted in his being sentenced to hard labor – a sentence that eventually caused his death.

2. Sylvia Plath

Sylvia, 2003 – While I can’t stand Gwyneth Paltrow (who can?) I really enjoyed this film about Sylvia Plath & Ted Hughes.  Of course, there’s some other business about Bell Jars & sticking heads in ovens, as one might expect.

3. Truman Capote

Capote, 2005 – I went to see this movie at the theater & have a clear recollection of being bored more than anything.  This film is really more about the conception of Capote’s novel, “In Cold Blood” & is less about the writer himself.  While Philip Seymour Hoffman isn’t really capable of delivering anything close to a shitty performance, his acting ability just wasn’t enough to make up for the agonizingly slow pace of this movie.

4. J.M. Barrie

Finding Neverland, 2004 – Another one that I went to see in the theater & I ended up doing that thing where I had to sniff, snuffle & sob as quietly as possible so as not to draw too much attention to myself since this movie made me blubber like a freaking baby.  Stellar acting & a beautiful story of how Barrie’s story of “Peter Pan” was born.

5. Reinaldo Arenas

Before Night Falls, 2000 – I had never heard of Javier Bardem before watching this movie, which is one of the best literary biopics that I’ve ever seen.  Arenas’ writing & homosexuality get him into a lot of trouble in 1960’s Cuba, landing him in prison & forcing him to smuggle his novels to the outside world.  There are also a couple of great cameos from Sean Penn & Johnny Depp.  If this isn’t on your ‘to watch’ list, add it on there now.

6. Allen Ginsberg

Howl, 2010 – I just watched this one recently & man… I was just blown away.  It is absolutely brilliant.  One of the things I liked about the most is the fact that this isn’t much of a biography, but is more about Ginsberg’s work & the poem itself, which is read by James Franco in an outstanding performance & interpreted with some stunning animation.

7. William S. Burroughs

Beat, 2000 – I have yet to see this movie.  It seems like a rather difficult feat just trying to get my hands on a copy of it.  Then again, I’m not sure how eager I am to see Kiefer Sutherland’s portrayal of William Burroughs.

Naked Lunch, 1991 – While I may not be too eager to see Jack Bauer’s portrayal of Burroughs, I have to say that RoboCop fucking nailed it.  David Cronenberg’s movies are usually… well, incredibly disgusting, but this one is most excellent.  It’s also wonderfully bizarre & twisted which is something I’m sure any fan of Burroughs would appreciate.

8. Arthur Rimbaud

Total Eclipse, 1995 – Somehow I missed this one when it first came out & didn’t hear anything about it until a decade after it was made.  Thankfully, I got a hold of it right away & was very pleased with it.  I’ve loved Rimbaud for years, so seeing his relationship with Paul Verlaine & his self-destruction played out was a real treat for me.  Then again, when has watching a Leonardo DiCaprio movie sucked?

9. Jim Carroll

The Basketball Diaries, 1995 – Oh, look… it’s Leo again.  Now, I’m sure I don’t even need to provide any details about this film.  I’m sure you’ve all already seen this movie about Jim Carroll‘s heroin addiction & journey back to sanity, right?  You already know how awesome it is, right?  No?  Okay, we’re not even speaking the same language here.  Go watch it now.

10. Hunter S. Thompson

Where the Buffalo Roam, 1980 – I have been dying to see this movie.  Bill Murray as Hunter S. Thompson… how can this not be fucking amazing?  The problem is, I haven’t been able to find a copy with the original musical score, as the DVD & VHS copies were all released with an edited score due to the cost of music licensing.  Bummer.

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, 1998 – Okay, I can actually let it slide if you haven’t seen The Basketball Diaries, as long as you’ve seen Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.  This is quite possibly the greatest role of Johnny Depp’s career.  I’m completely serious about this.  And I’m also serious when I tell you that Depp’s spot-on portrayal of Hunter S. Thompson combined with director Terry Gilliam, Benicio del Toro and a story by HST himself, that all adds up to nothing short of one of the best movies ever made.  Ever.  In the history of ever.

11. Charles Bukowski

Barfly, 1987 – Mickey Rourke plays Bukowski’s fictional alter ego, Henry Chinaski in this film that was written by Bukowski himself.  The film is brilliant.  Faye Dunaway is marvelous.  Mickey Rourke… well, as much as I like him, his performance was a bit over the top in this one.

Factotum, 2005 – One of the best movies I’ve ever seen.  On my list of all-time favorites.  Matt Dillon takes a turn at playing a drunk & surly Chinaski.  The result is pure gold.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of the screen & when Dillon reads a Bukowski poem, the little hairs on my arm stand up to attention.  There is also the fact that this film is a portrait of a younger Bukowski who has yet to achieve his first publication, but he keeps plugging away, working shitty jobs, drinking & writing as much as he can.  There’s no doubt I found myself relating to several elements in the film & the main character.

12. Leo Tolstoy

The Last Station, 2009 – Um… have you seen this yet?  I haven’t.  I admit that while the idea of Christopher Plummer taking on the role of Tolstoy intrigues me, but this movie poster just isn’t selling it.  Seriously, it looks like they crafted it using a template for some crappy romantic comedy.

13. Beatrix Potter

Miss Potter, 2006 – I had looked forward to watching this movie only because when I was very small, I loved the book, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” Something about watching trailer for Miss Potter appealed to my sense of nostalgia, to my inner child & all that.  However, I found it difficult to stay interested in the movie.  While it wasn’t truly terrible, Renee Zellweger fails to captivate me & often seems to be playing the same character over & over again.  I blame it on miscasting.

There are a few others that are definitely worth a look: Running With Scissors, based on Augustus Burroughs’ memoir, Angela’s Ashes, from Frank McCourt’s memoirs, This Boy’s Life, based on the memoirs of Tobias Wolff (& starring Leonardo DiCaprio – again).  There is also Quills, which is a very good film about the Marquis de Sade, though it is factually inaccurate.  And just around the corner is The Raven, where John Cusack will be playing Edgar Allen Poe.  This one is currently filming, but you can bet I’ll be watching that one as soon as I can.

So, are there any good movies about some of our favorite authors that aren’t on the list?  And WHY has no one made a film yet about Kurt Vonnegut? I’m just sayin’.