News on the "Atlas Shrugged" film!

The Atlas Society & Objectivist Center ^ | July 24, 2006 | David Kelley/Ed Hudgins

[sam_paine]

Only that length, Baldwin said, would give sufficient scope to tell Ayn Rand's long, complex story.

Only Ayn Rand could crystalize the concept of free markets and individual liberty into a length that is incomprehensible to those who don't already understand it and need it most.

[tcostell]

Those mammoth speeches can easily be turned into dialog with one character asking the questions and Galt answering them. It could have been done in the book form as well except they were probably a product of vanity for Rand, and she didn't want to modify them from their original version.

I'm not saying it won't be a challenge to do it right, only that it's possible and well within the capability of a professional screenwriter who understands the point to be made.

[tcostell]

Those mammoth speeches can easily be turned into dialog with one character asking the questions and Galt answering them. It could have been done in the book form as well except they were probably a product of vanity for Rand, and she didn't want to modify them from their original version.

I'm not saying it won't be a challenge to do it right, only that it's possible and well within the capability of a professional screenwriter who understands the point to be made.

[r-q-tek86]

so was John Galt a shister?

uh... no. Not even close. Think Ronald Reagan only more committed to capitalist ideals and against communist/socialist ideals.

[PDR]

Betsy Hart should play Dagney Taggert....

[longshadow]

read the whole article -- very encouraging....

[r-q-tek86]

I think Ayn did a pretty good job of boiling it all down in Anthem Chapter XI

[r9etb]

My casting choices:

Dagny Taggart: Tom Cruise

Lillian Reardon: Orlando Bloom

[Ed Hudgins]

Betsy's an old friend of mine from our Heritage Foundation days! She liked Rand's works and actually is kind of like a Randian character, though she disagrees with Rand on religion.

[r-q-tek86]

I like this part on interviewing for a director...

Karen Baldwin, Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs, said the first question they ask in interviews is “When did you last read the book? Tell us what you thought of it.”

[PDR]

so she's a perfect woman.... i thought so.

[nonliberal]

Who will be John Galt?

[Ed Hudgins]

Maybe not perfect but damned impressive!

[sam_paine]

Would one, single, tightly-written screenplay of 3 1/2 hours do it justice?

Not to continue to throw ice water on the concept of translating this book into something moviegoers of today would understand....

But Gary Johnston's raunchy monologue in "Team America" is about the right speed for explaining the menace of terrorists and appeasers to today's audience.

And finally, if we all believe that Rand's portrayal of the "gimme-masses" is/was correct, and I believe we are certainly living in that time in her book where the looters are 'winning,' then the typical moviegoer is EXACTLY as she portrayed them in the book. Do we really think that the gimme-masses in the book would be responsive to Galt's speech? So why would it be received well in today's general audience?

This movie is going nowhere. But I'm an optimist.

[nonliberal]

If I were the casting director:

Rearden-James Woods
Dagny-Lauren Graham
John Galt-Gary Sinise
Jim Taggart-John Malkovich
Ragnar-Kurt Russell
Hugh Akston-Sam Elliot
Midas Mulligan-Sean Connery
Francisco-Andy Garcia
Orren Boyle-Drew Carey
Ellis Wyatt-Vince Vaughn
Ken Dannager-Steve Buscemi
Non-Absolute-Freddie Prinze, Jr.
Dr. Stadler-Robert Duvall

[Ed Hudgins]

Interesting connection here: Jodie Foster starred in "Contact," the movie of the Carl Sagan sci-fi novel, which was scripted by Jim Hart who wrote the script for part 1 of the "Atlas" movie.

[Donald Rumsfeld Fan]

I wonder how or whether that will be modernized? Or will they just keep the railroads and not try to explain them.

That's what I was thinking. Maybe they should revise the script to the airline industry.

[longshadow]

Who will be John Galt?

I nominate Samuel L. Jackson;. (previously, I had envisioned Morgan Freeman playing the part, but he's a bit long in the tooth at this point in his career).

It will drive the "victim-hood brigade" completely out of their minds, and he's terrific playing charismatic roles, and delivers soliloquies brilliantly (think of him in "Pulp Fiction")

[nonliberal]

How about Denzel Washington?

[zook]

I don't see how they can include an 80 page speech in this film. Thank goodness they have artistic control and can edit at will.