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April 9, 2004
I Know What I Like
(And I like tomato sandwiches.)
“I want to know everything, everything,” screeched Harriet suddenly, lying back and bouncing up and down on the bed. “Everything in the world, everything, everything. I will be a spy and know everything.”
Seldom is there a movie based on a children’s book that I enjoy more than the novel itself. Generally, I ignore the movies that are put out, such as James and the Giant Peach and A Wrinkle in Time. My imagination soared from their pages and watching an adaptation would simply ruin the memories. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (one of my favorites and the original bond that brought my first best friend and I together in the third grade) is about to become Disneyafied, much to my chagrin.
Harriet the Spy, however, is my only exception. Harriet is one of my two alteregos (the other being Ramona Quimby). I started keeping homemade journals at an early age partly because of Louise Fitzhugh’s novel. The concept of writing everything down has always resonated with me, as child and as adult. I saw the movie in the theater many years ago and was immediately hooked. There’s something magical about the story—even slightly painful, from an adult perspective, looking back.
Perhaps it’s the concept of a child struggling with the power of observation and words that always makes me teary. For some reason lately, as I’ve been wandering around the city photographing old school buildings, curling up at night with research, and burrowing into old archives, I’ve felt a lot like Harriet again. It’s quite a mixed bag, this wanting to know everything and write it down. There’s so much information in this world—let alone this city. Sometimes the sheer magnitude snowballs past my ability to transcribe it.
Posted by callalillie at April 9, 2004 1:46 AM |
curling up at night with research? that sounds like a lot of fun.
Posted by: tien at April 9, 2004 8:29 AM
Yeah, 'tis the state of my life these days.
Posted by: corie at April 9, 2004 8:32 AM
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was decently adapted by the Brits and shown on PBS a couple of years ago. But since the book is essentially a Christian allegory, I'm not surprised if the holy men over at Disney weren't looking for scripts to Christ-up American kids, perhaps even adding some marauding Arabs for spice.
Grr, I hate Disney so...
Posted by: Will at April 9, 2004 10:47 AM
Holy nonsensical sentence. Rather: "...I'm not surprised that the holy men over at Disney are looking for scripts to Christ-up American kids..."
Posted by: Will at April 9, 2004 10:51 AM
Disney really is evil. Now, if Henson Studios (not the recent Disney version) were to make The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...THAT would be something to see.
Posted by: corie at April 9, 2004 12:19 PM
I really, really want to see an excellent director and cinematographer do an interpretation of the Last Battle (the final Narnia book, the culmination of the religious symbolism of the series and really mind-blowing, especially to a young Samm) that really does it justice. I'm tempted to go to film school just to try my hand at it, such an exciting prospect.
Posted by: samm at April 14, 2004 1:23 AM
