Angels in America to be adapted for TV miniseries
January 18th, 2003 at 10:01 am (Uncategorized)
While looking up information for Al Pacino I noticed he has been cast to play the part of Roy Cohn in aTV miniseries adaptation of my favorite play, Angels in America. With a strong cast that includes Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, and Jeffrey Wright it has potential to be properly handled. The original play by Tony Kushner is rich in context, subtext, and reference. It is his masterful handling of innuendo and unspoken realities that makes Angels a fascinating work of theater. It is this same intelligent handling of the controversial topics of right wing politics, sex, AIDS, homosexuality, religious repression and death that I fear may not prove viable for American television and may get whitewashed out of existence. This is a production I will have to keep my eye on.
Nick said,
January 21, 2003 at 10:54 pm
I was thinking about this. One problem with plays being adapted to movies or even TV, especially dramas, is that you’re so close to the action in a movie or even TV. Because of that, you have to reel in the drama a bit, hold back. If not, it can feel way over the top and melodramatic. It’s why a lot of actors we think of as good are actually quite bland if you think about it.
They have a certain charisma, sure, but they’re often very restrained, people like DeNiro, Redford, Newman, Wayne, Pacino (in his better films), Penn, etc, etc. Sure, they may explode at times, but often there’s little more than a squint of the eyes or a half-hearted smile that’s carrying a lot of drama. It’s because we’re so close to the action in movies (and why some movies translate worse to the TV and video, too, and why some that seemed over the top on the big screen don’t seem so bad on video). A lot of good stage actors seem unnatural and over the top on the big screen. I imagine many big screen actors would seem boring on the stage.
Same with the plays. What works on the stage may be too dramatic, really, for the big screen. It takes a lot of restraint on the director’s part, usually.
:: fiercepoet :: said,
December 2, 2003 at 2:23 pm
Angels in America
The long awaited theatrical version of “Angels in America” makes its premiere this week. I’ve heard so much about this play/movie. I was first introduced to it through “The Laramie Project” (another great play). I should figure out what I’m…
Leopoldo said,
February 9, 2004 at 10:36 am
According to DVDAnswers.com the Angels in America (2003)
DVD will be released on June 1st. I plan on reserving mine as soon as possible.