Oops, they did it again...movie remakes

ROSEMARY HARRIS: Whenever I hear that a classic film is being remade I can't decide if it's hubris or simply a dearth of original ideas. On a recent rowing machine kick, I've rowed through three different versions of Pride and Prejudice, three of Little Women, two of Dr. Zhivago and three of Anna Karenina. Now there's a new Anna coming.

My admiration for Keira Knightley is unalloyed and unalterable. Girl crush. I've loved her ever since Bend it Like Beckham. But I do wonder if the world needs another Anna Karenina a mere 35 years after the splendid PBS version.

Maybe it's good that every generation has it's own Anna - and Elizabeth Bennett, and Lara. And Sherlock (but more about him later this week...) But I can't imagine another Scout Finch. The young Jena Malone would have made a good one, but who could step into Gregory Peck's shoes? And could there be another Holly Golightly?

Which films would you like to see remade and which are "NO, don't mess with perfection!"

(For the record, my faves of the above classics..David Lean's Zhivago, Keira's Pride and Prejudice, Katharine Hepburn's Little Women and so far the Nicola Pagett Anna. Which are your faves?)

LUCY BURDETTE: Okay, so anyone who watched the Jungle Red Family Feud knows that I am weak on movies! But I hope no one messes with SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, or for that matter, anything starring Meryl Streep. And TOOTSIE, remember that one? Could not do better than Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lang.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Urgh. Can you imagine a remake of Casablanca?  Sacrilege! Key Largo?  And I'm with Ro on Breakfast at Tiffany's. No one else could play Holly Golightly. No one but Juliette Binoche could do Chocolat. And I agree on Sleepless in Seattle. A remake I did like? The updated version of The Italian Job. Great fun.

Oh, and Lucy, we get that you like Dustin Hoffman:-) Speaking of, nobody better dare mess with The Graduate!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, of course they ruined THE WOMEN (the genesis of Jungle Red, remember.) Even with the wonderful Annette Bening, it stunk up the place.

Can you IMAGINE a remake of To Kill A Mockingbird? NO way! And I bet they wouldn't dare try it. Not a chance to replace Gregory Peck, RO.

They could do a new WORKING GIRL, one of my everlasting favorites, but no one could be like Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford. Sigh. That was SO good.

The remake of Music Man with whats-his-name was a bomb, wasn't it? And it is interesting, though to see the incarnations of James Bond. Do you all still imagine Sean Connery? Or has Daniel Craig crept into your consciousness?

And don't even think about Lawrence of Arabia.

HALLIE EPHRON: Speaking of Dustin Hoffman, I can't imagine a remake of Midnight Cowboy.

When an actor has nailed a role, it's hard to imagine anyone remaking that movie with a new cast. Audrey Hepburn OWNS Holly Golightly. And who else but Humphrey Bogart could be Sam Spade (even though he's not remotely like Sam Spade in the book) or Lauren Bacall Miss Wonderly? Or Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates? Or Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart? Or Kathleen Turner as Peggy Sue.

JAN BROGAN: The beauty of Netflix is I just finished rewatching the Old PBS Anna Karenina and Ro, you are right. It was awesome. But I would love to see what Keira does with the role. Interesting, when her version of Pride and Prejudice first came out, it got terrible reviews - mostly because the new Darcy couldn't match Colin Firth, but I still loved it. It's just so visually rich, and I think she was a terrific Elizabeth.

ROSEMARY: Now...as much as I love Colin Firth - and Kristin Scott Thomas was a ninny to prefer Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient - I thought Matthew McFayden did a wonderful job as Darcy. Less wooden and more believable, although not nearly as hot.

JAN: Isn't Sleepless In Seattle sort of a remake itself?  Of An Affair to Remember Or is it just an "ode" to An Affair to Remember.

ROSEMARY: Ode. You've Got Mail was a remake of In The Good Old Summertime which was a remake of Shop Around the Corner. All charming.

JAN: I would hate to see a remake of The Philadelphia Story. Who else could pull off that Katharine Hepburn hyperactivity?

ROSEMARY: But they did...that was High Society with Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby! I don't think it matched up to the original.

JAN: Okay, can you imagine anyone but Jimmy Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life?  Hmmm...maybe Tom Hanks. He always reminds me of Jimmy.

RHYS BOWEN: I can't actually think of a single remake that I enjoyed more than the original. Every time I've seen one I've wanted to shout "Why? Why?"
I would never go and see a remake of Roman Holiday (one of my all-time favorite movies,because nobody could equal Audrey Hepburn-- or West Side Story, Casablanca, or Out of Africa. I agree--don't touch anything starring Meryl Streep.

And sorry, I did not think the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice measured up to the TV version with Colin Firth (coming out of the lake soaking wet). 

ROSEMARY:...yeah the lake scene alone was worth the price of admission.  Sad to say I could not find a pic of him dripping wet but this one is mighty fine.

Sex and the Single Sleuth

RHYS: Lately my thoughts have been turning to sex.
No, it's not a last ditch attempt to recapture my lost youth. It's just that the subject has come up in different circumstances. As you know, I've spent the last month on a book tour , promoting Royal Blood. At almost every one of my question and answer sessions, one of the questions has been "are Georgie and Darcy going to do it soon?" or, more tamely, "are we going to see more of Darcy?"

Deciding how much sex to put into a mystery novel is never easy. Some mystery readers are annoyed by anything that takes them away from the central plot of solving the murder. They see the introduction of a relationship as something that demeans the book--reducing it to the level of romantic fluff.

However others like their sleuths to have relationships. Obviously to my readers the will-they-won't-they relationship of my protagonist is a big issue.
Equally obviously I know that I am writing a fun, light book and that romance is part of the enjoyment. I was asked whether I chose the name Darcy deliberately because of Pride and Prejudice. The answer to that one was "Duh!" Every time I type the word Darcy I see Colin Firth coming out of the lake with his shirt open and his clothes clinging to him.

So it's always an inflamatory subject. During my panel discussion with Deborah Crombie and Louise Penny Deborah revealed that she has had hate mail about the relationship between Duncan and Gemma. "I will never read another of your books if you keep up this disgusting sex between unmarried people."

Personally I like my sleuths to have a life. I don't write about the loners who spend their nights nursing bourbon in bar rooms or stalking the mean streets of the city. I have always enjoyed the sexual tension of Moonlighting.
On the other hand I too get annoyed if writers add sex scenes for no reason or if a character is too promiscuous for my taste.
So what is the answer? How much sex is appropriate? How much is too much?

Please share your thoughts as readers and writers...
and to conclude, I'm conducting a poll. Which fictional sleuth would you like to sleep with?
Or if you want to keep this PG rated--which sleuth would you like to spend a romantic evening with?

ROBERTA: I love the will they, won't they tension in a series as long as it's done with a deft touch. Julia Spencer Fleming does it so well in her series starring an Episcopalian priest and a police chief. Of course Janet Evanovich took this to a new level with Stephanie Plum until it got plum silly.

On the other hand, I'm not that eager to read about graphic sex. I'd rather experience the exciting run-up and then let the characters close the door and have some peace:). And Rhys, sounds like you have the answer--the sex and sexual tension must be consistent with the character! Easy, right?

ROSEMARY: I'm enjoying the image of Colin Firth with his shirt open..must Netflix that one, although I am addicted to the Keira Knightley version and seem to watch it a few times a year.

The one serious comment I got from my editor on my first book, Pushing Up Daisies, was "take out the sex." Okay, I rather expected her to nix the masturbation scene. But it was one sentence along the lines of "she found that spot most men couldn't find with a GPS and rocked herself to sleep." Pretty tame. Same for the two person sex later in the book. Paula and someone - a man - getting frisky in the greenhouse. No body parts mentioned, just a litle heavy breathing on a potting table. I did take the offending sentences out, to no ill effects, but I thought it rather ridiculous that I could kill off five characters, including impaling one on a garden implement, but not let my single, straight heroine have protected sex. She still hasn't after four books and I can tell you, she's GETTING CRANKY.

Which fictional sleuth? Easy, Jack Reacher. He'd be great and then he'd be gone in the morning.

RHYS: So you can see we writers tread a fine line, and we're never going to please all our readers, or our editors for that matter. And my choice for the sleuth with whom I'd like to spend the night? Morse. I think he deserves a good woman once in his life!

Love Actually - All I Want For Christmas Is You

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