It was only a matter of time before Larry Doyle’s I Love You, Beth Cooper — which our own Dustin has been praising for more than a year — made the transition to the big screen, and the first trailer has just been released. It’s a cute story with a simple premise I won’t spoil here, because the clip gets the point across better than I could. As for how the movie will turn out, well, who knows. On one hand, Doyle penned the screenplay; on the other, it’s directed by Chris Columbus (the unrepentantly shitty Mrs. Doubtfire, Stepmom, and Bicentennial Man, among others). I guess what I’m saying is things could go either way. Watch the trailer and judge for yourselves. The movie opens in July:
Nope. Not even gonna watch the trailer. I have this book on my to-read list, but I also don't want to see Claire in anything but Heroes. Actually, I don't even want to see Claire in Heroes anymore. Scratch that-I don't even want to watch Heroes anymore.
Posted by: Sabrina at February 16, 2009 1:26 PM
Have I recommended also reading "King Dork" to you already, Sabrina? I recommend it to everybody so it's possible.
I don't think you've recommended any books to me personally, but I know I've seen someone mention that book before. Does it help to have read Catcher in the Rye first?
Posted by: Sabrina at February 16, 2009 1:35 PM
I think a passing familiarity with it's adequate to get the humor, but more importantly the book's cult, which the protagonist loathes.
So it looks like Claire is going for the "I'm not so wholesome any more" stunt ala Jessica Biel...
Also, what was with the personalized pop-up messages on that trailer? Just a mite distracting.
p.s. Jay, I loved King Dork!
Posted by: greenmyeyes at February 16, 2009 1:44 PM
I'm not familiar with the cult, actually. I had Catcher on my list anyways, since if I'm gonna read Salinger I probably shouldn't restrict it to Franny and Zooey. I'll just put off King Dork until after I do.
Posted by: Sabrina at February 16, 2009 1:47 PM
I just don't understand what's going on with her right arm. It looks incredibly stumptastic.
Posted by: Gabs at February 16, 2009 1:59 PM
"...it's directed by Chris Columbus (the unrepentantly shitty Mrs. Doubtfire, Stepmom, and Bicentennial Man, among others)...."
That right there is a "HAZARD! AVOID AT ALL COST" wrning as far as I'm concerned.
Not even gonna bother seeing that dumb trailer.
Posted by: BarbadoSlim at February 16, 2009 2:17 PM
Testing, testing. Did I crash the site?
Posted by: BWeaves at February 16, 2009 2:22 PM
And not to detract, I thought this book was pretty good too. I don't really mind Hayden but that's not how I pictured Beth. But, whatever.
There's a horrible depiction of a half-assed party early on. Horrible in that the embarrassingness of it leaps right off the page.
I love this book. Please, please, please don't suck, movie!
What is up with the weird messages during the trailer? Who is "null" and why do I care if she's someone's Beth Cooper??
Posted by: Melissa at February 16, 2009 3:05 PM
Jay, I dunno. A glowing recommendation for a book? I thought you were entirely against books surrounded by hype. I mean, a lot of people have told me that I should read King Dork and Beth Cooper.
Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at February 16, 2009 3:40 PM
Huh. If so there's no hyping going on around me. I saw a review of "Beth Cooper", but "King Dork" just showed up at work unannounced. What a relief!
Actually there's no book hype problem in my life like I get with music and movies. Books are rarely hip anyway, so there's popular stuff I scoff at, but stuff I'd be interested in anyway. There's probably three people I know who recommend books to me and they're usually good recommendations.
I'm a little sad that "Arkham Asylum" is just sitting there on the Staff Picks table. Most of the comics I put out get picked up quickly, but that one just doesn't seem to sell itself.
I like Batman best when it's dark and moody and fucked up, Jay. If I lived in the area I would probably grab it.
You're making me want to check bookstores and my local library, though.
Posted by: Snath at February 16, 2009 4:26 PM
"I just don't understand what's going on with her right arm. It looks incredibly stumptastic."
gabby, her entire body is stumptastic.
Posted by: battgirl at February 16, 2009 4:29 PM
Did you seriously just call Mrs. Doubtfire and Stepmom unrepentantly shitty?
A pox on your house, my friend. A pox on your house.
Posted by: The Pink Hulk at February 16, 2009 4:41 PM
Columbus also did Adventures in Babysitting and Home Alone, and handled the first two Harry Potters reasonably well. I feel like he's another blue collar director who doesn't so much sculpt and mold his material to imprint it with his soul as manage the minutiae of getting it to the screen, much like a Dick Donner. If the material is that great, it probably has a reasonable chance.
Posted by: Eep at February 16, 2009 5:14 PM
"Reasonably well" is indeed the correct term to use with the first two Harry Potter films. They were ok, but nothing to rave about...unless you were twelve and as rabid with the books as certain people are about - nah won't use that reference that would be a disservice. Suffice to say, they were "all right."
In other words,I'm having some reservations about this one.
Posted by: Four Eyes at February 16, 2009 8:04 PM
That looks effing terrible. Hayden Panettiere is physically incapable of achieving sexy, at the top of her game it's still stumpy lolita.
Which is to say nothing of her (lack of) acting skills. I literally cringed when she pulled off her graduation gown to reveal the trailer trash Barbie costume underneath and whipped out her version of the "sexily superior face". Ouch.
Posted by: TryScience at February 17, 2009 10:23 AM
Chris Fucking Columbus? I thought they'd turned that man into McDonald's hamburgers years ago.
Fuck whoever gave him Harry Potter.
Posted by: Lucas at February 17, 2009 10:29 AM
I still need to read this book, but at least the movie doesn't look like a flaming ball of suck. Especially compared to anything that remotely passed as "comedy" at 20th Century Fox last year. (Apparently, it's funny to make your investors cry tears of blood.)
And in the man's defense, the first two Harry Potter movies were what they were supposed to be...kids films. If he tried to stick around for the third or return for anything after that point, then that bitch would have been avada kadavra'd. Instead, he went on to suck with Rent, where he belonged.
Nope. Not even gonna watch the trailer. I have this book on my to-read list, but I also don't want to see Claire in anything but Heroes. Actually, I don't even want to see Claire in Heroes anymore. Scratch that-I don't even want to watch Heroes anymore.