Went to see AS III with my two sons today....
Posted by LetsShrug 10 years, 7 months ago to Entertainment
Before viewing AS III in Vegas last weekend, Scott stood in front of us and, among other things (just before receiving his spiffy leather John Galt jacket), said "this will not be the movie you have in your head". He was right. (Hear me out though.)
Just prior to heading to the Premiere I re-read Atlas Shrugged, I wanted it to be fresh in my mind, and THAT is wanted I wanted to see on the screen. ALL of it. Which is completely unrealistic considering the multitude of events that happen in part 3 of the book.
Fast forward to today. I took my two sons (ages 17 and 21) to see the movie this afternoon. They have not read the book, but have seen both of the previous movies. I didn't tell them much about part 3 because I wanted their reactions to be THEIRS.
After the movie was over, and before the cleaning people kicked us out of the theater because we hung out too long to talk, I asked them, "Did you understand what happened, did it make sense?" They both explained that they understood the message. I asked what was the message? And they nailed it! And they both said they enjoyed the movie and were glad I took them.
So, perhaps those of us who know the book backwards and forwards and thirst to share it with others, but can't seem to get people to read a thick book, these movies will do the job quite nicely to open their eyes...and perhaps be the catalyst that gets them to read the book. (After all Part I worked for me.)
With that said, I want to thank John Aglialoro and Joan Carter for getting our favorite book on the big screen in spite of all the many road blocks they had to contend with to finally pull off that monumental task.
Thank You! ;)
(The theater had approx 30 people in it. )
Just prior to heading to the Premiere I re-read Atlas Shrugged, I wanted it to be fresh in my mind, and THAT is wanted I wanted to see on the screen. ALL of it. Which is completely unrealistic considering the multitude of events that happen in part 3 of the book.
Fast forward to today. I took my two sons (ages 17 and 21) to see the movie this afternoon. They have not read the book, but have seen both of the previous movies. I didn't tell them much about part 3 because I wanted their reactions to be THEIRS.
After the movie was over, and before the cleaning people kicked us out of the theater because we hung out too long to talk, I asked them, "Did you understand what happened, did it make sense?" They both explained that they understood the message. I asked what was the message? And they nailed it! And they both said they enjoyed the movie and were glad I took them.
So, perhaps those of us who know the book backwards and forwards and thirst to share it with others, but can't seem to get people to read a thick book, these movies will do the job quite nicely to open their eyes...and perhaps be the catalyst that gets them to read the book. (After all Part I worked for me.)
With that said, I want to thank John Aglialoro and Joan Carter for getting our favorite book on the big screen in spite of all the many road blocks they had to contend with to finally pull off that monumental task.
Thank You! ;)
(The theater had approx 30 people in it. )
I feel like I'm raising a Renaissance Man, and it's a really good feeling.
What were you THINKING!
I know.. what is WRONG with me!!!?? (Actually, the only excuse I have, besides it being a group of people, I might have hesitated because I could hear my boys saying "oh god, there she goes." lolol) No excuse though... bah! Lesson learnt! (Yes.."learnT"!)
Thank you for making a dream come true. I have been waiting since that fellow Ruddy, one of the producers of The Godfather, proposed to A.R. to bring Atlas to the screen.
I am aware that it has been a great investment in more than just money. I takes courage, grit, and vision to do what you folks have done and there is not enough accolades that can be expressed for your accomplishment. So -- the most my family and myself can do is say thank you.
We owe all those involved with this project a huge debt of gratitude for bringing a balanced and objective story to the forefront. And to that, I say... Well done.
I remembered the torture scene from reading the book many years ago and was not looking forward to that. The outstanding part of that scene is when the F machine no longer works and John Galt is the only one who knows how to fix it. The "bad guy"finally realizes that the man they are trying to subjugate is the smartest one in the room. He finally gets Galt's message and wakes up in an instant. Joe and I had just spent the day at the railroad museum in Strasburgh, Pa and wee admiring the level of workmanship in the engines. When the line " You haven't nationalized the railroads!" was spoken by Dagney it really jolted us. That and the Taggart bridge. Joe said it reminded him of the Tay bridge in Scotland. There webout 20-25 people in the theater for the 7p.m. show on Saturday. One young woman had a "Who is John Galt? tee shirt on. We talked a bit abad I said I wished I had worn my "Rearden Metal" bracelet! I wish we could have talked more.. I wonder how the talk on campuses will go?
I enjoyed the movie and it's killing me to keep from telling you any spoilers. I will say that there was an appearance from one of my personal heroes "as himself" which delighted me (and made my friend chuckle too).
I had a little trouble finding a showing nearby - I live in NH and there were none in NH, VT, ME, or anywhere other than Danvers, MA. So I ventured into the Commonwealth to see it, with an audience of about 20 other people, and not really clear to me as to their enjoyment of it (or not).
Right now I think I am going to watch Pt.1 and Pt. 2 on TV at that friend's house, just to backfill the "who's who" for her sake.
I'm in complete agreement with LetsShrug about the movie being a good way to introduce the thought to people who have not read the book, and also my thanks to John and Joan!
I saw it in the one theatre in Idaho's Treasure Valley that showed it, and there were about 30-40 people at 6:40 on a Friday, opening night.
I love the books. A librarian who was trying to keep me entertained suggested them during my summer after 6th grade. Atlas Shrugged was only slightly above the required reading- 1984, Farenheit 451, animal Farm, Logan's Run. That was the difference.We had The Hunger Games X 100. Somewhere in the 70s, the dystopian novels that shaped our value system turned into Judy Blume, Danielle Steele, Eudora Welty, Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. If you haven't read the books- read them! If those books are too long to dive into, try The Hunger Games. While they aren't Ayn Rand they're a solid Orwellian quality. I understood most of what she wrote at age 11. Don't underestimate your children. They arent too young to be taught different values than the communist indoctrination being rammed down everyone's throat.
Saturday, I went to visit my son at his college. At lunch I told him about the movie and he seemed interested. We did our usual visit to the town's used bookstore after lunch and they had a copy so I bought it for him. The length won't daunt him given that he's read the whole set of Game of Thrones. Lol.
As a very long time Objectivist I went to see the film with anticipation and an almost maniacal desire to love it. So, at the outset, I admit my prejudice. I did not go away unsatisfied. The high points were hit, and it was visually attractive. The actors acted well, delivering what are sometimes awkward dialog with credibility and expression matching the words. Polaha couldn't have been a better John Galt if they had created him from scratch. He looked like a hero, and he spoke with the calm certainty that you'd want a hero to sound like.
I think that there will be much negative criticism. This is a movie that you may have trouble approaching cold. If you are an uninformed voter, or someone who doesn't pay attention to current events, or has not had some grounding in philosophy, the film will likely go flying over your head like a NASA Orbiter. However, even if you haven't read the book, but you're a thinker, you'll get it. You may need to see it more than once, but if you want to understand, you'll even learn -- a lot. It didn't disappoint. If I have to criticize it at all, I would have made the rescue of Galt with more action and suspense.
*Spoiler* Definitely a low-cost production. Also, it has been quite some time since I read the novel so forgive me when I say this was a very different ending than I remembered. That did not bother me as much, however, as did the character's continuities. I understand re-casting but this movie seemed to stand out in its own universe. The is will make watching the movies, back to back, frustrating. That out of the way. I will still buy it and watch it to my heart's content.
There was much that was different than the book, and it had a whole different feel than the first two, which takes some adjusting, but I liked it much better the second time around.
I was starting to wonder if you made it to the show. lol thank you for replying.
I saw the movie on opening night with several friends. There were thirty-two people in the theater. When it ended half of them clapped. I concur with your analysis. The movie is what it is. It is what it had to be and the choices made were not mine to make. Of necessity it would have been much longer to satisfy all. I will not criticize the choices made. I look forward to a potential mini-series that would present opportunity to tie up loose ends. My guests had many questions since they had not read the book. I enjoyed the ending as it left one with a feeling of optimism.
Regards,
O.A.