Franco’s had a big year between The Disaster Artist (which will likely score an Oscar nod or two) and his acting and directing work on HBO’s, The Deuce. Like Franco, Silverstein was kind of a jack-of-all-trades. Not only did he write children’s literature (most famously The Giving Tree), but he also penned hit songs and worked on scripts with David Mamet. Silverstein passed away in 1999 at the age of 68, but he lived a full life. A full enough life, anyway, to merit a biopic.
Image Via NYC Children’s Theater
Biopics on authors (e.g. Howl, Kill Your Darlings, Rebel in the Rye) can sometimes be a little stuffy and grim. Hopefully Franco can bring some levity to the material. After all, it’s a movie about Shel Silverstein. It has to be funny, right? Plus, Franco’s more than proved his comedy bona fides between Pineapple Express, The Disaster Artist, and Freaks and Geeks.
Franco’s got a pretty busy schedule in the next few years, so no sign of when A Boy Named Shel will come out. It might not be for a while, but keep it in mind when thinking about what you have to look forward to.
Winter is coming. Specifically, winter will be here in like three weeks. Arguably the best time to watch a movie is when the dead leaves sit in the street, shriveling into crispy corpses. You can always warm up and forget the frigid outdoors with a big bucket of popcorn slathered in butter flavoring. Or maybe you’re one of those sickos that prefers pretzel nuggets and slightly spicy cheese sauce. Whatever your preferred concession, here are the best movies to see this December if you also love books.
December 1
The Disaster Artist
Image Via Reddit
James Franco’s movie about a book about a movie is getting some serious buzz. The movie’s based on The Room star Greg Sestero’s non-fiction book of the same name. The story recounts Sestero’s friendship with the director of the cult classic The Room, Tommy Wiseau. Wiseau’s flick is widely considered the best bad movie of all time. James Franco and his brother Dave star as Wiseau and Sestero, and, if nothing else, Franco’s Wiseau impression is worth the price of admission.
The Tribes of Palos Verdes
Image Via Entertainment Tonight
Emmett and Brendan Malloy’s movie is based on Joy Nicholson’s novel of the same name. The story follows a family living in a rich suburb of Los Angeles called Palos Verdes. Jennifer Garner looks like she’s turning in a wonderful performance as a stressed out suburban mom, feeling the pressure to get plastic surgery, to diet, and to just live a generally appearance-obsessed life. This one’s looking like the way to go for book lovers who aren’t Franco fanatics.
December 8
November Criminals
Image Via IMP Awards
November Criminals, which I guess would have been too obvious to release in November, is based on Sam Munson’s The November Criminals. Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort plays the role of Addison, whose friend gets killed in a robbery. Addison is then determined to get to the bottom of what really happened to his friend, but things are more complicated than they appear and nobody is who they seem. Watch November Criminals…this December!
December 25
Molly’s Game
Image Via Teaser Trailer
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut is based on Molly Bloom’s memoir Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker. Despite the title tragically suffering from the non-fiction trope of short title and offensively long subtitle, the story seems cool. Bloom founded a secret poker empire which was frequented by various celebrities and rich people. She was then the target of a massive FBI investigation. Jessica Chastain stars and, judging by the trailers, she’s a great fit for Sorkin’s signature dialogue.
December 29
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
Image Via onscreen magazine
Based on Peter Turner’s memoir of the same name, this one’s about a young actor who falls for an older woman who happens to be legendary, Oscar-winning actor Gloria Grahame. Paul McGuigan directs Jamie Bell in the role of Turner and Annette Bening, who’s playing Grahame. This looks like a nice light-hearted romance to round out a tough year and welcome a hopefully brighter 2018. Then again, I have neither read the book nor seen the movie, so it could be a miserable story that will leave you feeling wretched. Let’s hope not!
James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, based on Greg Sestero’s book of the same name, may not come out until December, but it’s already raking in great reviews. Peter Debruge of Varietynotes: “…boasting a genuine capacity to delight, whether or not the audiences in question have seen The Room.” Hopefully you have. I hope you have seen The Room. If not, stop reading this article and go watch it.
But, first, watch the first full trailer for Franco’s The Disaster Artist:
Sestero starred opposite Tommy Wiseau (the mad genius himself) in the film that started it all. The book seems surprisingly heartfelt considering it’s about the making of the worst movie ever made (sorry, Ed Wood), and the movie looks bizarrely moving as well.
The trailer is here for James Franco’s new movie ‘The Disaster Artist,’ based on Greg Sestero’s book of the same name about his time working on cult film ‘The Room.’
via YouTube
‘The Disaster Artist‘ was published in 2013 and won the Best Non-Fiction award at Bookish Oscars, and at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards where the judges commented “‘The Disaster Artist’ is not only a hell of a good read, it will make a great film if ever adapted.”
Image Courtesy of Esquire
Fans of the book and the original film that inspired it all are sure to enjoy this movie which premiered to standing ovation at South by Southwest in March.
