I almost didn’t go. The reviews were pretty meah. I’d not read the book, even though it had had strong reviews. Maybe it was one of those transitions to the screen that don’t work.
And then the timing. The start of the showing would coincide with penalties if the Lionesses – the England woman’s’ footie team – didn’t best the Germans in normal plus extra time.
And if they did go to penalties, history suggests I’d need a defibrillator not darkened movie theatre.
But the women won, my heart rate retained a beat in double figures and the Vet her enthusiasm to see it. Oh yes, it’s Where The Crawdads Sing. I still haven’t looked up what a crawdad is but I’m guessing a bird.
And it was good. A fine performance by the English actress playing a backwoods American. I’ve no idea if her accent works for locals, though at least it didn’t circle through about fifteen regional variations as did Anne Hathaway when she tried to master the elongated Yorkshire vowels in One Day.
The story – which may or may not – follow the book is a little trite: abandoned girl wins out against the odds and finds true love etc. It is a little unbelievable that the lead looks after herself in an isolated cabin for most of her teenaged years. There’s a sense of a bit of tokenism in that the only black couple are the most caring and worthy unlike most of the white folks with the exception of the kindly old lawyer modelled on To Kill A Mockingbird; one of the delights of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and make it a great film if you’ve not caught it yet is the fact no one is perfect and many of those who are often written into caricature – the white police chief, say – are decent for all their flaws and prejudices.
But all of that is not to decry a decent evening’s watch. Daisy Edgar- Jones is a star and worth the entrance money alone.
One thing: in British films, the did she/didn’t she part of the story would have played out as a forensic/police procedural whereas here it’s a court room drama. Maybe it’s the politicised nature of prosecutions in the US that make that more realistic, because in the UK you’d feel the prosecution case would fail early doors. It does slow the action, rather, all that gavel banging and ‘I objecting’.
And the dodgy reviews? Well there were some but the one I remembered was from a different film, part of the Marvel-not-Marvellous franchise so I’m glad we ignored it.
TanGental 
Just to set the record straight a Crawdad is American slang for a crayfish, a freshwater crustacean related to the lobster. Thanks for the review. I haven’t read the book, but want to, or seen the movie.
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I had to look it up Darlene, which I had no problem doing. I’ve been advised by two people to change the title of my novel because most people won’t know what a ‘babby house’ is. My arguments is, can’t they find out? Or read the blurb where it might explain. So many people in this part of the world don’t know what a crawdad is. But they probably do now. 😄
Will you read the book or watch the movie? The book is usual better than the movie. I’ve a shocking big tbr pile as it is. 🙈
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I know, it is a very North American (southern) thing. Yes, I plan to read the book, it is on my TBR list which is, like yours, huge. BTW, Keep ‘babby house’. We can look it up.
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I think I will Darlene. Thanks. I’m hoping my editor doesn’t suggest changing it. Secrets in the Babby House.
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Stay with Babby; it’s super. And TBRs… oh heck, mine tetters on the mountainous…
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I’m hearing some of the issues are how they ‘interpreted’ the book for the screenplay; a classic problem.
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I haven’t read the book either. It’s on my list but now that they’ve made the movie I can’t decide whether to read the book or go see the movie. Daisy Edgar Jones starred in Normal People (have you seen it Geoff?) and her Irish accent was so perfect that most Irish people thought she was Irish.
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I didn’t see Normal People because I find Sally Rooney’s work gratingly irritating and, and I know this is a capital crime, dull. I tried Normal Conversations (or whatever it was called – its been on TV recently), I really did but I’ve seen road set with more gripping drama… Shoot me.
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I did watch Normal People. It was okay. Then I watched Conversations with Friends. Yes, quite boring! But I did watch it all to find out what happened at the end! 😄
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That’s the insidious part. Even though it’s dull there’s just enough to hold your attention. Like muesli…
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Thanks, Geoff. It’s on my list to watch or read… x
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Great to know, Geoff, and if you didn’t read the book you absolutely must! It was by all standards fantastic, courtroom drama past aside. 👍
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I’m getting really mixed reviews on the quality of the book; interesting…
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Loved it!
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Would quite like to see, and thanks for the review. The book will always remind me of lockdown as I read it then. You could see the ending coming, but the suspense was in how it was revealed. It’s a decent book but not great, I think. If a book is a bit simplistic, then the film will be even more so.
I think we were all relieved no penalties! Actually, you know, it may well have been a handball … but tough! A lot of finals seem to end in a bit of controversy now with all the advanced camera work and instant visual analysis.
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And it was the bloody Germans so, second only to the Aussis they get all they deserve in terms of dodgy decisions…
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It would seem, Geoff, that should you see a crawdad flying past you should contact The Guinness Book of Records, or whatever they are called now!
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yes that’s a good question. The Trump Book of Inconceivable Conquests? Elon Muck and The Book of Ridiculously Named Achievements. The Bezos Book of Boasts?
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I HAVE read the book, which I considered a good read (not 4 star) but have avoided going to the movie because a friend – who both read the book and saw the move – said the movie was a disaster., manipulating the book plot into something not very recognizable.
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that may be the problem with it to the readers; happily I didn’t have that challenge to overcome
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I’ll be the producers were counting on that – people who knew it was a best-seller but hadn’t read the book!
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Yes that stands to reason
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A relief that the review you read was on a different movie. Good review, Geoff.
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yes, it would be incorrigible if I put off the family on false pretenses not for the first time, of course…
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Ha ha ha.
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I’m not a big fan of survival movies or books. They’re generally lacking in humor
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That is true.
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Someone gave me the book as a present. I have yet to crack it open, but I have many friends who enjoyed it.
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I might leave it at the film.
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It doesn’t sound like you missed out on much, Geoff, and I’m glad the defibrillator was not required.
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