Foreword
This is February – the month of the Oscars AND the month of love.
So my dear editor gave me the brilliant idea of melding the two together for this issue – very much like how we can see the Oscars as awards for the fine combination of artistic direction and quality, and the oft-elusive true love as the exquisite bonding of passion and compatibility.
Yes, people, it’s all about getting the right formula, in whatever form that works best for the seeker.
Therefore, this installment presents…Oscar-winning / nominated Romances!
They are, quite simply, a selection of print-to-screen titles that have successfully portrayed the many aspects of love – good enough to be etched into almost everyone’s memories and made into award-winning films.
The Books, The Authors and the Films:
·
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje (Novel Call No.: OND)
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe.
Oscars Won: Best Picture / Best Director / Best Actress in a Supporting Role / Best Art Direction-Set Decoration / Best Cinematography / Best Costume Design / Best Film Editing / Best Original Score / Best Sound.
Aspects of Love: tragedy, confusion.
Atonement by Ian McEwan (Novel Call No.: MAC)
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan.
Oscars Won: Best Original Score (Motion Picture).
Aspects of Love: happiness, forgiveness.
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller (Novel Call No.: WAL)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood.
Oscars Nominated: Best Actress.
Aspects of Love: secrecy, separation.
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Novel Call No.: MIT)
Cast: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Hattie McDaniel.
Oscars Won: Best Picture / Best Director / Best Actress / Best Adapted Screenplay / Best Supporting Actress / Best Cinematography / Best Film Editing / Best Art Direction.
Aspects of Love: turbulence, ennui.
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (Novella Call No.: PRO)
Cast: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams.
Oscars Won: Best Director / Best Adapted Screenplay / Best Original Score.
Aspects of Love: agony, devastation.
Romances the Oscars Missed – Do you agree?
There are many worthy Oscar-misses, but I chose these 3 films because I thought they all had something in common. Apart from having powerful casts, fabulous backdrops and fine directions, these films prompt one to ask the question – “How long will you wait for love?”
Although the settings for the stories span different continents and take place in somewhat dissimilar times, they depict the variety of ways mere mortals attempt to address and resolve the joys and challenges Love hurls towards them.
How many of these aspects of love can you find in the films?
Anguish, honesty, devotion, self-destruction, obsession, tenderness, chaos, betrayal, wantonness, dalliance, perseverance, isolation, loyalty, unrequited love.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (Novel Call No.: GAR)
Cast: Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Benjamin Bratt.
Setting: The Carribean, 1880s – 1920s.
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham (Novel Call No.: MAU)
Cast: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Anthony Wong.
Setting: China, 1920s.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (Novel Call No.: SPA)
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands, James Garner
Setting: America, 1940s.
*The above mentioned films can also be found at Library@Esplanade
Did you know…The original story of Aladdin in Tales of 1001 Arabian Nights begins with, “Aladdin was a little Chinese boy.”
New Releases
Title: Men I’ve Loved Before
Author: Adele Parks
Publisher: London : Headline Review, 2010.
Call No.: PAR -[RO]
Title: A Touch of Scandal
Author: Jennifer Haymore
Publisher: New York : Forever, 2010
Call No.: HAY -[RO]
Title: Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand
Author: Helen Simonson
Publisher: New York : Random House, c2010.
Call No.: SIM -[RO]
*The images are the copyright of the respective publishers
Contributed by Chan Wai Ling, Library@Esplanade
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7 responses so far ↓
1 Lee Wei Meng // Feb 19, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Another romance book (though I don’t think its oscar-winning) that might be worth reading is …. “P.S. I Love You”.
p.s. Happy romance reading… ; )
2 Desmond // Feb 20, 2011 at 12:01 am
Wow, some literary gems you mentioned here! “The English Patient” and “Brokeback Mountain” are definitely in my all-time favourite list for print-to-screen.
In my opinion, the one missing from this list, and perhaps for a good reason (withdrawal from Oscar due to technical issue), is Elieen Chang’s underrated short story “Lust, Caution” (色，戒) – yes, it’s also about love. Though, one has to read the Chinese version to truly savour it. On another hand, it did win big at the Chinese-language “Oscars”, the Golden Horse Film Awards!
I was surprised at how good “The Painted Veil” was when I borrowed it from Esplanade last year.
Coincidentally, in an earlier post here, audio books were mentioned, and I am reminded of the audio book for “The English Patient” read by Ralphe Fiennes, which I borrowed from the library and love:)
3 Yen Yen // Feb 20, 2011 at 1:29 pm
I enjoyed “The Reader”, both the book and the film. Kate Winslet won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2009. It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture and Best Achievement in Cinematography.
4 Desmond // Feb 20, 2011 at 4:57 pm
Hi Yen Yen
I think Kate Winslet was perfect as ” Hanna” in “The Reader” down to the last detail, as if she just walked out of the pages into the courtroom drama – the only thing is she was speaking English:) But sadly, movie being movie, was not able to affect me as profoundly as the book, which really says a lot about the novelist.
5 leaping // Feb 21, 2011 at 10:28 am
Wowee – I loved Atonement (the book more than the movie)!
6 vinn // Feb 21, 2011 at 11:17 am
enjoy reading this entry
just want to say thanks to the contributor and people who leave their comments
one film i enjoyed in recent years, which is adapted from print novel, is Lady Chatterly. now i was reminded to read the original novel : )
7 Hansen // Feb 21, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I recommend the novel “Fireproof”. A novel with some nice messages about how a fireman tries to save his marriage. There is a movie too.
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