In all honesty upon first reading it I though it was a cautionary tale about pedophilia too...but wow, it was WAAAAY more disturbing, haunting and real. Reading "Seymour Glass/ Raise High the Roof Beams Carpetners"...as well as "Franny and Zooey" gives the entire saga a very odd feeling. A prevailing theory is that Wes Anderson's The Royal Tennenbaums is a film adapt of Franny and Zooey. Very cool.
While the acting was a touch weak - particulalry the wife - this is about as good an adaptation of the story as I can imagine. You've created the best J.D. Salinger story on film. This took me by surprise. I didn't expect it to be so well done.
Also the placement of the elevator scene is strange and as mentioned by other people, Seymour very quickly and without hesitation kills himself. However I do think its ridiculous that people are complaining about him putting the gun to the wrong side of his head. That makes very little difference. Its also hard to get the exact model of pistol as described in the story.
There aren't underlying tones of pedophilia. Have you read the other books about the Glass Family? Seymour never had a proper childhood, and though he is deeply intellectual, he is searching for a way to have an actual childhood. He connects with Sybil because of this.
Also, the acting was atrocious. I really didn't like how the time line was all messed up. The great thing about this story is how it goes from seemingly ordinary to a suicide.
Uh, please read the book! Sybil was three years old. J.D. is rolling over in his grave with this, perhaps? You have taken artistic license too far. Seymour was a suicidal war veteran who had P.T.S.D. He was not a child sex predator.
@vantaxel I have read the story, and if you think this adaptation implies undertones of pedophilia more predominantly then in the story, perhaps you should re-read it yourself. Not every scene is exactly the way Salinger wrote it but that's because of production problems. It was extremely hard to cast a 3 year old in this role. We had to remove certain lines that were questionably more sexual between Seymour and Cybil, for example when Seymour grabs her foot and says "not in my face baby".
I agree that Seymour is not a pedophile but I don't think the filmmaker here makes any strong suggestion toward that. I disagree with your claim that Sybil is 3 years old. It never says precisely how old she is in the story. Seymour mentions that Sharon Lipschutz is ONLY 3 and a 1/2, which leads me to believe that Sybil is older. Also, a mother (even back in1948 when this takes place) would surely never let a 3 year old wander off on the beach by herself.
Uh, please read the book! Sybil was three years old. J.D. is rolling over in his grave with this, perhaps? You have taken artistic license too far. Seymour was a sucidial war veteran who had PTSD. He was not a child sex predator.
Uh, please read the book! Sybil was three years old. J.D. is rolling over in his grave with this, perhaps? You have taken artistic license too far. Seymour was a sucidial war veteran who had PTSD. He was not a child sex preditor.
My honest opinion... this was directed very well. Awesome opening and angles and set and all are good. That being said, the acting was so bad I couldn't get past the first couple minutes. I mean like REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. I'm a writer and I collaborate with directors all the time and if there's one thing I can't stand it's a good adaptation and talented directing ruined by bad actors.
@christianchopin Thank you for your kind comments. However, as the director I have to take responsibility for my actors inadequacies. An actor's performance is a direct reflection of the director's competence. With that being said, the woman who was supposed to play Muriel did not show up the day of the shoot so my DP stepped in to fill the role and I operated the camera. And found it extremely difficult to direct and film simultaneously considering the director and DP look at different aspects.
I respect the fact that you take responsibility for the finished product. Filmmaking is not easy and many things can go wrong no matter how well you plan. I'm currently planning my own short film adaptation of this great story. I admire the effort you put in to make your version but I agree with some of the other criticisms such as the way you edited the film. Essentially showing that he's going to kill himself so early on is a huge misstep in my opinion.
in the original story, she was wearing a yellow bathing suit and he mistaked for being blue, he was also wearing a blue bathing suit, this played a huge role in the story and the colour blue symbolises childish innosence.
@mconstance41 Agreed. I extended the suicide for cinematic purposes to add a sense of drama to the scene. However, I would argue that Seymour is thinking about killing himself throughout the story. He is not worrying about whether or not to do it, instead he is thinking about the circumstances in his life that lead him to the decision.
Do realize this is illegal, and the lighting is just wrong.
pingguo2 2 weeks ago
I actually love the end!
laptitepucemimi 3 weeks ago
In all honesty upon first reading it I though it was a cautionary tale about pedophilia too...but wow, it was WAAAAY more disturbing, haunting and real. Reading "Seymour Glass/ Raise High the Roof Beams Carpetners"...as well as "Franny and Zooey" gives the entire saga a very odd feeling. A prevailing theory is that Wes Anderson's The Royal Tennenbaums is a film adapt of Franny and Zooey. Very cool.
liveecarbme 1 month ago
While the acting was a touch weak - particulalry the wife - this is about as good an adaptation of the story as I can imagine. You've created the best J.D. Salinger story on film. This took me by surprise. I didn't expect it to be so well done.
jimfarrowlove 2 months ago
sucks
cromagmax 2 months ago
This is so bad i can't get past the first 2 minutes.
thatdarnseaweed 5 months ago
Why is Sybil ten and a half? She was less than five in the story.
edgeofthewoods 5 months ago
@edgeofthewoods all movie base on a story is not all way the same.
crazyox100 5 months ago
First couple lines from Miss Muriel were very forced and did not sound real at all. Hating the mother. She sounds like she's reading from a script.
edgeofthewoods 5 months ago
yellow!
JustWantMyClip2 9 months ago
@JustWantMyClip2 the bathing suit? I noticed too. this isn't bad, though.
janie3094 7 months ago
@TheRocheification
Also the placement of the elevator scene is strange and as mentioned by other people, Seymour very quickly and without hesitation kills himself. However I do think its ridiculous that people are complaining about him putting the gun to the wrong side of his head. That makes very little difference. Its also hard to get the exact model of pistol as described in the story.
LMSchierholz 9 months ago
such bad acting. whyyyy.
AriesG247 10 months ago
There aren't underlying tones of pedophilia. Have you read the other books about the Glass Family? Seymour never had a proper childhood, and though he is deeply intellectual, he is searching for a way to have an actual childhood. He connects with Sybil because of this.
Also, the acting was atrocious. I really didn't like how the time line was all messed up. The great thing about this story is how it goes from seemingly ordinary to a suicide.
sharpieismywarpaint 1 year ago
why is the time line all fucked up
flogeon 1 year ago
you should of brought her out on the water with the floaty. and aim towards the horizon, where the water came up to your waist/chest.
Rattlehead21345 1 year ago
@Rattlehead21345 I totally agree, that would have been a sweet shot, but I wasn't about to bring a 16mm ARRIFLEX BL in the water.
TheRocheification 1 year ago
Uh, please read the book! Sybil was three years old. J.D. is rolling over in his grave with this, perhaps? You have taken artistic license too far. Seymour was a suicidal war veteran who had P.T.S.D. He was not a child sex predator.
vantaxel 1 year ago
@vantaxel I have read the story, and if you think this adaptation implies undertones of pedophilia more predominantly then in the story, perhaps you should re-read it yourself. Not every scene is exactly the way Salinger wrote it but that's because of production problems. It was extremely hard to cast a 3 year old in this role. We had to remove certain lines that were questionably more sexual between Seymour and Cybil, for example when Seymour grabs her foot and says "not in my face baby".
TheRocheification 1 year ago 6
@vantaxel
I agree that Seymour is not a pedophile but I don't think the filmmaker here makes any strong suggestion toward that. I disagree with your claim that Sybil is 3 years old. It never says precisely how old she is in the story. Seymour mentions that Sharon Lipschutz is ONLY 3 and a 1/2, which leads me to believe that Sybil is older. Also, a mother (even back in1948 when this takes place) would surely never let a 3 year old wander off on the beach by herself.
LMSchierholz 9 months ago
Uh, please read the book! Sybil was three years old. J.D. is rolling over in his grave with this, perhaps? You have taken artistic license too far. Seymour was a sucidial war veteran who had PTSD. He was not a child sex predator.
vantaxel 1 year ago
Uh, please read the book! Sybil was three years old. J.D. is rolling over in his grave with this, perhaps? You have taken artistic license too far. Seymour was a sucidial war veteran who had PTSD. He was not a child sex preditor.
vantaxel 1 year ago
My honest opinion... this was directed very well. Awesome opening and angles and set and all are good. That being said, the acting was so bad I couldn't get past the first couple minutes. I mean like REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. I'm a writer and I collaborate with directors all the time and if there's one thing I can't stand it's a good adaptation and talented directing ruined by bad actors.
christianchopin 1 year ago
@christianchopin Thank you for your kind comments. However, as the director I have to take responsibility for my actors inadequacies. An actor's performance is a direct reflection of the director's competence. With that being said, the woman who was supposed to play Muriel did not show up the day of the shoot so my DP stepped in to fill the role and I operated the camera. And found it extremely difficult to direct and film simultaneously considering the director and DP look at different aspects.
TheRocheification 1 year ago 5
@TheRocheification
I respect the fact that you take responsibility for the finished product. Filmmaking is not easy and many things can go wrong no matter how well you plan. I'm currently planning my own short film adaptation of this great story. I admire the effort you put in to make your version but I agree with some of the other criticisms such as the way you edited the film. Essentially showing that he's going to kill himself so early on is a huge misstep in my opinion.
LMSchierholz 9 months ago
in the original story, she was wearing a yellow bathing suit and he mistaked for being blue, he was also wearing a blue bathing suit, this played a huge role in the story and the colour blue symbolises childish innosence.
penguinrudeboy 1 year ago
Pretty good, but I would argue that Seymour doesn't give his suicide as much thought as it is portrayed here.
mconstance41 1 year ago
@mconstance41 Agreed. I extended the suicide for cinematic purposes to add a sense of drama to the scene. However, I would argue that Seymour is thinking about killing himself throughout the story. He is not worrying about whether or not to do it, instead he is thinking about the circumstances in his life that lead him to the decision.
TheRocheification 1 year ago 4
haha. it works! hidden message 4:33?
dmarin1 1 year ago
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dmarin1 1 year ago
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dmarin1 1 year ago