Carolyn Parkhurst is the author of two terrific novels: 2006’s Lost And Found, which follows contestants around the world on a fictional reality-TV game show, and 2003’s The Dogs Of Babel, in which a grieving widower becomes convinced that the family dog holds the secret behind his wife’s death. The Dogs Of Babel is in theprocess of being adapted to film, so BeE WOMAN writer Tasha Robinson interviewed Parkhurst about her involvement for the current issue’s article on turning fiction into film. Here’s the complete interview:
Q: How involved have you been in the process of adapting The Dogs Of Babel to film?
A: From the beginning, I’ve thought that this book could be made into a very good film or a very bad film, and the best thing I could do was stand back and trust the judgment of the people involved. My involvement with the process has been fairly minimal—it was written into the contract that I would get to see the first draft of the screenplay, and that I could make notes on it for the producers. That’s already happened—I got a draft of the screenplay in October. It arrived out of the blue one day in my email inbox, and I can tell you that I’ve never opened an attachment with more trepidation.
I think the screenwriter, Jamie Linden, did a great job with the screenplay, overall. I’ve known all along that there were going to have to be some changes made, since much of the action of the book is internal, and after reading the screenplay, it was really clear to me that the movie is going to be different from the book in a number of crucial ways. But while I was sad to lose some of the material that was taken out, I think Jamie was very faithful to the overall tone of the novel, and that’s what’s most important to me. I did have a few concerns about some of the choices that had been made, and I was really happy to have the opportunity to write those up and share them with the producers, who were extremely receptive to my comments. So it’s been a good experience so far. And at this point, my part in the process is pretty much over. Although I believe it’s also in my contract that I get two tickets to the première…
Q: Did you choose that level of involvement, or was it chosen for you?
A: That’s what was on offer. For the most part, though, it’s fine with me not to be more involved. Novels and films are completely different media, and I don’t know the first thing about putting together a film that works. I’m very glad I had a chance to offer some feedback, but at this point, I’m happy to just wait and hope for the best.
Q: What’s going to be the hardest thing about the book to convey on film?
A: The complexity of the characters. For me, writing fiction is all about getting to know my characters—the scope of their lives, the depth of their emotions—through their narrative voices, and that’s inevitably lost in the translation to film. On the other hand, there are a number of very potent tools available to filmmakers—visual images, music and sound, the powerful experience of watching an actor bring a character to life—which are not available to novelists. The most important thing for me has been to let go of what I think the book is about, and realize that the film is going to be a completely different animal.
Q: What makes a good book-to-film adaptation, as far as you’re concerned?
A: I think that the best book-to-film adaptations are the ones that use the novel as a springboard for the film, films that manage to maintain the emotional core of the novel without being slavishly faithful to everything that’s written on the page. Two of my favorites are Election and Wonder Boys. Both are great books and great movies, and in both cases, the filmmakers used the original material in unexpected ways, without losing the essence of the novel. I’ll be happy if the film of The Dogs Of Babel manages to accomplish the same thing. **
Other articles:
For the remaining articles, subscribe to BeE Woman Magazine.
