It's 1 PM. Do you know where your towel is?

[kellinator]

Last night I got to go with Michael and his parents to an advance screening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Honestly, even though I was pleased when they finally started actually making it, I was expecting it to be cheesy. The first trailer I saw put those fears to rest, but then I started hearing bad review buzz in the past few days.

After seeing the movie, Michael and I think those reviewers probably haven't read the book.

This movie is a delight. The scenery looks great, especially the sequence in the planet factory. The casting is pitch-perfect. I have to sheepishly admit that I was skeptical about a rapper as Ford Prefect, but now I can't picture anyone but Mos Def in that role. (Was he wearing white Converse high-tops? I hope I was right on that. Hee, just like Edward Gorey's Doubtful Guest.) Sam Rockwell is a scenery-chewing dervish as Zaphod (in retrospect, I am so grateful Jim Carrey didn't end up with the role). Alan Rickman fucking rules as Marvin, as if you had any doubt. Martin Freeman is the perfect Arthur, and Zooey Deschanel makes Trillian so competent and likable (and damn cute!) that though I was initially skeptical about the new emphasis on the Arthur/Trillian romance, it ended up really working for me. It made sense, because the book, as hysterical as it is, doesn't necessarily have the most cogent plot, and this helped the movie hang together. More on that later.

The Guide is brilliant. I'm going to have to get the DVD just so I can see all the little in-jokes in the interface that went by too fast. And I am hoping for some nifty DVD extras involving the Guide.

One of the best things was the obvious amount of care that went into the movie. Though it's not mentioned, the head of the demolition crew tearing down Arthur's house looks Mongolian. It was also wonderful seeing it with a crowd of hoopy froods who obviously knew where their towels were (I was the one who reminded Michael and his parents that we all needed to bring our towels) and cheered at all the right moments, especially the "For Douglas" dedication at the end. How I wish he could have been here for this.

Also, learning from IMDB (which has some nifty trivia) that Douglas Adams himself was behind the changes made me feel a lot better about the deviations. It probably also helps that I haven't read the book in a few years and get a little foggy on some of the details. I should also point out that I am really not as much of a purist as most of the people I know when it comes to book-to-film adaptations. They're two different mediums, so I really don't mind most changes as long as they don't really suck.

I know a lot of people are going to be bitching about the increased romance and the super-happy ending, but the way I see it is, in a lot of ways the Hitchiker's Guide is a book written by a young man, stuffed full of as many jokes as possible and not so concerned with emotion. But the movie script, to me, shows the touch of an older, wiser Douglas Adams: yes, you need the jokes, but you also need heart -- not just romantic, but friendship and optimism and a really likable Slartibartfast. I think the movie does a great job of balancing the two. I laughed till I hurt, but I also ended up feeling good and happy and optimistic, which frankly yesterday was something I really needed.

In short, it was even better than I expected. Geeks rejoice!

Comments

[stevietee.livejournal.com]

I'm going to lose all my Geek Cred here, but I couldn't even get through the book -- I've tried reading it three times, and I just get bored and stop reading it, leaving it on the night stand for a few weeks collecting dust, until I finally just reshelve it.

Maybe I'll give it another shot before the movie hits.

[dwivian]

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the reassurance!

WOO HOO!!!

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

The thing about the book for me was, I loved all the jokes, but finally I had to just sit down and plow through it. In a way, parts of it, I think, are better suited to AV format than prose (after all, it was originally a radio show, right?). If you liked the jokes, you'll like the movie, I think.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I think you'll be very happy. dslartoo provides a different point of view, but I think as long as people don't get too bent out of shape over the deviations, they'll be very happy.

[thegreyman.livejournal.com]

Neato!!! I've carried a towel in my car for years because of that book. = )

In other news, Christine is working tonight and I plan on a massive house cleaning. Give us a yell on my cell and we'll figure out when we can get together.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to get a hold of you today; due to my car problems, I can't make it anyway. :( Hopefully soon it will be fixed and we can get it started. ;)

[galateadia.livejournal.com]

oh man, you have no idea how nice it is to see a good review of Hitchhiker's from someone i trust to have a good yet geeky opinion on these things. i was soooo tired of reading all the nay-saying, "it's gonna suck" reporting.
now i once again can't wait to see it! :)

[reannon.livejournal.com]

This post inspired the following phone conversation:

ME: Do you know where your towel is?
DAD: My... towel?
ME: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy opens this weekend.
DAD: Aha.
ME: People are actually bringing towels.
DAD: Oh, you're kidding.
ME: I had been very worried about it, but people are saying it's a good adaptation, and the changes that they made had to be made and were made with Douglas Adams' approval, premortem.
DAD: You mean like Zaphod Beeblebrox only has one head?
ME: No, he has two heads!
DAD: I heard he had one head.
ME: He spends most of the movie with one head, but at some point he has two heads, and don't ask me how that works. I have no idea.
DAD: Me neither.
ME: Wanna see it this weekend?
DAD: Viviane's in town.
ME: I gather Viviane is still among the unwashed, i.e. non-Hitchhiker fans?
DAD: Undoubtedly.
ME: Well, we should drag her, kicking and screaming!
DAD: I'll have to run it by her. We might have an evening free.
ME: She's gonna give you The Look, isn't she?
DAD: Oh, yes.

Woot.

[squiddna.livejournal.com]

So looking forward to this. Now I just need someone to see it with.

[sleepinbeauty.livejournal.com]

I've read the first three books; the trailer makes it look great. Especially the web-only one. I wonder...

[gladstone.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine that real fans would get too upset over any deviations since every version of Hitchhiker's (the radio show, the TV series, the computer game, the book, etc.) has deviated significantly from every other version, and Douglas Adams was responsible for all of them. Myself, I would be more disappointed if it didn't deviate from the book.

[squiddna.livejournal.com]

Oh, btw, thought you'd like this.

[piratejenny.livejournal.com]

I saw a behind the scenes bit on cable this weekend. The director said he made it because he's the person who wanted to see it more than anyone.

I so would have hated Jim Carrey as Zaphod. I weirdly developed a crush on Zaphod and I can't stand Jim Carrey. It would have ruined the movie for me.

Going Friday--can't wait!!!

[animamea.livejournal.com]

Ooh! My towel! I almost forgot my towel. Silly me.

I remember when Mr. Adams passed away and a bunch of us crazy internet geeks got together and wore a towel in memoriam.

My fiance's going to KILL me when he finds out I'm bringing a towel... Teehee!

[stevenglassman.livejournal.com]

Neato!!! I've carried a towel in my car for years because of that book. = )

I once beat out an engine fire in my car with a towel.