First Look: ‘The Road’
One of my fave books in recent years The Road by Cormac McCarthy (author of No Country for Old Men) is finally going to make it to the big screen. A film version of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel starring Viggo Mortensen has already been shot and finished and was originally set for release last year but due to worries about the film’s ability to win awards, it was shelved for release this year. At long last, a movie trailer has been released and we finally get our first look at the film’s footage … but first, here is what the movie poster looks like:
If you’ve read the book, then you know how amazing it is in its chilling simplicity. No book has moved/disturbed me as much as The Road has. I love the book so much, I gave away as many copies as I could to my friends because I just wanted them to read it for themselves. It’s so good. Judging by the new trailer, it looks like the heart and soul of the novel has been kept intact for the big screen. After the jump, check out the movie trailer for The Road in full …
OMG. I love it. I urge you all to READ THIS BOOK if it looks interesting to you. Read the book then see the movie … you’ve got time. I promise, the book is really spectacular. I got chills just from watching this trailer … I may have to read the book again myself. This is truly the movie I am most looking forward to seeing this year.
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May 14th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
The movie poster looks really spooky…I’ll definatley have to check out the book!!
May 14th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
I read this book 2 years ago and thought then that it would be a wonderful movie. I can’t wait! It’s an amazing story!
May 14th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I hope the ending to the movie is better than the book – the book just kind of…ended. I definitely planning on seeing this one!
May 14th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
This is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. It actually is a bad thing b/c I just haven’t read a book since that I’ve liked as much. Everything gets compared to The Road. Trent, any books you can recommend that are similar in style?
May 14th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
It was such a great book! Can’t wait for the movie.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
The Road is one of my favorite books. I’ve been so excited ever since I found out it was being made into a movie. Can’t wait!
May 14th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Ok, when you say “disturbed” is reading it going to leave me disturbed? Because I have a faint heart… I don’t even watch horror movies… should someone like me skip the book & movie, or does it have some great redeeming quality’s????
May 14th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
@Lulu — it’s an eerie book … not scary. I can’t really explain it. I think you’ll be fine reading The Road … it makes you think and feel rather than be scared.
May 14th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Trent, thanks so much for recommending books like this. It really puts you above and beyond other sites. :)
I love Viggo Mortensen, and I really like the movies that he choses to make. He doesn’t do the same old thing all the time. Looks very interesting, and I am glad to have a new book to put on my “must read” list!
May 14th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
LULU——
I agree with Trent. It will definitely haunt you while you read it and for a while after and you’ll cry a lot! Its extremely poetic. Its redeeming quality you ask… well, you appreciate humanity, life, and love in the now. Everything around you is realized; absolute clarity: beautiful and precious. It is a very depressing book but very honest in its nature. Cormac McCarthy is brutal and wonderful!
side note: im concerned the boy in the trailer will not be able to pull it off – for one, he doesn’t look young enough.
May 14th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Only Viggo could pull this one off! I believe him in this role. Theron, though? Really? Guess I’ll have to wait and see…
May 14th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I’ll definitely be checking this out
May 14th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I am so disappointed by this trailer. I love the book… but this trailer seems to be so different in tone and feel. Hate HATE HATE the beginning of the trailer with its end-of-the-world clips. Total crap. The whole strength (and thrust) of the book is that you have no idea what happened but that it was utterly devastating. Plus, nothing is burning in the book… everything has been dead for years. The book is all about quiet and drifts of ash, and dead everywhere. The trailer makes it look like any old winter scene in the woods. Total utter failure, IMHO.
May 14th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
yeah, i’m not too happy seeing the mother character b/c the boy is supposed to have only known his father the entire time since this disaster (he was an infant at the time it happened), and that’s one of my favorite parts of the book, that the boy has literally had zero interaction with another human being other than his father. and yes, the boy looks too old in the movie. hopefully he’ll prove me wrong.
May 14th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I agree with Erik, the beginning weather storm/ apocolyptic scenes shouldn’t have been included. The book leaves us in appropriate suspense as to whether it was a spiritual, natural, or man-driven event (e.g. nuclear) that caused the environment as McCarthy depicts it. and to lo: the kid did know his own mother. You might want to read it again before the film comes out.
May 14th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Love that you’re a Cormac McCarthy fan, Trent! And I’m so glad that Viggo is taking on this role. He’s truly one of the most talented actors of his generation. Although the trailer looks very differnet to what I expected, I’m still very much looking forward to the film.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
yeah, i’m definitely going to read it again. i remember the kid barely remembering his mother b/c she died when he was so young. no?
May 14th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
lulu – HEADS UP! nightmare material.
it’s amazing, as trent said, and the relationship of the father and son is so well done. your heart is wrenched throughout the book – but there are certain aspects and scenes of this book that have never left my mind. that’’s not to say i wouldn’t recommend it, it’s incredible and i am glad i did, but BE PREPARED.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
i just read a summary of the book and it says the boy has no memory of his mother. so i’m not crazy after all.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
[...] The trailer for The Road is out, and the end of civilization has never looked so good. [PITNB] [...]
May 14th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
I also loved this book! I hope the movie will be able to do it justice.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Also, check out 0:27 and 1:03 in the trailer. You can see needles on the pine trees. In the book, EVERYTHING is dead. Everything. For years. And covered in thick layers of ash. Ugh.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
I guess I’m the only one who didn’t really love the book?? I have only read it once and I will admit that sometimes on a reread I change my mind, but I did not feel moved by the book at all. I usually like almost everything you recommend though Trent, so maybe I’ll give it a reread, just for you :)
May 14th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
i dont know if the movie can have as much power as the book. in the book i felt lost without the speaker tabs and chapters, in a movie it will be real and i really loved the book for its dream like quality…
May 14th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I fell in love with this book and am so happy to hear that it is reaching the big screen. I think it sends and utterly scary message that I think all should here.
May 14th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
The story is way to scary to sit and watch in a 2 hr period, I had to put the book down and walk away so many times….return when ready…the film just looks tense and ..well. Scary.
May 14th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Amazing book! Cant wait to see it brought to life with an amazing cast…
May 14th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I don’t know if I can connect with the kid. He looks too old.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m disappointed by the trailer though…it doesn’t look desolate enough. Too Hollywood.
Trent, have you read the book Shane?
May 14th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Am I dense, need glasses – where is Guy Pearce?
May 14th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
periz & Jenny–
I agree, the transition to film appears to have been too big of a task. they defo beefed up the plot, good guys/bad guys feel rather than the questions of human nature that the book forces on you. I think maybe with the right indy film creator it may have felt more accurate to the book. but yes, too much holywood – the book fans will be sad and the while the others wont have quite enough action and scifi… bummer. Stil going to see it tho! (Lord of the Flys movie still managed to knock the crap out of me, so maybe…)
May 15th, 2009 at 5:16 am
I agree with Erik and Jenny. The movie looks…good…but it doesn’t seem like it’ll live up to the dreariness of the book. I assume they had to throw in the explosions and whatnot just to please the producer and get the movie made. I will see it anyway, so that I can form my own opinion; I’m sure it’ll be worth my 8 dollars!
May 15th, 2009 at 5:16 am
I have had the book on my book shelf for two years along with many others I keep saying I have to make time to read. After watching the trailer I MUST make time this summer to read it the movie looks incredible I can only imagine how wonderful the book is.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:52 am
I have had this book sitting on my bedside table for about a year now and haven’t had the notion to start reading it.
I think I will start over the weekend :)
May 15th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Good looking out Trent! This book was one of the most amazing reads of my life and as soon as I heard Viggo was gonna be in the movie, I died inside a little….from excitement! Do you know who will be playing the old man towards the end?
PS I saw David on E! yesterday!
May 15th, 2009 at 6:59 am
Well, where was Guy Pearce in the trailer? He’s a brilliant actor … and I didn’t see him….
May 15th, 2009 at 7:47 am
I read this book with my Girls Book Club and I was one of the few who hated it- I hated all the ambiguity and could never feel a connection to the characters whatsoever. It did provoke some thoughts about survival and how to cope when you’re constantly living in fear, but I had a hard time buying into the book. I’ll still see the movie, just because I’m interested in how it will adapt to the big screen. I wouldn’t recommend this book, but I’m happy that other people were able to get so much out of it!
May 15th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Meh, the trailer doesn’t make me want to see the movie, and as far as reading the book, I’ve been burned by Trent’s recommendations before. I tried reading the book House of Leaves (which Trent gushed about), and couldn’t even get all the way through it. I hated that book.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:08 am
@Lori — aww, sorry. House of Leaves is a genius book. If you don’t like The Road then I think it’s safe to assume we don’t have the same literary taste.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:28 am
The Road is the most thought-provoking, disturbing book I’ve ever read. It’s scary because you can imagine humans acting this way when put in this situation. I highly recommend reading it, though it’s not an easy thing to have in your head.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Trent–once I saw this post I immediately downloaded it to my kindle and read it all last night–amazing. I just tossed and turned last night because I kept thinking about it and couldn’t fall asleep–keep the recommendations coming!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower series echoes some of themes in The Road — a bit differently, but also questions what survival means if not love.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
[...] (via Pink is the New Blog) [...]
May 15th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
HOLY CRAP! That looks like it would give me nightmares!!!!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
@ Ashley and Suzanne – I checked the cast list when this film first came into being and Guy Pierce plays an important role, but one that the trailer can’t show you without giving info away!
May 16th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Hi Trent
The movie also stars Guy Pearce who is an AMAZING actor (Momento? ) who started acting in an Australian soap called Neighbours with the wonderful Kylie Minogue! I used to watch it growing up in england in the 80s. thought you’d get a kick out this bit of trivia!
May 16th, 2009 at 8:56 am
the book is amazing, but I don’t remember it being quite so violent in nature like the trailer suggests. I’m mean there is definitely violence in the book, but of course Hollywood has to beef it up.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Anything with viggo I’ll watch.
May 20th, 2009 at 11:49 am
i thought that the trailer looked interesting, so i picked up the book at the library and read it in one sitting. so sad and so well written! thank you, Trent!