Movie Monday | She Gone (and GIRL, it’s crazy)

A show of hands … How many of you read this book?

It’s been a couple of years for me, but hands down, it’s still one of my favorites. It gripped me. I couldn’t put it down without seeing what the next page revealed … and then, the next. Until, I had read it so quickly, I was genuinely sorry it ended. Despite the emotional wear and tear.

Then, I heard Gillian Flynn was writing the screenplay for the movie that would come out. (Insert bug eyes). I am a sucker for a book illustrated on screen. Everybody knows that. I don’t care if “they did a good job” or “it stayed true to the book.” I just love watching some of my favorite novels brought to life. It puts faces to names, physicality to scenes and just overall, it’s a life-like picture book version of whatever I finished flipping through.

So, while I hate answering the question, “how was it compared to the book,” I can say that this is a GREAT movie that was just as much fun to watch as the book was to read. And, I will only say it because the same gal spit out both.

Okay, and for those of you who didn’t jump on the train, THERE IS STILL TIME. The book is so much fun to read, so do that first. But, otherwise, the movie rocks. It’s intense, insane and utterly unbelievable. It’ll give you bad dreams, or at least, dark things to obsess over in the week to follow. Casting was surprisingly incredible. I’m an Affleck fan, so although he wasn’t who I pictured as the nerdy, bar tending Nick in the book, he rocks the part. Rosamund Pike, who flies under the Hollywood radar for the most part, was a shocker of a player in this game. Please, put her in more movies. Carrie Coon, Doogie Howser and Tyler Perry rounded out a cast that was on point, delivering a subtle chemistry that made this reel something as addicting as the book. The only difference is that you can’t flip forward to see what’s about to happen.

Bottom line – fans of the book should run, not walk, to spend their night’s grocery money on this film. Everyone else should either speed read through the best holiday book you could possibly pick up, or just go enjoy watching a damn good story. I’m thankful for original stories, unbelievable plots and things that creep people out overnight. But, I am also hopeful for something literary-related to once again gain Oscar buzz. Here’s to March Madness.