Big Driver to be a Lifetime Movie....

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misery chastain loves co.

MORE Count Chocula please.....
Jul 31, 2011
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I loved this story in FDNS and am really looking forward to it. Mario Bello is a fantastic choice because she can be both vulnerable and a badass. I never thought I would utter these words but I can't wait to see a movie on Lifetime!
(full disclosure: I recently watched The Unauthorized Story of Saved By the Bell and The Brittany Murphy Story :a11:)
 

Bev Vincent

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
4,351
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Texas
www.bevvincent.com
I saw this today thanks to a preview screener from Lifetime. Whoa. No punches pulled here. Parts of the first half hour are very hard to watch.

It's very faithful to the novella, although some things are shifted around and some extended scenes in the text are tightened up. It's very much a one-woman show -- Bello is in every second of it. Olympia Dukakis is pretty funny as the personification of one of Tess's characters.

This was filmed in and around Halifax, NS. I'm pretty sure I recognized buildings from the Dalhousie University campus (my alma mater) early in the film.
 

doowopgirl

very avid fan
Aug 7, 2009
6,946
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dublin ireland
I just watched Big Driver. I thought it was very well done. One of my favorite TV adaptations. There was obviously money spent on the production. Good casting. Well acted. The grahic bits were noy overdone. Excellent in that the mood of the story was true to the book. My husband hadn't read the book, so had no expectations and throughly enjoyed it. Well done!
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
We just viewed this this afternoon. Wow Wow Wow. I thought a very good adaption of Mr. King's story. Was a little distressed with the
interacting GPS and I guess the appearance of the Knitting Society, which was not part of the original story, worked well enough.

Actually these elements were in the original story (I think!) - I just reread Big Driver this past summer and I am pretty sure

her GPS talked to her plus she heard the voice of her characters in her head as well.


It was a really good show - I have it on my DVR so Andy can watch it when he gets back from up North at Christmas.
 

Haunted

This is my favorite place
Mar 26, 2008
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The woods are lovely dark and deep
Actually these elements were in the original story (I think!) - I just reread Big Driver this past summer and I am pretty sure

her GPS talked to her plus she heard the voice of her characters in her head as well.


It was a really good show - I have it on my DVR so Andy can watch it when he gets back from up North at Christmas.

Dang...I am going to have to do a re-read; maybe the words generated a different atmosphere for me.:icon_eek:
 

Moderator

Ms. Mod
Administrator
Jul 10, 2006
52,243
157,324
Maine
Actually these elements were in the original story (I think!) - I just reread Big Driver this past summer and I am pretty sure

her GPS talked to her plus she heard the voice of her characters in her head as well.


It was a really good show - I have it on my DVR so Andy can watch it when he gets back from up North at Christmas.
That's right,
she had a Tom-Tom GPS and I (vaguely) remember the Knitting Society.
 

OldDarth

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2006
730
2,994
Canada
Well done adaptation. Matheson has definitely inherited his father's ability to adapt written material to the screen.

The big difference between this and A Good Marriage is that Big Driver has a director that knows how to stage shots for maximum tension and impact. Comparing these two movies provides a text book case of illustrating how much impact a director can have on an actor's performance. Joan Allen and Maria Bello both gave great performances but one had a director that understood how to best shoot the film to support their performances.

Doreen and TomTom were used excellently to give the viewers a glimpse into Tess's thought processes as a person and as a writer that has to deal with media as it exists today.

A nifty little film.
 

OKKingFan

Well-Known Member
Jun 15, 2013
138
371
Oklahoma
I thought it was a good adaptation as well. I think it would probably be better if I had not read the short story, though, and knew what was going to happen.
Maria Bello was perfect for her role, and whoever played Big Driver was about exactly as I pictured him when reading the story. Pretty solid effort for a made for TV movie.
There have been much worse movies based on King books that were shown in theaters, that's for sure.
 

Debbie913

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2011
6,563
18,409
Colorado
I have yet to see this. I really want to! It was on TV like three times and I couldn't remember even once.:a11: I'll need a DVD for my SK movie/TV adaptation collection anyway, so I should look for a copy to buy, I think. :)
 

danie

I am whatever you say I am.
Feb 26, 2008
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I thought it was a good adaptation as well. I think it would probably be better if I had not read the short story, though, and knew what was going to happen.
Maria Bello was perfect for her role, and whoever played Big Driver was about exactly as I pictured him when reading the story. Pretty solid effort for a made for TV movie.
There have been much worse movies based on King books that were shown in theaters, that's for sure.

I have yet to see this. I really want to! It was on TV like three times and I couldn't remember even once.:a11: I'll need a DVD for my SK movie/TV adaptation collection anyway, so I should look for a copy to buy, I think. :)
I thought it was done very well. I love Maria Bello.