The
film version of this story was made in 1982 for
PBS (part of the
Hallmark Hall of Fame series). It is only an hour in length, but is remarkable in that it captures what I think is the essence of
Vonnegut: The way certain individuals can appear so
extraordinary in ordinary situations.
Both of these actors play against type. Walken is a shy good guy and Sarandon is a timid young woman. Neither have been mistaken for these later on in their careers.
It might be also be said that this story (and the film) are about method acting.
Demme, the director, focuses on both the dramatic changes that the characters make on and off stage and also the difficulty most people have in communicating in real life. Much of the dialogue is directly from the short story.
thanks to factgirl
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