Philip Roth’s Indignation (2008) is set in 1951. The Korean War is going badly. Logan Lerman plays Marcus Messner, an agitated only child of a Trenton, New Jersey butcher and his wife. Marcus, in a bizarre decision, decides to attend tiny Winesburg College in Ohio. Winesburg is a Baptist school and its religious requirements become part of the plot. Marcus meets the beautiful Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon) in his History class and falls for her. But Olivia has “issues.” Many writers from Philip Roth’s generation punish characters who engage in sex acts in their books. That should give you enough of a hint about what Indignation deals with. GRADE: B (for both book and movie)
I haven’t read this one. I’ve liked some of Roth’s books but not all of them. I did like THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA despite the deus ex machina ending. Trump’s campaign proves that an America First-type Lindbergh campaign can still work, at least to some extent.
Jeff, INDIGNATION is one of Philip Roth’s late novels. Most critics consider them “minor.”
I am amazed at how faithful this was to the book. I thought Tracy Letts nailed that smarmy Dean of Students too. I would give it an A-.
Check out Hell and High Water for the best movie I have seen this year.
Patti, HELL AND HIGH WATER has been garnering great reviews. It’s on my list! Tracy Letts was very good. Much of his dialogue is directly from Roth’s novel.
Letts wrote the classic AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, and played a weaselly character on HOMELAND.
HELL AND HIGH WATER is on my list too.
Jeff, Katie has seen AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY but we haven’t yet.
Drama is one of the last types of movies I’d pick to watch. My favs are comedies, action/suspense/mystery and musicals
Maggie, there’s humor and a bit of a mystery in INDIGNATION. But I found the ending too predictable.
Rudin was unwise to acquire the rights to the book “given Roth’s Hollywood track record,” saying that, “of his many tomes, only a few have made it to the big screen to date.
Acdcas, some books don’t translate well to the Big Screen. Bellow’s for example.
Rudin was unwise to acquire the rights to the book “given Roth’s Hollywood track record,” saying that, “of his many tomes, only a few have made it to the big screen to date.