Yesterday evening, I caught a commercial for the movie, Gone Baby Gone featuring Morgan Freeman, Casey Affleck, Ed Harris, etc and so forth that is being directed by Ben Affleck. I had to ask myself: could this be Dennis Lehane’s Gone Baby Gone? Featuring PI detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro? I’ve been waiting very patiently for Lehane to write another book in this series that started with the wonderful, A Drink the Before War. Anyone with news on that front, please share!
My favorite of the series is Darkness Take My Hand but I can see how Gone Baby Gone would make for an interesting movie. The plot revolves around a missing kid whose mother is flaky and irresponsible to say the least. The missing child’s aunt approaches Patrick and Angie with the case but they both decline it at first. However, after much prodding, they do take the case and things go wrong from there. The story ends with a moral dilemma that threatens to tear the two protagonists apart. It’s an ending that would spark much discussion. If you’re a fan of the series then my next comment would make sense to you - I pretty much sided with Angie. What I love about Lehane is that he writes stories that are morally ambiguous with flawed characters. Nothing is ever black and white in his world. His monsters are human. I highly recommend his books. Here is the synopsis from Gone Baby Gone. Personally, I don’t think I’ll catch the film. However, I do feel a reread coming on.
The tough neighborhood of Dorchester is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don’t want the case. But after pleas from the child’s aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl lost.
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Hi Janine, I’m just not a big fan of books being adapted to film. Especially books that I’ve read and really enjoyed. I know Ben Affleck is talented but for me, I think I’ll just catch it on DVD, if at all. However, for Philippa Gregory’s book, I’m looking forward to reading it and watching the film because I am a huge fan of period pieces with the custumes, etc. I think I’ve watched Dangerous Liasons a million times and never tire of it. Hope you get the chance to read A Drink Before the War. I know you like ambiguous characters but his books does have its share of violence as well.
I have A Drink Before The War in my TBR volcano. Can I ask why you’re not interested in seeing the movie? Is it because Ben Affleck is directing? I have faith in him because he co-wrote the screenplay for Good Will Hunting, which I thought was a pretty good movie, when he was quite young, and he also co-produced one of my favorite television shows ever, the tragically short lived Push, Nevada.
I’m almost done with it! You’ve read it? I plan to finish it tonight.
I guess he’s working on an historical epic right now and then, maybe if all is right in the world, another Kenzie book. I hope it is so!
If you haven’t read “Mystic River” and “Shutter Island”, I would recommend them highly. They are both intense reads but worth the effort.
I’m looking forward to your comments on “Heartsick”. That is one interesting book!
Say it ain’t so! I love HBO’s “The Wire” and he did write a couple of episodes for them along with fellow writer George Pelancanos. I didn’t think it was a full-time job for him since “The Wire” is on hiatus this season; I heard long ago that he was working on a stand alone in the same setting as Mystic River. I haven’t tried any of his stand alones but if this is all he is writing now, I’ll have to accept that. He is an awesome writer. He may give us that Patrick/Angie book one day. Ever the optimist!
This series is my all time favorite, so I’m a little nervous about the movie. From what I’ve read, they made Patrick younger in the movie so Casey Affleck could play the part. I’m glad it’s getting good reviews because I miss Lehane so much.
I don’t think we’ll ever get another Kenzie/Gennaro novel. Lehane is now a writer for HBO’s “The Wire” and seems to have moved on from this type of book. Too bad because I love his style so much. I think I may have start from the beginning and do a reread.
I caught Ben Affleck on Leno the other night. It sounded (from Leno, not Affleck) like the movie was getting good reviews, as was Casey Affleck’s performance.
Hi Rosie, yes Casey Affleck is
Joaquin Phoenix’s sister.I remember that much from some magazine I read, too. I strongly urge you, if you’re curious, to read the book. It’s very, very good. Lehane is up there for me as one of the best hardboiled crime writers around. I haven’t read any of his stand alone books, like Mystic River, which was a very good movie directed by Clint Eastwood. I don’t know how Ben will do with this film since this is his directorial debut. If I hear it’s good, I’ll catch it on DVD.I just saw this trailer recently too. I’m almost afraid to read the book because we all know how that turns out when you see the movie. I’m intrigued because Casey Affleck is supposed to be very good in this. I read an article in Vanity Fair (I think) about this and the Jesse James movie CA did with Brad Pitt.
Relating to nothing in particular. The article also said that Casey’s wife is a sibling of Joaquin Phoenix. Hollywood is such a small town sometimes.
You collect such interesting tidbits…