Angelina Jolie to film Ayn Rand's 'bible of selfishness'

[T_i_B]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2000313,00.html

Ayn Rand is one of the most controversial writers in modern American literature, known for her tireless advocacy of the right to selfishness and her hatred of big government. She has been derided and loved in equal measure and her books have sold millions of copies, attracting followers as diverse as banker Alan Greenspan, President Ronald Reagan and architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Her most famous book, Atlas Shrugged, has long been a target of Hollywood producers and attracted such big names as Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch and Sharon Stone. But each project collapsed in the face of turning a 1,200-page philosophical novel into a watchable movie.

Now that is to change. The latest attempt to film Atlas Shrugged is set to star Angelina Jolie in the role of Rand's railroad heiress heroine Dagny Taggart. Unlike past efforts, this one seems likely to succeed. A two-hour screenplay is almost complete and filming is to start this year with release in 2008. It is being written by Randall Wallace, who wrote the Mel Gibson epic Braveheart, and is backed by Lion's Gate Entertainment.

Atlas Shrugged is one of the most controversial books in modern literature. It is a passionate defence of Rand's belief that the world is best served when individuals act entirely in their own rational self-interest. Or, to put it more bluntly, they act selfishly. Rand, who died in 1982, founded the objectivist school of philosophy and still has millions of followers. Atlas Shrugged and another novel The Fountainhead promote her views. In financial circles Atlas Shrugged has been dubbed 'the bible of selfishness'.

[Kutjara]

1. Great.

So that piece of trash will inspire yet another generation of "me-first" narcissists. Even non-readers can hop aboard the "I'm alright, Jack" express.
I can't understand Angelina Jolie's involvement, given her avowed interest in helping the less fortunate of the world, unless she's going to play the part ironically.

Honestly, Ayn Rand's entire ouvre should be buried in a garlic-lined pit with a stake through every page. It is virulent, evil, crap.

Actually, they don't need to spend big money on this project. All they need to do is set up a camera and mic at any shopping mall, spa, restaurant or gym here in Orange County and they'll see a reality-tv version of "Atlas Shrugged" acted out all day, every day. It's not a pretty picture.

[T_i_B]

3. There is always the possibility......

....of the film being utter crap. And you know what, it wouldn't suprise me if a film of Ayn Rand's books turned out to be complete and utter cack either!

[Kutjara]

4. Let's hope it turns out that way.

The odds are good that it will be garbage, but it may still do well on DVD because all the freepers will be buying copies of it for eachother next Christmas.

[T_i_B]

5. "The odds are good that it will be garbage"

Well that's what you've got to suspect when it comes to the idea of filming Ayn Rand's books. The odds of it being complete and utter cack are very high indeed.

[Kutjara]

6. You never know.

They could make it into a musical, like the "Springtime for Hitler" one in "The Producers" and play it for laughs. Or they could do it with an all penguin cast (except for Angelina, of course - she'd just wear a penguin suit). Or they could simply pull faces at the camera after they deliver each totally ridiculous line.

Any of these approaches could make for a thoroughly entertaining film. If they play it straight, though, it's doomed.

[mainegreen]

11. "Atlas Shrugged", the musical?

:rofl:

[gmoney]

15. ...plus it's an Angelina Jolie film.

Furthing the odds that it will be garbage...

[regnaD kciN]

30. Hey, look on the bright side...

...it will make Tomb Raider seem like a work of cinematic naturalism. :rofl:

(I notice Randall "Bray-fart" Wallace is doing the screenplay. It figures. He always struck me as an overblown right-winger with little regard for reality.)

[Droopy]

2. Hopefully for Jolie it will be more interesting than Rand's novels

If I ever have trouble with insomnia I will just pick up an Ayn Rand novel. Selfishness is a tiresome bore.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. Why is someone who is the absolute opposite of the message...

...going to take on the role? I don't understand why she would be interested in anything like this. She is really NOT selfish at all, from what I understand. She does not have the typical American Me First mentality that pisses me off more than anything about our culture.
Duckie

[mainegreen]

9. I wondered that too. But then "film me" ego comes first to all movie people.

:banghead:

[Droopy]

10. Hard to tell what her motivations might be

Could be just a big pay check, but then again she probably doesn't need it. But I've seen actors before play parts that were inconsistant with who they really were. Think of all the actors who are probably good people but made a career out of playing the villain. Maybe she just wants a good challenge. Maybe she's swtiching teams. Money does that to people sometimes.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

13. Yeah, I don't think she's going to become her father.

That's the last thing she wants.
Duckie

[Deja Q]

8. She must have been the first shill for credit card companies.

It's sad. There's only one difference between a credit-based society and a money-less based society...

[querelle]

12. Rand Was A Hypocrite

I read a biography of her by one of the ex members of the objectivist cult (Nathanial Branden I think) and he said that in her personal life, she was the opposite of the ideals that she espoused in her writings. A very unstable and manic woman who would cast out members of the cult if they so much as expressed an opinion that wavered from the TRUTH. So much for individualism.

Oh, and her books are pure crap. They rely on people living in a totally rational and logical world which is unrealistic and impossible.

Q

[Deja Q]

14. Exactly.

It's also an irony, that our world's irrationality and illogical nature is due to people who are selfish! (once again, the credit card companies. It's the biggest cheat on the American people. Instead of execs having to pay workers a proper wage and live on only 40x what they make, these plastic abominations came out - so people can live on stipends and still get what they want or need -- and the exec can live on 450x the wages they give. And now, with offshoring, it's 600x plus and many workers are out of work.)

[Frank Cannon]

19. Rand was a big stool-pigeon for McCarthy's HUAC gang in the 50s

She was instrumental in getting a lot of Hollywood people black-listed.

So much for "reducing government influence in our lives". :eyes: So full of shit, she was.

[Deja Q]

20. Who's the dude in your sig pic?

Looks like a younger Robert Culp...

[Frank Cannon]

22. Indeed it is Bob Culp!

From the classic Outer Limits episode, "Demon With a Glass Hand".

A dude from the future appears in the mid-20th century. He doesn't know who he is or where he is. All he knows is that a bunch of aliens, also from the future, are trying to kill and/or capture him. Oh, and his hand appears to be replaced with a crystalline computer-like object that is missing some fingers. The computer talks to him, but doesn't seem to know much about anything either.

Most of it was filmed L.A.'s Bradbury Building, which would later serve as the home of J.F. Sebastian in "Blade Runner".

Check it out, if you ever get a chance.

[JVS]

16. how big a house will Dagny Taggart have?

[Droopy]

18. She's gonna move in with Edwards

[JVS]

21. They'll enjoy living in "America 1"

[Frank Cannon]

17. This movie will make "Battlefield Earth" look like "Schindler's List"

Any movie based on an Ayn Rand book just has to suck, just like any movie based on an L. Ron Hubbard novel would have to suck. Because they were both delusional. And they were terrible writers.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

23. I won't be watching

There are many flawed philosophies, Objectivism is more so than most.

[applegrove]

24. I'm gonna have to skip that one. I couldn't finish the book either.

[KamaAina]

25. How ironic that the newest New Orleanian would do this

All Angelina needs to do is to travel a mile or so lakeward from her new diggings, and she will see exactly what "reducing government involvement in our lives" gets you. And it ain't pretty. Lots of it still looks like it just happened last week.

[Fenris]

26. Unreadable book becomes unwatchable movie.

[greatauntoftriplets]

27. Deleted.

[mitchum]

28. At last illiterate Libertarians will have masturbation material!

[JCMach1]

29. LOL... don't even talk to me about the literate ones

:rofl: