Water for Elephants is an extremely vivid book by Sara Gruen which tells of Jacob Jankowski who ran away after his parents died and joined the circus as a vet, meeting a colourful cast of people along the way including the beautiful (but married) Marlena.
In August, I read and reviewed the book, loving Gruen's language but often wishing that the characters went a little bit deeper (click for review). I am curious to see how their portrayals transfer onto the screen, because I do think the right actors could bring them to life in a way that was slightly lacking on the page, taking them out of the realm of stereotype and into reality. In my review, I expressed doubt at the ability of Robert Pattinson to pull off the role of Jacob, but from my initial viewings of the trailer it seems I may be mistaken.
Reese Witherspoon plays Marlena in the film, and although she is slightly older of an actress than I would have expected for the role, I certainly think she is capable of pulling it off. I do hope that the elephant in the circus, Rosie, who is basically a character in the book maintains her central role in the film as Gruen has a unique and beautiful way of humanizing animals in both Water for Elephants and her latest novel, Ape House.
Crucially important to the success of the film will be the chemistry between Pattinson, Witherspoon, and Marlena's husband, August, who is played by Christopher Waltz. The movie is certain to have drama, as director Francis Lawrence is best known for the epicI Am Legend. The film adaption of Water for Elephants is set to be released April 22nd, 2011.
Of course, the novel is available in most bookstores and online but I have included the trailer for the film below:
Are you planning to see Water for Elephants? If so, did you read the book, and how do you think the two will compare?
