Thanks to Ross Douthat for alerting me to this trailer for the forthcoming movie of Brideshead Revisited:
As Ross says, this may not bear much resemblance to the novel you read. But come on, isn’t this just delightfully over-the-top and wonderfully trashy? I doubt it matters that the adaptation – Emma Thomson as Lady Marchmain notwithstanding – seems certain to be utter tripe.
I remember that when Andrew Davies announced that his adaptation would take the view that the book’s really about how catholicism ruins everyone’s life, there was much umbrage and outrage at this desecration of Waugh’s intent. But there’s little necessity for an adaptation to be faithful to the original author’s intent. And Davies’ view is far from untenable even if it ain’t how Waugh would have seen his novel.
And in any case, if we’re honest, Brideshead is ripe for a Dynasty style makeover.
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