Smooth talk short story into film

A videotape of the film smooth talk is in the library, so you may watch it again if you wish. Their extended scene together, closely adapted from the story, gives smooth talk an unusual structure. Dern daughter of bruce dern and diane ladd, however, is the one element that makes smooth talk. Short story into film joyce carol oates is an esteemed short story author with over forty novels, many of which have gone on to become films.

Smooth talk, based on a short story by joyce carol oates, features a pair of fantastic performances from laura dern and treat williams but its impossible to ever become completely engrossed in the film, primarily due to an insurmountably overlong running time. Smooth talk will play better if one doesnt know the joyce carol oates classic, oftanthologized short story where are you going, where have you been. Faithfully adapted from a 1970 joyce carol oates short story, the films attitudes are better suited to that era than to the present. Smooth talk, joyce chopras film adaptation of joyce carol oates short story where are you going, what have you been. To reach feature length it was necessary to expand on the short story and to dramatically depict events that are just briefly mentioned in the original version. Even though time has changed technology, the subjects of acceptance and teenparent relationships is timeless. Smooth talk is a strong movie, but it doesnt entirely overcome the problems inherent in adapting a short story to a feature length film. Stories of young america 1974 and where are you going, where have you been selected early stories 1993. The thirty minute sequence of the two of them facing off is one of the. When he fails to smooth talk connie into going with him, arnold lets go of all pretense and outright threatens her. Oates wrote an essay about the adaptation, where are you going, where have you been. Comparison contrast where are you going and smooth talk free. There was also a point in the movie when connie sits at the kitchen table and listens to.

Although the movie is shocking, it is not sensational in the way it might have been if it had been handled as a horror story, say, instead of as a morality play. Comparison contrast where are you going and smooth talk. Smooth talk by joyce chopra joyce chopra, treat williams. Comparison of smooth talk to where are you going, where have. The writing by oates is loosely based on a true story described as the tale of charles schmid, a twenty. Though featurelength, it has an unconventional, short story shape. Then we hear the car coming down the road and see it turn into the parking. Both the story and the film are divided into two parts. Oatess treatments of the same grotesque story have similar or different meanings. In 1986, the story was the basis of a commercially successful film, smooth talk, directed by joyce chopra, which in its turn became the subject of much feminist debate. The film is rife with all the monotony of life and charming ensembles we expect of a teenage girl in the summer, yet it. In the 1985 film adaptation, smooth talk, connie laura dern.

The protagonist connie in the short story was a fifteen year old young lady who has two sides of herself. Smooth talk is the adaptation of that work and is pretty well done it holds the. Talk is trying to talk to a 1980s generation by using 1960s dialog. The story was loosely adapted into the 1985 film smooth talk, starring laura dern and treat williams. In praise of bolder women laura dern in 1985s smooth talk. Short story into filmjco originally published in the new york times, march 23, 1986reprinted in woman writer some years ago in the american southwest there surfaced a tabloid psychopath known as the pied piper of tucson. The protagonist and main character, connie wyatt, is played by laura dern. Laura dern shines in a haunting joyce carol oates adaptation. Written by peter dickinson, this scholarly articles primary argument is that the movie smooth talk provides a symbolic and psychological interpretation to the story and characters as rich as the short story that its based.

Written and directed by joyce chopra and at long last released to noextras dvd smooth talk won the grand jury prize at 1985s sundance film festival then called the. Left alone in the family summer cottage when her mother mary kay place, father levon helm and sister elizabeth berridge go shopping, dern decides to. We can only speculate as to whether or not she was raped by williams. Lord of the rings twilight the chronicles of narnia smooth. Smooth talk was based on a 1970 short story by joyce carol oates entitled where are you going, where have you been. In the 1985 film adaptation, smooth talk, connie laura dern is a selfabsorbed, boy crazy fifteen. Faithfully adapted from a 1970 joyce carol oates short story, the film s attitudes are better suited to that era than to the present. Where are you going where have you been and smooth talk. To reach feature length it was necessary to expand on the short story and to dramatically depict events that are just briefly mentioned in.

A freespirited 15yearold girl flirts with a dangerous stranger in the northern california suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences. Any nonreaders considering viewing smooth talk would be wise to remember the source when reading negative comments from this group. The short story was first published on 1966 while the film was released on 1985. Adapted by chopras husband tom cole from the short story, where are you going to. Taking joyce carol oatess short story where are you going, where. They go into the ladies room, apply makeup and mascara, and stuff. Smooth talk is based on a short story by joyce carol oates, who so. Laura dern and treat williams in smooth talk 1985 laura dern in smooth. Left alone in the family summer cottage when her mother. Short story into film is an essay response by joyce carol oates to her short story and its movie counterpart in her. Bluray of the joyce carol oates short story filmed with the well cast laura dern, who is the best thing about this uneven drama. A face in the crowd 1957, based on budd schulbergs your arkansas traveler, published in some faces in the crowd 1953 length of short story. Smooth talk is based on a short story by joyce carol oates, who so often finds the materials of classic tragedy in the lives of everyday people. The film is partly based on the short story by joyce carol oates titled, where are you.

Moments of sartorial significance, and that glimmer of recognition that we feel upon seeing an onscreen outfit worn more than once are found throughout smooth talk, joyce chopras underseen 1986 adaptation of a joyce carol oates short story. Produced for pbss american playhouse series, smooth talk was given a brief theatrical release before its official february 9, 1987 tv debut. Smooth talk is a 1985 american drama film directed by joyce chopra, loosely based on joyce carol oates 1966 short story where are you going, where. Feb 28, 1986 smooth talk, which opens today at the 68th street playhouse, is not a big movie. It was cast in a mode of fiction to which i am still partialindeed, every third or fourth story of mine is probably in this moderealistic allegory, it might be called. Says her exasperated, not unfond mother, i look into your eyes and all i see are. Mar 28, 2016 smooth talk will play better if one doesnt know the joyce carol oates classic, oftanthologized short story where are you going, where have you been. Faithfully adapted from a 1970 joyce carol oates short story, the films attitudes are better suited to that era than to the. Faithfully adapted from a 1970 joyce carol oates short story, the film s attitudes are better suited to that era than to the. Dickinson peter riding in cars with boys reconsidering.

Laura dern plays connie brilliantly innocent yet grown. There was also a point in the movie when connie sits at the kitchen table and listens to her mom talk on the phone. Her experimentations begin to get out of hand when the mysterious arnold friend takes an interest in her. Okay, i know i am mostly talking about the short story mostly, but the film does a great job of adapting it, especially in the final third of the film. Based on the short story, where are you going, where have you been, by joyce carol oates, this film chronicles a 15yearold girl, connies, sexual awakening in the northern california suburbs. In her film smooth talk, chopra adds a few scenes with connie, the main character. The unease and disconcerting nature of the arnold friend smooth talk guy is especially welldone. Smooth talk, one of such movies is based off of oatess short story, where are you going, where have you been.

Short fiction and filmsmooth talk reading the short story. Short story into film is an essay response by joyce carol oates to her short story and its movie counterpart in her book, woman writer. Put all short story and essay titles in quote marks. Smooth talk is almost a word for word adaptation of the short story, apart from the ending. She also declares in parentheses that connies mother doesnt have the same jealousy as she does in the short story 5. As with most short story adaptations, the film is quite uneventful overall, with a lot of obvious padding. Smooth talk is the adaptation of that work and is pretty well done it holds the attention of modernday teens which is saying something. Smooth talk is trying to talk to a 1980s generation by using 1960s dialog.

Smooth talk 1985 fifteen yearold connie a nubile laura dern and her friends use their summer break in northern california to experiment with the trappings of womanhoodeyeshadow, hairspray, and revealing clothingas they shakily navigate this new, adult world of crushes, and confront the perils of sexual exploration. It was cast in a mode of fiction to which i am still partialindeed, every third or fourth story of mine is probably in this. Joyce carol oakess short story, where are you going, where have you been. I first read joyce carol oates unsettling short story. Smooth talk is a film adapted from the short story where are you going. When she returns home, dern is bewildered and dishevelled.

With treat williams, laura dern, mary kay place, margaret welsh. Remake i did for my literature in film class of the film smooth talk and the short story where are you going where have you been very first script i ever wrote and very first time i. The antagonist, arnold friend, is played by treat williams. Nov 11, 2010 comparison of smooth talk to where are you going, where have you been. Mar 23, 1986 an early draft of my short story where are you going, where have you been. Smooth talk is a 1985 american drama film directed by joyce chopra, loosely based on joyce carol oates 1966 short story where are you going, where have you been. Laura dern plays a teenager anxious to experience the pleasures of sexual contact. Laura dern is so dazzlingly right as my connie that i may come to think i modeled the fictitious girl on her, in the way that writers frequently.

Another key change from short story to film is the conversation. Directed by elia kazan, it was the film that launched andy. Schulberg wrote the screenplay for a face in the crowd based on his own short story, the opener to his 1953 collection. Do the characters in the film and the short story behave the same way, learn the same things, and meet the same ends. The charismatic mass murderer drops into the background and his. Mar 23, 2015 chopras adaptation of the story into the film smooth talk stays true to the theme of connies transition to adulthood, but introduces a new dimension to the character of connie, and changes the ending which is left to the readers own interpretation in the short story. Connie is one of the most honest depictions of teenage girlhood anywhere. Refer to works correctly as either short stories or essays.

Chopras adaptation of the story into the film smooth talk stays true to the theme of connies transition to adulthood, but introduces a new dimension to the character of connie, and changes the ending which is left to the readers own interpretation in the short story. We live in a world where corporations are branching into every part of our life. The mother seemed more harsh in the movie than in the story, like in the beginning of the film when she says to connie, i look in your eyes and all i see are a bunch of trashy daydreams. Though featurelength, it has an unconventional, shortstory shape. Joyce chopra cast treat williams, laura dern, mary kay place a freespirited 15yearold girl flirts with a dangerous stranger in the. Papers that fail to do so will receive an automatic five point deduction. Put titles of longer works films, novels, books in italics. Comparison of smooth talk to where are you going, where have you been. Written and directed by joyce chopra and at long last released to noextras dvd smooth talk won the grand jury prize at 1985s sundance film festival then called the u.