Usually, it is the real adaptation which trivializes the book. But rely on Derek Cianfrance of the Blue Valentine fame to ensure it to be the other way round sometimes too.
In his latest production, alongside the marvellous Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True, the film takes a turn away from the book in a bid to not belittle the suffering of those it portrays. Tell me now if you have ever heard of that before! Comment below.
The latest HBO production I Know This Much is True is a gripping adaptation of Wally Lamb’s bestselling novel of the same name. The tragic story is centred around the tortured twins Dominick and Thomas Birdsey, both played brilliantly by Mark Ruffalo.
Under Cianfrance’s direction, the limited series takes us to the emotional brink, showing us the heartache caused by mental illness, grief, and generational trauma.
In the recently aired final episode of the show, audiences were sweetly surprised with things taking a turn for the better in the Birdsey family. The only problem was the turns were quite restrained, unlike the ending of Lamb’s book.
According to Cianfrance, he may have loved the way the book ends, but he felt he had to change it onscreen thanks to the differences between the two storytelling mediums.
But more on that later. First, a quick recap for those not in the know of this wonderful work of modern tragedy by Cianfrance and Ruffalo.
Quick Recap
I Know This Much is True opens with Thomas Birdsey having a psychotic attack in the middle of a public library. Thomas had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Unable to decipher the real world from that inside his head, he is ready to make a blood sacrifice to atone for America’s sins. Thomas then goes on to attempt to hack off his own hand in front of a bunch of strangers.
The shocking opening sequence sets the premise for a tale of profound sorrow that could compete with some of the greatest tragedies of even the Greek era. The story moves on towards and eventual, hard-earned reconciliation, especially for Thomas’s brother Dominic.
By the end of both Lamb’s novel and the show, Dominick Birdsey has learned to accept everything wrong with his life as a result of either his own failings or the wrongdoing of others.
The end of the book, however, sees him off as a newly-turned millionaire who is ready to restart a family with his ex-wife and his brother dead (so there is no longer even caring for an and ill family member for him either). Basically, everything is somehow back to normal in this tragedy.
But Cianfrance wasn’t happy with such a–for the loss of any other word–a happy ending. So he changed it.
A more realistic end
The series now ends with just the suggestion that Dominick could reunite with his ex-wife and start a new family with her. There is no mention of any lottery that he wins to turn into a millionaire.
The kid that Dominick was to adopt and raise with his ex-wife was also his girlfriend’s, who we find was cheating on him. (She later dies of AIDS, and Dominick gets her kid’s custody)
Speaking about his ideas, Cianfrance said,
“It’s very satisfying in a novel to wrap everything up and have a sense of closure, but, to me, my favorite movies are the ones that have open endings, that allow the audience to generate their own kind of projections on what happens.”
“In some ways, the story of Joy having a kid, becoming Dominick’s adopted kid, and Dominick becoming a millionaire…there became too many conveniences. I wanted his growth in the end to become more minute, right?” Cianfrance said.
So he decided to leave the reel Dominick with only a “glimmer of hope” instead of a whole sunrise.
“I wanted it to be more of a glimmer of hope so that you could see the possibilities of his future but not heal it completely. And I think that’s more redemptive and more real.”
Talking about the need for this change as a result of the differences in the mediums – a book and a film – Cianfrance said,
“The way the book ends is perfect for the book. You have more time in a book. You can put the book down, you can walk away and go have dinner. You can come back to it later, but there’s this linear idea of cinema and shows that it just keeps on going and it’s almost too much to take at one time.”
Now personally, I am in awe of Cianfrance’s dedication to his craft (and would be disappointed to see if he brings out a sequel instead for the remaining sunrise). But considering the scale and sheer volume, if that is measurable, of the Birdsey family’s misfortunes, I would have liked for a stroke of good luck as string as bad luck.
A million dollar-worth lottery wouldn’t seem like too much to me. (In fact, lottery money usually comes with a tragedy of its own. But no Cianfrance, don’t take ideas from this dumb wannabe writer. Stick to your style please.)
Now, now. Please watch this wonderful tragedy and let us know what you think of the ending. We’ll be waiting!
I Know This Much Is True is currently streaming on HBO Go and HBO Now.
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