After reading "Fate is the Hunter" by Gann this last week (not sure how I missed it all these years), I was completely absorbed into the subject matter. The book rings true and is a compelling and insightful story. At this point I had to see the movie, and found a VHS copy on Ebay.
Overall the movie was "OK", but certainly not compelling or likely to lead one into retrospection or contemplation. The acting was fine, the sets and props seemed a bit dated/ineffective, but the story is a good one and work watching the solid performances of Ford, Pleshette, Kwan, Cox and several others made a most enjoyable evening.
I was disappointed that the flavor of the book just did not come through in the movie. Yes - the overall message of Fate being the ultimate force in determining our course through life is made in the book AND the movie, but there is none of the awe and wonder and risk/reward from personal effort as portrayed in the book.
The truth is - I was not sure how "they" could translate such a complex book to the screen. I was not surprised when I found it was done in a marginal way. Several specific references in the book do appear in the movie - the Accordian, the icing of the cargo plane, and some banter back and forth between the characters, but the PLOT of the movie is simply NOT anywhere in the book!
I had to accept that the effort to present the sets and effects was believable (avoiding a chuckle here and there) and serious for the timeframe that the movie was made. The jet engines of the plane were poorly done, the engine going out on the plane not being noticed by the passengers was a real stretch, the haste to hold a hearing, the CAA admitting to acting in response to political/public pressure and the general portrayal of flight crews all seemed somewhat hasty, as if it was in the way of getting on with a few supporting elements for the PLOT, and to capitalize on the popularity of the book rather than making a serious movie.
Anyway - A great Book, and an OK movie, just do not get the two confused as having anything to do with each other.
BTW - I read Gann's "Hostage to Fortune" after watching the movie, and his comments about the movie explain and support my observations.
Overall the movie was "OK", but certainly not compelling or likely to lead one into retrospection or contemplation. The acting was fine, the sets and props seemed a bit dated/ineffective, but the story is a good one and work watching the solid performances of Ford, Pleshette, Kwan, Cox and several others made a most enjoyable evening.
I was disappointed that the flavor of the book just did not come through in the movie. Yes - the overall message of Fate being the ultimate force in determining our course through life is made in the book AND the movie, but there is none of the awe and wonder and risk/reward from personal effort as portrayed in the book.
The truth is - I was not sure how "they" could translate such a complex book to the screen. I was not surprised when I found it was done in a marginal way. Several specific references in the book do appear in the movie - the Accordian, the icing of the cargo plane, and some banter back and forth between the characters, but the PLOT of the movie is simply NOT anywhere in the book!
I had to accept that the effort to present the sets and effects was believable (avoiding a chuckle here and there) and serious for the timeframe that the movie was made. The jet engines of the plane were poorly done, the engine going out on the plane not being noticed by the passengers was a real stretch, the haste to hold a hearing, the CAA admitting to acting in response to political/public pressure and the general portrayal of flight crews all seemed somewhat hasty, as if it was in the way of getting on with a few supporting elements for the PLOT, and to capitalize on the popularity of the book rather than making a serious movie.
Anyway - A great Book, and an OK movie, just do not get the two confused as having anything to do with each other.
BTW - I read Gann's "Hostage to Fortune" after watching the movie, and his comments about the movie explain and support my observations.