I'd like to at least call this version of Capote's classic "well-intentioned", but what could have possibly been the good intent in turning a memorable classic into a maudlin mess? Every single bit of magic from the original, and there was plenty, has been mercilessly crushed by this positively dreadful remake.
The 1960's version had everything, including an unforgettable performance by Geraldine Page as the dotty cousin. Patty Duke's portrayal is radically different and, in the end, less endearing. Instead of Donnie Melvin's innocent counterpoint as Buddy, we have Eric Lloyd's murderous on-again, off-again Southern accent that is so villainous it must be illegal. And, of course, the lyric narration by Mr. Capote himself is sadly missing. In all, far too many liberties were taken with Capote's original story by this disaster.
Despite the fact that it is common knowledge that the woman in Capote's short story was his cousin Sook Faulk, that name is never mentioned in the original story. It almost seems that this story's writers wanted to impress everyone with their discovery of the cousin's identity, but it's a heavy-handed touch that adds nothing. Similarly, the expansion of dialog and the recounting of events and interaction, not to mention characters, that were not in the original story is an affront to Capote's genius.
It saddens me to think that so many viewers believe this to be the original version of the movie, and are not aware of the astonishing masterpiece that preceded it by three decades.
The 1960's version had everything, including an unforgettable performance by Geraldine Page as the dotty cousin. Patty Duke's portrayal is radically different and, in the end, less endearing. Instead of Donnie Melvin's innocent counterpoint as Buddy, we have Eric Lloyd's murderous on-again, off-again Southern accent that is so villainous it must be illegal. And, of course, the lyric narration by Mr. Capote himself is sadly missing. In all, far too many liberties were taken with Capote's original story by this disaster.
Despite the fact that it is common knowledge that the woman in Capote's short story was his cousin Sook Faulk, that name is never mentioned in the original story. It almost seems that this story's writers wanted to impress everyone with their discovery of the cousin's identity, but it's a heavy-handed touch that adds nothing. Similarly, the expansion of dialog and the recounting of events and interaction, not to mention characters, that were not in the original story is an affront to Capote's genius.
It saddens me to think that so many viewers believe this to be the original version of the movie, and are not aware of the astonishing masterpiece that preceded it by three decades.