A summer evening this past week brought me and a bunch of friends to the park, where, over pork chops and garden burgers, we got into a conversation about books that totally oughtta be made into movies. Now, I don't actually think that all books should be made into movies, because I actually enjoy just reading the darn things, and I don't necessarily need them acted out for me. There are a few books, though, that always seem to fit the bill in my mind.
Naturally, I totally forgot about the one book that I really want to see made into a movie until long after the conversation was finished, and I was laying in bed, staring at the bookshelf. Annie Proulx's Accordion Crimes (Compare Prices) was staring back at me, almost glaring, taunting me for completely forgetting about it. I got to thinking about what a great movie it would make, not only because it's a fantastic story, but because it would have the potential for an amazing soundtrack.
If you haven't read the book, you should go ahead and get on that. It's summer, after all... isn't this when we're supposed to be catching up on reading? It draws easy comparisons to the movie The Red Violin, except instead of a violin making its way around Europe and Asia, playing mostly classical music, it's an accordion, which travels around North America, playing zydeco, conjunto, and polka (among other things), and while weaving through centuries of stories, drops little bits of information about accordions, how they work, what the appeal is, and so on.
So back to my brilliant movie idea: I'm thinking that, from a marketing standpoint, some filmmaker needs to get on it. Sure, accordions might not be sexy, but they're only un-cool because no one has bothered to make them cool in a mainstream sort of way since Lawrence Welk. Annie Proulx is a well-respected author, and great movies (including Brokeback Mountain) have been made from her stories and books. There are tons of characters in Accordion Crimes, so there are lots of opportunities for solid ensemble casting and superstar cameos. Plus, did I mention the soundtrack? It could be epic! Give it to T-Bone Burnett and watch it do for accordion music what O Brother, Where Art Thou did for bluegrass and old-time music! Bonus points if he lets me help, because seriously, I know entirely too much about accordion music and I've gotta put this knowledge to use somewhere...
So, what books would you like to see turned into movies? Specifically, which ones would make for an outstanding world music soundtrack? Leave a comment and let us know!
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