Shutter Island

[Jude Hardin]

I thought it was a first-rate adaptation. Has anyone else seen it?

[EDWARD C MORGAN]

I saw it. Enjoyed it a lot. However, I have not read the book, so I can't compare. But on its own, a very good movie.

[Jon Loomis]

I disliked the book--I thought its little headgame was cheesy and implausible, as though Lehane decided to take the "it was all just a dream" thing that we don't let our undergrads do to its farthest extreme. But it may play better onscreen. I'll get it from Netflix, probably.

[Jack Getze]

The ending pissed me off. You mean? But what about? Oh, really....

Cheesy works well.

I want a pot of gold at the end of the stories I read, not question marks.

[Jon Loomis]

Me, too, Jack. I know lots of readers probably thought the ending was brilliant, but it really felt to me as though Lehane bailed. I'm all for thwarting convention, as long as it's done in a way that's actually innovative, but that ending seemed more like an "oh, fuck it" move than any serious attempt to push the envelope.

[Dave Zeltserman]

The basic plot/big reveal was done before in Peter Blatty's "Twinkle Twinkle 'Killer' Kane", which was made into the movie 1980, The Ninth Configuration, written + directed by Peter Blatty. While Shutter Island is all about the big reveal, Blatty's book and movie is far more ambitious (and in my opinion superior) where he uses the big reveal as a jumping off point into subjects such as the absurdity of life, existence of God, and the goodness of man.

[Jude Hardin]

I'm reading Blatty's Legion right now. Digging it.

[Eric Christopherson]

Lehane meant to do that (to use a Pee Wee Herman allusion). I read an article once about how he developed the book. He knew how it would end from the start. Typically, he writes without knowing where the story is going.

[Jude Hardin]

I loved the book, Eric. And even though I knew the twist, I found the movie no less entertaining.

[Eric Christopherson]

Worked for me too, Jude, though I can understand Jon's point. Writing crazy is hard. I know from experience. (Being crazy, now that's easy.)

[Susan]

I read the book and hated the ending. What a cop out! I was disappointed since I loved Mystic River. Lehane's next book is just coming out, a return to the detective duo featured in Gone Baby Gone. Not wild about that series, but I'll give it a shot.

[JackBludis]

No way the ending was a cop out, when on reading the book you realize that the author had set it up all the way. That being said, I too was disappointed at the ending. I really did hope that Martin Scorsese would have come up with a better ending with Lahane's blessing.

[I. J. Parker]

Well, wouldn't it be a mistake to set up an ending that will disappoint everyone?

(I admit I don't remember the ending. I got irritated with all that creeping around in tunnels, waiting for monsters to jump out.)