Pen to screen

From A to B: 10 movies centered around the world of writers and words

Credit: Rafaela Biazi

A script may be constructed in words, but it is not a book. At least not in the common sense of the term. That is why it can sometimes be hard to translate a great book into a great movie. Likewise, expressing onscreen the struggles of writing is never an easy task. A few notable exceptions exist, where the passion, the work, the loneliness, and the hardships endured by those who immerse themselves in the world of prose and poetry, are vividly depicted. The following ten are movies that manage to successfully translate those same things. If you haven’t seen any of these, we encourage you to do so: The experience will be a rewarding and inspiring one.

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The movie that brought a whole new fame level to the Latin phrase Carpe Diem (seize the day), Dead Poets Society was a blockbuster that no one saw coming when it came out in 1989.

Starred by Robin Williams as an English teacher who inspires his students through teaching poetry at a fictional elite boarding school, Dead Poets Society received many accolades, including Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. It remains a classic to this day.

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A movie based on a book about a writer who is kidnapped by a fan and forced to rewrite one of his books, Misery is a quintessential Stephen King story. The psychological thriller film starred James Caan and Kathy Bates and was released in 1990 to highly positive reviews and box office success.

Misery manages to capture the deep anxiety and horror of a person who realizes that he is utterly helpless and in the hands of a disturbed individual, far away from society. Stephen King himself has stated that Misery is one of his top ten favorite film adaptations.

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Capote is a movie sometimes more remembered for the actor who played the starring role (and did a fantastic, Academy Award-winning job), Philip Seymour Hoffman, than for the movie itself. But it actually is a great film.

This biographical drama is about Truman Capote, the American novelist, and follows the events during the writing of Capote's 1965 nonfiction book In Cold Blood. The film became a box office success and received acclaim from critics.

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Every story about a recluse writer is probably going to be compared to the real-life story of J.D. Salinger and this is not the exception. Finding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film in which, a teenager is invited to attend a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester, through whom he refines his writing talent.

The writer is played by Sean Connery, who later acknowledged that the inspiration for his role was indeed Salinger.

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As delirious as this movie is, it is a brilliant representation of the actual book and its writing style. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was released in 1998 and is based on Hunter S. Thompson's novel of the same name.

The film, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro as Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo respectively, details the duo's journey through Las Vegas as their initial journalistic intentions devolve into an exploration of the city under the influence of psychoactive substances.

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Presented as a semi-autobiography of American poet and author Charles Bukowski during the time he spent drinking heavily in Los Angeles, Barfly is a 1987 black comedy that starred Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway.

The movie was scripted by Bukowski himself, who later published a longer version of the script as a novel, called Hollywood.

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The previously mentioned Charles Bukowski was a big fan of John Fante, the man who wrote the book on which Ask the Dust is based. This romantic drama film was almost entirely shot in South Africa, even though it portrays Los Angeles.

The movie and the book depict the life of John Fante’s alter ego, Arturo Bandini, as a young struggling writer living in motels and trying to get his works published.

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Inspired by the life and works of the Marquis de Sade, Quills is a fiction film based on the final years of the Marquis's incarceration in the insane asylum at Charenton. The movie starred Geoffrey Rush as de Sade and Kate Winslet as laundress Madeleine "Maddie" LeClerc.

In the film, the Marquis continues to write prolifically even when all writing equipment is taken from him, resorting to using his bed sheets and his own blood as ink.

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Another film about a young writer trying to make it in Los Angeles, Barton Fink was released in 1991 with John Turturro in the title role. The Coen brothers' movie was written when they were experiencing writer’s block during the production of another script.

Barton Fink depicts the writing process, labor conditions in creative industries, and the relationship between intellectuals and regular people. The main characters are supposedly based on writers Clifford Odets and William Faulkner.

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The last entry on our list is a 2002 comedy-drama film based on director Charlie Kaufman’s struggles to adapt Susan Orlean's 1998 nonfiction book The Orchid Thief while suffering from writer's block.

The movie featured Nicholas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper in the leading roles and received widespread acclaim for their performances as well as for the direction, screenplay, and humor.

EARTH’S ARTERIES

10 Surprising River Facts From Around the Globe

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Rivers are the arteries of our planet. By connecting lands, lakes, and the sea, they enable the circulation of nutrients, sediments, and living beings. And despite holding a very small percentage of the water on Earth, they sustain most of its life!

Here are 10 intriguing facts about rivers from across the world.

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Over millions of years, rivers have carved some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes on Earth. From the Grand Canyon at the Colorado River to the Three Gorges at the Yangtze River, waterways are powerful sculptors, shaping valleys, canyons, and deltas by eroding rocks at some points and depositing the resulting sediments further downstream. Without rivers, we would live on a very different planet!

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Throughout history, rivers have served as vital arteries for human civilization. The earliest human settlements first sprouted along river banks - like the Tigris and Euphrates, the Nile, the Indus, and the Yellow River - drawn by abundant food, fertile soil, natural resources, and access to water for drinking and agriculture. Currently, freshwater fisheries sustain up to 550 million people! Rivers also function as transportation routes, and borders between countries.

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Rivers are teeming with life, hosting a diverse array of plants, animals, and microorganisms. In fact, they are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, sustaining more fish species than the sea! Rivers also serve as corridors for land-based wildlife, keeping animal populations healthy and helping preserve biodiversity.

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Rivers play a crucial role in the water cycle, transporting vast quantities of water from land to sea. Every year, 38 trillion cubic meters of river water flow into the oceans! Most of this is actually rainwater, created through the evaporation of ocean water. Along their way, they also replenish groundwater reserves, nourishing ecosystems and sustaining human communities during dry spells.

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Healthy rivers also act as natural filters, purifying water along their course and removing pollutants. Wetlands, floodplains, and riparian zones help trap sediment and absorb excess nutrients, safeguarding downstream water quality. This is why it’s so important to fight pollution and preserve rivers’ capacity for regeneration. When this filter fails, problems go downstream and end up in the ocean, silently accumulating and causing serious ecological imbalances.

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Rivers are a potent source of renewable energy, driving hydroelectric dams that generate electricity. Nowadays, dams store one-sixth of the water flowing in rivers, and hydropower accounts for 16% of the world’s electricity. However, though they are considered a greener form of energy, if they are not adequately planned hydroelectric dams can come at great cost to river ecosystems and communities.

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Rivers have long been cultural and spiritual symbols, revered by indigenous peoples and civilizations around the world. They feature prominently in myths, rituals, and religious beliefs, embodying concepts of life, renewal, and the divine. Rivers also create identity - there are at least 17 countries that are named after rivers, including India, Nigeria, Congo, and Belize! Moreover, they are hotspots for recreation, providing havens for birdwatching, camping, and hiking, drawing millions of visitors each year to their shores.

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Despite their importance, rivers face a myriad of threats, including pollution, habitat destruction, and overexploitation. It is currently estimated that at least 10,000 to 20,000 freshwater species have gone extinct or are on the brink of extinction. A staggering 37% of the world’s freshwater fish species are seriously threatened. Climate change exacerbates these challenges, leading to altered flow regimes, increased flooding, and habitat loss.

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Stretching over 4,130 miles, the Nile is not just the longest river in Africa but also the entire world. Originating from Lake Victoria in Uganda, it flows through eleven countries, including Egypt, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. From ancient times, the Egyptian and Sudanese kingdoms have heavily depended on the river and its annual cycles of flooding, and to this day most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along the valley of the Nile.

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The Amazon River in South America carries more water than any other river, accounting for approximately 20% of the total freshwater discharge into the oceans - it is estimated that every second, 84 olympic-sized pools are discharged into the sea from its mouth! It also has a massive basin, covering over 2.7 million square miles, most of which is part of the Amazon rainforest.