In this discussion a phrase got me thinking why I didn’t like the film, but liked the book.

Rand, of course, had none of her director’s ambivalence, and so formidable did she make herself while her film was being created that she was allowed more influence on production than any other mere writer ever acquired in Hollywood. Vidor reported that “when actors wanted to change lines we had to telephone her and ask her to come over quickly and that helped stop a lot of actors changing lines.”10 Rand was even permitted to coach Gary Cooper (Howard Roark) for his performance as Roark in the impressive courtroom scene. Impressive, but perhaps not impressive enough; Cooper and Rand agreed that “he didn’t quite get it.”11 The Fountainhead remained, inevitably, a collaboration–yet Rand bears most of the responsibility for its outcome.

(Emphasis mine)

This adds another important hurdle for any “Atlas Shrugged” film: The actors would have to actually get it. Since Jolie is reportedly a fan of the books, maybe it’s possible for her to carry it off. I still can’t see her as this description:

Few people liked her face: the face was too cold, the eyes too intense; nothing could ever lend her the charm of a soft focus. The beautiful legs, slanting down from the chair’s arm in the center of his vision, annoyed him; they spoiled the rest of his estimate.

Still, I’d go see it of course.

Interestingly enough, Rand was heavily involved in the production of The Fountainhead movie, and yet it still pretty much sucks

It seems like the most important part of an Atlas Shrugged movie would be the screen writer/director combo. I believe the success of the Lord of the Rings movies was due in large part to Peter Jackson’s visualization of it, and his commitment to keep the film true to the novels. A good director might even be able to get someone like Angelina Jolie closer to the character of Dagny (though I’ve often visualized Dagny as looking and acting more like a Jodie Foster).

Also, the book is so long that translation to a single two hour film is probably infeasible. The screenwriter would have to understand the book well enough to select the most salient points and make sure they survive the process. Get the wrong screenwriter and you’ll have a movie about trains. Or a movie about explosions and car chases. Or a movie about brutish self-centered thugs with no conception of the voluntary interactions which foster production.

If they could accurately translate the message and show how that message is timeless in its application, I’d love to see it happen. If it ends up another Ishtar, I’d just as soon see it continue to stay buried.

I meant to use the term “anarchism” (related to the root of “anarchy”), not anachronism. As Scott points out, the society in question was essentially an anarchist society — while the “warden” was a ruler, he basically did nothing to enforce any internal order on the lunar society — leaving them to create a non-governmental law of their own.

Stephen,

There was also a movie version of “The Fountainhead”, which I embarrassingly have not seen.

They did make a movie of Fahrenheit 451, back in 1966:

http://tinyurl.com/aok9md

And there’s a remake listed as “in development” at IMDB:

http://tinyurl.com/gmtee

Like the Atlas movie, this one appears to be in limbo right now though

Other novels I would like to see adapted into a movie (if done right) would include “The Fountainhead,” “1984,” “Animal Farm,” and “Fahrenheit 451.”

I do find it encouraging that people are reading these novels, especially during these challenging times.

Onward, I concur that ‘The Moon is a Harsh Mistress’ is a great work, though it has been over a decade since I’ve read any of Heinlein’s work. He definitely knew how to get people’s attention.

I for one would like to see ‘Atlas Shrugged’ as a movie. It might help to awaken some our zombie-like citizens and it could help some of the ostriches get their collective heads out of the sand.

Personally, I hope they don’t make it.

I don’t think Hollywood would do the book right and I shudder at the thought of Jolie and Pitt being involved