Reading the Oscars

Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 3/4/2009

Slumdog Millionaire (R) struck it rich at the Academy Awards, ending up with eight Oscars in all, including Best Picture and Best Director (Danny Boyle). An unexpected hit at the box office, this critically acclaimed film from Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures has also earned a shelf full of other accolades: four Golden Globes, five Critics’ Choice Awards, and seven BAFTA Awards. Filmed and set in India, the movie relates the story of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a poor, uneducated 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is one correct answer away from winning 20 million rupees on India’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? However, before the penultimate moment, he’s accused of cheating and arrested by the police. Determined to prove his innocence, Jamal reveals the details of his past, describing life on the streets with his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), perilous encounters with local gangs, and his unhappily ever-after relationship with love interest Latika (Frieda Pinto). Each episode in Jamal’s life reveals where he learned the answer to one of the show’s difficult questions. But one thing remains a mystery: why would a young man apparently uninterested in material wealth appear on the game show? The next morning, 60 million viewers tune in to find out. Teens can visit the movie’s official site to check out the details and browse the buzz.

The movie is adapted from Q & A (2005), a novel by first-time Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup. Scribner has published a movie tie-in edition of the book (2008), titled Slumdog Millionaire and adorned with a film-poster cover. The plot is similar but the penniless 18-year-old protagonist is named Ram Mohammad Thomas. Unable to make the payoff if the young man successfully answers the final question, the producers of Who Will Win a Billion? accuse him of cheating and have him arrested. As Ram is being interrogated (actually, tortured) by the police, he is rescued by a young female lawyer. He tells her the amazing story of his life, including being dumped as an infant in a clothes-collection bin at a Delhi church, employment by a has-been Bollywood star, close encounters with a mob-type criminal, and a stint as a tour guide at the Taj Mahal. Each chapter illustrates how Ram acquired seemingly stray bits of knowledge and ends with him answering the related quiz-show question. With humor and poignancy, the novel conveys a whirlwind of experiences both joyful and tragic, introduces a cast of diverse and memorable characters, and touches upon themes of sacrifice and survival. The tale’s unexpected twists and turns, astounding occurrences, and colorful personalities will keep readers glued to the pages. A discussion guide is appended and an unabridged audio version of the book, read by Christopher Simpson, will be released in late March by BBC Audiobooks America.

Simon Beaufoy won an Oscar for his screenplay adaptation of the novel, and film goers may be interested in dipping into Slumdog Millionaire: The Shooting Script (2008) from Newmarket Press. In addition to the complete script, the book includes an introduction by Boyle, eight pages of full-color captioned film stills, and an interesting “Q & A” section in which the director discusses the making of the movie. 

Milk

Sean Penn earned his second Best Actor statue for his performance in Milk (R). Directed by Gus Van Sant and released by Focus Features, this biographical film depicts the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man in America to be elected to a major public office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. The movie follows the last eight years of Milk’s life, beginning with his relocation along with his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) from New York City to San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, where he opened a business and eventually found his way into city politics. Both Milk’s personal life and political career are addressed, as he established himself as an import force in his community, forged coalitions across a broad political spectrum, and became a tireless human rights advocate before his tragic murder in 1978. Teens can visit the official Website to find out more about the movie and the man.

Newmarket Press’s movie tie-in, Milk: A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk (2009), will hold interest for film fans as well as readers who want to know more about this charismatic individual and his accomplishments. The volume documents Milk’s life through a candid blend of archival photos and recollections from the people who knew him well, including fellow activists in his Castro Street neighborhood. Many of the remarks were extracted from interviews conducted by screenwriter Dustin Lance Black during his research for the film. Quotes from Milk and several of his speeches are also reprinted, as is a reminiscence of his life published in Time Magazine in 1999. As Black states in his introduction, the photos and excerpts “Don’t tell the story of a man born to lead, but of a regular man with many flaws who did what many others wouldn’t   Harvey Milk stood up and fought back.” The second part of the book describes the making of the movie and presents observations from both the filmmakers and cast. Sprinkled throughout are full-color movie stills, many of which are paired with the historical photos that they recreate. Black’s inspirations and writing process are discussed, as are contributions made by Milk’s “long-ago friends and compadres [who] spent a significant amount of time on the set” (numerous production photos show actors posed with the real-life people they portray). This book presents an interesting and insightful merging of biography, history, and film-making commentary.

Black nabbed the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Milk: The Shooting Script (Newmarket Press, 2008) includes the complete work along with an introduction by Van Sant, scene notes, and 16 pages of full-color film and production photos. The book ends with a conversation tape-recorded by Black in September 2008 (two months before Milk’s San Francisco premiere) between himself, Van Sant, and activist Cleve Jones (Milk’s political protégé and the production’s historical consultant) about “[h]ow and why all this research, this little-spec script, this great man’s life, finally [became] a film.” 

Pub Info

SWARUP, Vikas. Slumdog Millionaire. originally published as Q & A. movie tie-in edition. Scribner. 2008. $15.00. ISBN 978-1-4391-3665-2.

_____. Slumdog Millionaire. originally published as Q & A. BBC Audiobooks America. March 2009. read by Christopher Simpson. 9 CDs. $29.95. ISBN 9781602834668.

Slumdog Millionaire: The Shooting Script. screenplay by Simon Beaufoy. Newmarket Press. 2008. pap. $19.95. ISBN 978-1-55704-836-3.

Milk: A Pictorial History of Harvey Milk. Newmarket Press. 2009. Tr $29.95. ISBN 978-1-55704-829-5; pap. $19.95. ISBN 978-1-55704-828-8.