Revered writer Philip Roth is 83, though with 2016’s fervor to add even more adaptations to his increasingly Stephen-King-like pile of filmic interpretations, one might believe the beloved, dying animal could live forever—especially given the recent interest in adapting the author’s late-period “Nemeses” novels, like 2014’s The Humbling (with Al Pacino) and now Indignation.
(Not to mention Alex Ross Perry’s Listen Up Philip, which is basically a pitch-perfect homage to Roth’s sensibilities.)
How exactly does director James Schamus translate Roth’s voice? Here’s Kenji Fujishima in our review of the film:
Those who go into James Schamus’ INDIGNATION unfamiliar with the 2008 Philip Roth novel on which it’s based may well come out of it thinking it’s essentially the tragedy of a forbidden love affair between super-focused college student Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) and neurotic Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon), two outsiders in the ultra-conservative environment of (fictional) Ohio-based Winesburg College in 1951. But this is the point at which Schamus departs from the book, playing up the doomed romanticism through minor but telling additions and subtle shifts in emphasis. Perhaps Schamus—former CEO of Focus Features, making his directorial debut here—couldn’t help but let his producer instincts kick in, figuring this more overtly romantic angle would be a more widely palatable option than Roth’s bitter ironies and general fatalistic outlook.
So, to help you with all that bitter irony and fatalism, we’ve partnered with Roadside Attractions to give some readers the following entryway into Roth’s world:
One (1) winner receives:
- $100 American Express Gift Card to see INDIGNATION in theaters (and probably get some popcorn or one of those really expensive Slushees)
- Official Soundtrack
- Copy of the Movie Tie-in Book
And three (3) additional winners receive:
- Official Soundtrack
- Copy of the Movie Tie-in Book
- Poster signed by stars Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon and writer/director James Schamus
Winning, unlike fighting against the dying of both your libido and the light, is easy. All you have to do is:
1. Follow @pastemovies on Twitter if you haven’t already;
2. Tweet @pastemovies and tell us who your favorite person over 80 years old is;
3. Include the hashtag #Indignation.
And in the spirit of making sure your youth does not escape you, we’ll pick a winner very soon!
Note: Winners must be U.S. residents.
Now, some words from the studio:
Based on Philip Roth’s late novel, Indignation takes place in 1951, as Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman), a brilliant working class Jewish boy from Newark, New Jersey, travels on scholarship to a small, conservative college in Ohio, thus exempting him from being drafted into the Korean War. But once there, Marcus’s growing infatuation with his beautiful classmate Olivia Hutton (Sarah Gadon), and his clashes with the college’s imposing Dean, Hawes Caudwell (Tracy Letts), put his and his family’s best laid plans to the ultimate test.
The film has received praise at Sundance, especially for its stellar cast: Logan Lerman (Perks of Being a Wallflower) and Sarah Gadon (Hulu miniseries 11.22.63), with Broadway vets Tracy Letts (Pulitzer Prize/Tony Winner), Tony nominated Danny Burstein (Fiddler on the Roof), and Tony Nominated Linda Emond.
Indignation is now playing select cities. Find more information at its official site.