

Wednesday, February 9 by

Oprah’s so powerful that she can recommend a book in her book club, then 11 years later, like *that*, it will be made into a moderate-budget movie with megastar Marcia Gay Harden. This time around, the beneficiary of Oprah‘s stranglehold on female minds is Back Roads, by Tawni O’Dell. What are the odds that an author named “Tawni O’Dell” DOESN’T make Oprah‘s book club? A million to one? A billion?

Back Roads follows adolescent Harley Altmyer (who I believe wrote the Beverly Hills Cop theme song), while he is forced to care for his sisters after his mother is sent to jail for killing their abusive father. The book is set in Pennsylvania coal country, so one could expect a Winter’s Bone/The Deerhunter vibe from the bleak setting.  This light-hearted romp will feature Andrew Garfield as Harley, Jennifer Garner as the object of his lust, Callie, and Marcia Gay Harden as Harley’s therapist. Veteran helmer Adrian Lyne (Unfaithful, Fatal Attraction) will direct the adaptation. Bring on the laughs!

While I always take anything Oprah does with a grain of salt, her minions are generally pretty good at picking out books, and both the cast and plot sound engaging, so I’m gonna go ahead and give this news two loud “You Go, Girl”s (Coming Soon)

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