While Philip Roth is a bit of a legend in American literary circles, his latest offering, The Humbling, got only so-so reviews, however that hasn’t prevented a bunch of Hollywood heavywieghts getting together to try and bring it to the screen.
According to the New York Times, Al Pacino is attached to star in a movie version of the book, which is about an aging stage actor who’s seen as increasingly irrelevant, but who tries to bring new meaning to his life by getting involved with a younger woman. In fact it was Pacino himself who bought the screen rights to the novel, something he’s never done before. Although we hate to say it, does that mean he sees something of himself in the lead character, and fancies the idea of playing someone getting it on with a younger woman?
Also involved is Rain Man director Barry Levinson and the legendary if somewhat sporadic screenwriter, Buck Henry. In fact it’s a pretty interesting project for Henry, who first made his name working on the script for The Graduate. With that film he was a young man writing about someone his age getting seduced by an older woman, while 40 years later he’s taking on the story of an older man wanting a younger woman. It’s sort of the anti-Graduate.
There’s no studio involved in the film as yet, although with so much talent involved, it’d be a surprise if it didn’t get made.