Movie Review: 'It: Chapter One'
AKA It: Chapter One
Directed by: Andy Muschietti
Screenplay by: Chase Palmer & Cary Fukunaga and Gary Dauberman
Starring: Jaeden Lieberher, Bill Skarsgard, Wyatt Oleff, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Chosen Jacobs, Nicholas Hamilton, Jackson Robert Scott
From Page to Screen
On September 15, 1986, Viking Press, a division of Penguin Random House, published It, a 1,138 horror novel by Stephen King set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. In It, seven pre-adolescent children band together as the "Losers' Club" and confront It, an evil entity that exploits their innermost fears and takes many forms, including that of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The novel depicts the Losers' Club's efforts to defeat It in two time periods - the late 1950s and 1985 - and often alternates between the two eras.
Despite its length (1,138 pages) and size (at 3.4 lbs., even its author refers to it as a "doorstop of a novel"), It was the No. 1 bestselling novel in 1986, and the novel became a fan favorite, ranking as one of King's best works since The Stand and 'Salem's Lot. And over 30 years later, It still resonates with readers because it introduces themes that King would revisit in later works, including the darkness that often lies beneath the façade of "good neighborliness" and quaint charm of American small towns, the power of friendship, and the persistence of memory.
It was originally adapted by writer/director Tommy Lee Wallace and co-writer Lawrence D. Cohen (Carrie) as a two-part miniseries that aired on ABC on November 18 and 20, 1990. Though the Cohen-Wallace teleplay discarded many subplots from King's novel due to airtime and network TV censorship constraints, the miniseries captured the essence of It and did not alter the timeline much. (The events that take place in 1957-1958 now occur in 1960; the 1985 events are moved slightly to "present day" 1990.) It was a top-rated project for the network, and critics and fans alike generally give the TV adaptation high marks, especially for Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise/It.
Still, despite critical acclaim and high ratings, It (the miniseries) lost much of its punch in the transition from the printed page to the TV screen. Part of it, of course, is due to the necessary excision of several subplots that not only would have added an extra night's of broadcast time, but they could not have been depicted on over-the-air television anyway. In addition, the climactic confrontation between the Losers Club and It in Part Two is well-written and well-acted, but the special effects (created in part by what passed for state-of-the-art computer graphics imagery at the time) were somewhat...disappointing.
As a result, there was talk about a remake of It for many years after the miniseries' original broadcast. Some fans said that a more faithful adaptation of King's novel simply could not be done. The book is too huge, too complex for a straight-on adaptation, they said. It's too scary for broadcast television; maybe HBO can adapt it, they said. And how on Earth are they going to depict THAT scene in the book...you know, the one with Beverly Marsh and the boys from the Losers Club?
(Fans of the original novel will know what happens in that scene I'm talking about. If you haven't read It, I am not going to give any spoilers. Suffice it to say, however, that it's not in the 2017 film, either.)
Eventually, after a long and protracted period in which It was in what Hollywood calls "development hell," someone got around to making another adaptation of King's novel. This time, however, it would not be a TV miniseries a la 11.22.63 or the 2004 remake of 'Salem's Lot. That someone ended up being New Line Cinema, and this iteration of It would be an R-rated movie.
It (Chapter One)
From Page to Screen
On September 15, 1986, Viking Press, a division of Penguin Random House, published It, a 1,138 horror novel by Stephen King set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. In It, seven pre-adolescent children band together as the "Losers' Club" and confront It, an evil entity that exploits their innermost fears and takes many forms, including that of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. The novel depicts the Losers' Club's efforts to defeat It in two time periods - the late 1950s and 1985 - and often alternates between the two eras.
 |
| Dust jacket of the original 1986 hardcover edition. Art by Bob Giusti. Lettering by Amy Hill. (C) 1986 Viking Press/Penguin Random House |
 |
| Promotional poster for the ABC Television miniseries. (C) 1990 Lorimar Television and ABC |
It was originally adapted by writer/director Tommy Lee Wallace and co-writer Lawrence D. Cohen (Carrie) as a two-part miniseries that aired on ABC on November 18 and 20, 1990. Though the Cohen-Wallace teleplay discarded many subplots from King's novel due to airtime and network TV censorship constraints, the miniseries captured the essence of It and did not alter the timeline much. (The events that take place in 1957-1958 now occur in 1960; the 1985 events are moved slightly to "present day" 1990.) It was a top-rated project for the network, and critics and fans alike generally give the TV adaptation high marks, especially for Tim Curry's portrayal of Pennywise/It.
Still, despite critical acclaim and high ratings, It (the miniseries) lost much of its punch in the transition from the printed page to the TV screen. Part of it, of course, is due to the necessary excision of several subplots that not only would have added an extra night's of broadcast time, but they could not have been depicted on over-the-air television anyway. In addition, the climactic confrontation between the Losers Club and It in Part Two is well-written and well-acted, but the special effects (created in part by what passed for state-of-the-art computer graphics imagery at the time) were somewhat...disappointing.
As a result, there was talk about a remake of It for many years after the miniseries' original broadcast. Some fans said that a more faithful adaptation of King's novel simply could not be done. The book is too huge, too complex for a straight-on adaptation, they said. It's too scary for broadcast television; maybe HBO can adapt it, they said. And how on Earth are they going to depict THAT scene in the book...you know, the one with Beverly Marsh and the boys from the Losers Club?
(Fans of the original novel will know what happens in that scene I'm talking about. If you haven't read It, I am not going to give any spoilers. Suffice it to say, however, that it's not in the 2017 film, either.)
Eventually, after a long and protracted period in which It was in what Hollywood calls "development hell," someone got around to making another adaptation of King's novel. This time, however, it would not be a TV miniseries a la 11.22.63 or the 2004 remake of 'Salem's Lot. That someone ended up being New Line Cinema, and this iteration of It would be an R-rated movie.
 |
| New Line Cinema's Comic-Con teaser poster for It. (C) 2017 New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. |
It (Chapter One)
However, the filmmakers made two important narrative choices to give the 2017 version of It its own voice. The most obvious was the decision to not attempt to condense the novel into a single film. Muschetti and his writing team wisely split the novel into two distinct halves: Chapter One delves into the Losers Club's first confrontation with It and its iconic avatar Pennywise the Dancing Clown (Bill Skarsgard) as kids, while the 2019 sequel, It (Chapter Two) will pick up the plot 27 years later.
In addition, the new version of It is set in a time period closer to our own. Instead of taking place in the late 1950s (the novel's setting) or 1960 (as in the 1990 miniseries), It (Chapter One) begins in October 1988 and its events occur over the late spring and summer of 1989.
Aside from these cosmetic touchups to the narrative, Muschetti's It begins in a similar fashion as the novel, with the fateful meeting of six-year-old Georgie Denbrough (Jackson Robert Scott) and Pennywise.
It's a rainy day in October 1988, and Georgie is eager to play outside with the paper sailboat that his older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) just made for him. Bill is sick and can't go out on this cold, damp day, but Georgie wants to try out his new boat in the runoff along the side of the street.
Bill is Georgie's hero, and the innocent, trusting little lad treasures that paper sailboat because his big brother made it just for him. It's this emotional attachment that leads to Georgie's tragic end, for the boat ends up inside one of Derry's storm drain...and in the hands of Pennywise:
During Pennywise's conversation with his unsuspecting victim, we see that the woman's cat is looking at the tableau of Georgie leaning closer to the storm drain grate. And what does it do? Does it hiss warningly and arch its back in fear like most felines do in horror movies?
No. It just sits at the screen door and watches the goings on with a quiet, unconcerned air.
And the cat's owner? Does she pick up the phone and call 911 to tell them that she saw a boy being dragged into the sewer?
No. She just gives one single gasp of horror and turns away.
That, dear reader, is creepy.
The rest of It is a coming-of-age buddy movie with elements of mystery (why are so many kids disappearing in Derry, and why aren't the adults more concerned?), horror (an evil and ancient entity lurks underneath the small Maine town), and pre-teen angst (the seven kids that eventually join to form the "Losers Club" must deal with their own family dysfunctions, the first stirrings of young love, a group of bullies led by an older boy named Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton), who is, by the way, emotionally abused by his father, Officer Bowers (Stuart Hughes) of the Derry Police Department.
Though Muschetti and editor Jason Ballantine could have trimmed some of the film to make the third act a bit tighter and less draggy, It is perhaps one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel for the silver screen since Rob Reiner's Misery or Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption. It has the same sensibility as Reiner's other King-derived work, Stand By Me, while at the same time it is scarier than Darabont's take on The Mist.
It's a rainy day in October 1988, and Georgie is eager to play outside with the paper sailboat that his older brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) just made for him. Bill is sick and can't go out on this cold, damp day, but Georgie wants to try out his new boat in the runoff along the side of the street.
Bill is Georgie's hero, and the innocent, trusting little lad treasures that paper sailboat because his big brother made it just for him. It's this emotional attachment that leads to Georgie's tragic end, for the boat ends up inside one of Derry's storm drain...and in the hands of Pennywise:
Pennywise: Hi Georgie!
[pause]
Pennywise: What a nice boat. Do you want it back?
Georgie: Um... Yes, please.
Pennywise: You look like a nice boy, I bet you have a lot of
friends.
Georgie: Three... but my brother is my best's best.
Pennywise: Where is he?
Georgie: In bed. Sick.
Pennywise: I bet I can cheer him up! I'll give him a
balloon. Do you want a balloon too, Georgie?
Georgie: I'm not supposed to take stuff from strangers.
Pennywise: Oh! Well, I'm Pennywise, the dancing clown.
"Pennywise?". "Yes?", "Meet Georgie".
"Georgie, meet Pennywise".
[Georgie laughs]
Pennywise: Now we aren't strangers. Are we?
Georgie: What are you doing in the sewer?
Pennywise: A storm blew me away. Blew the whole circus away.
[laughs]
Pennywise: Can you smell the circus, Georgie? There's
peanuts... cotton candy... hot dogs... and...
Georgie: Popcorn?
Pennywise: POPCORN! Is that your favorite?
Georgie: Uh-huh.
Pennywise: Mine too!
[laughs]
Pennywise: Because they pop! Pop, pop! Pop, pop! Pop, pop,
pop!
[both laugh]
Pennywise: [pause]
Georgie: Um... I should get going, now.
Pennywise: Oh! Without your boat? You don't wanna lose it
Georgie. Bill's gonna kill you! Here. Take it.
[pause]
Pennywise: Take it, Georgie.
The "reveal" scene when Georgie realizes - too late - that the friendly Pennywise is no clown is horrifying, and not just because It bites one of the boy's arms off, either. Yes, the bit about a shapeshifting creature killing a cherubic tyke is frightening. But what's really unnerving is how Muschetti shows the ugly side of Derry through the reaction - or rather, lack thereof - of an older woman who witnesses the boy's grisly end.During Pennywise's conversation with his unsuspecting victim, we see that the woman's cat is looking at the tableau of Georgie leaning closer to the storm drain grate. And what does it do? Does it hiss warningly and arch its back in fear like most felines do in horror movies?
No. It just sits at the screen door and watches the goings on with a quiet, unconcerned air.
And the cat's owner? Does she pick up the phone and call 911 to tell them that she saw a boy being dragged into the sewer?
No. She just gives one single gasp of horror and turns away.
That, dear reader, is creepy.
The rest of It is a coming-of-age buddy movie with elements of mystery (why are so many kids disappearing in Derry, and why aren't the adults more concerned?), horror (an evil and ancient entity lurks underneath the small Maine town), and pre-teen angst (the seven kids that eventually join to form the "Losers Club" must deal with their own family dysfunctions, the first stirrings of young love, a group of bullies led by an older boy named Henry Bowers (Nicholas Hamilton), who is, by the way, emotionally abused by his father, Officer Bowers (Stuart Hughes) of the Derry Police Department.
Though Muschetti and editor Jason Ballantine could have trimmed some of the film to make the third act a bit tighter and less draggy, It is perhaps one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel for the silver screen since Rob Reiner's Misery or Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption. It has the same sensibility as Reiner's other King-derived work, Stand By Me, while at the same time it is scarier than Darabont's take on The Mist.
What makes It: Chapter One work so well? I think it is a combination of things:
- The casting, especially the choice of young actors to play The Losers Club and their Bowers Gang nemeses, is spot-on. Jaeden Lieberher, Wyatt Oleff, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Chosen Jacobs are outstanding as the pre-teens that piece together the mystery behind all the missing kids and dare to face It, even as that evil being preys on their innermost fears in order to defeat them. And if young Ms, Lillis' performance is any indication of her acting abilities, viewers are seeing the beginning of a successful career
Muschetti gets the beats of the period right. The decision to split the film into two distinct eras and not switch back and forth between them as the book and miniseries did was a sound one, and it plays well, considering that "nostalgia" for older eras comes in 20 year cycles. If you look closely at the movie marquees and the T-shirts the kids wear, you'll feel like you're back in 1989. (If you were born in the 1990s and early 2000s, It is a time capsule to a time when your parents were either just out of high school or in college.)- The cinematography by Chung-Hoon Chung and the stylistic choices by Andy Muschetti are, for the most part, brilliant. Yes, there are a few places close to the end where things are dark and you have to focus hard on the action because...darn it, it's hard to see what's going on. But the film's opening scene and that first view of Bill Skarsgard's blue eyes (yes, those are his real blue eyes...no special effects, no blue contacts) in that storm drain, man...they creeped me out.
- And speaking of Skarsgard, his Pennywise is scarier than Tim Curry's from the 1990 TV miniseries. I didn't hate Curry's take on the character; clowns are supposed to be over-the-top anyway, but the miniseries' Pennywise is overly exaggerated and not very scary. Skarsgard (who was born in 1990, incidentally) studied Curry's performance and decided to be a bit more restrained in his portrayal. As a result, Skarsgard gives viewers a scarier viewing experience.
 |
| (C) 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment |
Warner Bros. Entertainment released It on Blu-ray and DVD on January 9, so if you missed seeing this excellent adaptation of Stephen King's spine chilling novel in theaters last fall, do yourself a favor and get a copy. With a running time of two hours and 15 minutes, It: Chapter One is longer than the average horror film, It does get a bit slow near the climax, but the synergy between the young cast members and the fine balance between Stephen King scares and Spielberg-like cinematic touches make up for that minor flaw.
Video
- Codec: MPEG-4 AVC (23.90 Mbps)
- Resolution: 1080p
- Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
- Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Audio
- English: Dolby Atmos
- English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
- English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
- French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
- Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
- Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
- English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
- Note: English DD=narrative descriptive
Subtitles
- English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Discs
- Blu-ray Disc
- Two-disc set (1 BD-50, 1 DVD)
- UV digital copy
- Digital copy
- Movies Anywhere
- DVD copy
Packaging
- Slipcover in original pressing
Playback
- Region A
Comments
Post a Comment