Entertainment
7 Reasons 'Gone Girl' Should Be on Your Radar
The Jan. 17 issue of Entertainment Weekly may be the magazine's creepiest cover, but it's also one of the most exciting. The 2014 Preview highlights Gone Girl , David Fincher's adaptation of the 2012 bestselling novel by Gillian Flynn.
The iconic director of Fight Club and The Social Network shot the cover photo himself, which features Rosamund Pike apparently dead on a medical exam table as Ben Affleck curls himself around her. The unsettling image is the perfect preview for Gone Girl, and lets us start getting really excited about the film, which is set to be released on Oct. 3.
For anyone who hasn't read the book (and should start immediately), it tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, a couple whose already strained marriage is complicated by Amy's disappearance and Nick's possible involvement in it. Besides this awesomely dark cover, here's why you should be excited for the Gone Girl movie.
Image: Entertainment Weekly
Rosamund Pike as Amy
You might not recognize Pike, or at least not by name, but that’s a good thing. The British actress has appeared in films including The World’s End, An Education, and Pride & Prejudice, and beat some better known actresses for the role, like Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Natalie Portman. Why is this good? Without her own built-in box office draw, Pike really earned the intense part and should do well with the very difficult, evolving role of Amy, a character who undergoes some major changes throughout the story.
Image: Getty Images
At Least One Female-Lead Movie This Year
Sure, Amy and Nick each get solid portions of the book dedicated to them, but Amy is by far the most important and memorable character of Gone Girl. Through the main narrative and flashbacks, Amy should takeover the film and with PIke in the lead at least we’re guaranteed one movie this year that focuses on a woman. And look at that, it’s not even a romantic comedy or YA franchise.
Image: Getty Images
David Fincher Directing
Besides proving that he can nail Gone Girl’s unique tone with the EW cover, Fincher is the perfect director to ensure that the suspense and shock that make the novel such a great thriller are found in the film. Someone else may have tried to overplay the romance or make the characters too sympathetic, but with a background that also includes Zodiac and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Fincher should know just what to do with his source material.
Image: Getty Images
Gillian Flynn Writing
The only thing that’s more exciting than Gone Girl’s director is its screen writer, Flynn. The author is adapting her own novel, so it’s bound to retain everything that makes it great after the inevitable changes required of a page-to-screen adaptation. Flynn even told EW that she enjoyed tearing her novel apart to turn it into a movie, and if she’s excited, so are we.
Image: gillian-flynn.com
The Untraditional Narrative
Rather than just tell the story of Amy’s disappearance and the aftermath as they unfolded, Gone Girl alternates between the main timeline and past events as described in Amy’s journal. The perspective is also unique, as the first half of the novel is told through Nick’s eyes, interrupted periodically by Amy’s journal, and the second half changes to Amy’s present point of view. It’ll be interesting to see how Flynn and Fincher translate all of these components to film, so that we get to see each vital piece of the story.
Image: Crown Publishing Group
Casey Wilson In a Dramatic Role
The Happy Endings (R.I.P.) star will appear in Gone Girl as Noelle Hawthorne, Nick and Amy’s neighbor whom Amy befriends. It’s not the biggest role, but it will be nice to see what Wilson can do outside of comedy, and she might even bring a little humor to the film.
Image: Getty Images
All of The Crazy Twists
It might be worth reading the book before the movie just to prevent having a heart attack in the theater. In Gone Girl the mystery slowly builds throughout the first half, increasing the suspense and your curiosity. Then suddenly halfway through, it turns into an all-out thriller with a new twist on every page that will make your jaw drop. So far, we have every reason to believe the movie will be a worthy adaptation, but even if its only half as suspenseful as the book, get ready. Gone Girl is what you should be most excited for in 2014.
Image: Getty Images
