The entry begins:
Oppen Porter, the narrator of Panorama City, is an open-hearted, bicycle-riding, binocular-toting self-described “slow absorber.” After his father's death, he has to leave his idyllic small-town life in Madera, CA to live with his watchful and sharp-tongued Aunt Liz in Panorama City, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. He's 27 years old, terribly naïve, and functionally illiterate. He believes that this is his opportunity to become a man of the world.Learn more about the book and author at Antoine Wilson's website and Twitter perch.
The real question when casting Oppen is who is (or could be) today's Chauncey Gardner (Being There) or Navin R. Johnson (The Jerk). My money's on Jake Gyllenhaal. He's only 6'0” to Oppen's 6'6”, but his acting chops and finely tuned sense of vulnerability win the day.
Oppen's Aunt Liz, brittle yet well-meaning, set in her ways, will be played brilliantly by Laura...[read on]
My Book, The Movie: Panorama City.
--Marshal Zeringue