The entry begins:I’ve been weighing up what would work best: a big-budget Hollywood adaptation of The Cactus, or a lower-budget British one. The book is set in the UK - in London and Birmingham - but it’s a universal story that could be transplanted almost anywhere. For this blog, I’ve plumped for a British adaptation, simply because it’s closer to my original vision, but I have my US cast lined up too, should Hollywood come knocking at my door.Visit Sarah Haywood's website.
The Cactus is a wryly humorous, character-driven story about recognisably flawed, quirky people in a familiar domestic setting. It concerns family relationships and secrets, and the things we do to protect ourselves. Mike Leigh, whose films blend humour and pathos, would have been perfect to direct, if it weren’t for the fact that his plots and characters are crafted through improvisation. Equally perfect would be Andrea Arnold, who has a wonderful talent for making ordinary lives seem extraordinary.
My novel is narrated in the first person through the eyes of Susan Green, a strong, feisty forty-five-year-old woman who believes she’s created the ideal life for herself. She never lets anyone get close to her, so she can never be hurt. The challenge for the actor who plays Susan will be to...[read on]
Writers Read: Sarah Haywood.
My Book, The Movie: The Cactus.
--Marshal Zeringue
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