Emily Franklin's "The Lioness of Boston," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin.

The entry begins:

The Lioness of Boston is based on the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a daring visionary who triumphed over personal tragedy and created an inimitable legacy in American art and transformed the city of Boston itself. The novel takes place between 1861 when Isabella is 21 years old and up to her death 1924. This is a Gilded Age historical with a feminist slant. This is based on a real person's life so there are real artists and writers,

So... Greta Gerwig, who directed the latest version of Little Women, would be amazing for this. She's sharp, detail-oriented, modern, and would really get to the heart of this woman who was famous before celebrity, misunderstood and outspoken in elite Boston society, and who ultimately surprises everyone's expectations. Plus, Greta Gerwig has terrific choices for actors.

But - there's also a version of this with Julian Fellowes directing - sort of Downton Abbey but in historic Boston. Either way, this novel has so many big name artists and writers for fun cameos - Henry James, Oscar Wilde, John Singer Sargent, and a whole long scene at the first Impressionist Exhibit in Paris (before they were even called the impressionists), including Renoir, Monet, Manet, Pisarro and Berthe Morisot, the only woman in that show. Who doesn't want to play Henry James? In my version, I think Jane Lynch would be great or Hugh Grant.

The Lioness of Boston dream casting likely involves multiple actresses playing the same role since the story spans Isabella's lifetime. For Isabella Stewart Gardner casting I would love to see...[read on]

Visit Emily Franklin's website.

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Q&A with Emily Franklin.

My Book, The Movie: The Lioness of Boston.

--Marshal Zeringue