American Pastoral

A.A. Dowd

Consensus holds that Roths work is basically unadaptablethat its appeal usually lies with its big ideas about American and Jewish culture, which can be hard to communicate, or with the prose itself, which is impossible to reproduce. ( Read More )

Even if you buy that, though, American Pastoral still gives off the strong impression of a rich, complicated story thats been flattened of its nuance. ( Read More )

David Ehrlich

One of the most perceptive novels of the 20th century becomes one of the most ill conceived movies of the 21st as Ewan McGregor tries his hand at directing with this ruinously streamlined adaptation of Philip Roths 1997 masterpiece. ( Read More )

Kimberley Jones

The filmmakers move this crucial passage to the end of the film, but lose its epiphanic purpose. ( Read More )

Edward Douglas

Mind you, American Pastoral is nowhere near a perfect movie but it manages to navigate Roths cloudy waters surprisingly well compared to other attempts, and there are moments in the film that are absolutely heartbreaking. ( Read More )