but many people I talk to do not like the movie?
I understand that , not personally because I love the movie. But, I understand that anyone who thinks Kill Bill is a masterpiece probably isn't going to enjoy what is the male equivalent of a chick flick.
I also think this film has particualr appeal to men of a certain age. I'm the same age as Nick Hornby, we grew up in the same culture, the same music, we have simillar obsessions. I think this movie means more to someone like me who saw the Sex Pistols live at the Camden Electric Ballroom and who now catalogues his DVD with the same overly complex way. I am that anorak (Geek for you yanks).
I don't think a nineteen year old can relate to the movie in the same way.
When I used to work in advertising we'd talk endlessly about target mark; who are we talking too. This thinking applies equally to screenplays, who is our audience? The largest mass of cinema goers is the 17-24 age range, they also buy most of the DVDs.
This screenplay is definately aimed at your 30 plus audience. It's concerns are emotional maturity in relationship, Rob stops being a boy and becomes a mature adult. He grows up and settles down.
It's a great script, but it's not the calling card script of a new writer. Just like "Brininging in the Dead" that we discussed before , it's the work of someone who has earned the right to write mature, complex screenplays.
The fact that it's an adaptation of a sucessful novel has to be taken into account. This scriipt proabably wouldn't have survived as a pitch.