The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon (Adrian's Post)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time By Mark Haddon

3. If I were to cast one or two major characters from my book in a movie, I would choose the following actors for these reasons:

If a movie were to be created, based on the novel, one of the most interesting groups of all-time would be chosen to play the characters. Cast as the lead role of the autistic 15 year old, Christopher John Francis Boone, Hunter Parrish would be selected. Parrish is widely known for portraying Silas Botwin, Nancy Botwin’s teenage son in Showtime’s television series Weeds. This actor would be perfect as the protagonist mainly due to his versatility, ranging from the family classic RV, to the 2007 drama Atonement. Also, he has the youthful look necessary for a teen role, as well as one of misunderstanding and intelligence present in his eyes, which is needed in an autistic boy. As for Wellington, the dog murdered in the opening, Air Bud would do an excellent job. This is simply because he is unparalleled in the world of dog-acting, highlighted by eight lead roles in films. Eugene Levy, a veteran actor known for his work in American and Canadian movies and television series, would portray John Francis Boone’s father. In the book, Chris’ father, Ed, struggles to raise his mentally disabled child as a single parent. Levy has past experience playing father figures, mainly as Noah Levenstein from the American Pie films.

5. In a movie based on this book, I would choose this piece(s) of music played this way for a particularly significant moment (explain) and why.

In the novel, several important scenes were missing a key component, a soundtrack. One of the most pivotal passages of the story is when Christopher discovers letters proving that his mother is still alive, and that his father has been lying about her death for years. The perfect song for this moment would be Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, creating a ridiculously dramatic and somber effect, reducing most audience members to tears. In addition, Playground Love By Air would be played in context with Chris being finally reunited with his mother. The use of this song would create a surreal and joyous mood which would cause people in the audience to stand up and give each other a high-five in the middle of the film.