Birmingham Author’s Book Hits the Big Screen
A new thriller opens in theaters today. It’s about an American submarine captain on the hunt for a U.S. submarine in distress. Soon, a group of Navy Seals has to rescue the kidnapped Russian president to avert World War III. The film “Hunter Killer” features some big names including Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman. It was adapted from Birmingham author Don Keith’s novel, “Firing Line,” which he co-wrote with George Wallace (not the former Alabama governor). Keith spoke with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager.
Interview Highlights
Concerns about having his book adapted by others:
“Hemingway said it best. He said if you sell your book to the movies, cash the check and go away. I certainly understand that. The good news for us is even though the book, it’s 692 pages, they condensed it down to a two hour and one minute movie. Obviously they can’t do the whole thing. So they did leave out three other subplots, but they did stick primarily to the plot …
“We were concerned. [Keith’s co-author] George [Wallace] obviously being a former submariner, he did not want to get ridiculed by his submariner buddies. But it was also important to me and to him, too, that this be an accurate portrayal of what life is like on a submarine, what it’s like for the guys who volunteer to do some rather interesting duty.”
On writing now that his book has become a movie:
“I still try to go by my own prescription when I tell writers who ask that you really shouldn’t write a book, a novel or a nonfiction book, with the idea that this would make a movie and I’m going to do this because that’s what will help sell it to the film industry. I still think you have to just tell a story. To me the perfect story is an average person who is placed in an unusual situation and who does remarkable things. If you do that, it’s going to work in a book. It’s going to work in a short story, a TV show or a movie.”
What it means to have his book become a movie:
“I’m actually numb because even to see the trailer or some of the featurettes that have been running on HBO and some other places, to see these big-time actors — Gary Oldman, he’s playing a character that I created and gave the name to and gave a personality to, not exactly like it was in the book. But still, to see last year’s best actor mouthing words that I wrote and have the nameplate on his desk that I created, it’s an odd and good feeling.”
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
