Change Your Image
williamichang-1
Reviews
Charly (1968)
Why not a faithful rendition of the book?
Daniel Keyes' life experience allowed him to write "Flowers for Algernon", first as a novella focused on what happens when a highly motivated but retarded grown man is given the ability to understand the world and himself, then later as a full-length novel incorporating the complexities of natural adolescent feelings and beyond (see Algernon, Charlie and I: A Writer's Journey). Both versions are highly intelligent, American classics.
Alas, as the title suggests, "Charly" is a dumbed-down, made-for-a-wider-audience collage burdened with popular '60s causes and ambiguities that only dilute the story.
We can wish for a more faithful rendition (perhaps by the great people who made A Beautiful Mind). Let's imagine it. The journal format so effective in the original story _can_ work on the screen: Choose one paragraph entry for each chapter of the script. Show us Charlie's most poignant inner thoughts in his handwriting, please!
The story deserves it.