Beastly, the latest take on classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast, opens at theaters across the country tomorrow and has all the makings of being this year's first teenybopper mega hit - hunky dude (who gets ugly), a High School Musical Star (Vanessa Hudgens), and even an Olsen twin. Ordinarily, Cultist might steer clear of such fare - other than blasting Neil Patrick Harris for playing some blind dude in the flick - but the homer inside us can't help but root for success of the film because the book it was based was written by local author Alix Flinn. Read on for a Q&A with the author.
The Palmetto Bay resident specializes in taking fairytales and putting them in modern times and real settings, and if Beastly takes off like we expect it will, Flinn's other work could be headed to the sliver screen. Cultist got Flinn to answer some questions but she stopped short of badmouthing Mary-Kate Olsen,
who plays a witch in the flick. "I was happy with the casting. People
really shouldn't underestimate Mary-Kate Olsen," she says.
New Times: What is it about the Beauty and the Beast story that resonates with
people? Why did you decide to "retell" this story in your book?
Alix Flinn: Beauty and the Beast is one of the oldest stories there is, dating back
to Cupid and Psyche. I think people like the idea that looks aren't
important or that it is possible to overcome one's appearance. It's
sort of the opposite of love at first sight.
I wanted to retell this story because I was fascinated with the idea of
the Beast and his loneliness. Most versions of the story focus on
Beauty, and how she is trapped, but the Beast has been trapped for way
longer. He has no one, no way out. I pictured him as being abandoned
by his family, who are ashamed of his beastliness. In a way, the Beauty
character is also abandoned because her father lets her go and live
with the Beast. I thought, in this way, it is really the story of two
abandoned kids who find each-other. That's how I set out to write it as
a book, and indeed, that is the essence of what the movie portrays.
How involved were you with turning your book into a screenplay, if at all?
Not at all. I read the screenplay, but that's it. That said, I was
pleased with the end result. I've seen some movies that destroyed the
plot or theme of the book. This isn't that movie. It was the story I
wanted to tell, only condensed.
Were you ever on set? If so, how was that experience?
Yes, I did get to go to the set. I saw them filming two scenes on two
different days. The first scene was a sort of time-lapse scene where
they are reading poetry and the seasons change behind them. It was
pretty cool. The second was a scene near the end of the movie, which I
won't spoil here. We met Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens at the
filming. Neil Patrick Harris was also there, but he had on special
contact lenses that actually blinded him (His character is blind), so we
didn't get to meet him, but I did meet him at the premiere. We're huge
fans.
Filming was very slow and mostly at night. The producer told me they
get about two minutes of usable film a day, and I believe it.
According to the film's website, there is now a video game based on the
movie, and by extension, your book. Did you ever imagine the words you
were writing would find themselves connected to a Wii or XBox? How do
you feel about that?
I never imagined it, but hey, I like video games. I have a sort of
addictive personality for them, used to spend a lot of time playing
Super PacMan in high school and Spider Solitaire as an adult (I've tried
to parlay this passion into hours of WiiFit, but frankly, it's not
challenging enough). So, if it works, it works.
Your books are for young adults/teens, how do you keep their voices
fresh/real in your prose? Do you hang out at the mall, or join chat
rooms? Do you use your daughters as inspiration?
I do all of the above (except using my own kids -- I don't do
autobiography). I also travel and visit a lot of schools, so that
helps.
Have you seen the film? What do you think?
I really loved it. I would love it even if I hadn't written it. I've
seen it twice and will be seeing it again Saturday at an event some
friends are having. I actually can't wait to see it again. It is the
type of movie I would have watched over and over as a teen, like Some
Kind of Wonderful, very sweet and romantic, which is what young girls
like, but I think the humor is enough that their boyfriends will enjoy
it too.
What are your current projects? A year ago, our post said you were
working on a story or two based in Miami? What's the progress been on
that?
My new book, Cloaked, which came out two weeks ago, is set in South
Beach and the Keys. It's about a guy who works at a shoe repair at a
South Beach hotel, who gets sent on a quest by a princess, across the
Florida Keys.
Do you still write first drafts longhand? Does that process aid in your
writing? And do your wrists/fingers get tired ?
Yes, I do. I like writing longhand. I once had a boring summer job and
spent most of my time practicing my handwriting. People compliment me
on it. Writing longhand slows me down and makes me think. Then, when I
retype the manuscript, I think again.
Beastly opens at theaters tomorrow. Check out the film's website.
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