..but not great.
11/22/63 is based off the tome of a novel by Stephen King which tells the story of Jake Epping who is introduced to a wormhole in time by his friend Al Templeton. Al, played by Chris Cooper, convinces Jake, played by James Franco, that he needs to go back in time to stop the assassination of JFK. If you have't seen or heard of this show, check out the trailer below.
Now, this mini-series contains 8 episodes to tell this incredibly well-developed story by Stephen King and, in my opinion, it just doesn't do it justice. The book is nearly a thousand pages long and includes a lot more detail concerning Jake's time as an English teacher in the 60s in Jodie, Texas, where he meets the lovely, Sadie Dunhill, played by Sarah Gadon. Now, in the book, this relationship is developed and nurtured. There is a period of time where they court and eventually fall into each other. Given that this show is only 8 episodes long, there is no time for this. They meet, they dance, and they fall in love. It's a damn shame. Ms. Mimi, played by Tonya Pinkins, and Deke, played by Nick Searcy, are hardly developed and they are just touchstones as Jake continues onward to his destiny.
And Bill, played by George Mackay, adds very little to this show, which is interesting because his role was incredibly limited within the book. If you're going to have a character take on more power and responsibility within the show, then please give him more to do then just being whiny and lonely.
The issue that I have with this show, after reading the book especially, is that it just falls flat. The book has those characters developed and ready for the screen and yet with the limited episodes and some poor script choices, this show just pales in comparison. Jake isn't even all that compelling.
The one redeeming aspect of this show, is the production quality. It looks and feels as though we have been transported back in time and that's an aspect of this show that I would have liked to stay more with. Develop those side characters, let us get a feel for them. But alas, that's not going to happen as Jake marches onward towards his destiny.
Did you check out 11/22/63? If so, what were your thoughts? Comment below and let me know!
Written by cwm on Mar 26, 2016
Looks great
I am a few episodes in and liking it,i havent read the book so i cant compare or be too disappointed!
I am going to junk out on this soon and watch it all back to back. However, no matter how it is made, well or bad we all know JFK still gets killed.
I understood the need to introduce Bill: Jake is plotting and studying in his head for the bulk of the novel, and the only practical ways to translate that to the screen were narration or a sidekick. The problem is that Bill is so thin as a character that conversations with him might as well be narration. There were attempts to make him more of a real person -- his strange friendship with Lee and Marina, his despair over his lost sister -- but they weren't enough.
This was one of only two big problems I had with the series, though. The other: limiting Sadie's injury to a simple scar. It felt like they were reluctant to disfigure the female lead and interfere with sex appeal, and that reluctance really robbed the attack of its tragedy (and removed a fantastic subplot about Jake's desire to rip her out of 1960 to heal her, and the personal effects of another trip through the rabbit-hole).
Aside from those flaws, though, I really appreciated the series. Jake, Al and Sadie were well cast, the production value and immersion was brilliant, the score suited. Most of the diversions from the source were well-chosen and well-executed. It was imperfect, but strong, and better than I anticipated.
I guess I am in the minority as well in that this series has been mediocre at best. As for the suggestion it closely follows the book- I don't get it. Yes, it does involve a man who travels back in time to save JFK. From there the series deletes things of significance and adds things that are insignificant.
As for casting, I'm a James Franco fan but did no one directing this movie have the thought to tell him a furrowed brow should not be his primary facial expression?
I guess I will stick this series out to the end but I am really disappointed in almost every aspect of this.
I agree. After listening to the Audio Book for 31 hours (It's a long book), I find the show leaving out so much story that is important to the plot. The character development of Deke, Mimi, as well as Sadie? Yes, falls flat.
I am enjoying this show. Usually anything by Stephen King gets butchered on TV or movies. This has been high quality and interesting. I did not read the book first in this case. Mr. King does write with wonderful detail and often very long books, so this is always a problem to translate to the screen. I am impressed with how well made this series is and the quality of the production. A lot of attempts with Stephen King books end up looking low budget and cheesy. Well done Hulu and the people who made the show.
It's hard to stop watching. The effort to understand Oswald is a little forced. I don't appreciate glossing over LB Johnson. The only one more key than Oswald to the central story is someone with so much to gain and so little to lose. Jake is a good character with a solid actor.
Great series overall.
I've not read the book, so cannot compare the two. I am quite enjoying the series though.
Totally agree with your production comment, as it looks like he really did step back in time to the 60's. Am loving the music too! :)
I enjoyed the pilot and continue to watch.