shopgirl: read the book

Read the book by Steve Martin but skip the movie.

The movie isn’t bad. It’s beautifully shot. Director Anand Tucker gives us a picture of LA that is equaled only by fellow brit Mick Jackson‘s portrait of the City of Angels in the previous Steve Martin vechicle, LA Story. That earlier film, however, is a much better investment of your entertainment dollars and minutes.

Shopgirl the book is a scream! It made me shoot coffee out my nose in a Fort Worth coffeehouse, while also probing the various types of loneliness in which the major characters live. I expected the movie to be as funny as well as touching, but the screen adaptation, also written by Martin, magnifies all the somber notes of the story (of which there are many) while deemphasizing the hilarity.

It’s too bad. The book is one of my favorites. Steve Martin is an incredibly gifted and multi-talented artist. It’s always fun to see what kind of things he’ll explore next. This time though, it only made me want to revisit his previous work.

Shopgirl the book was published in 2000. The movie came out in 2005 and stars Claire Danes and Jason Schwartzman, as well as Martin.

Read the book. See the movie if you must. Also highly recommended is Martin’s later book, The Pleasure of My Company… which I’m hoping somebody will film.