The book is so superior to this pale adaptation. The change to the sixties from the Depression era nineteen thirties hurts it terribly. Not a very good script, it just strips the entire mood of the book and simplifies it to a fault. The character of Singer in the novel is far more moving and complex. We feel his pain in the book at being everything to everyone while no one truly makes the effort to know him. They use him as a reflection of their own feelings and never think or consider his feelings. The time period change is a mistake. It was likely cheaper to film in the time period the film was made than to recreate the Depression era, but it drains the life out it. Read the book and you'll understand how much the Depression era time period, the world on the verge of WWII, adds to the story. The book is extraordinary in its interweaving of characters who are searching for meaning in their lives, with Singer at the center. If ever something cried out to be remade it is The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. It needs to be done right on film.
Review of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
