'Atlas Shrugged' Coming To The Silver Screen

[Ornery]

I have to thank bubbasmith99 for linking me to a site which brought this up. Turns out this has been attempted before.

'Atlas Shrugged,' Take Five

• Past attempts to make Atlas Shrugged into a movie have failed, though Crusader president and CEO Howard Baldwin is arguably better prepared than his predecessors...
  
  While Atlas Shrugged is routinely vilified by left-wing intellectuals, who oppose Rand's view that capitalism is the only moral economic system, and repudiated by those on the right, who shudder at Rand's rejection of religion, it remains deeply loved by readers, who named it the second most influential book of their lives in a 1991 Library of Congress/Book-of-the-Month club survey -- behind only the Bible.

'Atlas Shrugged:' Who is James Hart?

• "I hated [Atlas Shrugged] in college," the 56-year-old New Yorker admitted. "It was the peace and love era and the values of the time weren't consistent with Ayn Rand's philosophy. Years later, I read it again and it blew me away. I've read it four times in the last six months."
  
  What changed Hart's mind?
  
  "We're on the threshold of what Ayn Rand predicted," he noted. "Socialism has crept into everything and we're penalizing the thinkers, the movers and shakers for being successful. In a way, the world that Ayn Rand created in Atlas Shrugged *is* the United States today."

I had that monster in my hands once, but never could find the time to read it. I'll sit down for the movie, though. This ought to be good!

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Cool - I started reading that book once, but I don't recall why I didn't finish it. I guess I'll have to go dig it out again and start over. Ofcourse I'll have to find it (I've moved 3 times since I remember seeing the book)

CkG

 

[Piano Man]

Ayn Rand's philosoply is definately not for me, but I'm interested to see how the movie comes out.

 

[PowerEngineer]

<sigh>

It always disturbs me when I hear someone say that he/she will wait for the movie rather than read the book. The books are always better than the movies, usually much, much better. (The only exception I've ever run across is 2001.)

Ayn Rand's ideas are extreme, but there's an interesting grain of truths worth considering. Read it first, then see the movie.

 

[Ornery]

Sure, right after I finish:

• Painting the house
• Building a 12'x16' shed
• Installing cabinets and generally redoing the garage
• Landscaping the whole yard
• Installing a patio
• Removing tons of brush
• Remodling our master bedroom
• As well as the day to day cooking, washing, cleaning, auto maintenance, yard work, shopping...

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

novels suck and so does objectivism. movies and philosophy over novels and sophistry forever! long live the matrix.

/pointless

 

[exp]

I just bought this book a couple of weeks ago...haven't found time to read it yet though.

 

[BatmanNate]

:Q That would have to be one insanely long movie.

EDIT: Definately read the book before seeing the movie if you haven't, regardless of your political orientation it is an incredible piece of literature.

 

[Vic]

Wow, I can't believe some people. There is ALWAYS time to read. I have as busy a life as anyone and I always have a book to read (reading Jack Welch & the GE Way right now).
Do you watch TV? Read a book instead. Eat a lunch? The only thing that there isn't time for in this world is sad excuses.

On topic: this should be a great movie, although I don't see how the concepts and philosophies that were in the book could all come out clearly on the big screen.

 

[FortFunFoSho]

Great book.

Worth the read.

Stoked about the movie.

 

[Ornery]

Most of my chores are outside, which is rather humid today. I just might have something to keep me busy, though...

 

[wirelessenabled]

Originally posted by: Ornery

........
"We're on the threshold of what Ayn Rand predicted," he noted. "Socialism has crept into everything and we're penalizing the thinkers, the movers and shakers for being successful. In a way, the world that Ayn Rand created in Atlas Shrugged *is* the United States today."[/list]I had that monster in my hands once, but never could find the time to read it. I'll sit down for the movie, though. This ought to be good!

Hart is correct! Probably not in the way he says though. The oligarchs in the US today routinely change the laws to benefit themselves and allow them to gather up even more money and influence. The part that Ayn Rand and Hart are incorrect about is the notion that there is a public good in the ultimate greed and power lust of these so-called leaders. Since their greed and power lust knows no boundaries the laws they have passed know no boundaries.

Kenny Lay of Enron was party to the (financial) rape of millions of employees, shareholders, and ratepayers to the tune of more than $50 billion. Where was the greater good to society from his actions. Is society better off because Lay and his partners cornered the electricity trading market and used that power to jack prices for electricity up 20 times and more for a year. Please tell me how society was benefited. Has he paid any real price for his actions?

In Atlas Shrugged the heros and heroines have consciences. Unfortunately in the real world these movers and shakers seem to have a deficiency of the same.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: wirelessenabled

Originally posted by: Ornery

........
"We're on the threshold of what Ayn Rand predicted," he noted. "Socialism has crept into everything and we're penalizing the thinkers, the movers and shakers for being successful. In a way, the world that Ayn Rand created in Atlas Shrugged *is* the United States today."[/list]I had that monster in my hands once, but never could find the time to read it. I'll sit down for the movie, though. This ought to be good!

Hart is correct! Probably not in the way he says though. The oligarchs in the US today routinely change the laws to benefit themselves and allow them to gather up even more money and influence. The part that Ayn Rand and Hart are incorrect about is the notion that there is a public good in the ultimate greed and power lust of these so-called leaders. Since their greed and power lust knows no boundaries the laws they have passed know no boundaries.

Kenny Lay of Enron was party to the (financial) rape of millions of employees, shareholders, and ratepayers to the tune of more than $50 billion. Where was the greater good to society from his actions. Is society better off because Lay and his partners cornered the electricity trading market and used that power to jack prices for electricity up 20 times and more for a year. Please tell me how society was benefited. Has he paid any real price for his actions?

In Atlas Shrugged the heros and heroines have consciences. Unfortunately in the real world these movers and shakers seem to have a deficiency of the same.

Why would they, nobody has held them accountable.

 

[Ornery]

Oh, great analogy. If everything Enron did was legal, that would be worth discussing. As it is... hell I might as well bitch about welfare cheats not benefiting society.

It sucks, but you're going to have to face the fact that big business put this country on top of the heap. Good, bad and ugly, these are the major employers. I know there are many on this board who would prefer to see everyone working for the government instead. Keep dreaming. Maybe Al Sharpton or Hillary will take you to your promised land.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer
<sigh>
It always disturbs me when I hear someone say that he/she will wait for the movie rather than read the book. The books are always better than the movies, usually much, much better. (The only exception I've ever run across is 2001.)

Actually, the only other exception is another movie by the same director. Clockwork Orange was a better movie than book. While the book was good, Kubrick's vision in the movie moved the story through with more vivality (IMO) than the book did. Plus, the writer actually thinks that the 21st chapter should be included. If you look at the book in its entirety (with that 21st chapter) vs. the movie in its entirety, the movie is leagues ahead.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: wirelessenabled
Hart is correct! Probably not in the way he says though. The oligarchs in the US today routinely change the laws to benefit themselves and allow them to gather up even more money and influence. The part that Ayn Rand and Hart are incorrect about is the notion that there is a public good in the ultimate greed and power lust of these so-called leaders. Since their greed and power lust knows no boundaries the laws they have passed know no boundaries.

Kenny Lay of Enron was party to the (financial) rape of millions of employees, shareholders, and ratepayers to the tune of more than $50 billion. Where was the greater good to society from his actions. Is society better off because Lay and his partners cornered the electricity trading market and used that power to jack prices for electricity up 20 times and more for a year. Please tell me how society was benefited. Has he paid any real price for his actions?

In Atlas Shrugged the heros and heroines have consciences. Unfortunately in the real world these movers and shakers seem to have a deficiency of the same.

A key part of Rand's philosophies that everyone seems to miss is her concept of the Golden Rule, which she correctly redefines as selfishness ("Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12). The concept is that you refuse to harm someone else because you don't want them to harm you. Therefore, one can behave both selfishly and for the greater good at the same time. In fact, in a truly moral person, it only makes sense that they would act in such fashion. If you act for your own individual good without thought of others, then you are a thief. If you act only for the good of others, sacrificing yourself, then at best you are a martyr.
Have you read the Fountainhead? There she stresses the concept of being true to oneself at all times and in all things. Selflessness, because it is contrary to basic human nature, is in fact an evil deception ("This above all,--to thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man." Hamlet, Act I, Scene III).

Lay did not act through Rand's philosophies, he was a thief.

 

[TheShiz]

the book is ok, but I prefer The Fountainhead. This movie will most likely be pretty bad, this book is impossible to fit into a nice hollywoood production.

 

[So]

Atlas Shrugged is my #1 Favorite book of all time (see sig), ranking right before The Fountainhead and The Guns Of August. I seriously doubt that any movie can ever do it justice, there is just too much material.

Spoiler

Galt's speech alone would take up most of the movie.

 

[Ornery]

Well, I'm still in the first chapter. At this rate I should finish by August... 2010. Gonna be slapping paint on the front of the house today, a lumber truck is due by noon, and I've got a high school art show at 6:00... make that August 2015!

I hope the movie takes off, and that people who are currently flooded by the liberal media, and liberal education system, get a chance to soak this in. I don't see a down side to it.