Posted on 04/14/2003 1:00:14 PM PDT by RJCogburn
Update: "Atlas Shrugged" Movie Project April 2, 2002
Atlas Shrugged is an epic novel, the story of a society in mysterious decline, of the heroes who fight to preserve their world, and of the secret enemy who becomes their savior. Adapting the novel for the screen has proved to be a challenge of equally epic proportions. Since the 1970s, when Ayn Rand herself took up the challenge, three distinct projects have made it as far as the contract stage. At least six complete screenplays have been drafted. But so far none have even been cast, let alone filmed and released.
The current project, a TV miniseries for Turner Network Television, recently entered an uncertain phase when its contract expired in March, and "the making of Atlas" may now continue under several different plot-lines.
The project was a three-way collaboration. John Aglialoro, CEO of UM Holdings (and a trustee of The Objectivist Center), holds the film rights on the novel. Two years ago he signed with TNT's Originals division to produce a five-hour miniseries, with Al Ruddy of the Ruddy-Morgan Organization as executive producer. By the fall of 2000, Ruddy's team had completed the screenplay; anticipating an actors' strike the following summer, they were eager to line up the director and cast and complete the filming by June of 2001.
Then entropy set in. Prospective leads either were not interested or were otherwise committed. The economy hit the skids, making the projected $25 million cost of the film seem riskier. And TNT went through a wrenching process of reorganization when its parent company, Time-Warner, merged with America Online. Two executives involved with the project left, and Variety reports that half of the TNT Originals staff has been laid off.
In quick succession last summer, TNT first cut its financial commitment to $10 million, then withdrew from the project altogether. That left the project in Ruddy's hands, with nine months left to get it off the ground. He reconceived it as a feature film rather than a TV miniseries, and condensed the script accordingly, but was not able to line up the talent or the financing by the March deadline.
What happens now? Ruddy is still working to find those missing ingredients. Aglialoro says he would consider a new contract with Ruddy, but he will also be exploring other possibilities. He agrees that a full-length feature film is now a better approach than a TV miniseries.
"I am looking at all the options in terms of how to structure the story as well as the project. After half a dozen scripts that tried to tell the whole story, it may be time to consider spinning out the core plot of the strike, which conveys Rand's essential message, and not trying to include all the subsidiary plot-lines, relationships, and consequences of the strike."
Stay tuned….
http://www.atlassociety.org/news_atlas-mini.asp
Vision and philosophy of the founders had many sources, Christianity was one of them. But it was not the only one. Regards, Lev
Agreed, and did not mean to imply otherwise. Even Christianity in and of itself owes a huge debt to Judaism. And there were many non-religious influences such as Adam Smith et al. I've also read that the system of government was influenced by the governmental systems of the Iroquois Confederacy, as well as by the English Parliamentary system.
My point was just that Rand lumps all religious types in with the looters. Yet it was those self-same religious folks who had a lot to do with founding the one country that came the closest to meeting her ideals.
It is not my intention either to whitewash the history of Christianity and how often its adherents have failed to live up to its standards. Several of those first colonies (e.g. Quakers) were founded by Christian sects that only came to this continent fleeing viscious persecution at the hands of other Christians.
I've read here on FR that at least one colony (the Quakers?) attempted to live communally for a period before giving it up. At least they had the practical good sense to give it up.
As for prescriptions: I'd publish a list of bus companies that serve Mexican cities, and a list of "approved" pharmacias in each city for them to use. Drug prices in the US are outrageous. Just a thought.
Yes, Ayn Rand made it clear that organized religion is not necessary to define a morality. However, in Atlas Shrugged, she argued that religion was in fact immoral according to her philosophy.
My point is simply that objectivist philosophy did not create the country she admired and to which she immigrated. It was created by people who, for the most part, were religious (Christian--of various brands and flavors, Deist, Jewish etc.). Some were more serious about their religion than others, but for her to lump all religious types in with the looters is a bit unfair.
From a practical point of view, is there a country where an atheistic system of government has resulted in an objective (pun intended) success? Among nations which promoted atheism, such as the USSR, the lack of a restraining morality leads to about 100 million killed--far outstripping the dead in any conflict that had a religious dimension. Without relgion (indeed in many cases with it), people tend to flock toward anarchy or warlordism rather than objectivism.
I wonder if an essentially atheistic philosophy, such as objectivism, can appeal to enough people to actually have a major reforming impact on the world. It's an interesting thought to ponder.
Trial lawyers think in terms of "fault", even when the fault is irrelevant to the issue. We all (OK, most of us) have lost some in the market, and that creates changes in behavior. This is true for insurers as it is for us. We can't afford some things these days.
But it doesn't occur to the Trial Lawyers that we now cannot afford *them*, and the much-vaunted "consumer policing" that supposedly they bring to the community to justify their luxurious existance.
When times were flush, we could afford a quantity of parasites. When grain and hay are cheap, we don't worry so much about worming the cattle. Now, when times are not so abundant, we have to give our cattle some worming medicine so that they can survive.
I've seen an unabridged audio version of AS available... 38 cassettes! LOL!
Yes, the founders were religious to verying degrees but as far as I remember Rand were talking about 'preachers' as you said, not people who happened to be religious. Maybe at the time most of representatives of organized religion deserved to be included in the same category with looters.
I am not as militant as Rand was but if a religion puts altruism above individual freedom in its moral scale, I'm with her.
Regards,
Lev
It is a very despressing thing to watch, this exploding hospitalization cost. There are many difficult dynamics at work.
For instance, I do a bit of investing in biotech. I am privy to some discussions of new medical technology--and my ears always perk up at the "Wow, how cool!" things that come down the pike. They are investment opportunities.
A really wow-cool thing that we will have shortly are new shunts used in cardiovascular surgery. They will come imbedded with a medicine which will prevent/slow the formation of tissue that heretofore has shortened the useful life of the shunt. The question--which company will produce the best shunt?
Notice that the question is not, and will never be as long as the legal situation is as it is--"What is the best shunt for the money?"
A few years back there was a big competition for a heart-attack medication, administered in the ER. One cost $3K, another cost $300. The pharm company that produced the more expensive version pulled out all the stops to establish that it was *slightly* better (and even that wasn't really established). The hospitals wanted the cheaper version--but they knew better than to go for it when the other company had created a "paper trail" of marginal superiority. They couldn't risk being dragged into court with an accusation of being a dangerous cheapskate.
Multiply this by thousands of similar circumstances in medical practice, and it just seems so hopeless to try to contain costs...
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Although her bias against religion is unmistakeable, I'm hard pressed to recall a single preacher in the cast of characters, much less "preachers" plural.
I don't see how America's religious history mitigates any of the lessons of Atlas Shrugged.
I agree there should be a condensed version. It's verbose to an almost absurd degree.
Quite simply, all the doctors in the country sign a pledge that they will never provide medical treatment to a trial lawyer. Never again, no matter what the circumstances.
Sick lawyers will be offered a straight up-or-down choice: resign permanently from their parasitic "profession", or die.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.