6 Films Based On Books To Get Excited About In 2014

5. Labor Day

Joyce Maynard's 2009 novel is the story of a 13 year old boy named Henry and his depressed, agoraphobic mother Adele. Having lived on tinned food for as long as he can remember, a few days before Labor Day - hence the title - Henry is able to persuade his mother to finally leave the house and go food shopping with him, only for them to come across a bloodied convict named Frank. Now you may well be thinking to yourself 'What? Get excited about that? What is there to get excited about? It sounds like a melodrama that will leave me feeling empty and sad'. And in truth, you may well be right. Of all the films on the list this is certainly one of the more sombre affairs. That said, this film received a good response when it was premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2013. The film stars Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin, and Winslet's performance in this film has been widely praised by critics, with her being nominated for the 'Best Actress in a Drama' category at the Golden Globes. It may well be a bit of a downer, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Who hasn't enjoyed a Sunday night blues session watching the likes of Blue Valentine or The Pianist? And given the response this film has had it certainly isn't unreasonable to mention this film alongside those two. As for what to expect, think Revolutionary Road minus DiCaprio.