It isn’t surprising that James Franco has made a specialty of John Steinbeck. The 37-year-old actor grew up in Palo Alto, California, where Steinbeck attended college. Following high school, Franco dropped in and out of jobs and trouble—as Steinbeck did at the same age—before majoring in writing at UCLA, studying art at the Rhode Island School of Design, and pursuing a PhD in English at Yale. Like Steinbeck during the Great Depression, Franco is attracted to social causes by personal experience: exposing troubled kids to literature and advocating equal rights for gay people. A prolific writer, he recently blogged about his motion picture adaptation of Steinbeck’s Great Depression novel In Dubious Battle, scheduled for release this year. Franco’s connection to Steinbeck is strong, so the movie should be good.
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Having a long interest in the novel “In Dubious Battle,” I am looking forward to seeing Franco’s film. I hope that the screenwriters/producers/directors portray Steinbeck’s Phalanx concept with the accuracy and distinction it deserves. Others have missed the point, including some scholars.
Thank you, Wes. I couldn’t agree more and, like you, look forward to the film.