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Update on the Gosnell Movie
Erstwhile Ricochet contributor Andrew Klavan has been hired to write the screen play for the Gosnell Movie, the film’s producers, Magdalena Segiedam, Ann McElhinney, and Phelim McAleer announced today. The Gosnell Movie gained widespread attention — in conservative circles, at least — this spring with a successful Indigogo funding campaign that raised over $2,200,000. In an email this afternoon to supporters who had donated to the campaign, the film makers stated, “We are delighted that Andrew [has] agreed to write the screenplay.”
In addition to his work on Ricochet, Klavan is known for his extensive writing, including the novel True Crime, which Clint Eastwood made into a movie of the same name. Klavan also penned the script to the Michael Caine movie, A Shock to the System. He also does some kind of video commentary thing about culture, which is unimportant compared to his connection to Ricochet.
The Gosnell Movie film makers further praised Klavan in their email to supporters: “[Drew] is unafraid of the darkest parts of this story and sees, despite all the horror perpetrated by Gosnell, hope and light in the many real heroic characters that finally ensured justice was done. He also understands that the story needs to be told in an entertaining and accessible way to reach the widest audience possible.”
Given the Ricochet connection, Klavan’s hiring immediately spurred intense speculation that former Ricochet editor Mollie Hemingway would appear as a character in the film for her role in shaming the national press into covering the Gosnell trial.
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Good news indeed! I didn’t know that ‘Shock to the System’ was written by him. I think its one of Michael Kaine’s best.
I got that update as well, so it’s looking that the ball is rolling on this project.
So casting Mollie? Mila Kunis? Michelle Monaghan? Evangeline Lilly? (Great news that Andrew Klavan is connected with the project. Raises hopes substantially.)
Thanks for sharing this, Albert Arthur!
I love your addition about Mollie. I will keep my fingers crossed that it turns true!
I could actually see that.
The only one I’ve heard of is Mollie.
I was so glad to hear Andrew is writing the script. As a crowdsource contributor I have one request. Andrew, can you convey the horror of what happened without being so gruesome that I can’t watch it. As a certified old flogey, I don’t even watch horror films. Perhaps I’m not your target audience. Who is the target audience, those who already oppose abortion, those who are on the fence, those who are avidly pro-choice? I would love to hear Andrew’s or the producers’ response.
“The Doctor is SIN” Really???
If that “poster” is what we can expect for the treatment of this topic, this will be huge missed opportunity. There is no need to sensationalize the marketing of this film or try to sell it the way one would a horror film. I really hope some restraint and subtlety will be employed. The acts committed will supply all the outrage and shock needed. No need to deal in caricature or heavy handed agitprop.
Re : comment #8
With Andrew Klavan writing the screen play, there’s no longer any reason to worry that the story won’t be told in the most effective way.
Well, I’m not familiar with Klavan’s entire opus, but isn’t he mostly a thriller guy? I’d rather see a drama writer, and probably a woman write this. I understand that the list of accomplished writers willing to take this project on in Hollywood is probably small. But I think this is a tremendously important movie and it would be great if it didn’t end up like all the other “conservative” films that tend to completely suck and fail at the box office.
Best of luck to Klavan, though, I’d love to see him show a new side to his writing and knock this one out of the park.
I posted this on my FB page. I feel it is such an important subject.
What a great idea! I say she should star as herself and her “shaming activism” should be one of the sub-threads of the plot!
I hope they include local Philly reporter J.D. Mullane, who first photo’d and tweeted the empty media gallery seats – he spoke at my church about Gosnell, and he’s a stand-up journalist.
At least one cameo by a Ricochet member has been confirmed:
The greatest scripting/directing challenge might be to decide how much of the brutality will take place on screen. Can they do justice to the reality without actually showing any of the horrors?
I doubt they will show any of the real horrors. The expense of cleaning up the theater floor will cost them their profits.
I’m glad it will be a movie. I read the grand jury report. A lot of people will not invest in the time, and it has a lot that should be interesting to an audience. Dr. Gosnell didn’t seem to do anything right. This isn’t just about abortion, it is about the ability of many educated and authoritative people to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to what was going on because, to paraphrase the grand jury report, the procedures were used for poor blacks; it was a necessary evil. The characters are diverse: women, a teen, unlicensed drs., the dr and his wife, a few wealthy whites, a non English speaking victim, government authorities, other medical people (who quit referring patients because of the STDs and botched abortions cleaned up by them), DEA agents who were actually the ones that busted the abortion clinic when going after him for his pain clinic. The babies don’t live long enough to develop character, but isn’t that what abortion, clean or dirty is really about?