Breakfast of Champions
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Movie Reviews of Breakfast of Champions
Movie Review: Who said
Summary: 4 Stars
"Illiterates need not apply"? They were right on. No this movie will not completely mimic the book, however, I think it does an excellent job of capturing the unique essence that is Vonnegut, on film. If you are familiar with Vonnegut's body of work, you will appreciate this film, and might even wet yourself laughing.You either get it, or you don't.
Movie Review: Not nearly as "bad" as you may have heard
Summary: 3 Stars
The truth? "Breakfast of Champions" is a very well-made, well-acted and artistically conscious film. But it is also extremely uncommercial, slow-paced and incomprehensible. The bottom line is this: If you've read the brilliant masterpiece written by "Father" Kurt Vonnegut, then the door swings both ways. You may like it or you may despise it. But, hey, at least they ATTEMPTED to do justice to the greatest book ever written. I watched it with someone who hadn't read the book, and he enjoyed the movie for it's zaniness. But he's probably one of the few. The fact is the plot will make absolutely no sense to people who haven't read the book. The book had no linear plot. The reviewer that had qualms with the "happy" ending is somewhat correct. But the ending is not as Hollywoodized as you may think, and after all, the screenplay HAD to end SOMEWHERE. It was the only way that Alan Rudolph could put his script together. He had to find some way to make it cohesive. In any case, the film is probably of interest to Vonnegut devotees only. I'm a Vonnegut devotee who "liked" it. Judge for yourself. But if you've never read the book then don't bother watching the film. On it's own it's a strange concoction that's interesting without being particularly satisfying.Movie Review: Why all the hate?
Summary: 3 Stars
I've read the book and seen the movie and i don't really understand all the hate for this movie. Is it as good as the book? It certainly is not but it's good for what it is and that's an oddball movie. If you enjoy weirder slices of cinema then i think you could very well enjoy this movie. If you are a Vonnegut nut looking for the best book to movie adaptation ever made then be sure to look elsewhere.....Movie Review: Kurt Vonnegut is Better Read than Seen
Summary: 2 Stars
For those who love Kurt Vonnegut, you would appreciate this movie, but only immediately after reading the book version. For those who haven't read the book "Breakfast of Champions", you will be utterly lost in this film.Kurt Vonnegut stories are fantasies, written tongue-in-cheek with little reflection on reality. The characters are cartoon personifications of annoying people, and the setting is generally a middle-America, strip mall-saturated, consumer-ish nightmare. Just bringing the audience up to speed on the story environment is difficult to visually represent within the timeframe of an average movie.
The acting is done well, especially Albert Finney as Kilgore Trout, Vonnegut's alter ego that appears in many of his books. Bruce Willis does an adequate job as Dwayne Hoover as does Barbara Hershey as his wife, but the story didn't allow us understand them enough. Once again, putting a Vonnegut book to film and making it complete within 2 hours is, in my opinion, an impossible task.
But unlike most similar book-to-movie transitions, "Breakfast of Champions" holds true to the book, so much that it falls short of conveying the roles and motivations of the characters and circumstances. So once again, Vonnegut readers will be amused, but newbies will be befuddled.
Movie Review: Retroactive collapse
Summary: 2 Stars
Vonnegut is one of my favorites, and "Breakfast of Champions" is my favorite of his works. I looked forward for weeks to the release of the film version, only to leave deflated.
What's so disappointing about the adaptation is that it works for almost the entire running length of the movie. The surreal aspects are handled well and the absurdity of life put forth by the novel is completely present.
The deal is, "BOC" literally climaxes on the last page with a scene in which main character Kilgore Trout meets his maker, to wit Vonnegut himself. This crucial and absurd scene could have been adapted only literally, but it wasn't. It was reinterpreted, showing Trout melting into a sort of Maxfield Parrish painting. Maybe Vonnegut couldn't be had for this scene, or maybe he wouldn't agree to have an actor portray him. Who knows. This mis-done sequence, though, because it was so crucial, tainted everything that had come before.