maybe jibes are directed at california due to the FACT of its being a perfectly RIDICULOUS state.

Somebody oughta pound a 10-inch nail into that bloated Worm and let all the Pus outta it.

Or ... at least chop it up into a bunch of little bitty (manageable)Delawares ----

People in El Centro have as little in common with folks up in Eureka --- as Malabuians have to do with bayfront Oaklandeers.

The precedent is there --

People in Appalachian Virginia disliked enslaving black folk --- so they made up there own state --- same with people in northern massashussetteessses who then invented "maine" --- the davy crocketteses of the world didn't like the Caroninians so they chopped their forests and Made Up a thing called Tennnesseee --- mississipppians said alohas to georgians and so on --- even delaware, a dangly appendage out of Philadelphia's arm pit made up themselves -- one of the few states with absolutely no reasson for Existance ---

just think -- a state of california with only 2 senators --- could suddenly have 30 senators !!

the bottom line is that EVERYBODY in tinselville is making way too much --- little wonder why the drive-ins & bijous have vanished into the elephant graveyards --- who out there truly believes that 90 - 120 minutes of Ha-Haa' or Oh-oh's or Ho-Hum's is worth 10 smackers ?

whatever disparaging crud you'd like to launch against tinseltown writers who work for the "canned-laffs" idiot-box industry is okay by me ---

but truth be told --- EVERY SINGLE half-way decent flick to make it to the big screen ... depends heavily on some screenwriter to create the seed that will eventually bloom.

Sure a lot of hanger-on's will in time jump aboard like $$ barnacles to a ship --- afterall, millions are at stake.

What is most disturbing about the Outlay lies in the $$ paid to the "Actors" who are paid to Parrot words given them by the screenwriter ---

Mister Pitt $$$ & angelie jollie $$$ "read the lines" of some screenwriter --- the girlies in the theater seats get all weepy -- less because of the Parroting --- and more because of the Mood Lighting folks (underpaid) and the MUSiC chumps (underpaid) all led up to the BRINK of the tear-cracking moment that the screenwriter & his little buddy in the director's chair plunged them into.

why are actor's given the Top Heavy credit $$ they clearly don't deserve ??

then they get up on a soap box & spew their shallow understandings of how the world works ---- a world in which they are merely a shallow veneer of glamor.

miss jollie goes to the african basketcase to adopt some Unfortunates that she can advertise at her cocktail parties -- thereby dismissing the guilt for not adopting the poor kids who are Leaned On in the LA neighborhood nextdoor --

Veneer --- $$

big fish - the war - elephant man - what about bob ? - ragtime - 3 amigos - pale rider - the reivers - my father the hero - forever young - honkey tonk man - the professor & the madman - fly away home - the coneheads - the african queen - never more - thin red line - celestial games - there's something about mary - the natural - peggy sue got married - wall street - cold mountain - 3 amigos - feud - legends of the fall - the peacock princess - radio - amadeus - the pest - the color purple - the untouchables - last of the moheicans - et cetera - et cetera - et cetera - et cetera ----

whether original or adaptation the screenwriter's must smash-cut an entire collection of lifetimes & a focused incident in a neat little 90 miniute between popcorn breaks --- sometimes its in the bleachers --- and some will flop ---- but the writer's (& co.) serve us well by opening their minds & imaginations to help seed & create a work of art --- and gentlemen --- beauty will always be seen best from the eyes of beauty's myriad beholders.

... its like mah dadddie used to say ... "Its good,--- if ya likes it"

(burp)

there are simply far too many exceptions to create anything that comes close to creating a "Rule" ---

one can argue that "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" was a Masterpiece Novel that ought never have been turned into the Master Piece of Celluloid it finally morphed into --- but few will be convinced of such nonsense.

--- It just ain't that easy to turn a 7 hour reading experience into a 90 minute watching delight --- but it is not an implausibility -- proof's in the pudding --- (cold mtn. empire of the sun, etcs)

one ought to examine the merits of both story-telling venues as the independent art forms they are. Naturally, the Storyteller who originated the "picture" vis the printed word should be given his due by having HIS work experience FIRST --- while the adapting screenwriter/director/grip/et al Team that follows credited with the piece of art they produce.