Dear Mom

So, Arthur tells us you're giving people money for cigarettes.

I'm surprised. I thought you taught us against smoking and potentially harmful habits. Furthermore, I know you and Dad don't have a lot of money so I was thinking you'd choose your charitable donations a bit more judiciously.

Now, it might have just been one time, but the fact is, it flies in the face of everything we've ever thought about you.

Now I got something that might fly in the face of everything you've ever thought about me.

Remember when we spoke on the phone Easter Sunday and I was chatting with you and cracking jokes? Can you remember the last time I'd done that?

I can't.

The fact is, I came to terms with something about myself a week before, something I revealed the day after Easter to everyone but you and Dad. And coming to terms with it really boosted my confidence.

I'm gay.

I'd like to go ahead and say "Don't worry," but I'm no longer sure if I should say that. I mean, I haven't lived with you and Dad for over five years now. I am not your responsibility anymore.

Perhaps like a certain person from Dayspring, you're now thinking I've fallen into sin and made a horrible choice. This wasn't a choice. This was something that has always been a part of me that I just didn't recognize. Simply, I do not feel a sexual attraction to women. That's all.

You might think I might be doing something that could shorten my life with talk of sexually transmitted diseases. They don't happen because of same sex relations, they happen due to unsafe sex practices, which can happen between a man and a woman as well. And anyway, I'm not seeing anyone just now. Frankly, your enabling someone to smoke is much more harmful physically than your son realizing his sexual orientation.

About the spiritual side, and all I have to say is, I don't know. I treasure everything you've taught me there, but I also know this doesn't mesh with it. But if that's true, why is it there? Back to the choice thing, if I'd been taught against it, why would I choose it? It makes no sense.

Finally, I don't care if you're not okay with this. I don't really want you to be. You claim to serve God who commanded that we love first and judge never. Can you do that? If you can, then thank you. If you can't, then thank you for being honest with yourself.

EDIT: And she replied after I sent this to her on Facebook. She explained that the thing about giving someone money for cigarettes was that a friend asked her for a couple dollars and she didn't know what they wanted it for until later.

As to the heart of the matter, she said "While I believe you may be wrong, this is your journey and I do want to know how to pray for my children. I love you and do not judge you. You can still talk to me without expecting a lecture. He also had me meet a lesbian couple during the time we were sheltered at Dayspring after the fire. All I can say about any premarital sexual relationship with either sex is...be very careful."

That wasn't easy

So, I got a lot of responses about my last blog, where I came out, as they say. These have been mainly positive. Many saying "Congratulations!" or "That's a brave step." Many gay friends had suspected, many straight ones hadn't. Looks like "takes one to know one" is true. My sisters were surprised to hear me finally say it, but were not surprised at it.

My good friend Sam Milazzo I knew would have an interesting reaction, but in the end, he was positive about it as well.

I did get a couple comments from someone condemning homosexuality as a chosen sin and an abomination, but I deleted these. After getting rid of the second one, I was checking my Facebook (as I do way too often), and noted a man from church on my friends list. He had a post and the wording sounded quite familiar. I removed him from my friends list. The next day, he sent me a message saying that if I loved Jesus, I should renounce my sinful ways and repent. Following that, I blocked him. Nothing since.

Christianity has been a big part of my life, which complicated matters when I began to suspect I was gay. What Christians would tell me about homosexuality and what I was learning about it just didn't fit. They say homosexuality is a choice, which already makes no sense to me. I have also been taught that murder is a choice, and I haven't made a choice to murder anyone. (Feel like it sometimes or joke about it, yes.) And why am I sinful when all I did was make a realization about myself? Why on earth would I choose to be gay when I knew gays are discriminated against (I have to admit to being anti-gay in the past, oh, how the tables turn...) and also heard all sorts of other negative things about them?

Why would I choose to be gay? I didn't.

There are theories and scientific research about why sexual attractions differ, but frankly, I don't think we'll ever really understand it. All I know is, it isn't a choice I made. If sexual orientation was a choice, the greedy human nature would stipulate that we'd see more bisexuals.

I was wondering about the other people from church. I haven't attended regularly in about two years or longer. Travel issues were one reason and then I opened up my work schedule to include Sunday and they have been scheduling me then.

At work, I overheard a coworker—a young girl who attends the Christian school the church operates—tell about her uncle who had volunteered to teach math at the school. They discovered he was gay, and he was shunned.

And upon hearing that, I knew that if I went back and was honest with them, I'd just get the same treatment. So, that night, I removed them all from my Facebook friends list. I don't hate these people. These have been some of the kindest, warmest, and most generous people I've met. But their leaders didn't try to understand what it means to be gay and were quick to judge and condemn instead of reaching out in some of that unconditional love they teach about. Furthermore, they have made little to no effort to contact me in the past two years, so I think we've all moved on.

My sister Audrey and my brother Aaron's wife Jessica were both quite supportive, Audrey publicly asking why we're quick to judge and condemn people we think have sinned when we know we're not perfect. I know I'm not perfect, and I know I don't have all the answers, nor will I pretend to.

The man who had contacted me, Audrey had babysat for him once and his daughters blatantly asked her if she was poor. We never had a lot of money, being a large family, and Audrey was quite hurt by the question as I recall.

I actually feel sorry for these people.

I know not all Christians are like that. There's reports of Christians who went to a pride parade and held up signs apologizing for how they've spread hate in the name of God. An article called "I'm Christian, Unless You're Gay" went viral and challenged the subconscious idea that differences make people unworthy of love.

I suppose I'm actually lucky I've really only had one really bad reaction to my coming out, but that single one really hurt and made me think a lot.

A question of what you like

A little disclaimer for those who might be finding this in recent years. This the blog entry where I came out of the closet as gay. (Spoiler.) Today, I recognize I used some problematic language. I was still learning and am still learning. I apologize for it, but have decided not to edit it out so this remains an entry of who I was then.

Sexuality has, in recent years, become a big topic for people. Generally, in the past, people who were not your average heterosexual were not discussed, at least, that wasn't discussed.

It's an important thing to figure out, really. Not so much for the pursuit of a partner and a sex life, but just knowing that bit about yourself.

A problem today is stereotypes. Why do homosexual men prefer to be intimate with other men? The stereotype says because they don't like women. Just about the same thing is said for lesbians about men. But this couldn't be further from the truth.

In a favorite film of mine, Trainspotting, lead character Renton monologues "lf you ask me, we're heterosexual by default, not by decision. It's just a question of who you fancy. It's all about aesthetics."

That, to me, says it best. Your sexuality is not a big thing that will mean you act or dress a certain way or do certain things. It's a matter of what you're attracted to, or rather, who you're attracted to.

Still, embracing that can be scary because it can be difficult to understand what that means. Often we think we'll have to conform to stereotypes and no one enjoys the idea of feeling limited by themselves.

Growing up in a Christian home, the ideals of being a normal heterosexual person were grafted into my mind at an early age. However, being homeschooled, I was sheltered and the whole world was basically a closed book I was forbidden to open. When I finally left home, it took awhile for me to dare to open that book.

Being a fan of L. Frank Baum's Oz books and being online, it was only a short time before I began meeting people of differing sexuality. And surprisingly, they were unlike what I expected. These were generally nice people, later confirmed by my finally visiting an Oz convention in 2010.

Eventually, I began looking up what homosexuality was all about. Being flamboyant, it took me awhile to find, wasn't the case for everybody. These people were people just like me, except they preferred to be intimate with people of the same gender.

I worked with a few gay people at my first job. One was a manager who didn't talk about his sexuality at work at all, but it was pretty obvious he was. Another was a guy about my age who seemed to be in a bad relationship. There was another manager as well who seemed to be your average guy, but we were told he had dated the other manager.

Finally, I had to ask the question myself. What am I? After all, to date, I'd never had a real romantic relationship with a woman, nor did I seem to be very interested in having one. I explained that if I was in such a relationship, I would want to be sure I could take of her first. But I've had to think that isn't true, as my financial position is much the same as it was then. If it was a major point for me, I would have been taking initiative to move up.

At the second Oz convention I've attended, three gay Oz fans and I were in a room together and one commented there were four gay men in the room. I wasn't sure what to say, so I said nothing. Likely the fact that I'd arrived with a fellow male Oz fan and close friend (who I've had a regular correspondence for years and we haven't kept that a secret) and that we had requested to share the same room didn't help.

Still, that did get to me. If I was straight, he would have noticed, right? There's that rule "Takes one to know one."

Having been curious, I have tested what arouses me over the years, and I have to admit that I have discovered that it is other men. Perhaps, not being the shapeliest or fittest person, I made an excuse for my attraction, assuming it was because I wanted to get in shape.

I love my female friends, but that's what we are: friends. I jokingly "twarried" a British woman on Twitter and mainly chat with her and young women in Ireland and Trinidad.

April 1, 2012, I was taking trash out at work when I got a little stuck with the boxes I was pulling along and the narrow space. My hand was briefly wedged against the posterior of a male coworker who we all knew was gay.

After withdrawing my hand, he said, "Ease up on the subtlety next time, just go for it," all jokingly of course, but it made me realize I needed to decide my sexuality. Because, as brief and embarrassing as that was, it was also somewhat arousing.

It was a clear open book there.

I tweeted about the incident later, and someone replied "I actually thought you were gay."

April 3, I made a joke on Facebook comparing Irish people to the vampires from Twilight. And to prove that I did not mean to disparage the Irish, I commented that "Irish are sexy!" and as proof, posted a link to a picture of Damien Molony from Being Human, in a scene where he was not wearing a shirt.

Shortly, a young friend instant messaged me "Y U LOOKING AT PICTURES OF SHIRTLESS MEN?"

I replied with "The question is not why am I looking at pictures of shirtless men, but why are you NOT looking at pictures of shirtless men?"

"Because that's kind of weird," he replied. "And ghey. Didn't know you got down like that, Jared..."

I replied with a smiley face. I could have stopped and explained that it was a picture from Being Human to show an attractive Irish person, but instead, I decided to let my friend know the truth, because I knew it now.

"You're. Not. Gay. Right." he replied, eight seconds later.

After a minute, I finally wrote: "Why isn't there a smiley wearing sunglasses?"

"You're gay?" he asked. "Did not expect that... but okay."

"Well," I replied, "it's cool that you're cool with it."

Then I proceeded to tell him he was the first one I'd revealed it to, and that I wasn't likely to be a "weird flamboyant type." Surprisingly, he has respected me and has continued to chat with me as he normally does.

He did wonder at previous statements about women when I commented on their beauty, as well as breasts. "You can appreciate it," I explained. I still hug the girls before I leave work. (Something my oft-emotionally distraught general manager really appreciates.) I still think women are beautiful and deserving of love, but I'm not interested in anything but friendship with them.

Since it's been a week, I've noted I feel more confident in general. I'm not as quiet as I used to be at work, and when talking on the phone with my mom, I actually cracked jokes with her. You might do that regularly with your mom, I haven't in years. Perhaps this newfound confidence can help in other areas I've been needing to work on as well.

Nothing about me has changed by deciding to be comfortable with being gay, it was just something I needed to do. Just wish I'd figured this all out a long time ago...

Color By Number

Chapter 6 has released their sixth album! I expected to buy it myself, but I got it for Christmas. It's almost three years since I reviewed their last album, which I said was "more adult, mature" than their previous albums. (Which I have not reviewed.)

Like With the Windows Down, Color By Number is in a digipak but this time, there is a picture of the group on the front. It unfolds to the group logo, as well as other photos of the band running along the liner notes (lyrics are included only for the original songs). And I gotta remark, for an album entitled Color By Number, it's not a very colorful cover. Ah, well. Let's look at the tracks now.

• "Intro" - The band warms up and sings the word "Intro." And it sets the tone for the album. We're not going to be quite as mature as the last album.
• "Rainbow Connection" - A.D. Stonecipher leads the band in an energetic, jazzy rendition of the song made famous by Kermit the Frog. I liked it, and if fact, found myself listening to it again shortly after my listen.
• "Reverb" - A.D. leads the band again in a parody of the song "Fever." I saw a live performance of it five years ago. They mentioned it was inspired by a visit to a concert where they felt poor vocals were masked by synthesized echoes. So, the song parodies that by using a lot of reverb on the vocals, and in one part, A.D. is literally singing with himself, or rather, his echo. It's a humorous song that is quite wonderful.
• "Harold's House of Jazz" - I believe John Musick leads this cover, which is jazzy and energetic.
• "Interlude I, I Dream of Jeannie" - The famous I Dream of Jeannie theme song extended by the melody from the show. (Yes, I did watch the entire series again earlier this year.) Done with human voices only. Kind of random!
• "Penny Lane" - A charming and well done Beatles cover! I think Luke Menard leads.
• "Pure Imagination" - Chuck Bosworth leads the band in a whimsical, whistling take on the popular song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Their take makes me think of how easy it is to lose your imaginative outlook on life when you become an adult and how precious it is if you can retain it.
• "James Bond Meets The Sugar Plum Fairy" - The band vocally harmonizes the James Bond theme along with "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from Tchaikovsky's score of The Nutcracker ballet. Does it work... Yes. Weird!
• "Interlude II, I'm Looking It Up Online" - This is a quick little original song about how easy it is to look for information online, comparing it to finding someone to ask your question to and mailing a letter to them. Internet, here is your Chapter 6 tribute.
• "Let's Stay Together" - A cover of the Al Green song, a solemn harmonic take with all members singing at once.
• "Left Handers Unite!" - I do believe this is Mark Grizzard singing an original song about people who are left-handed. It's actually pretty catchy...
• "Interlude III, Invention" - Another Grizzard original, this is a lyric-less piece that's beautiful in it's own peaceful way.
• "Fairest Lord Jesus" - The only Christian track on the album, an energetic yet reverent take on the hymn.
• "Rhapsody in Blue" - The Gershwin melody seems to be possibly too big for just the guys' vocal chords and they are assisted by a piano. It works well!

Overall, a great album, and a nice return to the form that was seen in Swing Shift, Chapter 6 Live, and A Cappella 101. (Not that With the Windows Down was bad, it was just different. See above linked review.) Here's hoping for another album eventually.

The Adventures of Tintin - Review

There once was a Belgian man named Georges Prosper Remi who, under the pen name of Hergé, wrote and drew comic adventures of a boy reporter named Tintin and his dog Snowy. The series ran for many years and was collected into graphic novel-style "albums." (The actual "graphic novel" idea didn't come around until years later, so these were the forerunners of it.) These albums have since been translated into many languages around the world and sold well.

Over the years, Tintin was adapted for film as a stop-motion animated film, two live action films, two different animated television shows, and some animated films.

In the early 1980s, Steven Spielberg was given the blessing to make a Tintin film by Hergé himself. Now, almost 30 years later, the film has finally arrived.

The Adventures of Tintin is animated with motion capture. The characters are CG, looking like actual people, but with exaggerated features based on their original comic appearances.

The story is based on three of Hergé's albums: The Crab With The Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn, and Red Rackham's Treasure. The first draft of the script was by current Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, and it was later revised by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. (Moffat dropped out because he was offered Who.)

The music is by John Williams, and while it helps the film flow well, the score isn't very memorable.

The story finds Tintin buying a model ship in an open-air market. It's based on the ship The Unicorn, and Tintin is surprised when two men offer to buy it from him. Taking it home, his dog, Snowy, and a wandering cat accidentally damage the ship.

Tintin goes to research The Unicorn and discovers it was a cargo ship captained by a Sir Francis Haddock, and it was said to have had a secret cargo. It was boarded by pirates and sunk one night, the only survivor being Sir Francis.

Tintin returns home to find his ship missing. He goes after one of the men who tried to buy it from him, and finds a model of The Unicorn in Mr. Sakharine's possession, but it's not broken. Returning home again, Tintin's home has been ransacked. He goes downstairs where the other man who tried to buy the ship tries to warn him about something but is shot before he can do anything.

Enter detectives Thompson and Thomson, who look almost identical (Thompson has a flared moustache). The bumbling detectives are on the case of a pickpocket who manages to steal Tintin's wallet which contains a scroll that fell out of The Unicorn model when it broke and was unnoticed by the thieves. Going back home, Tintin is suddenly kidnapped and taken aboard The Karaboudjan, a ship Sakharine has chartered to go to the port of Bagghar in Morocco.

Escaping his prison (with help from stowaway Snowy), Tintin meets the drunk captain, Archibald Haddock. He reveals he is the last of the Haddock line, descended from Sir Francis, who he knows he doesn't live up to.

Now, all Tintin, Snowy, and Captain Haddock have to do is figure out what Sakharine's scheme is, foil it, and maybe recover the reputation of the Haddocks. And what is the secret of The Unicorn?

The plot is action-filled, and definitely deserves the word Adventures in the title. It's quite an exhilarating film from start to finish. There may, however, be too much action in the film. I can see this criticism. Suddenly, Tintin's life is in danger because he purchased a model ship. It is a bit of a stretch, even if you're familiar with the source material. And when it feels like the film is going to give you a break, we're suddenly given the story of Sir Francis and the last night on The Unicorn. The action isn't necessarily bad, but a solid break or two from it would have been nice. Hergé's original stories are not that action filled and are full of many silly outcomes from it, some of which are retained in the film.

The plot is a loose adaptation. The opening is from The Secret of the Unicorn, and then it goes to The Crab With The Golden Claws, and at the end, there's a touch of Red Rackham's Treasure. There's also some original plot points not from Hergé's work at all. The plot tells a nice story, but some may wonder just how strong it is. Moffat himself has proved himself to be a master storyteller on Doctor Who, but as his draft was just the first, I begin to suspect Cornish and Wright of tampering a bit too much. Perhaps it would have been better if Spielberg, Second Unit Director Peter Jackson, and maybe Jackson's wife Fran Walsh had finished the script themselves. (They were two of the writers for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, come on!)

One of the best developments in the plot is Captain Haddock's character. He begins as an oafish, layabout drunk who tells himself he'll never amount to anything, but Tintin's influence helps him actually get back on his feet and get his life back on track.

The characterizations were all spot-on, considering the film is aimed at today's audience (the original Tintin stories began in 1929, times have changed). The only one not like his character from Hergé's comics is the villainous Mr. Sakharine. In the original stories, Mr. Sakharine was a ship collector who already had one of The Unicorn models. Later, Tintin and Captain Haddock find him knocked unconscious and his model of The Unicorn broken, and that's all there is to him. The Bird brothers were the villains there, but here, I suppose, they felt a single villain would be better to handle, and instead of using two, they just wholly reinvented a relatively minor character. Bianca Castafiore, it should also be noted, does not sing her signature song from the comics, but considering the plot, it is possible she was asked to sing a different piece.

The animation, I have seen people complain about. I didn't spot anything really inconsistent or unnatural as some people have complained of. People have also complained about the "uncanny valley," in which a character looks so human that their imperfections make them creepy. This is mostly noted in the eyes which don't light up correctly, or the pupils fail to dilate. To me, because the characters were still stylized (the noses), it didn't bother me. In fact, I want a Tintin action figure. However, this form of animation has yet to master completely realistic eyes.

The film was also released in 3D, which I saw it in. The 3D doesn't pop out of the screen, meaning it's not distracting, and adds a nice layer of depth to the film. However, I felt like I still could have enjoyed the film just as well in 2D. I would have done so, but there were fewer showings of the 2D version.

So, The Adventures of Tintin is a great film that brings Hergé's beloved characters to life. The film is worth seeing, though it is not absolutely perfect. Next time, don't get comedians to finish the script, pace it a bit better, and work some more on getting the animation right. And as a sequel has been greenlit already, we might very well hope that they improve in those areas.

Top 5 Nutcrackers

E.T.A. Hoffman

Top 5 best adaptations of The Nutcracker story
These adaptations are, I feel, the most entertaining versions that also show great respect for the themes of the original story.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1. The Nutcracker Prince
Not only did this version stay faithful to Hoffman's story, it also deftly used Tchaikovsky's music to great effect, as well as not being so in love with the story to make a few changes for a contemporary audience.
2. The Nutcracker (Jetlag)
Although this version adheres to Hoffman's story, it is well-produced for its budget and moves along at a quick pace.

Alexandre Dumas

3. Щелкунчик (1973)
Though it's a re-imagined plot, the dreamy quality of Hoffman is carried over wonderfully, as well as the essence of the story. Also, it manages to not use dialogue, meaning that people of any language can understand it.

Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa

4. Nutcracker Fantasy
A highly re-imagined plot managed to still feature the important themes of Hoffman's story. The production quality is excellent and the music is incredible.
5. Le Fiabe più Belle. — Lo Schiaccianoci
Another anime that adheres to the book at a fast pace. It ranks this low only because there's no English version.

Ivan Alexandrovich Vsevolozhsky

Top 5 worst adaptations
These adaptations, I feel, completely blew it. Some may be entertaining on their own, but as a representation of the original story, I feel they failed miserably.

1. The Nutcracker in 3D/The Untold Story
Hoffman is not even acknowledged in this gloomy, saccharine CG-filled mess.
2. The Nuttiest Nutcracker
A re-imagined plot causes more questions than answers. The characters are too silly. A few songs brighten up this pitiful adaptation.
3. Barbie in the Nutcracker
Another re-imagined plot leaves critical logic questions unanswered. Hoffman's dreamy story becomes a "save the kingdom!" tale with a contrived reveal of Clara's magic powers at the end.
4. Щелкунчик (2004)
 In the English version, too many jokes ruin the tone of this film. The re-animated portions mar otherwise beautiful animation. The plot carries too few of Hoffman's themes.
5. The Secret of the Nutcracker
Touches from the story of the Nutcracker enter a story about a family missing their father in WWII, a compelling enough tale on its own. The fantasy elements feel like they're stretching out what could have been a really good non-fantasy tale.

And as we finish, let's remember who was responsible for The Nutcracker becoming the classic it is. Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann wrote the original story, and then Alexandre Dumas père rewrote it in French. Ivan Alexandrovich Vsevolozhsky commissioned Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to compose an opera and ballet double bill, and it was Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa who chose The Nutcracker story to become a ballet, doing the original choreography. Five people, many of whom are often forgotten, who created a Christmas classic.

The Nutcracker and Me

As you can guess, the story of Hoffman's Nutcracker is very dear to me. I forget how I was introduced to the story as a child. Maybe I loved the music of Tchaikovsky, or maybe I'd seen a production on television. Maybe someone had read me the story or I'd learned it at school.

My earliest memory was when I was given the Ralph Manheim translation of Hoffman's story and a red wooden Nutcracker for a gift one Christmas. I still have the book somewhere, but I own a paperback edition of it as well now. My original hardcover has little notes and sketches in it. The nutcracker is now long gone after heavy use. Wooden nutcrackers are only decorative these days. However, I now have this little guy:

I've posted the past 18 days about various versions of the story, some I enjoy more than others. I largely opted to ignore variants of the ballet as single blogs. As I mentioned, I did see a live production of the ballet. I can't remember too much about it, except that Fritz "broke" the Nutcracker by throwing it on the floor and standing over it, clenching his fists. The Nutcracker Prince started looking uncomfortable during the coffee dance, left, then appeared as one of the Peppermint dancers, left, and accompanied Mother Ginger as she did her dance.

Something was up with that prince...

I drew lots of Nutcracker pictures, even did a plastic canvas craft, so yes, I loved the story a lot. I even had a Nutcracker cloth design on a shirt, and when I grew out of it, I had my mom apply it to another Nutcracker shirt I had with a cast list for a local production on the back. That shirt vanished years ago.

I would often get annoyed by people pointing out people dressed as toy soldiers to me and saying "It's a Nutcracker!" No, it wasn't. It was a toy soldier. Big difference.

As I got older, I began to restrict my enjoyment of The Nutcracker to Christmastime. Then, I gave it up altogether. I didn't make a point to discard anything and everything I had related to it, I just didn't think of it so much. After my father presented me with the aforementioned paperback of Manheim's translation for Christmas 2008, I decided I'd read it again next year. Well, when I did, I'd also dug up some old picture books I had (Warren Chappell and another more modern one), and re-read those as well. At Christmas 2010, I'd gotten a recording of Tchaikovsky's score from eMusic with a free trial, and also decided I'd check out what visual adaptations I could. And goodness, there were many. I even wound up finding some after Christmas.

So, this year, remembering The Nutcracker a bit earlier, I decided I'd write these blogs. Sadly, unless I got an offer to work on some adaptation of the story, I don't see myself doing much more for The Nutcracker in future years, aside from continuing to enjoy and attempt to share Hoffman's story.

However, ballet companies still create their Nutcrackers year after year, and every now and then, some studio decides to make some sort of film interpretation of the story. It was rumored a couple years back that Bob Zemeckis is attempting a CG-animated version.

Maybe someday, someone will do a live action-CGI adaptation that will do full justice to the Hoffman story.

Merry Christmas!