John Steinbeck's novel 'Of Mice and Men' is, along with his fellow masterpiece 'The Grapes of Wrath,' a classic of twentieth century literature. Brilliantly evoking time and place, Steinbeck masterfully recounted the tragic tale of George and Lennie, two friends who travel together and look out for each other during the Great Depression.
Two-time director Gary Sinise (most popularly known for his memorable supporting role in 1994's 'Forrest Gump') has stated that 'Of Mice and Men' is his all-time favourite novel, and that he'd always wanted to adapt it to the screen. Sinise's respect for the work is clearly evident throughout the film, and screenwriter Horton Foote doesn't stray too far from the original story, nor does he overlook many vital plot points.
George Milton (Gary Sinise) is a small but quick-witted farm labourer. He'd be doing considerably well for himself, but for his self-appointed obligation to look after Lennie Small (John Malkovich), a slow-minded giant. Lennie is a fine worker, but his insatiable, child-like curiosity often gets him into trouble, especially when he underestimates him own strength. After Lennie unintentionally harasses a women (because he was compelled to feel her beautiful red dress), he and George escape persecution and strike out yet again for new employment.
Their search leads them to the Tyler Ranch, where they meet up with a whole new range of diverse characters, including the withered, one-handed old swamper named Candy (Ray Walston) and his equally withered dog, the kind-hearted Slim (John Terry), the crooked-backed African American stable boy, Crooks (Joe Morton), the easily-aggravated boss' son, Curley (Casey Siemaszko) and Curley's lonely and largely-ignored wife, who symbolically remains unnamed (Sherilyn Fenn). Each of these characters is well-acted by a strong supporting cast, and each of their qualities contribute significantly to the richness of the story.
George often speaks about how Lennie is holding him back, but we can see that he generally enjoys his company. On most nights, Lennie insists that George recite a well-rehearsed speech about how lucky they are to have each other, culminating in a brilliantly evocative description of the "little house and a couple of acres" they are to purchase, in which they "live off the fatta the land" and Lennie will "tend to the rabbits" by feeding them freshly-grown alfalfa.
"Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world... They ain't got no family and they don't belong no place. They got nothing' to look ahead to... Well, we ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody cares."
"But not us, George, because I... see, I got you look after me, but you got me look after you."
This is one of the most beautiful and touching friendships ever committed to screen, and we can almost see them succeeding in their goal, tending to their own farms as free men. Alas, John Steinbeck was not a writer known for his happy endings, and his heartbreaking conclusion has been translated well into the film. But perhaps the ending was slightly more optimistic than we initially think. They may not achieve their dream of living together on their own property, but neither of them have anything more to worry them. And that's all they really wanted.
Two-time director Gary Sinise (most popularly known for his memorable supporting role in 1994's 'Forrest Gump') has stated that 'Of Mice and Men' is his all-time favourite novel, and that he'd always wanted to adapt it to the screen. Sinise's respect for the work is clearly evident throughout the film, and screenwriter Horton Foote doesn't stray too far from the original story, nor does he overlook many vital plot points.
George Milton (Gary Sinise) is a small but quick-witted farm labourer. He'd be doing considerably well for himself, but for his self-appointed obligation to look after Lennie Small (John Malkovich), a slow-minded giant. Lennie is a fine worker, but his insatiable, child-like curiosity often gets him into trouble, especially when he underestimates him own strength. After Lennie unintentionally harasses a women (because he was compelled to feel her beautiful red dress), he and George escape persecution and strike out yet again for new employment.
Their search leads them to the Tyler Ranch, where they meet up with a whole new range of diverse characters, including the withered, one-handed old swamper named Candy (Ray Walston) and his equally withered dog, the kind-hearted Slim (John Terry), the crooked-backed African American stable boy, Crooks (Joe Morton), the easily-aggravated boss' son, Curley (Casey Siemaszko) and Curley's lonely and largely-ignored wife, who symbolically remains unnamed (Sherilyn Fenn). Each of these characters is well-acted by a strong supporting cast, and each of their qualities contribute significantly to the richness of the story.
George often speaks about how Lennie is holding him back, but we can see that he generally enjoys his company. On most nights, Lennie insists that George recite a well-rehearsed speech about how lucky they are to have each other, culminating in a brilliantly evocative description of the "little house and a couple of acres" they are to purchase, in which they "live off the fatta the land" and Lennie will "tend to the rabbits" by feeding them freshly-grown alfalfa.
"Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world... They ain't got no family and they don't belong no place. They got nothing' to look ahead to... Well, we ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody cares."
"But not us, George, because I... see, I got you look after me, but you got me look after you."
This is one of the most beautiful and touching friendships ever committed to screen, and we can almost see them succeeding in their goal, tending to their own farms as free men. Alas, John Steinbeck was not a writer known for his happy endings, and his heartbreaking conclusion has been translated well into the film. But perhaps the ending was slightly more optimistic than we initially think. They may not achieve their dream of living together on their own property, but neither of them have anything more to worry them. And that's all they really wanted.