A Christmas Memory

There is another adaptation of Truman Capote's novella which stars Geraldine Paige and features narration by the author. This version is infinitely superior to the 1997 adaptation. What makes the Paige version work is its austerity and respect for the material. Nothing in it is sticky-sweet or earth-shaking; it tells the story of two gentle souls who enjoy each other's friendship, and tells it well. The 1997 version, on the other hand, seems to have no respect for Capote's story. It fills the stage with other characters, extraneous dialogue, and scenes that are so calculated and sentimental you might have to leave the room (I did). For example, this piece of dialogue: "If you send Buddy to military school, he'll die!" "He won't die." "Then I might!!" Just this one instance is so far away from the heart of Capote's tale that this TV movie should not have the gall to associate itself with the original book. Do yourself a big favor: stay far away from this version and read the original.