Jason Reitman (director of “Juno”) loooves adaptations. But you know what? He’s really great at them. “Thank You For Smoking” was a promising start and a decent movie and his script adaptation of Walter Kirn’s downsizing/ frequent-flyer dramedy, “Up In The Air,” which is premiering soon at TIFF and Telluride, is excellent.
So what’s next? Reitman recently set-up Right of Way Films, his new production company and is developing a ton of new projects including a new script by Jenny Lumet (the writer of “Rachel Getting Married”), the Duplass brothers (mumblecore mavens behind things like “Baghead” and the upcoming, “Center of Attention” with Jonah Hill) and a ninja comedy called “Bonzai Shadowhands” and a football film called, “Whispers in Bedlam.” That’s a lot of projects to juggle. /Film took a deeper look at some of them as well.
But whether he directs these all or not seems unlikely. Though USA Today does say he is planning to direct Lumet’s script, called “See Also: Sambo,” that is an irreverent, UN-PC, “multi-culti chick/ cloak-and-dagger,” project according to Lumet.
USA Today also says Reitman has another adaptation of his own up his sleeve: Joyce Maynard’s new novel, “Labor Day,” which sounds like a sweet, awkward and poignant teenage coming-of-age tale about love, sex and the pains of adolescence with a twist: a strange mentor that teaches him about life. Here’s the Amazon synopsis:
With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, thirteen-year-old Henry—lonely, friendless, not too good at sports—spends most of his time watching television, reading, and daydreaming about the soft skin and budding bodies of his female classmates. For company Henry has his long-divorced mother, Adele—a onetime dancer whose summer project was to teach him how to foxtrot; his hamster, Joe; and awkward Saturday-night outings to Friendly’s with his estranged father and new step-family. As much as he tries, Henry knows that even with his jokes and his “Husband for a Day” coupon, he still can’t make his emotionally fragile mother happy. Adele has a secret that makes it hard for her to leave their house, and seems to possess an irreparably broken heart.
But all that changes on the Thursday before Labor Day, when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank approaches Henry and asks for a hand. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life’s most valuable lessons: how to throw a baseball, the secret to perfect piecrust, the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting others—especially those we love—above ourselves. And the knowledge that real love is worth waiting for.
If anyone can make this sing it’s Reitman. Seriously, read his “Up In The Air,” screenplay if you can track it down. In the end it’s wonderfully soulful and humanist and if he carefully calibrates its tone — which it sounds like he already has — there’s probably multiple Oscar nominations waiting in the wings including Best Picture, Best Screenplay Adaptation and Best Actor for George Clooney. We’ll find out soon enough.