TV Verdict

When I love a book, I’m always really, really nervous to see any kind of filmed adaptation of it. Books are so not a visual medium — they’re a medium of the imagination, even when written ‘filmically’, with a heavily dramatized narrative style. And even when they’re as massively dialogue driven as are the books by notably successful American crime writer Robert B Parker. Parker is arguably best known for his Spenser novels, which were also adapted for television, with uneven success. After many, many Spenser novels he branched out in 1997 with a new character, Jesse Stone, a washed-up LAPD homicide detective who gets hired as the new Chief of Police for the small Massachusetts township of Paradise. On the run from a failed marriage, a failed career and himself, Stone finds redemption in the coastal township of Paradise, and the subsequent novels in the ongoing series continue to explore his difficult personal life as he solves crimes in his New England idyll. Stone is an engagingly flawed hero, and Parker does a great job balancing the personal with the criminal in these books.

And now they’re a series of tv movies, all but the one that’s currently filming based on the novels. The one that’s currently filming is written by Parker, so that’ll be an interesting development to see when it finally hits our tv screens. The other installments are either available now on DVD release, or are due to be released very soon.

FROM SCRIPT TO SCREEN

As I said, seeing a film adaptation of a book isn’t always a joyful experience. So very, very often, those doing the adaptations have no feel or respect for the original material, to the point where you’re often left wondering Why the hell did they bother? And given the not entirely successful translation of the Spenser novels — the late Robert Urich’s great work notwithstanding –  I really wasn’t expecting too much of these adaptations. I was especially uncertain because playing the flawed hero Jesse Stone is none other than Tom Selleck. Yes indeed, Thomas Magnum, PI. I had reservations there for two reasons — firstly, Magnum is an iconic role, and Selleck was so very much Thomas I wasn’t sure I could see him as anyone else. And secondly, to be blunt, Selleck is nudging thirty years older than the character as depicted in the books. Which really, really meant — I thought — that the whole project was doomed to failure.

But on balance — I was wrong. I’ve now seen 4 of the 5 Jesse Stone movies and I think they’ve done a terrific job in the translation from page to screen. Absolutely Selleck is too old for the part, yet he still manages to sell it. The guy has aged well, no two ways about it. And he so successfully inhabits Jesse that there is no smidgen of Magnum to be found in his performance. The writers have done a lovely, lovely job in capturing the Jesse Stone of the books so that he can be recreated by an actor. And the producers have done an excellent job casting the secondary characters, who live and breathe and are genuine people in their own right. They’ve done so well with this that again I’m reminded of Castle, and how the writers of that show haven’t succeeded in making their secondary characters real, live human beings that we can remember and care for. In particular the casting of Kohl Sudduth as Suitcase Simpson and Viola Davis as Molly Crane is a stroke of genius — I can’t think of anyone else who could be Suit. And Molly’s sass and spirit and great heart are perfectly captured too.

What I particularly like about these adaptations is the showrunners’ willingness to stay faithful to the scope and pace of the original stories. No screaming car chases, no blaring sirens. These stories are set in a small town, with peculiar and particular small town issues, and time for quiet moments that reveal character, and the scripts and direction allow for that.

Two other actors, with smaller recurring parts, are worthy of mention. Saul Rubinek is a character actor whose career spans straight drama to science fiction. He never fails to impress. Anyone familiar with Stargate SG-1 will remember him as the journalist in the harrowing two part episode Heroes. And those who are Star Trek Next Generation fans will remember him as the alien collector who wanted to keep Data in The Most Toys. Rubinek has great screen presence, and he is an absolute standout in the Jesse Stone films. The other actor who never fails to engage is William Devane. He too is a Stargate alumni, as the US President in later SG-1 seasons — like Rubinek, he’s a hardworking character actor who never fails to deliver. This time around he’s a psychiatrist, and his quirky performance has absolute sincerity.

So if you’re looking for something a bit different, and you like atmospheric storytelling and lovely, understated performances, and slice of life crime fiction, with a central character who is flawed, and fascinating, with enormous compassion yet who is ruthless in the pursuit of justice and who isn’t afraid to sidestep the rules if it means seeing the truly guilty punished, then the Jesse Stone crime series might well be the dvds for you. But after you’ve watched them, go buy the books. Because as good as these movies are — the original is always the best.

Photo: Chris Reardon/CBS ©2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.