Inspired by Bleak House where a prolonged battle over a will results in the disputed inheritance being consumed by legal costs, author Lynn Messina explores the drawn out business of turning a book into a Hollywood production. Whereas ‘bleak’ is a word which accurately describe the tales intricately woven by Charles Dickens, the book title is a strange one because as much as rookie novelist Ricki Carstone struggles to get the big screen version made one gets a sense she will survive the fiasco with a smile on her face.
“In a state of perpetual expectation, I checked my e-mail constantly, hoping for some new piece of information: that Moxie liked the script, that Lloyd cast Ada Clare’s father, that Steven Soderbergh signed on to direct. Every few minutes, I’d refresh my inbox like I’m pulling the lever on a slot machine. Come on big money, I’d think.”
Another significant influence is Lindsay Lohan (Mean Girls) whose promising acting career has been undermined by a self-destructive personal life; she appears in the form of teenage sensation Moxie Bernard who may or may not be headlining the cinematic adaptation.
“Every move she makes provokes a feeding frenzy, with the tabloid sharks only a few meters ahead of the mainstream press. Her drug problem is the best plotline on television, and grateful network execs refuse to miss a riveting second of it. Their pursuit is so single-minded and dogged, a confused young woman with large breasts and overnight success might be forgiven for thinking this is how an eighteen-year-old starlet is suppose to behave.”
Short chapters and a down-to-earth writing style help to sweep the first person narrative forward as Carstone embarks on a series of misadventures while her big screen dream languishes in development hell; however, all is not lost as she discovers love along the way. For those expecting a tale in the vein of Dickens it would be best to reacquaint yourself with the source material; however, if you enjoy a light read and a satirical examination of the film industry then Bleak may well satisfy your literary taste.
Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada.
Originally published August 10, 2012. Updated April 14, 2018.
