book adaptation – Jellybeans in the City

Francine Rivers’ inspiring novel Redeeming Love is now a movie

Having loved Francine Rivers’ A Lineage of Grace, a series of novellas centered on Biblical women who are Jesus’ ancestors, I knew I would love her historical romance, Redeeming Love.

A retelling of the Biblical story of the prostitute Gomer and the prophet Hosea set amidst the California Gold Rush, the novel has remained on multiple fiction bestseller lists for over 15 years and has been published in more than 30 languages.

Angel was sold into prostitution as a child. Having survived various forms of abuse and the resulting hatred and self-loathing, she meets Michael Hosea. Through his gentle acceptance, she discovers there is no brokenness that love can’t heal. The story reflects the redemptive power of unconditional and sacrificial love with characters and circumstances relevant to the contemporary world.

Imagine my delight when I discovered that this story will soon be available on the silver screen!

Starting January 21, 2022, this inspiring story will reach a wider audience as Nthibah Pictures, Mission Pictures and Pinnacle Peak Pictures releases its film adaptation starring Abigail Cowen (“Fate: The Winx Saga,” “Sabrina”), Tom Lewis (GENTLEMAN JACK), Logan Marshall Green (UPGRADE, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, PROMETHEUS), Famke Janssen (X-MEN, TAKEN), Nina Dobrev (xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE, VAMPIRE DIARIES) and Eric Dane (“Euphoria,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” THE LAST SHIP, X-MEN).

The film is directed by D.J. Caruso (xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE, DISTURBIA, STANDING UP and I AM NUMBER FOUR), who collaborated with the book’s author, Francine Rivers, to ensure the beloved story stayed true to its roots.

In the lead role of “Angel” is the multi-talented actress Abigail Cowen, one of Hollywood’s rising stars, who headlines the popular Netflix original series “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Cowen was immediately drawn to Angel’s character after reading the script. “Angel is an incredibly complex character who, after suffering a lifetime of abuse, empowered by love, claws her way out of a world of human trafficking and into a place of triumph. It is a very inspiring and timeless story.”

“The story is still as relevant today as it was 30 years ago,” said “Euphoria” star Eric Dane. “It is a story that portrays the battle of light versus dark with unlikely redemption waiting for you at the end.”

“I fell in love with the characters in this story after my wife introduced me to the novel,” said director D.J. Caruso. “It presented me with a rich tapestry of complex characters and outstanding visual opportunities, all wrapped in an epic love story that transcends generations.”

REDEEMING LOVE was produced by Cindy Bond through her Mission Pictures International label; Simon Swart and Wayne Fitzjohn, through their Nthibah Pictures production banner; and Michael Scott, and Brittany Yost for Pinnacle Peak Pictures and Vlokkie Gordon of Advantage Entertainment.

Francine Rivers serves as an executive producer and screenplay writer, alongside director D.J. Caruso.

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TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s “Good Omens” to be released in 2019

The creatively twisted minds of two of Britain’s greatest modern fantasy writers produced Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (or more commonly known as just Good Omens). The fruit of a very successful collaboration between Neil Gaiman (“American Gods,” “The Graveyard Book,” and “Stardust“) and Sir Terry Prachett (“Discworld“) published in 1990, Good Omens is a quirky and entertaining novel that tells of the coming of the Apocalypse. The book is chock-full of humorous situations: from a witch’s super-accurate predictions of her execution, the birth and childhood of the AntiChrist in the English suburbs, the coming together of the Four Horsemen, and the mad antics of the legions of Heaven led by Aziraphale the Angel and Hell led by Crowley the Demon (both of whom happen to treat each other as friends) as they prepare for the endtimes.

I first read the book in the late 90’s and I did think the story would translate well onscreen.

A film adaptation was in fact planned in 2002 in which Robin Williams and Johnny Depp were set to star as Aziraphale and Crowley respectively but financing fell through.

A radio dramatization was aired in BBC Radio 4 in 2015, wherein Gaiman and Pratchett had cameo appearances.

Nearly two decades after first reading the book, I’m thrilled to find out that a TV adaptation is finally in the works, starring no less than Michael Sheen (“Underwold: Rise of the Lycans,” “Midnight in Paris“) as Aziraphale and David Tennant (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Broadchurch“) as Crowley.

This TV series couldn’t have come at a better time, being the new Golden Age of Television, and judging from the recent success of the TV series based on another Neil Gaiman novel, American Gods.

The 6-episode series will be released on Amazon Prime in 2019, followed by a conventional broadcast on BBC Two.

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A silent Biblical character was given voice in Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent

The story of Jacob’s daughter Dinah is problematic for many Bible readers. The chapter in the book of Genesis in which she appeared is often referred to as the “rape of Dinah.” After her abduction by the prince of Shechem and her subsequent marriage to him, her brothers Levi and Simeon carried out the murder of her husband and all the menfolk in the land, citing the dishonor done to their family. After this narrative, Dinah was never heard of again.

Similar to most female characters in the Bible, Dinah is silent. Other then the notation of her birth in an earlier chapter, what is written about her spans the thirty-one short verses in Genesis 34, none of which are direct quotations from her.

In The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, however, Dinah’s role, and those of the other women in the narrative, are greatly expanded. Jacob’s wives, Leah and Rachel, evolved from sisters competing for the love of one man: they became leaders of the women in their tribe, guardians of women’s secret and sacred traditions. Their handmaids, Bilhah and Zilpah, transformed from slave girls and concubines, to sisters and co-mothers of the Jacob’s wives. Dinah, as the only girl among a brood of boys, became the cherished daughter of four mothers, the vessel of their hopes and dreams.

Much of the secret lives of these women took place in the red tent: it was the place where, under ancient law, women go into seclusion during menstruation or after childbirth. It was here where their bonds are formed and strengthened, where they were bolstered by the encouragement and support of the other women in the tribe.

Dinah’s idyllic relationship with her family came to an end when she entered into her ill-fated marriage with Shalem, resulting into his murder at the hands of her brothers.

Cursing her father and brothers, she fled together with Shalem’s mother to Egypt where her mother-in-law raised her son among her family of scribes.

In the years that followed, Dinah built a life for herself: she became known for her skills in midwifery, she developed a close friendship with a fellow midwife, Meryt and was welcomed into her family, and she found new love in Benia, a woodworker in the Valley of Kings.

She would then encounter her long-lost brother, Joseph, who has risen high to become the Grand Vizier of Egypt, and who proposed to bring her back to her father’s camp to see him before he dies.

In this retelling of the Biblical tale, Diamant sheds light on the secret lives of women in ancient times. Their stories and traditions are passed down from mother to daughter, sister to sisters. Their bodies are celebrated and consecrated to their goddesses. Their roles within the tribes are shown as vital: they are caretakers, nurturers and healers, not just of their own children but of the whole community.

Diamant also calls attention to the weakness of men: how Jacob’s negligence of his sons resulted in the murder of Shalem and Joseph’s slavery in Egypt; how the malice of Simeon and Levi tore their family apart; and how Shalem’s love for Dinah made him agree to her brothers’ demands which resulted to the destruction of his people.

The novel is also one of hope: in the Bible, Dinah disappears from the narrative after the prince’s murder while in The Red Tent, she was able to forge her own path away from the protection of her family.

It also paints Egyptians, particularly the common people, in a new light, very far from depictions of oppressive slave-drivers towards Hebrews. Here, they are regular folks – midwives, scribes, carpenters and bakers – who are all simply living their lives.

The Red Tent is an important work, not just as a retelling of a Biblical tale, but as a depiction of the secret lives of women in ancient times. While Dinah, Leah, Rachel and their ilk were given minor roles in the Holy Book, in this novel, their lives and their stories are front and center.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Biblical fiction.

Click here to buy this book on Amazon.com.

In 2014, The Red Tent was adapted into a two-part miniseries starring Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, ” “The White Queen“) as Dinah, Minnie Driver (“Sleepers,” “Grosse Pointe Blank“) as Leah, Morena Baccarin (“Deadpool,” “Gotham“) as Rachel and Iain Glenn (“Game of Thrones“) as Jacob. Click here to watch the The Red Tent on Amazon Prime. Watch it for free when you sign up for your 30-day trial.

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