The Handmaid’s Tale’s Popularity
#kspscinema

It's difficult to review (and re-view) 1990’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” without comparing it to the current, successful Hulu series, as noted by your host; nor the change in the political climate between its release and today’s version, 30 years later.

We won’t delve into the political, religious, or gender ramifications of either production - but it's worth noting how our feature had a difficult path to the screen, with changes in screenwriter, director, and original star (the late Natasha Richardson replaced Sigourney Weaver).

In fact, in a 2015 article in The Atlantic (that you can read if you can get past the paywall), writer Sophie Gilbert suggests the scope and topic of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is still unfilmable. Our feature was given a thriller sheen by director Volker Schlondorff to make it more palatable for moviegoers, according to Gilbert, and a voiceover by Richardson to help convey lead character Offred’s internal turmoil. (Gilbert would go on to write other, current articles, on the Hulu version, including an interview with author Margaret Atwood.)

Whether the book, movie, or streaming series is a “chilling foretaste of things to come” or not, our feature highlights yeoman's work by Richardson, Aidan Quinn, Faye Dunaway, and the dependable Robert Duvall.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/the-forgotten-handmaids-tale/388514/

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