It's just a matter of days before Paul Thomas Anderson's film adaptation of Inherent Vice graces screens for the first time during the New York Film Festival. But, if those select few are expecting a direct translation from the page to the screen, think again. For it appears that Anderson has completely retooled the story's final moments.
The New York Times notes that the first draft was written without a narrator, and later added on by enlarging the role of Sortilege. In addition, a surprising new ending was added to the story as well, which is significantly different from the novel.
Considering that the director and the novelist were in constant communication before and during the movie's making, it would seem as though Anderson got Pynchon's blessing about the change. In fact, according to the article, Anderson may have even gotten the reclusive author to make a cameo in the movie.
"I know that [Anderson and Pynchon] talked a lot," actor Joaquin Phoenix said on the matter. "Sometimes, he'd say, 'Oh, I talked to Pynchon last night, and we were talking, he thought maybe it could be like this or like that.' It was pretty amazing, because it seemed like he was very active in the process through Paul. It seemed like they talked often and he would make suggestions or talk about how to condense three scenes into one.""
Despite being known for some of his more serious efforts, Anderson's new movie is supposedly laced with comedy, taking to Police Squad! and Top Secret! for inspiration on the movie's tone. "We tried hard to imitate or rip off the Zucker brothers' style of gags so the film can feel like the book feels: just packed with stuff. And fun," Anderson told the paper.
He also rewatched films like The Long Goodbye, The Big Sleep and Kiss Me Deadly for inspiration as well, so perhaps don't go saying it's all screwball.
As said above, fans of the book can see what they think of Anderson's work when it comes to the New York Film Festival, or will have to wait until its released on December 12.