I Just Watched... "The Handmaid's Tale"

--by Hanje Richards

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I have been curious about The Handmaid’s Tale for years. I finally watched it this week. The movie is new to the Copper Queen Library (and if you are interested in seeing what other movies the library has recently acquired, we have a list at the Circulation Desk).
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The movie is based on the Margaret Atwood book, and the screenplay was written by Harold Pinter. I have read the book twice, so was very familiar with the story. (I strongly recommend the book, which is also available at the Copper Queen Library.)

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I was mostly interested in what they did with the movie. I found it fairly true to the book. My only hesitation in recommending it is that I am not sure how much of my understanding of the movie was based on my previous experiences with the book. So, with that caveat, I say watch it. The movie is powerful. The concepts that both the book and the movie deal with, while outrageous, are not so outrageous that they shouldn’t be considered.
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Set in a future America, The Handmaid's Tale – starring Natasha Richardson, Faye Dunaway, and Robert Duvall – tells the story of Kate. In this America, the religious right has taken over. Kate is guilty of the crime of trying to escape from the US and is sentenced to become a Handmaid. The job of a Handmaid is to bear the children of the man to whom she is assigned. After ruthless group training by Aunt Lydia in the proper way to behave, Kate is assigned as Handmaid to the Commander – but Kate is attracted to Nick, the Commander's chauffeur.
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At the same time, a resistance movement begins to challenge the regime…
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A little bit sci-fi, a little bit feminist dystopia, a little bit love story. A good movie.