An Exquisite Work of Bart

As readers of these pages know, I periodically write about my friend Bart Baker, on a wide range of topics, but most often for his Shakespearean rants about Sen. Josh Hawley (MAGOP-MO), who represents the state where Bart lives.

I noted in my my recent posting about him that as superb as his BartRants (tm) are, he's also a very accomplished writer, and received a Writers Guild nomination for Best TV Movie, Forever, that was made for Lifetime.  (I think it's the very first WGA nomination ever for Lifetime.)  He's also written 11 movies for television, including the series of Mother of the Bride TV movies, and two feature films, as well.  And he wrote one of my favorite works of his that's as yet unproduced, the comic gem The Id.

But Bart hasn't limited his work to just film, he's written numerous novels, including his first, Honeymoon with Harry, and its two sequels.  That first "Harry" book has had a long and typically Hollywood adventure.  In fact, it's a good life lesson for what writing in Hollywood is actually like, even for something that had its share of acclaim.  

The novel was bought and adapted into a screenplay by Oscar-winning Paul Haggis, who was also going to direct.  This came about right after Haggis had written the movie Million Dollar Baby, and wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning Best Picture Crash.  So, it seemed a pretty sure thing.  For various Hollywood reasons, though, Haggis dropped out.  And over time Bradley Cooper was involved to direct -- and star.  But that didn't happen, however Dan Fogel (who created the series This is Us) wrote a new version and was going to direct -- but that didn't happen either.  There were other writers involved, as well.  (Oddly, no one ever asked Bart to write a script based on his own novel, despite his long career as a screenwriter and playwright.  Again, so Hollywood.)

​And there were a wide-range of actors involved, too, over the years.  At one point, Jack Nicholson and Vince Vaughn did a reading.  But that didn't come about.  Another time, Dustin Hoffman was involved, but nope.  But that's Hollywood, and 20 years passed, and it hasn't been made.

​But Bart has kept writing.  In fact, he's written about a dozen novels (I've lost count), including another series, this a darker one, the Corden Finn Vengeance series.  As well as the comic The Virgin Daquiri (the main character's name is 'Daquiri'), the intricate family-dynamic tale What Remains, and the weeper The Wedding Gift  (Bart is very good with weepers...  But also comedy.  And romance.  And action.) 

I mention all this because the other day, Bart sent me an email.  Actually, no, he sent me the email on Friday, but he sent it to the wrong address and only just learned that it went to someone else by mistake.  But I digress.

The point of this delayed-email was a story in the Hollywood entertainment news publication Deadline, that then got picked up on Good Morning America.  The story was that -- well, here it is:

Yes, really. After many, too many years, it looks like Honeymoon with Harry may well finally be made into a movie.  Moreover, with Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal to star in it.  Based on that earlier screenplay adapted by Dan Fogelman.  All based on the novel by... Bart Baker!

(I say "looks like" because this is Hollywood, and Honeymoon with Harry has been through a maniacal rollercoaster ride that until it's finished and audiences are watching it, every caveat is well-earned.)

Here's the first paragraph of the Deadline article --

"Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal have signed on to star in Honeymoon with Harry, a dramedy for Amazon MGM Studios based on the book by Bart Baker, the studio announced on Monday."

And it followed that with a pretty good, brief description of the premise -- "The film follows a man (Gyllenhaal) as he decides to go on a honeymoon with his would-be father-in-law (Costner) after his fiancée dies two days before their wedding."

What they leave out is why the two have to go together, and also that as deeply emotional as the story is, it's also at times extremely funny, in the hate-hate dynamic between fiancé and father -- which covers a huge amount of ground.

Scheduled to direct are Glenn Ficarra and John Requa who directed the movies Crazy, Stupid, Love (with Steve Carell) and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (with Tina Fey), as well as the wonderful limited series, WeCrashed, and multiple episodes of This is Us, and the limited series Paradise.

What I particularly love about all the attention this news has been getting (and it's getting a lot) is that since there's no poster for the movie yet, of course, the only visual they can show is the cover of the book!  With Bart's name plastered all over it.  The cover was on the Good Morning America for seven seconds.  And yes, book sales went up.

Speaking of which, for anyone interested in getting the book early, you can find it here.  It's got 4.3 stars on Amazon.

This photo of Bart Baker was taken long before he got the news that it looks like Honeymoon with Harry will be made into a movie.  Reports are that his smile is even much wider now.

Fingers crossed.