“Now is Good” is heartbreaking and powerful that is not so much about one’s death but about one making the best out of life with not much time left. A wonderful performance by Dakota Fanning and Paddy Considine and a film worth watching!
Image courtesy of © 2012 Blueprint Pictures (Now) Limited, BBC and The British Film Institute. All Rights Reserved.
DVD TITLE: Now is Good
FILM RELEASE DATE: 2012
DURATION: 103 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Anamorphic Widescreen 2:35:1, English and French Dolby Digital 5.1, Subtitles: English, English SDH and French
COMPANY: BBC Films/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
RATED: PG-13 (For Mature Thematic Material involving Illness, Sexuality and Drugs and for Brief Strong Language)
Release Date: January 13, 2013
Directed by Ol Parker
Based on the Novel “Before I Die” by Jenny Downham
Screenplay by Ol Parker
Produced by Graham Broadbent, Peter CZernin
Co-Producer: Sarah Harvey, Richard Hewitt
Executive Producer: Peter Hamden, Adam Kulick, Christine Langan
Associate Producer: Jenny Downham
Assistant Producer: Malina De Carlo
Music by Dustin O’Halloran
Cinematography by Erik Wilson
Edited by Peter Lambert
Production Design by Amanda McArthur
Art Direction by John Reid
Set Decoration by Bridget Menzies
Costume Design by Suzie Harman
Starring:
Dakota Fanning as Tessa Scott
Olivia Williams as Mother
Kayla Scodelario as Zoey
Jeremy Irvine as Adam
Rose Leslie as Fiona
Paddy Considine as Father
Sarah Hadland as Caroline
Rakie Ayola as Philippa
Joe Cole as Scott
Patrick Baladi as Richard
Tessa Scott (Dakota Fanning, The Twilight Saga) knows her days are numbered, so she dives headlong through every wild, crazy act of teenage rebellion that she can dream up. Her daring to-do list leads her to being arrested and creating chaos in her family but her boldness helps her find love with Adam (Jeremy Irvine). Don’t miss this intoxicating tale of light in the darkest hour, based on Jenny Downham’s controversial, award-winning best-seller Before I Die.
“Life is a series of moments…Share yours!”
From Ol Parker, the writer of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and “Imagine Me & You” comes the 2012 British film “Now is Good”. A film adaptation of Jenny Downham’s 2007 young adult novel, “Before I Die”.
The film would star Dakota Fanning (“War of the Worlds”, “Coraline”, “Man on Fire”, “I Am Sam”), Olivia Williams (“An Education”, “Rushmore”, “The Sixth Sense”), Paddy Considine (“The Bourne Ultimatum”, “In America”, “Cinderella Man”) and Jeremy Irvine (“War Horse”, “Great Expectations”).
Released in theaters in September 2012, “Before I Die” will be released on DVD in January 2013.
“Before I Die” revolves around a 16-year-old teenager named Tessa (portrayed by Dakota Fanning), who was diagnosed with leukemia and has terminal cancer. With chemotherapy not working, and not long to live, Tessa decides to not undergo chemo any longer and enjoy the last moments of her life.
She and her best friend Zoey (portrayed by Kaya Scodelario) decide to live dangerously by trying to have sex with guys but for Tessa, it’s something that she doesn’t want to do. But the two engage in petty crimes and just wants to experience different things before she dies.
While her father (portrayed by Paddy Constantine) tries to keep positive that he can find a way to make his daughter better, Tessa pretty much has made peace and is ready to die. Her divorced parents, have different views on how their daughter should be raised but her mother (portrayed by Olivia Williams), is more upbeat and tries to be happy for her daughter, while her father is supportive but overprotective. If anything, he wants to be there for her and not make foolish decisions but as he tries to hope for the best, he lives in denial. Meanwhile, her younger brother Cal (portrayed by Edward Canham) is a blunt young boy, who may say things badly about his sister dying but doesn’t know the true impact of his words.
But one day, she meets a young man named Adam (portrayed by Jeremy Irvine) and despite her illness, Adam treats Tessa like a regular young woman. The two enjoy spending time with each other and the two eventually fall in love.
But just when she begins to experience love, Tessa finds out that the cancer has spread throughout her body and she only has days to live.
VIDEO, AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Now is Good” is presented in 2:35:1 anamorphic widescreen and in English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital. Picture quality is good on DVD with a fine layer of grain that can be seen. While outdoors are a bit overcast, colors are natural and for the most part, the film looks good on DVD. Audio is primarily dialogue driven with some scenes showcasing crowd ambiance, but “Now is Good” is primarily a dialogue-driven film and crystal clear.
Subtitles are in English SDH, English and French.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Now is Good” comes with the following special features:
- Deleted Scenes – (3:51) Featuring three deleted scenes: “Pick a Card”, “Lift and Dad” and “Mum Say Goodbye”.
- Making Moments: Creating Now is Good – (9:50) The cast and filmmaker Ol Parker discuss the making of “Now is Good”. The producers talk about the film adaptation and choosing an American actress to play the role of a British girl and how badly Dakota Fanning wanted to play the role of Tessa.
“Now is Good” has the feel of a Nicholas Sparks film and a film that no doubt will make one weep.
The film is pretty much predictable and while the concept of one dying of cancer and meeting a person they love has been done before in film, one thing that “Now is Good” tries to show is experience of one that has cancer. The fainting, the blood and the experience that one will have during their final days.
Most films tend to not want to show the cancer but focus on the life of an individual but the film adaptation of Jenny Downham’s novel is true to capturing of an ending life of a teenager dying of cancer.
But there are differences between the film and novel. For one, the film doesn’t spend too much time showcasing young Cal Scott’s jealousy of his sister, nor does Tessa lose her virginity to a guy she doesn’t know from the club. Nor does the film spend too much time focusing on Adam’s widowed mother. And possibly the biggest difference is the lack of the following of a list and also the ending that was featured in original book.
If anything, the film tries to get away from other people’s problems and tries to keep the focus on Tessa and the people that matter to her. From her father who is denial but will eventually have to face the fact that his daughter is dying, her mother who was not there for her daughter will eventually grow closer to her during her time of need but most importantly, to find a guy who will love her despite her condition.
I have to give actress Dakota Fanning a lot of credit for playing this difficult role. For one, playing a British teenager with the accent (yes, the accent was surprisingly good) but most importantly, doing the research needed to play a girl dying from cancer. Paddy Considine plays a magnificent job as the father who doesn’t want to let his daughter go but knows he must.
“Now is Good” doesn’t want to be another banal film of a character dying from cancer and a person living their last months, weeks or days after she finds love. This is a film that is about a brave girl who knows she is dying, is prepared to die but to die in her own terms.
I know there will be those who love the book that may feel disappointed that the film is not a faithful adaptation of Jenny Downham’s “Before I Die” novel. But for those who come into it with an open mind (especially knowing that film adaptations of the book are not always faithful), it’s best to enjoy the film for what is.
As for the DVD, picture and audio quality is good as can be expected on DVD. There are deleted scenes and a making of featurette, but it would have been nice to have an audio commentary included. Or even an interview with author Jenny Downham. But for the most part, the DVD is good overall.
“Now is Good” is heartbreaking and powerful that is not so much about one’s death but about one making the best out of life with not much time left. A wonderful performance by Dakota Fanning and Paddy Considine and a film worth watching!
