Hollywood Film Awards: ‘Gone Girl’ brings Gillian Flynn new accolades
Author Gillian Flynn almost didn’t make it onstage to accept the Hollywood screenwriter award for “Gone Girl” at the Hollywood Film Awards on Friday night.
“Do not put a writer in high heels and send her up some stairs after an open bar,” Flynn joked as actress Hilary Swank presented her with the prize.
The author had reason to celebrate. Her thriller novel “Gone Girl,” released in June 2012, climbed its way to the New York Times Bestseller list, selling more than 2 million copies.
Soon enough, 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights for $1.5 million. And just like that, Flynn signed on to be the screenwriter for a film that was to be directed by David Fincher and star Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, hardly believing it herself.
“It’s sort of a complicated book to transition to film,” Flynn told the Los Angeles Times. “It goes back and forth in time and there are all sorts of internal monologues.”
The Missouri native learned to be judicious, realizing she couldn’t keep every bit from the book, but that she had to respect the story as a film. Her background as a journalist helped. She is a former television critic for Entertainment Weekly, and was used to slashing here, rewriting there.
Ultimately, Flynn thanked the HFA audience for believing in her. Adding: “It’s important to tell stories, and it’s a worthwhile thing to do.”
Twitter: @christykhoshaba
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