Lindsay Lohan, Pierce Brosnan
to Star in Dylan Thomas Movies
By EIFION WILLIAMS
Over the last few years Hollywood has produced a spate of movies on famous literary figures, among them Truman Capote (Capote), C.S. Lewis (Shadowlands) and Beatrix Potter (Miss Potter), many of them receiving universal acclaim and well-deserved awards.
Some of the most dramatic movies have chronicled the tempestuous relationships between brilliant but troubled writers and their equally talented and troubled wives or lovers, among them movies about Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes (Sylvia), Henry Miller and Anais Nin (Henry and June), and T.S. Eliot and Vivienne Haigh-Wood (Tom and Viv).
Plans are now afoot to bring to the screen one of the most tempestuous relationships of all, that between Dylan Thomas and Caitlin MacNamara. There are no less than three movies set to start production on the Dylan-Caitlin marriage, a union characterized by chronic alcoholism, physical violence and blatant adultery, not to mention persistent financial difficulties. It was also a partnership that contributed some of the Twentieth Century's best literary works.
The first movie project, Caitlin, will star Port Talbot-born actor Michael Sheen as Dylan and Miranda Richardson as Caitlin. It will also feature Pierce Brosnan as John Brinnin, Dylan's American agent. Brosnan, an avid Thomas fan, is also one of the film's financial backers.
Michael Sheen, who is said to bear a striking resemblance to the young Dylan, previously starred with Pierce Brosnan in the movie Laws of Attraction and is considered a rising star in Hollywood.
He is also a life-long Dylan fan and is currently playing the highly-acclaimed part of David Frost on the London stage in a play based on Frost's 1977 interviews with former U.S. President Richard Nixon. He also plays the part of Tony Blair opposite Helen Mirren in The Queen.
Another movie, with the working title The Best Time of our Lives, will depict the intertwined lives of Dylan, Caitlin, Dylan's childhood sweetheart Vera, and Vera's husband William Killick. The movie will concentrate on a bizarre episode in New Quay, Cardiganshire, just after the Second World War, when Killick attacked Dylan's temporary home with a machine gun and a hand grenade after hearing local gossip about his wife's adulterous relationship with the poet.
This movie will no doubt have some sensational appeal as it is rumoured to feature sex, adultery and a suggestion of lesbianism. After approving the script, Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan's daughter, told the Welsh newspaper Western Mail, "I've seen the script and I managed to erase some errors in it but with a film, you are always going to have a bit of titillation."
The Best Time of our Lives will feature Welsh actor Matthew Rhys as Dylan and Keira Knightley as Vera. The part of Caitlin will be played by controversial Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan, who judging by her recent activities should at least have some empathy with Caitlin's problems with alcohol and relationships.
The latest Dylan Thomas movie is called simply Dylan and will be based on the poet's life growing up in Swansea and his experiences in Laugharne, London, New York and Los Angeles.
The adult Thomas will be played by Kevin McKidd, who played Tommy in the movie Trainspotting. The producers are currently auditioning for a boy "with a Welsh accent" to play the child Thomas. The part of Caitlin will be played by Kelly Reilly, who starred alongside Donald Sutherland and Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice.
Filming on Dylan is due to start in Swansea and Laugharne next month, while The Best Time of Our Lives and Caitlin will start shooting later this year.
Three films on Dylan Thomas within a short period of time will doubtless add to the poet's world-wide fame while the Swansea city fathers are probably salivating at the potential increase in Thomas-related tourism, already worth £4 million to the city.
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