Possession
Original theatrical poster
Directed by	Neil LaBute
Produced by	Barry Levinson Stephen Pevner Paula Weinstein Len Amato (executive) David Barron (executive)
Written by	A. S. Byatt (novel) David Henry Hwang (screenplay) Laura Jones (screenplay) Neil LaBute (screenplay)
Starring	Aaron Eckhart Gwyneth Paltrow Jeremy Northam Jennifer Ehle Holly Aird Lena Headey
Editing by	Claire Simpson
Distributed by	- USA - Focus Features - Canada - Alliance Atlantis - non-USA/Canada - Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	16 August 2002
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Possession is a 2002 motion picture written and directed by Neil LaBute, based on the novel of the same name by A. S. Byatt.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Development 3 Releases 4 Production 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Synopsis

The film tells the story of two scholars, Roland Michell (played by Aaron Eckhart) and Maud Bailey (Gwyneth Paltrow), who investigate the affair of fictional Victorian era poet Randolph Henry Ash (Jeremy Northam), described in letters between him and another fictional poet, Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle).

[edit] Development

Early drafts of the film's screenplay were written by playwright David Henry Hwang in the nineties, but the project languished in pre-production for years (with directors like Sydney Pollack and Gillian Armstrong working on the film and eventually giving up) before LaBute came aboard.^[1] LaBute made drastic changes to the story, partially based on notes that Byatt had made on earlier drafts of the screenplay.

LaBute recalled, "What she basically said was, 'This is Roland on the page; you must make him different in a film!' She got that Roland needed more drive. Just seeing those notes kind of gave me the keys to the kingdom. And so in the film, Roland keeps making these wild, imaginative leaps about the poets' lives, and Maud's both charmed and appalled."^[1] LaBute changed Roland's nationality from British to American, in what he denied was "shameless pandering to the audience....in part, it was [just] more comfortable for me to write Roland that way."^[1]

[edit] Releases

The film has been released on DVD with subtitles and captions.

[edit] Production

• Ralph Fiennes was approached for the role that eventually went to Jeremy Northam.^[2]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Possession (2002) at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e The works of David Henry Hwang Full-length plays FOB (1980) · Family Devotions (1981) · Rich Relations (1986) · M. Butterfly (1988) · Face Value (1993) · Golden Child (1996) · Peer Gynt (1998, with Stephan Muller; from Henrik Ibsen) · Tibet Through the Red Box (2004, from Sis) · Yellow Face (2007) Short plays The Dance and the Railroad (1981) · The House of Sleeping Beauties (1983, from Kawabata) · The Sound of a Voice (1983) · As the Crow Flies (1986) · Bondage (1992) · Trying to Find Chinatown (1996) · Bang Kok (1996) · Merchandising (1999) · Jade Flowerpots and Bound Feet (2001) Film/television Blind Alleys (1985, with Kimball) · M. Butterfly (1993) · Golden Gate (1994) · The Lost Empire (2001) · Possession (2002, with Jones and LaBute, from Byatt) Music theatre 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (1988, with Glass and Sirlin) · The Voyage (1992, with Glass) · The Silver River (1997, with Sheng) · Aida (2000, with Woolverton & Falls, John and Rice, from Verdi) · Flower Drum Song (2001, with Rodgers and Hammerstein, from Fields, Hammerstein, and Lee) · Ainadamar (2003, with Golijov) · The Sound of a Voice (2004, with Glass) · Tarzan (2006, with Collins, from Burroughs) · Alice in Wonderland (2007, with Chin, from Carroll) · The Fly (2008, with Shore)

v • d • e Films directed by Neil LaBute In the Company of Men (1997) • Your Friends & Neighbors (1998) • Nurse Betty (2000) • Possession (2002) • The Shape of Things (2003) • The Wicker Man (2006) • Lakeview Terrace (2008)

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