--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought, \"If I could bring these…" description: "\"I thought, \"If I could bring these characters [Wonder Boys] to life and lead the audience to react the same way I did, this could be a really special p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg" --- # I thought, "If I could bring these characters \[Wonder… ![“I thought, "If I could bring these characters [Wonder Boys] to life and lead the audience to react the same way I did, this could be a really special picture." Then I read Michael's [Chabon] novel and got even more enthusiastic about it.” quote by Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg) > “I thought, "If I could bring these characters \[Wonder Boys\] to life and lead the audience to react the same way I did, this could be a really special picture." Then I read Michael's \[Chabon\] novel and got even more enthusiastic about it.” [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The director wanted to capture the novel’s emotional impact on screen, believing faithful adaptation could evoke the same audience reaction as his reading. **In simple terms:** He aimed to translate the book’s feeling into a film. Key Takeaway Focus on preserving emotional core in adaptations. Themes adaptation cinema emotion audience engagement Mood reflective optimistic Type creative analytical When to use this quote - film production - script development - casting - marketing - audience testing Key Concepts narrative fidelity emotional resonance director’s vision Questions to Reflect On - How can a film retain a novel’s spirit while using visual storytelling? - What compromises are necessary when adapting literature? A Different Perspective Balancing artistic interpretation with audience expectations can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Enthusiastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enthusiastic/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [That's what I love about Michael Douglas' performance in Wonder Boys, because I feel like he surprises audiences that know him from very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/that-s-what-i-love-about-michael-douglas-performance-in-wonder-boys/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [“The constrained lives of his characters made me wonder how my own existence might appear in his hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/the-constrained-lives-of-his-characters-made-me-wonder-how-my-own/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [On the surface, Wonder Boys seemed like such a departure from L.A. Confidential - it's funny, it's contemporary, and so on - and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/on-the-surface-wonder-boys-seemed-like-such-a-departure-from-l-a/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [I very much had wanted to do a picture with more humor than what I had been allowed to do earlier, which is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-very-much-had-wanted-to-do-a-picture-with-more-humor-than-what-i/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [ Here \[in Wonder Boys\] I had this group of characters where you didn't know which were the important ones or what direction they were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/here-in-wonder-boys-i-had-this-group-of-characters-where-you-didn-t/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [So it's discouraging and, yet, when you make a movie like Wonder Boys, in a sense it's its own reward, because it does move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/so-it-s-discouraging-and-yet-when-you-make-a-movie-like-wonder-boys/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [You must find a way to express your ideas and compel your audience to react through the idea itself, and then figuring out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/you-must-find-a-way-to-express-your-ideas-and-compel-your-audience-to/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [And I think I'm an adrenaline junkie, and there's nothing that will spike your adrenaline more than sitting in a theater and listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diablo-cody/and-i-think-i-m-an-adrenaline-junkie-and-there-s-nothing-that-will/) [Diablo Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diablo-cody/) > [I didn't feel like gymnastics were part of The Cars. I certainly philosophically didn't want to prod the audience to react to anything. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-ocasek/i-didn-t-feel-like-gymnastics-were-part-of-the-cars-i-certainly/) [Ric Ocasek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-ocasek/) > [With cinema it's a different ballgame, you really don't know how the audience will react, so one has to tread carefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiten-tejwani/with-cinema-it-s-a-different-ballgame-you-really-don-t-know-how-the/) [Hiten Tejwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiten-tejwani/) > [I read the script for Wonder Boys, and I said that was almost perfect, it was so classy, cool and funny. It's a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-downey-jr/i-read-the-script-for-wonder-boys-and-i-said-that-was-almost-perfect/) [Robert Downey, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-downey-jr/) > [Obama did organize a great large number of people and many enthusiastic people, what's called in the press 'Obama's Army.' But the army is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-did-organize-a-great-large-number-of-people-and-many/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [How do you find the divine power in yourself? The word enthusiasm means 'filled with a god,' so what makes you enthusiastic? Follow it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/how-do-you-find-the-divine-power-in-yourself-the-word-enthusiasm/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [“I am honest and enthusiastic, except when I’m lying down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-am-honest-and-enthusiastic-except-when-i-m-lying-down/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [My mom was an enthusiastic, positive, glass-is-half-full type of person and that is how I live my life and I owe that to her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kliff-kingsbury/my-mom-was-an-enthusiastic-positive-glass-is-half-full-type-of-person/) Kliff Kingsbury ## More by Curtis Hanson > [I very much had wanted to do a picture with more humor than what I had been allowed to do earlier, which is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-very-much-had-wanted-to-do-a-picture-with-more-humor-than-what-i/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [That's what I love about Michael Douglas' performance in Wonder Boys, because I feel like he surprises audiences that know him from very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/that-s-what-i-love-about-michael-douglas-performance-in-wonder-boys/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [I love suspense movies, because in a sense they're the most dreamlike of any genre, and I'm sure I'll make another one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-love-suspense-movies-because-in-a-sense-they-re-the-most-dreamlike/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [I had a checkered early career, for sure, with a lot of very unhappy experiences where pictures got taken away, re-cut, re-titled... all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-had-a-checkered-early-career-for-sure-with-a-lot-of-very-unhappy/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [My very first professional writing credit was on a movie called The Dunwich Horror, and Roger Corman was the executive producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/my-very-first-professional-writing-credit-was-on-a-movie-called-the/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [There was a long period of time when Sam Fuller had a lot of projects fall through and had a lot of difficulties getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/there-was-a-long-period-of-time-when-sam-fuller-had-a-lot-of-projects/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [What I try to do is give each actor an environment in which they can do their best work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/what-i-try-to-do-is-give-each-actor-an-environment-in-which-they-can/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [Hollywood, of course, is the city of illusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/hollywood-of-course-is-the-city-of-illusion/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [ I can't speak to how Michael \[Douglas\] approached it in terms of his process. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-can-t-speak-to-how-michael-douglas-approached-it-in-terms-of-his/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [Put simply, there are many people who want to make movies and very few opportunities for them to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/put-simply-there-are-many-people-who-want-to-make-movies-and-very-few/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [ I had the great fortune to actually become friends with Sam \[Fuller\] and ultimately collaborate with him on White Dog, which we wrote together. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-had-the-great-fortune-to-actually-become-friends-with-sam-fuller/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [You can dress it up, but it comes down to the fact that a movie is only as good as its script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/you-can-dress-it-up-but-it-comes-down-to-the-fact-that-a-movie-is/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [A day doesn't go by when I don't get a compliment on L.A. Confidential, for example.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/a-day-doesn-t-go-by-when-i-don-t-get-a-compliment-on-l-a-confidential/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [I make that distinction only because I came to it strictly as someone who was just a lover of storytellers and cinematic storytellers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-make-that-distinction-only-because-i-came-to-it-strictly-as-someone/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [ Roger \[Corman\] didn't actually hire me, though. I was hired by AIP \[American International Pictures\], the studio that made the picture, which was Sam… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/roger-corman-didn-t-actually-hire-me-though-i-was-hired-by-aip/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) [Explore all 73 Curtis Hanson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought, \"If I could bring these characters [Wonder Boys] to life and lead the audience to react the same way I did, this could be a really special picture.\" Then I read Michael's [Chabon] novel and got even more enthusiastic about it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Curtis Hanson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-characters-wonder-boys-to-life-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-characters-wonder-boys-to-life-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/curtis-hanson-9380_audience_i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-charact_1227153.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I thought, \"If I could bring these characters [Wonder Boys] to life and lead the audience to react the same…” — Curtis Hanson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Curtis Hanson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I thought, \"If I could bring...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-characters-wonder-boys-to-life-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/i-thought-if-i-could-bring-these-characters-wonder-boys-to-life-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```