Three Books to Watch in June: #book2movie

June 15th: The Yellow Birds

Jennifer Anniston is back on screen as the mother of a young soldier fighting in the Iraq war in the adaptation of Kevin Powers’s novel The Yellow Birds.

Two young soldiers, Bartle—the 21 year old soldier played by Solo’s Alden Ehrenreich and Murph, the 18 year old Tye Sheridan, navigate the terrors of the Iraq war under the command of the older, troubled Sergeant Sterling. All the while, Bartle is tortured by a promise he made to Murph’s mother before their deployment.

June 29th: Woman Walks Ahead

Jessica Chastain stars as Catherine Weldon in the true story of an artist who travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull. Once there she becomes involved in the Lakota peoples’ struggle over the rights to their land. The cast includes Sam Rockwell, Ciaran Hinds (I’ve been watching him in The Terror) Michael Nouri and Michael Greyeyes as Sitting Bull. 

June 29th: Leave No Trace

Ben Foster headlines as a father living with his daughter—Thomasin McKenzie—off the grid in the forests of Oregon. A small mistake derails their lives forever. Based on the book, My Abandonment by Peter Rock, the story sounds amazing and original.

“Thirteen-year-old Caroline has been raised and homeschooled by her father in a rigid code of behavior that allows them to survive, homeless, on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. There they inhabit an elaborate cave shelter, wash in a nearby creek, use a makeshift septic system, and tend a garden. Once a week, they go to the city to buy groceries, attend church, and otherwise merge with the civilized world. Yet, despite their every precaution, one small mistake allows the authorities to discover them. Their forced relocation is only a brief respite in their flight from a world that can’t understand them. Inspired by a true story and told through the startlingly sincere voice of young Caroline, My Abandonment is a mesmerizing, completely original story of survival, hope, and triumphant transformation.’’