"People have asked me if I’m afraid that the movie will ruin the book. But the movie can’t ruin the book only because the book is finished, completed, its own solid being. The movie can only ruin the movie. Which it might do, or might not do that’s sort of up to it. But I’m not even so worried about that.
"Also, I’m always a little surprised when writers sell their books to Hollywood and then criticize the results. I think, when it comes to selling things, you must be willing to let it go, or not sell at all. Trying to hold onto “control” of the product can be exhausting and useless; so many voices are involved in making a film that even the director, often, can’t totally control what a film becomes.
"Complaining for years about what Hollywood did to your book is sort of like selling your house to somebody and then driving past it for years, complaining about what the new owners did to the place. (“Geez, that pergola is awful!”) It’s not yours anymore, not in that form. You have to let it go, or don’t bother.
This book has been nothing but good to me, and nothing will ever change the goodness that it brought. Whatever comes next is just a fun and peculiar bonus, as far as I can see. Plus, really, I’m a great big Julia Roberts fan.
She’s Our Julia, you know, part of our cultural heritage and like many women aged 37, I grew up laughing and crying with her. I’ve missed her on the screen. (I know she’s been busy with other things.) If only as a fan, I’m happy she’s doing this."
