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Fawcett's best roles came from books
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The famous swimsuit poster of actress Farrah Fawcett, displayed for sale at Hollywood Book in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
Fawcett died Thursday at the age of 62. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
For many, Farrah Fawcett will always be synonymous with Charlie's Angels and her equally iconic swimsuit poster. She catapulted to super stardom with her role as Jill Munroe, but was often written off as an actress. The dazzling smile and mass of blonde hair that helped make her famous almost seemed to hold her back, seen suitable as a beautiful piece of fluff on screen, but certainly not a "real" actress.
Fawcett surprised many when she gave credible, even outstanding performances in a number of dramatic roles. When cast in strong, well written roles, the beach bunny starlet proved to be a fine actress, whose work more than enough to turn her beauty into an incidental fact rather than the focus. And the best of these roles were based on excellent books and plays that were adapted for film.
The Burning Bed - Faith McNulty
For many years, domestic violence was a problem that was essentially ignored. One of the stories that helped change that was the story of Francine Hughes. Hughes had been beaten and threatened by her husband, Mickey, throughout their relationship. She had even divorced him, but was unable to get, and keep, him out of her home. And eventually she killed him. Fawcett was outstanding as Hughes in the 1984 movie based on the book.
Extremities, a play in two acts - William Mastrosimone
One of the most compelling performances of Fawcett's career was in the role of Marjorie in the 1986 adaptation of Extremities. Mastrosimone was inspired by the true story of a rape victim who was confronted by her attacker after his acquittal, telling her on the courthouse steps, "Wait until next time." In his play, Marjorie has survived an attempted rape, but is shattered by the knowledge that her attacker knows where she lives. When he shows up at her home, her reaction is dramatic. Fawcett makes them not only dramatic, but believable.
Small Sacrifices - Ann Rule
The shooting of three small children horrified people in 1983. Diane Downs appeared at an emergency room in Williamette Valley, Oregon, with her three critical injured children, telling a story of a bushy-haired stranger that had attacked them on a lonely country road. The story only became more fascinating when Downs herself was arrested for the crime, accused of attempting to kill all three children in a bizarre effort to win back her lover, who had said he didn't want children. Fawcett starred in the 1988 movie opposite her own lover, Ryan O'Neal, and proved that she could portray evil as well as she could the victim.
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What are your picks? Do you have favorite beach reads, favorite books, favorite mysteries? Maybe best books made into movies - or books that never should have been made into movies? If you'd like to see your "Five Books" list here, please email me at INeedABook at gmail.com.
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