Unbroken {Book to Movie}

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This movie comes out Christmas Day! Get your tickets early.

We as a book club loved this book. It is one of those books that almost everybody gave it a 5 star rating (and that is unusual). If you want to read this book for your book club then check out our Book Club Ideas and our Book Review.

Book Synopsis 

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On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.



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Movie Synopsis

A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.

The movie is rated PG-13 and if you are a parent like me then you might want to know beforehand if this is a movie you would take your kids to so find out here on IMDB's Parental Guide.

 

 

 

 

Usually I end with the Director of the movie but come on not this time when the director is...

Angelina Jolie {Director}

 

Angelina is the one who got this movie going. The rights to Louis Zamperini's story were bought by Universal clear back in 1956. And it has been dead in the water ever since. But when Angelina saw that they were looking for a director for this movie (for 11 years now) she wanted this to be her next project. You've got to read the whole story of the history of the movie in the making here. It is amazing that Angelina was the one who "breaks the curse of 'Unbroken'" This is her third film that she has directed. The first was a documentary "A Place in Time" and her second film was "In the Land of Blood and Honey". And if you like her directing then I think you're in luck because it looks like she's not stopping any time soon. She has two more movies announced that she will be directing "By the Sea" starring herself and Brad Pitt (How fun to work with your honey!) and "Africa". Some of the other movies that she has acted in are "Maleficent" , "The Changeling", "Salt" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith". This beautiful lady married her long time love Brad Pitt this year on August 23 in France with all their children there. Congrats Angelina!!! 

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On set doing her thing!

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Angelina got very close to Louis while preparing and filming the movie. It's so sad that he passed away before he was able to see the portrait of his life on the big screen.

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Louis Zamperini {The Man, The Hero}

 

You must read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This book will change your view on World War II and change your look on life. This is a man who never gave up and he never lost hope. He was an Olympian, a WWII Vet, a POW, a brother, a son, a husband and a father. He recently died on July 2, 2014 at the age of 97. He was a true American Hero.

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I found a few Magazine Covers Angelina and Jack were on together. If you want to read the full articles on them in each of the magazines then click on the photo source.

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Since there are so many men in this movie I thought I would spot light a few of them and dive a little deeper into their personal lives by seeing who they are dating or married to.

 

Jack O'Connell {Louis Zamperini}

 

You may recognize Jack from several movies and a certain British TV show "Skins". He was in "300: Rise of an Empire" , "Starred Up" , "Eden Lake" and "This is England". He has a few upcoming films next year: "Tulip Fever" (where he meet the girl he is rumored to dating now fellow actor: Cara Delevingne), "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" and "Money Monster". 

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Garrett Hedlund {John Fitzgerald}

 

You will remember him from "Tron" , "Four Brothers" , "Troy" , and "Death Sentence" . And his upcoming films are: "Mojave" , "Pan" (playing Hook), "War on Everyone" and the next untitled Tron Sequel. He is also dating the famous Kirsten Dunst for many years now. Love her! 

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Jai Courtney {Cup}

 

Okay I know you are thinking right now where have I seen him. Just think lots of piercing and you might remember him playing "Eric" in "Divergent" . He was also is "A Good Day to Die Hard" , "Jack Reacher" and "I, Frankenstein". He has a bunch of upcoming projects: "The Water Diviner" , the much anticipated "Insurgent" (which I will do a Book to Movie post on), and "Terminator Genisys". He was dating Gemma Pranita up until a couple of days ago so it looks like he is a single man again ladies. But who knows the real truth I think this is all speculation as of lately. 

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Domhnall Gleeson {Phil}

 

You may first think of Domhnall in the Harry Potter Movies playing Bill Weasley but he has recently been in "About Time" with actor Rachel McAdams (whom he is not dating) and really I looked really hard to find out who he was dating and I couldn't find the answer so if you know let me know in the comments and I will update his status. Other movies are "True Grit" and "Frank". He does have a few upcoming films coming out next year: "Brooklyn" , "Ex Machina" , "The Revenant" and he is going to be in the next "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens".

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Finn Wittrock {Mac}

 

You would have seen Finn in "Noah" , "Winter's Tale" , soap opera "All My Children" and currently in "American Horror Story". His upcoming projects are: "My All American" and rumored to star in  "The Submarine Kid" plus his work on TV show "American Horror Story".

Finn recently married long time girlfriend Sarah Roberts in a surprise wedding in October of this year. 

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Laura Hillenbrand {Author}

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Laura Hillenbrand (born 1967) is the author of the acclaimed Seabiscuit: An American Legend, a non-fiction account of the career of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, for which she won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2001. The book later became the basis of the 2003 movie Seabiscuit. Her essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Equus magazine, American Heritage, The Blood-Horse, Thoroughbred Times, The Backstretch, Turf and Sport Digest, and many other publications. Her 1998 American Heritage article on the horse Seabiscuit won the Eclipse Award for Magazine Writing.
Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Hillenbrand studied at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, but was forced to leave before graduation when she contracted chronic fatigue syndrome, which she has struggled with ever since. She now lives in Washington, D.C.

Movie Trailer

 

 

 

Do you want to see more Book to Movie Posts?

Still Alice
American Sniper

Into the Woods

Unbroken

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Before I Go to Sleep

Gone Girl

The Maze Runner

If I Stay

The Giver

Have a fun time at the movies! Leave your review in the comments.

xoxo,

Kellie

 

 

A Memorial Day Tribute--Four Books to Honor Those Who Serve

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Happy Memorial Day! Today we honor all those who have served or are currently serving for our county and freedom. Today especially, we send you and your families our sincere gratitude.

At Delicious Reads we've read some amazing and inspiring books over the years (2013 Picks, 2012 Picks, 2011 Picks, 2010 Picks, 2009 Picks). Many of these books explore various perspectives of people who have fought for their beliefs. Today I'd like to highlight four of them.

One of my all-time favorite books--and I've read a ton--is Unbroken," by Laura Hillenbrand.

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"Unbroken"is the epic story of WWII hero and survivor, Louis Zamperini (mild spoiler alert for the rest of the paragraph). As a young man Louis competed in the Berlin Olympics right before WWII broke out. He served as a bombardier until his plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean where his resilient spirit and positive attitude fueled his fight to survive. After an unimaginable 47 days, Louis made it to shore and was immediately captured as a POW by the Japanese Navy. He endured unthinkable atrocities, specifically at the hand of one of Douglas MacArthur's 40 Most Wanted War Criminals, a man known as The Bird. Louis Zamperini's attitude about everything he went through is one of the most courageous and inspiring things I've ever come across.

"Unbroken"is mesmerizing, humbling and life-changing. Everyone should read this book. It will make you see the world differently.

I'm so excited that Unbroken is being turned into a movie scheduled for release at the end of the 2014! Angelina Jolie is directing the Coen Brother's adaptation of the book. Tom Brokaw sat down with Angelina and Louis last month to discuss:

Here's the Summary of our Discussion about "Unbroken."

Here's the Picture Recap of "Unbroken." 

Another book we read this year also took place during WWII and was just released as a major motion picture. "Monument's Men," by Robert M. Edsel is the story of special forces chosen to locate, protect and preserve cultural artifacts during WWII. This story focuses on six men and their quest to preserve artwork from the Nazis.

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Here's the Summary of our Discussion about "Monuments Men."
Here's the Picture Recap of "Monuments Men."

Last year I moderated our discussion of a book that became very dear to me, "Between Shades of Gray," by Ruta Sepetes (not to be confused with Fifty Shades of Grey)...

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This book is an amazing story about a brave Lithuanian girl named Lina. She and her mother and brother are separated from her father and forced under Stalin's orders to work in the coldest camp in Siberia. Lina documents their harrowing 6500 mile journey with secret artwork that she tries smuggle to her father's camp to let him know they are still alive. The book is based on the experiences of the author's family which made it even more chilling.

Here's the summary of our Discussion about "Between Shades of Gray."
Here's the Picture Recap of "Between Shades of Gray,"

The last book I want to highlight for Memorial Day is "The Book Thief," by Markus Zusak.

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The Book Thief has a very different twist of perspective--it is narrated by Death. It's the story of a young foster girl named Liesel in Nazi Germany who decides to steal books as part of her quest. She shares these books with the Jewish man who is hiding in her basement. It's a captivating and touching story that will leave its mark on your heart. It has also been made into a major motion picture:

To all those who have served or are currently serving in the military and their families--a sincere thank you. Thank you for being so courageous and nobel. We honor and remember you today.

Your Writerly Ranter,
Brooke