Despite his place as one of our most cherished authors, Philip Roth adaptations have not been well-received for the most part. Films such as The Humbling, Elegy, and The Human Stain had great casts and talent behind the camera yet were pretty forgettable. Ewan McGregor hopes to change that with American Pastoral, and he's taken matters into his own hands by making it his directorial debut.
The first trailer has arrived for McGregor's take on what many consider Roth's masterpiece. He pulls double duty by also starring as Seymour "Swede" Levov, a 1950s father and former high school athlete who sees his way of life changing when his leftist daughter commits an act of political terrorism. Dakota Fanning plays the daughter, Merry, while Jennifer Connelly is McGregor's wife, Dawn. Rupert Evans, David Strathairn, Molly Parker, and Orange is the New Black's Uzo Aduba co-star.
American Pastoral opens October 21st and will expand from there. This is just one of two promising Roth adaptations coming out this year. The second is Indignation which stars Logan Lerman and debuted at Sundance. It's scheduled to open next month.
