Anybody else catch Jesse Stone: Sea Change last night?

[Waltstasz]

I thought it was very good.

[eegorr]

I thought it was very good.

I agree. It was an excellent story, and well acted as well. Though, I must say, I did figure out the ending shortly before it was revealed. I won't say any more except that it was an excellent twist!

Also, I couldn't help but think back to the MPI episode Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts when Jesse was sitting vigil in the hospital room with Suitcase in a coma, especially when Suit finally snapped out of it!

I'm going to watch it again tonight. My wife wasn't home when it originally ran and she wants to see it.

BTW, I forgot to mention that, in his appearance on the Early Show yesterday, hSelleck said that in agreeing to do the "show on another network" (Vegas), he made sure he would be able to do another Jesse Stone movie, which they are already working on.

[Shermy]

I haven't seen Night Passage, but this was probably my favorite one yet. What I really liked was the premise, and the way Jesse became involved in the case. It somehow made it more believable that this could really happen in such a quiet town.

Ironically, this is apparently the first film to seriously deviate from the book. The book actually centers around the subplot of sex crimes among the visiting yacht owners! They did give away the ending a little early, although not the unexpected way it would be resolved. It will be interesting to see which characters return in the next one.

[SelleckLover]

I agree with you Shermy. They did deviate quite a bit from the book, but I think they did a good job. I don't think that there was any way they could have included all the sub-plots that were in the book in only 2 hours, well, it was actually 88 minutes. You get 22 minutes to devote to your show for every 30 minutes of air time.

BTW, guys...I video taped this movie, so if anyone missed it and wants to see it, I will be happy to send you a copy of it, if you want to email me your snail-mail address. (My husband made me 3 copies.) Included is an interview with TS on our local news, here in the Los Angeles area that followed the movie. He talks about his career, marriage, and baseball.

[rubber chicken]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Bridge on the River Kwai reference in Sea Change.

Jesse Stone asks a girl working as a motel cleaning lady "Are you happy in your work?" and goes on to explain that the Japanese prison camp commander in The Bridge on the River Kwai keeps telling the "miserable starving prisoners to be happy in your work."

Of course fans know how much The Bridge on the River Kwai was touched on in different ways in Magnum P.I. A little thing, but it was an unexpected link.

[eegorr]

Also, I couldn't help but think back to the MPI episode Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts when Jesse was sitting vigil in the hospital room with Suitcase in a coma, especially when Suit finally snapped out of it!

I'm surprised nobody else has commented on this. If it was not an intentional reference to Magnum's coma and the way he came out of it, it was an amazing coincidence.

[IslandHopper]

This is only my second Jesse Stone movie (Stone Cold is the other). I enjoyed this movie very much. I don't know how much Tom Selleck had to do with the casting, but I like the way that he uses many of the same actors in many of his movies. In Sea Change, James Gammon played the retired security guard and William DeVane plays Jesse Stone's mentor/psychologist. These two actors have also played in Selleck's previous movie "Monte Walsh" (2003-western).

If you haven't seen Tom Selleck's made for TV westerns, i.e., The Sackets, The Shadow Riders, The Last Stand at Saber River, and more recently Cross Fire Trail and Monte Walsh, make a point to check these out because they are very well done and entertaining. You see many of the same actors in some of those movies.

Rubberchicken mentioned the "Bridge On The River Kwai" reference. I was actually very surprised by the reference considering that the Jesse Stone character was asking an 18 year old if she had seen that movie. I don't think most 18 year-olds (male or female) have even heard of that movie. Was that reference in the book?

For those of you that have read the books, how do they compare to the Jesse Stone movies? Whenever I read a book which is later made into a movie (John Grisham for example), I am usually very disappointed with the movie. So, lately I have been watching the movies first and then I read the books.

[grapeshot]

I enjoyed reading the books, but I think the movies do a more than adequate job of translating them. Given that there's simply not enough money or time to film every plot detail or bit of dialog from a novel, the movies capture the spirit of the characters in the book extremely well, and boils down the plots to the essentials without sacrificing coherency. This recent movie is probably takes the least from the book, and substitutes an entirely new mystery for it's primary story.

I actually prefer the movies to the books. The entire cast of characters seem better developed in the movies, and therefore are more interesting. (It is my opinion that Robert Parker's characters are all much the same type, and although his books are interesting, I sometimes yearn for a little variety.) Also, in the movies, the town of Paradise itself is almost a character in its own right. But, I am always more interested in characterization rather than in the mechanics of the plot, and some people may feel that by not sticking closer to the plots that they're being cheated of the best part of the books. Personally, I also enjoy the variations in the stories that the movie introduces -- that way I don't already know exactly whodunnit.

[Shermy]

I recently picked up Stone Cold, and was surprised at how well the film had adapted the plot. One major difference in the book is that Jesse's ex-wife also lives in Boston and sees him regularly. I think they made the right decision by keeping her in L.A. (and offscreen) for the films, as it probably would've been too convoluted otherwise.

[eegorr]

Also, I couldn't help but think back to the MPI episode Infinity and Jelly Doughnuts when Jesse was sitting vigil in the hospital room with Suitcase in a coma, especially when Suit finally snapped out of it!

I'm surprised nobody else has commented on this. If it was not an intentional reference to Magnum's coma and the way he came out of it, it was an amazing coincidence.

A question to those who read the book: was this part of the movie faithful to it, or did they take some liberties?

[Shermy]

I went ahead and read Sea Change, and neither the "Bridge" reference or coma subplot were included. I think it's safe to say that both may have been subtle in-jokes for Magnum fans. In fact, the girl who was raped was hardly in the story at all. She is simply a means for Jesse to be able to search the yacht, after which, she all but disappears from the story.

I also read Trouble In Paradise, which had a really great in-joke for Magnum fans. Jesse first meets friend/lover Marcy Campbell at a boring regatta dance. As they survey the crowd, Marcy comments on how unattractive most of the women are. Jesse responds by pointing out, "Well, it's not like they all married Tom Selleck."

[grapeshot]

Good news for fans of the Jesse Stone movies. IMDB reports that this latest movie was among the top ten for that week.

Here's their quote:

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:
1. American Idol (Wednesday), Fox, 17.8/28;
2. Dancing With the Stars (Tuesday), ABC, 15.0/24;
3. American Idol (Tuesday), Fox, 14.9/23;
4. Dancing With the Stars (Monday), ABC, 13.4/22;
5. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS, 9.1/15;
6. NCIS, CBS, 9.0/14;
7. The Bachelor, ABC, 8.6/13;
8. CBS Tuesday Movie: Jesse Stone: Sea Change, CBS, 8.3/13;
8. (Tie) Two and a Half Men, CBS, 8.3/12;
10. Heroes, NBC, 8.0/12;
10. (Tie) Lost, ABC, 8.0/14.

This bodes well for the future of these movies. It is a particularly impressive performance given that it was at least in part up against either American Idol and/or Dancing With The Stars. (My memory of that night's lineup is hazy, but I think at least one of those shows ran two hours, overlapping with the beginning of the Jesse Stone movie.)

I'd like to add a private hooray for the success of a quiet, "un-Hollywoody", made-for-TV-movie up against stiff competition during sweeps month.

Here's the link to the article.

[Shermy]

It was actually #2 in Tuesday's ratings- second only to Dancing with the Stars. In terms of demographics, it did very well with older viewers, but not very good with younger audiences.

But as you said, the network showed a lot of faith in it by scheduling it during sweeps. I think a fifth one is already being planned.

[SelleckLover]

Our Tom Terrific comes through for us again in the ratings! He is awesome!

[J.J. Walters]

Wow, #8 for the week. That's very impressive! It definitely bodes well for future movies!

I myself havn't seen it yet. I'm still waiting to watch 2 and 3 first.