“Never give an inch” was the motto of the Stamper family–and live it they did!

Recognize that tagline? Well, keep it in mind the next time you play Scene It with your friends. That was the line for the 1971 film Sometimes A Great Notion, directed by and starring Paul Newman. Sharing the title with Kesey’s book in the US, the same film was called Never Give an Inch in the UK due to the abbreviated nature of the adaptation. If you enjoyed the play or are planning to see it at PCS, you might like to check the film out, too. It is a distinctly different adaptation from Aaron Posner’s stage version–the two versions combined and contrasted lend insight and unique perspective on this remarkable story.

We’ve done some of the groundwork for you, in fact, and tracked down a couple of our local, independent video rental stores that stock the film. Of these, Trilogy Video on NW 23rd and Thurman has featured the film (and the PCS play!) on their website. Check it out, or drop into the store to learn more! Movie Madness on SE Belmont is another great location that stocks the film, in case you live closer to that side of Portland.

The screenplay for this film is a completely different adaptation of the book than Aaron Posner’s brand new stage adaptation. Want some more information on the film version? The linked IMDB page has plenty of details, and some interesting trivia. Did you know that SAGN was the very first film shown on HBO when the service first aired in 1972? Truth!

Thanks to the folks at Trilogy for featuring PCS news on their website this month! Though of course we think the play is the thing, we encourage all interested parties to look into book, film, and stage versions and feel good about this remarkable product of Pacific Northwest culture.

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