Southampton Playhouse Presents: MY BOOK BECAME A MOVIE – The Friend

My Book Became a Movie is the Playhouse’s ongoing series featuring authors whose work has been adapted for the big screen. For this inaugural edition, acclaimed novelist Sigrid Nunez joins us for a Q&A following the Southampton premiere of The Friend, a poignant drama starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray.

Adapted from Nunez’s 2018 novel, the movie follows New York writer Iris (Watts) as she contends with the recent loss of her close friend and mentor (Murray). When she finds out that he has bequeathed his Great Dane to her, Iris embarks on a soulful journey to reconcile her past and present while searching for meaning in her art. Dog lovers will adore this story of canine catharsis, while others will revel in the tender performances from two actors at the top of their game.

Hailed by the New York Times as a “smart, affecting feature with sly nods to big-screen New York romances,” The Friend is one of two satisfying adaptations of Nunez’s work to come out earlier this year, as it followed on the heels of Pedro Almodovar’s first English-language feature, The Room Next Door, which draws from Nunez’s 2020 novel What Are You Going Through. Both movies reflect the emotional clarity of Nunez’s storytelling and her ability to mine warmth from characters learning to make the most of their circumstances.

Nunez will join Artistic Director Eric Kohn for a Q&A after the screening.