Oftentimes when movie plots are derived from books some of what made the book so intriguing
gets lost in translation, and that is the case with Verity, the film based on the popular novel by
Colleen Hoover. Directed by Michael Showalter and adapted by Nick Antosca, Verity stars Anne Hathaway as Verity Crawford, a successful mystery novelist whose characters tend to be evil and
unredeemable.
Verity seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a handsome husband, Jeremy, played by
Josh Hartnett, and fraternal twins. But back-to-back tragedies tear her world apart. First, her
daughter drowns in a canoeing accident. Then Verity herself is badly injured in a car accident,
leaving her unable to walk or talk and requiring full-time care at home.
Enter Lowen Ashleigh, played by Dakota Johnson. She is also a mystery novelist, but far less
successful. Struggling financially and grieving the recent death of her mother, Lowen is
approached by Jeremy to ghostwrite three novels based on Verity’s unpublished notes and ideas.
Lowen initially hesitates, but the money is too tempting to pass up. She agrees to move into the
Crawfords’ Vermont home with Jeremy, Verity, their remaining child, Crew, and Verity’s nurse,
Anna.
As Lowen digs through Verity’s notes, she begins uncovering unsettling things about the author
herself. Even more disturbing, Verity appears to have moments when she is far more functional
than she should be. But why is Lowen the only one who notices? Is Verity hiding something, or is Lowen becoming delusional herself?
The film takes a while to get to the crux of the plot. There are scenes that could have been
trimmed, and Dakota Johnson’s portrayal of Lowen feels somewhat muddled. At times she is
overly timid, at others, suddenly strong and forthright.
I was also disappointed with how little the film does with Anna, Verity’s nurse, played by Irina
Dvorovenko. In the book, she has much more of a Mrs. Danvers quality—think Daphne du
Maurier’s novel Rebecca. Here, she is mostly relegated to giving updates on Verity, shopping and
leaving. And, the film overdoes the sex scenes. The sexual tension between the characters is
already apparent without quite so much emphasis. However, Josh Hartnett does a splendid job as
Jeremy, the beleaguered husband and father. He keeps you guessing about his true intentions.
But the film’s shining performance belongs to Anne Hathaway. Her Verity is intense and fierce, a
woman capable of creating truly evil fictional characters from a very dark place. There is
something unnerving about her every time she appears on screen. Like Jeremy, she keeps you
guessing about who she really is.
Overall, Verity is a good mystery-suspense film that should satisfy viewers looking for a few
thrills. But if you’ve read the book, be prepared for a little lost in translation.
For the KSQD Film Gang: Molly Sullivan.