Proof

Proof is one of those plays that was so freakin' incredible when I saw it back in 2003. It's an amazing play, maybe more so for someone who has an interest in theoretical math (even if said person doesn't entirely understand, say, theoretical math), and somewhat reminiscent of Arcadia, which I saw (and was completely frakin' blown away by it off-Broadway, I mean, just look at the cast of the 1995 performance: Billy Crudup, Blair Brown, Victor Garber, Robert Sean Leonard, Paul Giamatti, Havilland Morris (in both Sixteen Candles and Gremlins 2!)). That said, the play is incredible, but the opening-up of the play into the movie doesn't work nearly as well as it should have. The actual dialogue directly from the play is quite good, but the band scene was completely unneeded, as were the scenes outside of the house and yard. I know very few plays that get significantly expanded from their stage origins and work well. Or at least the expansions feel remotely right. Good plays have good dialogue and good acting. Same thing with movies. Just because you usually don't have that many sets doesn't make expanding the film into many different sets more cinematic. Proof is one of my favorite plays I've ever seen, so even if the film isn't nearly as good, that so much of it was kept means it's still quite a worthwhile film. Scarily, it almost makes me want to see The Lake House. And then I come to my senses.