Book to Big Screen: Atonement

More than 70 Concordia and McGill alumni and friends packed Concordia’s York Amphitheatre on May 11 for the latest Book to Big Screen event.

This time,  the focus was on Atonement: The prize-nominated novel by Ian McEwan and the award-winning film of the same name that it inspired, directed by Joe Wright.

Guests were greeted with a snack and a smile before settling in for a screening of the movie. Afterwards, moderator Ann Vroom invited guests to comment on the adaptation; they were eager to discuss the differences between the two media and the depth of the main characters.

Anna Lepine from John Abbott College and McGill University’s Peter Gibian served as facilitators.

Discussion facilitators

• Peter Gibian, an associate professor at McGill’s Department of English, and
• Anna Lepine, MA 01, an instructor in the English department at John Abbott College
• Moderator: Ann Vroom, an educational advancement consultant

Book to Big Screen is a joint initiative of the Concordia University Alumni Association and the McGill Alumni Association.

Information: melanie.gudgeon@concordia.ca, 514-848-2424, ext. 7030

About Atonement

Atonement is a 2007 film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel of the same name. Directed by Joe Wright, with a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, it stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan.

When Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old aspiring writer, witnesses an encounter between her older sister and a young man on whom Briony has a crush, she misinterprets what is happening. Her subsequent actions set into motion a series of events that has lasting repercussions for them all.

The film won an Oscar for Best Original Score at the 80th Academy Awards and was nominated in six other categories, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan). Atonement won Best Film of the Year and the Production Design award at the 61st British Academy Film Awards.