The Big Picture Known as one of the bleakest post-apocalyptic stories out there, The Road is also one of Cormac McCarthy's finest works. Released in 2006, the novel received a coveted Pulitzer Prize for Fiction the following year, and it wasn't long before Hollywood swept the tale up for itself. In 2009, a film adaptation by director John Hillcoat, from an adapted screenplay by Joe Penhall, brought the harrowing tragedy to life.
Because of these changes, some have noted that the general atmosphere of McCarthy's prose crackles differently on the page than it does on screen. While the filmmakers certainly did their due diligence in bringing the author's words to life, renowned film critic Roger Ebertwas right in pointing out that the film "lacks the same core of emotional feeling.
Viggo Mortensen's Movie Ends More Optimistically Than Cormac McCarthy's Book There are other differences between the original material and the theatrical adaptation, of course. The man's ultimate resting place in the book is at their campsite in the woods, as opposed to his final moments on the beach in the film. But in both cases, his last back-and-forth with his son is heartbreaking, and it leaves the viewer and/or the reader in an absolute mess.