Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
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Image:Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil cover.jpg Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a book by John Berendt, and a movie directed by Clint Eastwood based loosely on Berendt's story.
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The Book
"The Book," as it is often referred to in its setting of Savannah, Georgia, is atmospheric and Southern Gothic in tone, depicting eccentric Savannah personalities. The plot is propelled by the investigation of the shooting of hustler Danny Hansford (characterized as "a good time not yet had by all") by his 'boyfriend', respected art dealer Jim Williams, an event which resulted in four murder trials. The murder took place in Williams' home, originally built by an ancestor of songwriter and Savannah native Johnny Mercer. Although the two are linked sexually, it's unclear what kind of relationship was shared between them. The book also highlights many other residents of Savannah, most notably The Lady Chablis - a local drag queen and entertainer.
The book, John Berendt's first, was a The New York Times bestseller for 216 weeks following its debut. Despite sounding fictional, the book's plot is based on real-life events that occurred in the 1980s and is classified as nonfiction. The book is among the most popular non-fiction releases of all time. However, it is important to note that much of this text is, in fact, fictional and has been highly altered. This is noted by Berendt himself in the Author's Word, which is presented at the end of the book. Berendt himself came to Savannah a year after the original crime occurred and first met Jim Williams in prison after Williams' first conviction. This is exceptionally different from the opening half of the text - where Berendt presents himself as a central character in Savannah's citizen's lives, describing himself as being present for conversations which could never have occurred. This is incredibly important for a reader to remember, so they are not led to believe that this is completely "non-fictional". Many of the incidents and people are indeed based in reality, but much of the novel is fictional or fictionalized.
The title alludes to the Voodoo notion of "midnight"--the period between the time for good magic and the time for evil magic--in "the garden of good and evil," which refers principally to the Bonaventure Cemetery. The famous bird-girl statue--originally designed both as art and as a birdseed holder--was originally located at Bonaventure. As of July 2005 the Bird Girl Statue has been relocated for display to the Telfair Museum in Savannah.
Critics
Reviews of the film were generally mixed. Some fans of the novel were unhappy with changes made in the film version. Some felt that the film sensationalized and exploited the gay and transvestite characters for mere shock value, or that the Libertarian views of director Clint Eastwood were displayed in the film. The film's box office performance was ultimately disappointing.
The film is available on a DVD special edition that includes cast and crew talent files, a tour of Savannah with on-screen historical text, and some brief film clips from local residents.
See also
- The City of Falling Angels is John Berendt's second book.