From The Hunger Games to The Help, book-to-film adaptations are popping up regularly in theaters. One of the latest novels to be given the big screen treatment is Deborah Moggach's 2004 novel These Foolish Things. If the book's title doesn't sounds familiar, the name of the film might, as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
In the book, Ravi Kapoor, a London doctor, is at his wits' end, as he can no longer emotionally and financially continue to take care of his difficult father-in-law Norman. This gives his entrepreneurial cousin, Sonny, the idea to open up a retirement home in his native India for retired and cash-strapped British seniors to spend their golden years.
Ravi convinces his father-in-law to go, promising him that he'll be popular with women in India. Joining Norman to live in The Dunroamin (renamed The Marigold Hotel in the film), include: Evelyn, who doesn't want to be a burden to her family, Madge the merry widow and Evelyn and her despondent husband, Douglas. Upon their arrival at The Dunroamin, a run down converted guesthouse, these elderly English ex-pats each embark on a personal journey of adventure and self-discovery in India.
British author Deborah Moggach has authored 16 novels in a successful writing career that spans over 30 years. Moggach has also written numerous screenplays, including 2005's adaption of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Donald Sutherland.
Moggach recently told the blog Word and Film the inspiration for the book stemmed from her own thoughts surrounding life, post-retirement.
"We all know that the developed world has an ageing population and there’s not enough money to pay for us all—we're living too damn long and we're going to bankrupt our economy. Mulling this over, I had an idea: We outsource everything else, so why not outsource the elderly? India struck me as the perfect place."
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, directed by John Madden, stars a wealth of British acting royalty including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy.