Comments/Suggestions:
THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS is a touching and painfully detailed account of
life in Harlem for a poor boy on the streets. The autobiography is at once
historically revealing, engaging and uplifting. By mixing in rich details with
an amazing story and a heartfelt honesty, this book has genuine potential for
adaptation. If the author chooses to pursue adapting this story, it should almost
certainly be into film. There is a great deal of information in the book, and
it could potentially be extended into a TV series, but that would require
additional work and more content. THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS could also work in theater which would allow the story to engage audiences more directly and
personally, as well as use more of the omniscient narration so prominent in the
book.
Nonetheless, the book is best
suited for adaptation into a film, primarily because of its structure and
length.The primary strength of the book is the amazing narrative, filled with
stories so unique and original that they quite obviously come from reality. The
attention to detail and insight about his surroundings allows Thomas to
recreate a world few people are familiar with, the inner workings of Harlem’s
historically vicious gangs. These stories can easily be translated into a
compelling screenplay and will consistently engage and entertain audiences,
both for their humor and graphic violence.
Another great quality of the book is its complex, rich, and
unpredictable characters. The main character, for instance, is torn between his
feelings of guilt, love, fear, desire, and anger, which cause him to make a
host of unpredictable decisions. He wrestles with his emotions and choices,
squaring off against friends and family while still sticking to a moral code
and inner-compass that always seems logical, if sometimes misguided. And these
qualities are true of the supporting characters that surround him, primarily
his loving mother, who never gives up her faith in God or him. Though Thomas
comes to view life differently in the end, his journey of change is one of the
more incredible ones to read about, especially because it is a true story. Actors
will be fighting to play the various lead roles in this film, since the
characters are so rich as to potentially lead to Oscar nominations.
This story is very compelling and will likely find financing, in part
because it does not demand a high budget. These facts will help attach actors
and producers, who will recognize in THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS the critical and box
office success of similar films, such as the recent PRECIOUS. This book has
genuine potential and should be considered for adaptation into a feature film.