Pleasantly surprised

Having read the book The Shipping News I was really surprised to see Kevin Spacey in the lead role of Quoile. The chap in the book was a BIG man, which was part of his insecurity, and Kevin Spacey although not skin a bones is not quite chunky enough. I had pictured more of a John Goodman sized chap. But I loved it. The scenery was beautiful in its bleakness, the characters were perfect in those surroundings and looked as if they belonged to the landscape and the feeling of the book was captured on the screen. It’s a shame that more of the family past was not explored but that is the nature of film, I suppose you just can't include everything. Whether someone who hasn't read the book could follow it without seeing it a couple of times I don't know, but try it it's a lovely story.