It’s not easy writing book characters that leave a lasting impression on readers — especially when a character isn’t human.
For former Tacoma resident and best-selling author Shelby Van Pelt, creating such a character was one of the primary challenges of “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” It’s safe to say her efforts paid off: The 2022 novel’s new movie adaptation, starring Oscar winner Sally Field, is now available to stream on Netflix.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” follows Tova (Field), a widow and cleaner at a local aquarium in the fictional Washington town of Sowell Bay. Haunted by the loss of her son 30 years earlier, Tova befriends Cameron (Lewis Pullman), a young drifter who begins working with her after arriving in town in search of a dad he never knew.
While Tova is reserved publicly, she often shares her woes and juicy gossip left over from her knitting group, “the Knit-Wits,” with the aquarium’s highly intelligent resident giant Pacific octopus, Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina).
“(He) just has the perfect combination of sort of like, wise, a little bit like cranky and curmudgeonly, but ultimately also very warm,” Van Pelt said of Molina, who’s no stranger to octopus-related roles. “It just is the perfect choice for Marcellus.”
As much the heart of the film as he is in the book — a trait often credited for the novel’s popularity — Marcellus anchors both Tova and Cameron. Serving as a narrator who knows more than he can communicate, Marcellus is unabashed with his thoughts and feelings, both in the book and in the movie, about his captivity and his efforts to help Tova.
That sort of perspective isn’t usually explored in adult-oriented entertainment, which usually reserves an animal’s point of view for children’s media.
“There’s something really freeing about sort of shedding the human perspective,” Van Pelt said. “Once you step outside of humanity, you can comment on humanity a little bit more thoughtfully, which is exactly what Marcellus does. In the story, he almost holds the humans to a higher standard than we hold ourselves to.”
When it comes to book-to-film adaptations, many authors take a hands-off approach. Van Pelt, however, was involved early in the project and spent a week in Vancouver, B.C., during its production. “I wanted to be involved as much as they would let me,” she said.
Van Pelt’s involvement went beyond giving script notes, getting an executive producer credit, and hanging out behind the scenes. The author also got a chance to be in the film with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. (Eagle-eyed viewers: look out for Van Pelt during a bar scene when Cameron joins an open-mic night.)
The author has seen the finished film more than once but continues to find herself in tears every time she watches it.
“(At the premiere) I told myself, ‘You will not cry and mess up your beautiful makeup.’ And I knew exactly at which point I was probably going to cry,” Van Pelt said. “… I made it through (a part of the film) without crying, and I was so proud of myself. And then, literally, two minutes later in another scene, it got me, and I had tears coming down my face. It was very emotional to see.”
Van Pelt hopes “Remarkably Bright Creatures”’ story resonates with audiences — both in literary and cinematic form.
“It’s just really a story about how you can make a change later in life, and it’s never too late to do that,” Van Pelt said. “… (Marcellus) goes from sort of barely tolerating humans to really caring about them.… It’s really never too late to change.”
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” is now streaming on Netflix.