Home › Books made into movies › Ironweed
Ironweed (1987): Film vs Book
Film · 1987 · Directed by Hector Babenco · Starring Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep
About the film
A homeless man in Albany wanders through memories of his past.
How close is it to the book?
Close to the bookIt follows the book's tone and main events with strong lead performances.
Read or watch first?
The novel's prose has a rough poetry that the film can only suggest.
What the book gives you
Ironweed by William Kennedy
A powerful, deeply humane portrait of a man facing his past over three days.
Who will like it: Readers who like gritty, poetic stories of a drifter's return home.