for the rigidness of its style and a lack of character development, something that Didion herself addressed in the novel, writing in the voice of her narrator, "I lost patience somewhat later with the conventions of the craft, with exposition, with transitions, with the development and revelation of character". Marie Arana-Ward, writing for The Washington Post, commented that despite this self-reflection, Didion was able to use her characters to reflect the realities of the time and parody the typical American male novel. Film adaptation In September 2017, it was announced Dee Rees would direct an adaptation of the film, from a screenplay by Rees and Marco Villalobos. Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe, and Ben Affleck star in the film, with Netflix distributing. It received a limited theatrical opening on February 14, 2020, before being released on Netflix on February 21, 2020. References External links Book page on official website 1996 American novels Novels by Joan Didion Alfred A. Knopf books Novels about journalists Novels set in Central America American novels adapted into films