John Steinbeck's classic novel, "Of Mice and Men," was written in 1937 and has been critically praised ever since. Born in Salinas, California on February 27th, 1902, Steinbeck has written numerous masterpieces of fiction, including, "The Grapes of Wrath" and "East of Eden." His literature was greatly influenced by his hometown of Salinas and the surrounding areas, where much of his works took place. .
" "Of Mice and Men" has been adapted for film several times, including a version directed by Gary Sinise in 1992. In its opening week, the movie grossed nearly $100,000, which was considered successful for a non-blockbuster film. Gary Sinise, was born in Blue Island, Illinois ch 17, 1955. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for his role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor in "Forrest Gump" and won a Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a TV Movie for his role in "Truman.".
The '92 film version of "Of Mice and Men," was well done in every regard, but many things were different from the book. The story centers around two men, Lennie Small and George Milton, who are both on the hunt for a job - any job. Lennie is a strong man, who can easily handle manual labor, but is very intellectually challenged. His Aunt Clara raised him and took care of him until her death. When she passed away, responsibility for Lennie was passed on to George.
Lennie and George found work in Weed, California, but when Lennie innocently reached out and touched a girl's dress, she accused him of raping her. Lennie actually just likes touching soft things, and has a history of accidentally killing small animals by petting them too hard. After being chased out of Weed, they had to find new jobs. They eventually came to a ranch down in Salinas Valley, where they would work bucking barley. The ranch boss's son, Curley, is a very contentious man who often gets into fights. Curley is unhappily married to a woman with a reputation for flirting with the ranch hands.
