The translation of one of Philip K. Dick’s finest works of literature to film has almost been like one of those old good-luck/bad-luck stories. Hollywood is making a movie of Scanner, one of his most personal and erudite works? That’s terrible. Richard Linklater, director of the utterly Phildickian Waking Life, will be in charge? That’s fantastic! Keanu Reeves, infamous “whoa” boy, will be starring as the main character? That’s terrible. The always excellent Robert Downey Jr. will be playing the quirkiest character from the book? That’s fantastic! You get the idea.

For those not as familiar with the entirety of Dick’s catalogue, much of his work is plagued by cheap prose and a pulp-sci-fi ethos that, while still brilliant, fits far more with his reputation as a cheap sci-fi hack than a literary giant.
A Scanner Darkly, however, is one of those books that really shows that Phil was more than just a hack– he was indeed a genius, an excellent author who struggled to understand the human condition. The book is only very negligibly science fiction; the sci-fi elements take a back seat to the interactions between the characters as they lived their lives under the shadow of “Substance D,” the drug of choice “Seven Years from Now.” How could anyone possibly translate this subtle work into film?

So, with this in mind, and after having read Tim’s not-so-positive review of the film, it was with some trepidation that I purchased my ticket for yesterday’s matinee at Seattle’s Egyptian Theater.

And you know what? I loved it.

It’s a very talkie film, and, as a friend commented afterwards, more like an essay in film than a standard three-act movie. But, if one keeps this in mind, it really works. The thing to remember if you choose to see it is that it’s not a work of science fiction, it’s a very serious drama about addiction from the perspective of both users and those who persecute them, rightly or wrongly.

The cast was especially impressive. Surprisingly, I found Reeves’ performance rather nuanced (I wonder how much of this was due to the animator, of course). Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the perenially tweaked drug nerd Barris steals the show, and his plus-and-minus rapport with Woody Harrelson made their shared scenes a joy to watch (especially considering that neither actor is a stranger to illicit substances).

I also enjoyed the rotoscope technique Linklater used. Contrary to Tim’s analysis, I found that it served to establish the tenuous nature of reality, to ground the viewer in Phil’s Ultimate Question: What is Real? Small glimpses of segments and areas that were left unanimated provide the viewer with questions which must remain unanswered. The animation also allowed for drug-induced hallucinations in a far less contrived manner than any computer effects could have; really, I can’t honestly think of a better method for the translation of PKD’s work into film, and wonder if the same process should be considered for future films based on his work.

Don’t get me wrong; it was far from perfect. There were a couple of minor plot points, and one major one, that deviated from the book, but I didn’t find them too obtrusive. There were also a few scenes where voiceovers were used to a questionable end (and one scene in which the voiceover fit perfectly).

However, it’s one of those movies that, even though you might love it, you can understand why someone else might not. In my opinion, it is by far the absolute finest adaptation of a Dick novel to date. There are no shootouts with killer robots; nobody runs away from a giant explosion. It’s the story, as Dick presented, of a group of people caught up in various bad places. When the next movie based on one of PKD’s stories comes out (an action-filled schlock-fest based on “The Golden Man,” called “Next”), I have a feeling we adherents of the Cult of Kindred will be looking back on “Scanner” with fondness.

Look for a cameo from the illimitable Alex Jones, a friend of Linklater who also appeared in Waking Life. Also, if you keep your eyes peeled in one of the early scenes, you might notice the visage of Phil himself, making his motion picture debut a mere 24 years after his death.