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CNN Live Today

Interview With Frances Mays

Aired September 26, 2003 - 11:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: "Under the Tuscan Sun" opens theaters tonight. The film charts the journey of Frances Mays, played by Diane Lane as she rehabs a Tuscan villa, and in a sense, also does that with her life. The movie is loosely based on the memoir by Frances Mays. The book spent two years on "The New York Times" best seller list. It's getting new attention now that the movie is hitting theaters.
Frances Mays divides her time between California and Tuscany. We have hunted her down in one half of her home and that is the Bay Area. And she joins us this morning from San Francisco. Good morning, Ms. May. A pleasure to have you with us.

FRANCES MAYS, AUTHOR, "UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN": Good morning. Bonjourno.

KAGAN: Bonjourno.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: So many fans of your book. I know when it came out I was standing in a book store, and a woman handed it to me and said you have to read this book. I know a lot of those fans will see the movie but not a lot is in common between the book and the movie. They are two very different stories.

MAYS: The book and movie are quite different, but oddly enough the underlying spirit of the movie is very much the same as the book. When I look at the movie I definitely recognize the structure of the book and kind of all the motifs that play into it.

KAGAN: It's so interesting to hear you be supportive of that, because so many authors when they see their books turned into a movie, it can be like nails on a chalk board to see one word changed. The Atlanta paper here says the only things in common, there's Italy, a villa and a recipe for lemon chicken. Otherwise there's not much in common.

MAYS: There's quite a bit more than that. I still recognize the story as my story. But my book is a memoir, and memoirs don't have the same kind of plots that movies have. So it was necessary to add dramatic events, and a lot more comedy, I think.

The movie reminds me very much of something like "Roman Holiday" or "Three Coins in a Fountain." It's a fun movie, and it does capture the sense of being in Italy as well.

KAGAN: And that spirit of rebirth, which is definitely in the book and movie. And also a woman's story, which I don't think we see enough of out there.

MAYS: Yes, we love that aspect of the movie. The director/screen writer Audrey Wells, the star, Diane Lane and I, all women, made this movie. That was just very exciting part of it.

KAGAN: You have to tell me what was it like to be on the set in Tuscany, on this movie set watching Diane Lane, this huge movie star, playing you in a movie?

MAYS: It's almost surreal to have a movie made about your life when you are not a sports star and not dead. So it was very exciting.

KAGAN: You are neither but quite the successful author. You have gone on to write more. I know you have many fans of your own. We wish you well with the book. Good luck with additional sales of that. Frances Mays, thank you.

MAYS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired September 26, 2003 - 11:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: "Under the Tuscan Sun" opens theaters tonight. The film charts the journey of Frances Mays, played by Diane Lane as she rehabs a Tuscan villa, and in a sense, also does that with her life. The movie is loosely based on the memoir by Frances Mays. The book spent two years on "The New York Times" best seller list. It's getting new attention now that the movie is hitting theaters.
Frances Mays divides her time between California and Tuscany. We have hunted her down in one half of her home and that is the Bay Area. And she joins us this morning from San Francisco. Good morning, Ms. May. A pleasure to have you with us.

FRANCES MAYS, AUTHOR, "UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN": Good morning. Bonjourno.

KAGAN: Bonjourno.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: So many fans of your book. I know when it came out I was standing in a book store, and a woman handed it to me and said you have to read this book. I know a lot of those fans will see the movie but not a lot is in common between the book and the movie. They are two very different stories.

MAYS: The book and movie are quite different, but oddly enough the underlying spirit of the movie is very much the same as the book. When I look at the movie I definitely recognize the structure of the book and kind of all the motifs that play into it.

KAGAN: It's so interesting to hear you be supportive of that, because so many authors when they see their books turned into a movie, it can be like nails on a chalk board to see one word changed. The Atlanta paper here says the only things in common, there's Italy, a villa and a recipe for lemon chicken. Otherwise there's not much in common.

MAYS: There's quite a bit more than that. I still recognize the story as my story. But my book is a memoir, and memoirs don't have the same kind of plots that movies have. So it was necessary to add dramatic events, and a lot more comedy, I think.

The movie reminds me very much of something like "Roman Holiday" or "Three Coins in a Fountain." It's a fun movie, and it does capture the sense of being in Italy as well.

KAGAN: And that spirit of rebirth, which is definitely in the book and movie. And also a woman's story, which I don't think we see enough of out there.

MAYS: Yes, we love that aspect of the movie. The director/screen writer Audrey Wells, the star, Diane Lane and I, all women, made this movie. That was just very exciting part of it.

KAGAN: You have to tell me what was it like to be on the set in Tuscany, on this movie set watching Diane Lane, this huge movie star, playing you in a movie?

MAYS: It's almost surreal to have a movie made about your life when you are not a sports star and not dead. So it was very exciting.

KAGAN: You are neither but quite the successful author. You have gone on to write more. I know you have many fans of your own. We wish you well with the book. Good luck with additional sales of that. Frances Mays, thank you.

MAYS: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com