A television adaptation ofThe Correctionsis in the works with Meryl Streep. The 2001 Jonathan Franzen novel covers multiple years in the lives of the Lambert family, namely an elderly married couple and their three adult children. It spans the latter half of the 20th century, leading toward a holiday gathering that is intended to be their final Christmas together before the death of ailing patriatch Alfred. In addition to winning the National Book Award, it was featured as part of Oprah’s Book Club in 2001.
PerVariety,Meryl Streep is attached to star in a television adaptation ofThe Corrections. While the character she will be playing has not been reported, it seems likely she will portray Lambert family matriarch Enid, who is a driving force behind bringing the family together for their final Christmas.
The project, which has moved to CBS Studios after originally being developed at the now shut down Paramount Television Studios, is being adapted by Jonathan Franzen himself. Franzen will also be executive producing alongside wiip’s Mark Roybal and PTVS' Nicole Clemens.There is no network or streamer currently set to air the show, which is about to be taken out to market.
What The Corrections Means For Meryl Streep
The Show Continues The Star’s Move To Television
As a three-time Oscar winner with an additional 18 nominations, movies tend to be what Meryl Streep is best known for. While she has appeared in prestigious miniseries throughout her career including 1978’sHolocaustand 2003’sAngels in America,in recent years she has taken increasingly prominent roles in episodic televisionprojects. This includes playing Nicole Kidman’s mother-in-law Mary Louise Wright inBig Little Liesseason 2 and joining theOnly Murders in the Buildingcastas Martin Short’s love interest (and murder suspect) Loretta Durkin in seasons 3 and 4 of the Hulu whodunit.
Meryl Streep won Oscars for her performances inKramer vs. Kramer,Sophie’s Choice, andThe Iron Lady.
It seems likely that there will still be no shortage ofMeryl Streep moviesgoing forward, as the star has appeared in more than five dozen feature films throughout her career. However,her role inThe Correctionscould present a sea changefor her career. While the show will still be an ensemble piece, she will be a lead rather than a supporting player (as she has been in her previous recent television work), potentially indicating an interest in finding more lead roles in television should the right parts present themselves.
Is Now The Right Time For The Corrections?
The Book Is More Than Two Decades Old
AsThe Correctionswas published at the turn of the millennium,the initial fervor around the novel has died down somewhatin the more than two decades since it originally debuted. However, the mid-2020s might just be the perfect time for the Franzen novel to finally come to the small screen. Miniseries have become more and more prominent in recent years, especially adaptations of popular novels from all genres that have been published in various decades, includingRipley,Lessons in Chemistry,Presumed Innocent,Daisy Jones & the Six,The Underground Railroad,Little Fires Everywhere, andSharp Objects.
The Apple TV+ Scott Turow adaptationPresumed Innocent, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga, was originally designed as a miniseries, though it has since been renewed for season 2.
Jonathan Franzen has also published additional novels since 2001 that havehelped raise his stature in the world of publishing. This includes 2010’sFreedom, which was also an Oprah’s Book Club selection in addition to winning the John Gardner Fiction Award. He most recently published the novelCrossroadsin 2021, which is the first in an intended trilogy titledA Key to All Mythologies.
Our Take On The Corrections With Meryl Streep
The Show Could Finally Bring The Book To The Screen
If the newTV book adaptationgets picked up, it could fulfill a longtime effort to bringThe Correctionsto the small screen afteran HBO show starring Chris Cooper, Dianne Wiest, and Ewan McGregor was scrapped in 2012. It seems entirely possible that with the weight of an A-list star like Meryl Streep behind it, the project could be snapped up by any of a number of networks or streamers hungry for more television content, especially considering the fact that it has a big literary name like Franzen attached as well.
[Streep’s] recent television appearances have performed well with audiences…
ShouldThe Correctionsfind the proper network to marry its subject matter with the right core audience,Streep’s presence could help propel it into becoming a major hit. So far, her recent television appearances have performed well with audiences, withBig Little Liesseason 2 earning an 83% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes andOnly Murdersseasons 3 and 4 earning 87% and 93% respectively. Moving her front and center could potentially harness that goodwill to craft a major critical and commercial success.
