“We must not be afraid to say that Dear Edward is all about grief,” says Jason Katims. This strong man of the small screen in the United States, to whom we owe in particular Roswell, Friday Night Lights and As We See Ithas just adapted the novel by Ann Napolitano published in 2020, don’t forget to live, in a poignant series for Apple TV+. Edward Adler, 12, is the only survivor of a plane crash that occurred in the mountains of Colorado. While traveling from New York to Los Angeles with his brother and his parents, the one who is now nicknamed “the miracle boy” finds himself an orphan, seriously injured and traumatized. But not abandoned.
“I loved the book, it was so beautiful and moving,” enthused the creator of Dear Edward. According to him, and far beyond the human tragedy, his series shows the power of our spirit when it comes to solidarity and our ability to rise up, no matter what fate throws at us. “I think everyone can relate to it. »
What first struck Jason Katims on reading don’t forget to live is that the American author chose a child as the main character of her story. “This 12-year-old boy goes through very difficult ordeals in a short time and he has a lot to manage”, he underlines, he who instantly fell in love with Edward as well as the actor who lends him his features, Colin O’Brien (soon in Wonka, by Paul King). And to continue: “It’s incredible to see this brilliant actor take ownership of his role and embody it as he did in the series. »
The prospect of introducing new characters into Dear Edward came very quickly because, from my point of view as a screenwriter, it was necessary to dramatize the post-crash, this life that goes on.
The deep relations that the latter weaves with his aunt Lacey, touching Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black), and her new teenage neighbor Shay, impetuously played by Eva Ariel Binder (Grey’s Anatomy), are golden opportunities for Jason Katims to explore beautiful and complex stories on television. “I was moved by the concept forged by Ann Napolitano in connection with parenthood. Lacey, who has been trying for children for a decade, suddenly sees — and literally! — his nephew falling from the sky,” he said. According to him, it is the metaphor par excellence of life, always full of surprises, of bliss too, when you least expect it.
The challenge of adaptation
When he adapts the works of others into series, Jason Katims always wonders how his writing can enrich the plot, push it further, in its own direction. “The prospect of introducing Dear Edward new characters arrived very quickly, because, from my point of view as a screenwriter, it was necessary to dramatize the post-crash, this life that continues. From his imagination then hatched a whole community of people who interact and influence each other’s existence. The character of Dee Dee Cameron, this kind-hearted materialist and widow of a crash victim, is one of his inventions for the series. “I’ve always liked the idea of having a character like her in my creations: serious, but full of life and humor,” he says.
Jason Katims believes in this regard that the game of Connie Britton (The White Lotus) allowed its protagonist to reach a higher level. The actress admits to having taken a real pleasure in personifying Dee Dee, the creator having complete confidence in her. “I loved having the opportunity to manipulate a full range of emotions and find the right balance for each one. Anger, love, disarray, gentleness, fury, the loss of what is dear to him are, for example, part of the palette that I had at my disposal”, she recalls.
Connie Britton also admits to having put a lot of her character in Dee Dee: “She comes from a very privileged background, but she never lacks empathy. With a little hindsight, the actress even talks about Dear Edward as one of the most significant challenges of his career, where he had to constantly surpass himself in order to capture the disorder of life. “My character is deprived of his comfort, but he remains strong and persevering nonetheless,” she also notes.
Unity is strength
Very quickly in the series, the stories of Edward, Lacey, Shay or even Dee Dee become, as a result, those of a set of resiliences. “My characters overcome, particularly with the help and support of others, this overwhelming and difficult time that is ours,” says Jason Katims. According to Connie Britton, the brilliance of Dear Edward is also distinguished by the many relationships that are established over the episodes. “Community is paramount. Thanks to her, the rest of the cast and I can show that we are always stronger than we first believe, ”she points out. Therefore, the trials that all face, each in their own way, push them forward. “Individuals discover an inner and universal force that they did not know”, adds the actress.
Because loss and mourning are, one day, inevitable, Dear Edward tackles grief and pain head-on, two aspects which, according to Jason Katims, are sorely lacking in popular culture. “What happens next?” he wonders. I was constantly driven by this idea of moving forward. That’s why despite the tragedy, the characters on the show share a delicate hope and benevolent tranquility that we find in our “chosen” families.