The film adaptation of “Why Don't You Dance?” » by Dan Rush? by Raymond CarverRaymond Carver is widely known for his minimalist style when it comes to his literary works. Since Carver wrote this way, Everything Must Go director and screenwriter Dan Rush had no choice but to expand on this story by adding more elements to the characters, theme, and setting. plot of Carver's original work. In the film adaptation of the short story “Why Don't You Dance?” by Raymond Carver, Rush, while moving away from the original storyline and shedding new light on the major theme of alcoholism, manages to successfully show to what extent this disease has the capacity to ruin someone's entire life. A. There are several ways in which Carver's short story differs from Rush's film adaptation. The first is how the main male character is portrayed and what is revealed about the current situation. In "Why Don't You Dance?", although it is obvious that the main male character struggles with alcoholism, that is all that is really revealed about him, along with the fact that his wife, for one unknown reason, left him. In Everything Must Go, Rush makes the issue of alcoholism the focal point of the film and builds upon it, showing that it is in fact what ruined the character's marriage. When it comes to the character's background, Carver doesn't reveal much about the main character except that he is an alcoholic who doesn't know how to deal with the cards he's been dealt. Rush, consistent with some of Carver's original work, still portrays Nick, the film's main character, as an alcoholic who also doesn't know how to handle the situation he finds himself in. .. middle of paper ...... ing Must Go is a somewhat loose interpretation of "Why Don't You Dance?" ", Rush still manages to capture and greatly expand on the theme of alcoholism by showing how, while this disease tears people apart, it also brings people together. The latter is shown when Nick makes new friends who, ultimately, seem to act as his new family. Although each main character in the film has a different background, they are all brought together by the feelings they have in common, particularly the feeling of loneliness and the desire to help Nick through the difficult times in his life and his struggle continues against alcoholism. like a real family would want to help one of their own family members. Works Cited Carver, Raymond. What we talk about when we talk about love: stories. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Print. Everything must go. Real. Dan Rush. Lionsgate, 2011. Movie.