the hottest state

I read The Hottest State as soon as it hit the bookshelves in 1996. At the time, I was hung up on my own twenty-something angst -- think Reality Bites. Ethan Hawke embodied the musical, witty, hottie, intellectual slacker I thought I wanted most. And now he was writing a book? Sign me up!

I remember being deeply moved by the book and easily feeding into its dark melancholy. William, the book's main character, was lost in an oblivion of emotions so intense, it turned him inside out. I remember liking that it was William -- "the guy" -- who was pining after his love, feeling rejected and lost and trying to make sense of life at an age where feelings seem too raw and all-consuming to bare. The fact that a male writer wrote such a complicated character with weaknesses I could relate to was enlightening.

I also recall reading rumors that the book's publisher was a bit concerned that the fictional novel was, in fact, too auto-biographical. The main character's love interest, but the way, is also rumored to be based on singer Lisa Loeb. Interesting.

Now, The Hottest State is headed for the big screen. Ethan Hawke isn't slacking this time -- he's the screenwriter, director and even appears in the film. Mark Webber (Broken Flowers) and Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), pictured below, are the stars.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters on Aug. 24, but the self-deprecation can begin even sooner because there's a kickin' soundtrack ready for release on Aug. 7, featuring Willie Nelson, Feist, Bright Eyes, Emmylou Harris, The Black Keys, M. Ward, Norah Jones, Cat Power and a few others.

If the film carries any of the intensity of Before Sunrise or Before Sunset, which top my list of favorite movies, I'll have to add a new DVD to my library of films to watch on sad Sundays.