Writer/director Lisa Cholodenko, who made waves this year with her lesbian mothers indie hit The Kids Are All Right, will be taking on another controversial subject with her next project; an adaptation of the Tom Perrotta novel The Abstinence Teacher. The project, which was once in the hands of fellow Sundance hitmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (of Little Miss Sunshine fame), has been in development for a few years at Warner Brothers. There was talk (presumably when Dayton and Faris were on board) of having Steve Carell and Sandra Bullock star but there is no word on casting for Cholodenko’s outing. [The Tracking Board via ION Cinema]
The story revolves around struggle facing a divorced midwestern sex-ed teacher at the hands of her town’s more conservative coalitions. Things heat up for her when she becomes romantically interested in her daughter’s soccer coach (who is a born-again Christian). It’s definitely an interesting premise and Cholodenko could do well with the material. I almost hope Bullock comes back to this project as it seems to be well within her skill set and I could see her bringing a lot to this character. It’s a shame Reese Witherspoon (who starred in another Perotta adaptation, Election) isn’t quite old enough for the character as this also seems up her alley.
Do you think Cholodenko is the right director for this material? Who would you like to see in the lead roles?