Picture Harriet the Spy as a sixty year old woman, sneaking along garden walls and climbing fire escapes to spy on the interesting subjects she sees.  Not easy.

Now, picture Miss Marple as a thirty-something (albeit hot) sleuth. 
Picture Jennifer Garner as Miss Marple.  Not easy.

Insulting to older women everywhere. Most insulting to the many wonderful and talented older actresses in Hollywood today.

I’m all for updating and re-packaging older films, books and story lines.  However, the charm of the delightfully wispy but tough senior Miss Marple is the delightfully wispy but tough senior part.  Agatha Christie wrote her character that way BECAUSE it worked for the sleuth.  People are constantly taken aback in the books at Marple’s savvy and deductive nature while maintaining the grandmotherly practicality and endearing way. 

Although usually of open mind, I’m not sure I can condone the desecration of one of Agatha’s finest and most memorable characters.  A thirty flirty (albeit hot) sleuth was not what she intended. The story lines, the descriptions and the wisdom-with-age theories of the formidable Miss Marple simply can’t be shoved into a Garner image.

I doubt I’ll watch the new version of an old detective. I love Christie and her characters. I’m not ready for a redesign.

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