After seeing the original film, I can't believe Sean Penn played the role of Willie in this remake. It has Jeff Bridges written all over it.
I agree with Mike. I saw this film before the original version, and I thought that it was amazing. I read the book after watching the movie and was extremely surprised to see negative reviews of this film. What shocked me even more was the film earning the title of "worst film of the year" by many critics.
This is one film that I seem to disagree with the rest of the world on. I love the 1949 version, but I honestly think this is a strong piece as well. I think Zaillian handles the material quite well as screenwriter and director. It's beautifully lensed by The Pianist photographer Pawel Edelman and acted with conviction by a great cast.