Creator Backlash: Downplayed, but King is not too proud of the book. In his memoir On writing, he describes both Insomnia and Rose Madder as "stiff, trying-too-hard novels".
The Film
Creator's Oddball: For once Christopher Nolan directs a story that starts at the beginning,plays out in chronological order,features a fairly straightforward plot, and has no Michael Caine. It's also his only movie that he didn't write. Still got the "psychologically disturbed guy haunted by his past" protagonist though. This is because the film (and the Norwegian original) was made before he started to employ any of those conventions, except for non-linear narrative and mind screw. However, Dormer's planting of evidence is told in something of a call-back to Nolan's preferred narrative style.
DVD Commentary: A rather odd case. While it does have a usual commentary track by Christopher Nolan, scene-specific commentaries are made by Hilary Swank, screenwriter Hillary Seitz, director of photography Wally Pfister, production designer Nathan Crowley, and editor Dody Dorn. Of course, the option can be made to listen to the tracks combined for a more traditional listening experience.
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