classic short tales have been adapted into sci-fi films, but one that arguably faced excessive changes was his 1954 narrative, “Adjustment Team.” The initial tale revolved around a real estate professional named Ed Fletcher, who, due to a fortuitous delay caused by a dog’s bark (no kidding), discovers a covert organization that manipulates reality itself. Rather than revealing this finding to the public, he is instructed by the Adjustment Team to remain silent, a directive he follows, even as his wife presses for explanations regarding his sudden absence.
57 years afterward, the conspiratorial essence of this eponymous team was developed and examined in George Nolfi’s 2011 film, “The Adjustment Bureau.” The movie featured Matt Damon as American congressman David Norris, who learns about the titular organization that creates the facade of free will in existence. The bureau’s intentions get disrupted, however, when Norris encounters Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt), diverting him from his trajectory towards becoming the President of the United States. Increasing the stakes compared to the original narrative, “The Adjustment Bureau” turned out to be a respectable adaptation, though it did not receive as much recognition as some other stories drawn from Dick’s writings.
