Words and Pictures, a romantic comedy that opens in theaters abroad on May 22, stars Clive Owen as a popular English teacher at a private high school who gets into an argument with the new art teacher, played by Juliette Binoche: Are words more important, or are pictures?

The two try to involve their students in the debate, and according to Harvey Karten, who saw an advance screening and reviewed the film for CompuServe ShowBiz, Owen tries to make his case by “quoting from the great authors with a special emphasis on John Updike, to paint metaphoric pictures.”

Karten’s full review also appears on Shockya.com.

The screenplay, in case you’re curious, was written by Gerald Di Pego, whose prior credits include Instinct (1999), Message in a Bottle (1999), and Sharky’s Machine (1981).

On May 30 Blackbird Theater of Nashville, Tenn., will conclude its 2013-14 season with the world premiere of Roger’s Version, a play adapted from the Updike novel of the same name.

“Having received special permission from the Updike estate, Blackbird Artistic Director Wes Driver has written and will direct this original adaptation. . . ,” ArtsNash reports.

“There are plenty of stories that entertain you. Fewer that genuinely move you,” the director writes. “And then there are those very rare ones that, for some reason or other, cut you to the core—or seemingly raid your psyche—expressing your most deeply felt passions and perspectives. The characters are so vivid, you feel like you know them. Intimately. Because, truth be told, they seem to be reflections and extensions of yourself. That’s what Roger’s Version is to me.”

Here’s the full story, with photos.