I clearly have issues because I am from the school of thought that one should read the book before seeing the movie. It pains Bird when there is a movie getting ready to come out and I mention that I can’t see it until I read the book.
I remember having a discussion about this in one of my high school English classes. I have always been the book nerd, my nose is always stuck in a book, I can’t help it. I have had a love for books since I was little, reading Dr Seuss and Sweet Pickles (Google it, those are great books, out of print though but I still have mine!) always transported me to a land of imagination.
But back to the discussion from years ago. . . we had read a book and then watched the movie. I can’t remember for the life of me which book/movie it was but it happened to be the one time I liked the movie over the book. I believe my issue was with all the GDs in it or some sort of cussing. And yes, I cuss like a sailor but I DO NOT say GD, that is just wrong in my book.
I remember being so let down that I liked the movie over the book. A nerd that dissed the book because of the language and I was so put out over the whole situation. I also remember my teacher smiling kindly at me and telling me it was okay to like the movie better and that it does happen from time to time. Me? I believe I am still distraught over the whole thing.
But today I was reassured that the book nerd within me is still strong. I had put off watching Something Borrowed for quite some time because I just had this horrible feeling that it would be such a letdown. While I enjoyed it for the most part, I have to say, the book is so much better.
My major takeaway from the movie? Kate Hudson has not aged gracefully or whoever did her makeup did a horrible job. Her character is not all that endearing in the book but by the second book you start to understand her and the disgust you feel towards Darcy ebbs away. In the movie? I just thought she was a hag who needed to be slapped a few thousand times. And they did a horrible job with the character of Marcus, note to producers and screen writers, keep the basics of the story from the book in the movie. The movie Marcus was just a one note pain in the ass (see, I do say bad words) who needed to be in line with Darcy getting slapped.
And while I adore John Krasinski in about anything, the character of Ethan is not hanging out with them in NYC, he is in London already. Come on screenwriters, there is a reason why JK Rowling made sure she had script approval when doing the Harry Potter films. I know that logistically, not everything in a book can translate to the movie but still, sometimes cutting things out, changing things altogether messes it up more than it helps. And yes, I am looking at you JK Rowling, there were a few things that did not flow through the franchise well because of cut from the book.
On that note, I now I have to reread (again) the book so I can cleanse my palate from watching the movie. Sometimes I think that my imagination when reading a book is much better than spending the money to go see a movie. Maybe that is why box office sales are down. But I guess Hollywood is too busy remaking every decent movie from 20 years back to actually discover this, own it and actually come up with some well thought out, well made movies.
Stumbling Through Life 