I must say that this movie was really not quite what I expected it to be. It seemed so much sadder than the book was. While I was upset by Leslie’s death in the book, it wasn’t the main focus of the latter half of the book like it was in the movie. I thought that the book did a better job of emphasizing the hope for the future and less of the sadness that came with her death. Perhaps actually seeing it on the big screen made for the difference in my reactions; while reading the book, I was just imagining what happens, but I actually saw it happen while watching the movie.
I have been seeing the previews for a long time now and was afraid that the book would somehow be turned into a fantasy movie. Fortunately, after reading the article about how Patterson’s son was not happy about how the movie was being portrayed in the trailers, I felt a little bit better. While there were definitely some things I thought the movie could have done without, overall it was a good adaptation of the book.
Like other people I talked to after the movie, I was surprised it was adapted to the present time. I’m not sure why they chose to do that. I don’t think it would have changed anything if the time period had been left in the 1970s like the book; in fact, it would have made the adaptation more realistic and true to the original. While I enjoyed the special effects playing up Jess and Leslie’s imaginations, I thought that some of it was unnecessary. Some of the battle scenes during their adventures dragged on. I liked that the book just told the reader that they were imagining their own world where they ruled but didn’t actually describe the Terabithians or their enemies. What the people might look like was left up to the reader’s imaginations, but I guess this could have been difficult and boring in a movie.
One thing I thought the movie did a better job of than the book was emphasizing the themes. This could, however, be due to the fact that I didn’t really start noticing and thinking about the themes until I was almost finished reading the book and planning what I would say in my blog response to it. I thought that it was really interesting how the creatures they were trying to escape from in Terabithia were like the actual people at school they were escaping from in their imagination. The one example of this I found most memorable was the giant forest troll as Janice. I noticed this when Leslie told Janice “Nice feet” when Janice was trying to get her to pay $1 to use the bathroom. Janice’s toenails were painted black. When Jess and Leslie were trying to escape from the giant troll, its feet were disgusting and had black toenails as well. This also tied in with the story Leslie started telling Janice about trolls when she was trying to distract her so she could go into the bathroom.
I liked the actors who were cast in the roles of Jess and Leslie. Although they were not what I had been picturing in my mind while reading the book, they were believable and I really enjoyed watching them interact with each other. Overall this was a good adaptation of the book into a movie, although the book was definitely better. I’m so glad I read the book before seeing the movie!
6 comments:
I agree about being glad that I read the book first. Your comment about the trolls looking like the bullies at school is a good point. I had not connected Janice's black toenails with the black 'toe jam' until I read your response to the movie.
Yes, that is interesting about the black toenails! I didn't make the connection, either!
I really like it updated to current time/styles. I felt like it made it more "real." I can see why you think it might have been better left alone to be truer to the novel.
Where did you read that about Paterson's son not liking the previews? How interesting!
Your comment about the black toenails reminded me of yet another "modern, trendy" thing. I know black nailpolish was NOT a think of the 70's, especially on children of Jess's and Leslie's age. The toenails and the mention of the internet in the classroom by Ms. Edmunds threw me off. As a matter of fact Ms. Edmunds did not look that much different than other teachers must have looked. She did not seem to have that "hippie" aura as suggested in the book. Her folksy and carefree attitude seemed to draw the students into her music, though. Overall I think the movie showed a captivating story line, but the book seemed to do more for evoking my imagination and curiosity about the characters.
I completely missed the toe and troll connection with Janice! I didn't notice it until she saved Jesse as a giant.
It's interesting that you found the movie sadder; I found the opposite true for me. In the movie I was so much more in tune with Terabithia. I was sad at the end for sure. But what broke my heart was Jesse's father's reaction to him- he finally gave Jess what he had been wanting through the whole story- affection. Of course I was sad to see Leslie die and Jesse struggle to overcome his grief, but that got to me more in the book. Maybe because as I read the book, I saw more of myself and on the screen, I saw the actors. I don't know.
I also had that ah-ha moment with Janice the troll. When Leslie commented "nice feet" during the bathroom toll scene, I thought, "What a weird comment." But, when Janice ended up being the troll in Terabithia-- I got it. I enjoyed that Janice was brought into Terabithia. At first, Leslie and Jess thought the troll was their enemy. But, the troll (Janice) was on their side. I thought it was a subtle way to develop Janice's character. She was a bully, but she had her own problems and needed a friend too.
I'm always glad when I read the book before the movie, I think it adds to my enjoyment of the movie! I understood that Janice's face was the face of the giant troll, but I did not make the connection of the black toe polish. Good thinking! I agree that the Terabithian imagination was over the top in the battle scenes. I, too, preferred reading about the imagination of Terabithia described in the book rather than seeing it on screen. However, I understood as well that the movie needed to "show" Jess and Leslie's imagination to the audience in the movie, so the special effects were necessary. Did you like the final scene of the movie? The special effects in the final scene was my favorite part of the entire movie!! I think the movie and the book were equally as sad, I cried in each of them. However, I did not cry in the movie until Jess' father came into his room and tucked him into bed. I cried in the book as soon as Jess returned from the field trip to the museum, I remember reading Jess yelling "NO!" after his Father told him about Leslie. I think my mental image of that scene was much more vivid than what the movie depicted.
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