Although I haven't had time to watch movies this semester, I watch them anyway (okay... so I think I've watched 3 now this semester). Anyhow the three that I have seen I have really enjoyed.
On Friday afternoon Meg got out early due to weather so I thought it might be our best chance to watch a movie without the crowd and without having to stay up too late. So we went in to watch Bridge to Terebithia.
Just as with the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the trailers are deceiving in that they make it look like the movie takes an entirely different approach than the book and have different themes. At first when I see this I get a little upset, but after seeing that the movie is quite faithful to the book I can understand why they would want to have such a preview for marketing reasons. If everyone knew what the movie was really about, nobody would go, although everybody should.
I am surprised at the number of people who haven't read the book. It was required reading at my school in fourth grade. I thought it was required in a lot more schools (for 4th-6th grade reading). I will say that the fact that I read the book 12 years ago and all the characters have existed in my head for some time definitely had an role iin my thinking the movie was very good. Reading the book was a huge experience for me when I was 10 and I returned to that watching the movie. For anyone who didn't read the book when they were young, the movie may not have as much impact.
There are a few things I wasn't a real big fan of... mainly the crass commercialization of the soundtrack. The vocal tunes that pop up throughout the movie are awkward, and though the words suggest they were written just for that use, they do not seem to fit.... and I just didn't like them. I also wasn't too in love with the CGI characters, but they don't really have a very big role in the film. Unlike what the trailers suggest, most of the movie takes place in "the real world" much like Pan's Labyrinth.
I dare say that the faithfulness to the book is probably in large due to David Paterson who worked on the film as a writer and a producer. His mother, Katherine Paterson, is the one who wrote the book. The character Jesse is based on David. The character, or at least the incident involving Leslie, is based on David's best friend Lisa Hill, an 8 year old. Only in real life the girl was struck by lightning. Katherine didn't think that that would be believable.
With a story with such a powerful theme, I am glad that the filmmakers were, for the most part faithful to the book. That being said, "faithfulness to the book" is not always something I'm concerned about. The best example I can think of is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I don't care that it is truer to the book than the movie Willy Wonka was. I think Gene Wilder made a much better Willy Wonka and I think it was a much better movie over all. Books and movies are different mediums, and I don't think they should always be treated the same way.
2 comments:
I agree. Gene Wilder was a much better willie wonka. Johnny Depp was too weird... freaky weird. Gene Wilder was wierd, but in a way that was intriguing...
That is funny because Reuben just got me Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory for Valentines. I love that movie it was a childhood staple. We talked about and read Bridge to Teribithia in Children's lit. (it is one of my personal favorites). I think the subject matter is the reason that it is not required reading. Some people have this idea that children should not have to think about death, especially premature death. It's not like we are all going to eventually die or anything. I think Reub and I are going to go see that movie this afternoon. It is only $2 here for a matinee and $4 at night.
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