Sunday, November 20, 2011

Book-Movie Adaptations

I don't like them. Nope.

The past three days, I have been obsessively reading the Hunger Games. I've heard of it for a while, but from what my friends have said about it, it didn't seem like the type of book I would like, so I never read it. Hearing a lot of positive things about the movie, I finally decided to read the book before seeing the movie. Shame me all you want for being that girl that only chose to read the book because the movie is coming out.

I finished the book an hour ago (which I loved, by the way), and then immediately went online to watch the trailer. Only one word can describe my feelings about the trailer: disappointment. I ended up adoring the book, partially because I adored the characters. I created the characters in my head, took the basic physical features they explained and made a person out of them. Watching the trailer, every significant character I imagined looks completely different.

I mean, it'll be nice to see a visual interpretation of the book, but I just can't completely accept the character portrayals. This is the reason why I almost never like book-movie adaptations. In a book, I make a world out of what the author gives me. In a movie, I'm looking at someone else's world, and it's never enough.

7 comments:

  1. I don't like the actors playing most of the male characters in the Hunger Games film - especially Peeta.

    Though I think they did a great job when casting for the Harry Potter movies :)

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  2. Yes! Exactly! When I saw Peeta I literally groaned. He was everything I imagined Peeta was NOT. I did like Harry Potter casting though; they all were perfect. :)

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  3. I've never read the Hunger Games, but I might have to. I have also been hearing a lot of good things about the books/movies from my friends. The movie hasn't come out yet, has it? I'll want to read it first, just like you. I also agree that book-movie adaptions are often dissapointing.. Although there are some good ones out there (such as Harry Potter and I also thought the Lovely Bones was excellent).

    <3

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  4. See. I LOVED the trailer. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I've just been anticipating it so much. But I think everything scene looks exactly like how I pictured it. The characters are a little different, granted, but it doesn't really matter to me because it is possible to separate the movie and book. Just think of them as two different entities.

    I have another theory as to why we disagree… The book is fresh in your mind so you remember even smallish details really well. You should watch it again in 2 months and tell me if you like it better hahahahahaha

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  5. Books adapted to movies are always hit or miss.

    I have never been so disgusted with anything more than I was with Ella Enchanted. Seriously, one of my favorite books of my childhood and they turned it into...I don't even know how to describe it. But it was a horrible mockery of the book.

    And then you get into Speak, which was a fabulous contemporary classic...and they cast Kristin Stewart as the main character! What part of dumpy teenager did they miss in the book?

    My only conclusion is that casting directors rarely bother reading the books.

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  6. Jena-Nope, it comes out in March, so you have plenty of time to read it. And you should, because I can almost guarantee you'll love it :)

    Lex-I think my problem is that I have trouble thinking of book and movie versions as separate entities. I just want it to be like the visual version of the book. Blah, reality stinks.

    Chanel-Ella Enchanted (the movie) was infinitely times worse than the book. The movie was a complete disappointment; just all wrong. Speak was an amazing book too. I haven't seen the movie, but considering Kristin Stewart's in it, maybe I made the right choice.

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  7. I know what you mean but I like most of the movie-book adaptations ie Harry Potter and Twilight etc. :)

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