Book vs. Movie: The DUFF

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a book. A book about two teenagers and their relationship, a relationship based mostly on dislike and sex. A book were the teenagers used sex to feel a little bit better about themselves. A book with an absentee mother and an alcoholic father, on one side, and on the other side with two never-there parents, an estranged little sister and an infuriatingly cold grandmother. Then this book met a movie. The movie wanted to be friends with this book, so the book said yes and shared her story with it. Then the movie came out. Gone was the sex, gone the absentee parents and the alcoholic father. Even the sister and the grandmother went missing. The movie was still good and funny, but the magic of the book wasn't there.

The moral of this story? The book and the movie The DUFF might use the same characters and the same initial plot idea, that Wesley calls Bianca a DUFF, but they are not the same. Yes, the movie was funny. Yes, I laughed. Yes, I might even watch it again, because it was funny and because I kind of enjoyed it. But the book is better. (If you want to read my review, click here)

ATTENTION: SPOILER ALERT FOR THE BOOK AND THE MOVIE!

Here's the thing. I live in Europe. I don't know American culture. I've never even been to the USA. I've only had access to the American culture through books, movies, TV shows and the occasional news that I watch when I'm extremely bored. I have few friends from the States, but we don't talk about their culture, we talk about random subjects. I essentially know nothing about this culture. What I do know is that there is this idea spread all over the globe that teenagers don't have sex. Hell, apparently they don't even know what sex is - allow me to roll my eyes so hard, that I get a headache from it. 

 

Because let's be honest here, I guess it's ok for TV shows for teens to have sex in it but God forbid it that movies have sex in it (sarcasm!)! Look, I'm not saying the sex should be shown, or explicit (it would be porn then), but they could've hinted towards it. They do it all the time in cheesy, romantic movies, why not in this one?

This book was, in the opinion of a 27 year old European chick, amazing. It tackled something really important. Not the erotic part of the sex, but why the two characters were using it. The struggles of a girl abandoned by her mother, the shock of finding out her alcoholic dad relapsed. How that popular, rich boy would give his entire money for some time with his parents. The book had sex in it, but it was so much more than that. Why, just WHY would anyone decide to take that story and transform it into a story about how a guy helps the "ugly duckling" turn into a "beautiful swan"? There was no need for a makeover. 

So fine, there was no sex in the movie. I somehow get it, okay? You want parents to let their teen children see the movie. FINE! But the friendship that Bianca, Casey and Jessica have in the book is completely different than the one shown in the movie. There's a beautiful scene in the book where it is shown how Bianca and Casey became friends with Jessica. Okay, maybe they didn't have the time to put it in the movie, it would've taken at least 5 minutes off of the storyline, but it was such an important scene in terms of character development. It showed how Bianca and Casey were as people. And then, woven around that scene is a similar one, a present-time scene. Which showed another side of Bianca. In which she's shown that sometimes, she makes mistakes. I know I usually don't write in-depth reviews and that I don't focus on the subtleties of scenes or whatever, but I notice them (I'm also usually deathly afraid of saying something stupid and being called on it, so I keep most of it to myself. I'm growing as a person, as this post might show *feels proud*). The idea is that those character elements shouldn't be missing from the movie. I didn't want to see two gorgeous girl helping their third, not so gorgeous friend get a makeover. I wanted those two gorgeous girls being there for Bianca like they were in the movie, trying desperately to understand her and what her issues were.

And then there's the famous scene with Bianca's dad, Bianca herself and Wesley. Which is such an important scene for Bianca and Wesley. A scene that shouldn't be missing from the movie. I love Allison Janney, the actress who plays Bianca's mom. She's simply amazing. But I feel like Bianca's entire life was defined by her mostly missing mom and her alcoholic dad. I wanted her alcoholic dad in the movie, not the slightly annoying, "I have a great quote for everything" successful mom we got instead.

The movie was funny, the book was funny. But the book was not just a comedy, it had dramatic moments. The only dramatic moments in the movie were the ones where a video about Bianca leaks online, when she sees Wesley kiss Maddison on "her rock" and when she goes on a date with Toby. That's not drama! That's mildly annoying scenes and heartbreaking, yes, but not real dramas. Also, did we really need the cliched leaked embarrassing video? REALLY?

 

If you haven't read the book and you haven't lived in the 90s or missed any of the teen comedies from those years, this movie might be new to you. But to those who, like me, grew up on them, or even managed to see those movies nowadays, this is just another teen movie. Nothing new, only a few new words and technology. Again, I enjoyed the movie for its humorous moments, but as a story? The book was so much more and I encourage anyone old enough to grab the book and read it.

Book vs Movie: Beautiful Creatures

About a month ago I decided to take a "trip" to my favorite bookstore. I didn't plan on buying anything, I just needed to ogle...oops... I mean look at some new books and pick them up and pet them and then put them back on the shelf and go home. Did that sound just as bad in real life as it did just now in my head? Yeah, I usually look like an idiot that can't decide on a book to buy whenever I go there. Anyway, that is so not the point. *smacks self*

Back to my story. I was just looking at some random books and for some reason Beautiful Creatures stood out. It is possible that the huge sign with "- 15%" helped with that, but I'm not sure LOL. All I know is that I saw Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson on the cover (HUGE, huge fan of them both) and I said to myself that I need to see the movie. Of course, I then decided to buy the book and read it before watching the movie (it was difficult, because I so, so love Jeremy Irons and I needed to see the movie). But I made it *pats self on the back* I loved the book so much that I had really high expectations about the movie.

While I was watching the movie I was left a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, if I could watch that movie again, I would, just to see that scene with Irons and Thompson (I swooned and I almost yelled "YEAH!" at the end. I didn't though :D) But the movie didn't have some pretty important scenes and some characters as well aren't in the movie.

Remember when I said I was a fan of Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson? I am, I truly am. But at times I didn't think that the face managed the character in the book, you know what I mean? For example: Macon is such a dark, mysterious character. Refined, yet he can be a smart-ass. Smart, normal, yet I have no doubt that he has a lunatic side. Does this remind you of anyone? No? Alan Rickman anyone? I kind of thought Jeremy Irons was more fit to play Ethan's Dad. Don't get me wrong, Irons can be all of the above and more, but he seems too... gentle for this role. *hides from fans*

I was kind of expecting more from this movie. What happened with the pendant? And the visions? And Ethan's mom's BFF? And so many other little things, details that I wanted to see in the movie. I havn't yet read the other three books, but I have a feeling that these "little things" will be a lot more important than they seem.

OH! And another thing. And please don't throw something at me. On my copy of the book, right on the back cover, with proud letters, it says something about fans of Twilight and True Blood. Really? REALLY??? Twilight is vampires, True Blood is a TV show, nothing to do with Beautiful Creatures. Yes, I know True Blood is based on the Southern Vampires Mysteries series. But you can't really compare a TV show with a book. To me, at least, that's apples and oranges with a hint of bananas.

VERDICT: Book 1 - Movie 0

The book wins IMO.

Book vs Movie: Harry Potter

The first memory I have of the world of Harry Potter was my desk-mate from school telling me how I had to read the books, how Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was a brilliant movie and that I had to see it. I also remember other friends of mine constantly talking about the movie and the books and how I tried really hard to stay away from it all for some reason. I also remember being bribed into watching the movie and how I loved it and begged my friend and desk mate to let me borrow the first book to read it. About a year later or so the fourth book was published and I remember how excited we all were about reading it and making plans and trying to do our homework in class to have more free time at home to read. And those crazy moments of reading under the blankets with a flashlight because it's far past your bedtime and you just know you're going to get grounded if you're caught reading instead of sleeping at 2 a.m. LOL


I won't go on and on about my memories and feelings about the books, just to say that this book did change my life: it made me love reading. So I am grateful I had the luck of being nagged by my friends to read it.

When the 7th book was published, everyone I knew "vanished" for a couple of days. They were all reading the book. I was actually scared, wondering who was going to die, and so I didn't read the last book for an entire year. Then finally I read it and I wasn't at all disappointed with the ending. I think the ending was great.

I was curious about the last two movies. I have to say I was very happy when I found out they were going to split the last book into two movies, because I thought (and it was true) that this way, they would make the book justice.

The "good" part about this wonderful series (both movies and books) ending is that you can now do either reading marathons or movie marathons, which I already did *blushes*. The bad part is that you know it ended and I do believe it never will be the same, no matter how many times you see the movies or read the books, you don't feel that anticipation of not knowing. Before the 7th book, every time I reread the books  I didn't like Snape at all, but now, knowing the truth about him sort of changes my perspective. And with most of the characters is the same.

There are a few things I wished the movies had. First of all, Peeves. I liked that poltergeist, I think he was very funny and entertaining. I would've loved to see the Sorting Hat singing too. I could go on and on, but then this is my view, it's how I feel about the books and the movies and it may or may not be similar to other people's view. 

There was one little thing I wished the book had. In Deathly Hollows Part 2, when Harry, Ron and Hermione get into Hogwarts, the students are called in the Great Hall. I loved that scene. And I know very few people agree with me, seeing as how we know the truth about Snape and Harry talked badly with him. But I loved when the students were almost marching down the stairs. I think that was the most amazing way of showing how Voldemort changed Hogwarts. Like I said, it's all about tastes and likes and dislikes. But that scene was amazing for me.

I love the books, I love the movies. I'm not sad anymore. I was sad it ended, but now I'm just happy I was able to see it all. (That's not to say that the crazy, small child inside me doesn't wish for more, but that inner child is never satisfied, you know? LOL)

Book vs Movie: Confessions of a Shopaholic

 

I first read the book The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic when I started college, three years ago. It was recommended by some very good friends of mine and I thought "why not?". I should also mention it was my first chick-lit book and if you're a chick-lit newbie, I'd recommend Kinsella's books. They're funny as hell and easy to read and very well written.

But back to the book. I really liked Becky. I think there's a shopaholic in all of us., no matter what we buy. Some buy clothes, some buy purses or hats or accessories or books, but we always buy. And Luke...*sigh* I loved him. Still do, actually. He's a successful guy AND he looks good, so what could a girl want more?

When I found out that they were going to make a movie based on the Shopaholic series I was excited, like all the Kinsella fans. I was curious: who were the actors, what scenes will be kept and what scenes weren't going to make it in the movie, where was it going to be filmed and many other questions.

There are many differences between the movie version and the book version: Becky isn't from London, Luke is her boss and a magazine editor, Becky is an only child and many other differences.

What I noticed though was the fact that the movie was just as funny as the books and that it had some of the more important scenes, like Luke buying Becky's scarf at the auction, at the end of the movie.

I also liked the actors they picked. I think they did a great job.

I don't know what to choose, book over movie or movie over book. They were both good and enjoyable. The only thing that I missed in the movie were the Becky-Luke moments from the books. There were more scenes that I would've loved to see with them, but maybe they would've made the movie last too long. Either way, I enjoyed both versions and I can't wait to see if they're going to make another movie based on one of Kinsella's books.