A Night at the Movies

I approach films that are based on books with both excitement and trepidation. Will the movie live up to the book (if I have already read the book) or will the producers exercise their own special powers and adapt the book into something either unrecognisable or disappointing? The trepidation never quite outweighs the excitement and stops me from lining up to buy my ticket, seat myself in a dark theatre with my icecream (and in some theatres, the glass of wine) to personally witness the transformation of words to screen.

Which is how I found myself out at the local Matakana Cinema last night with a couple of friends to watch My Sister's Keeper based on the novel by the popular Jodi Picoult. It is the story of a family almost torn apart by the emotional rollercoaster of a daughter battling an acute form of cancer. A mother who doesn't know how to give up fighting for Kate. A son who has fallen through the cracks while the focus is on Kate. Another daughter who employs a lawyer so she is can no longer be used as spare parts for Kate. A father battling to do what's best for everyone. And at the centre of it all is stunning brave and sick Kate.

I cried while reading the book and I wept during the movie, even knowing what was coming. I am extraordinarily glad to report that while parts of the book have been adapted to the screen, the spirit of the book and the characters remain in the movie. It is powerful and moving, but didn't descent into schmultz (I am not sure if that is a word, but you probably get the idea). Neither of the two friends I went with had read the book, and they were equally moved. One commented that it was extremely realistic in the portrayal of a dying cancer patient and brought back a lot of memories.

This is just the start of the summer season of movies which have been based on or adapted from books, both novels and picture books, for adults and children. Here are a few more to look forward to:

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (needs no introduction and which will probably be reviewed on this blog next week when it opens)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A Christmas Carol - Disney's version of the classic Dicken's Christmas tale
Under the Mountain - the Kiwi classic by Maurice Gee adapted and updated
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - and directed by Peter Jackson
The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox - directed by Nicky Caro and starring Keisha Castle-Hughes
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - one of the hottest series of 2009
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan - for teen horror fans

With so many books being adapted to movies, it makes me wonder if a Book to Movie Club (as opposed to a straight Book Club) might be something people are interested in. Drop me a line at Warkworth Library (warklib@rodney.govt.nz) and let me know.

Have a good day. Ka kite ano