Hopping on the Gravy Train with Book to Movie Adaptations
“The Giver”
All of them made into perfect little robots, the people of Lois Lowry’s utopian society don’t experience pain and suffering or feelings and color, not even the main character, preteen Jonas. But, when it is Jonas’ turn at the Ceremony of Twelves to get a job, he is chosen to be the Receiver of Memory. Suddenly he is allowed to see all of the past’s beautiful aspects and how much his world is lacking.
Adding to the dystopian trend and increase of book to movie adaptations, “The Giver” recently appeared in box office 21 years after the book was written. Even though the book, “The Giver”, by Lois Lowry, introduced the whole idea of teens struggling in a futuristic society, Phillip Noyce led the movie to be meagerly followed similar films such as “Divergent”, “The Hunger Games”, and “Ender’s Game” that arrived at the box office before and was left in the dust with its overwhelming plot holes and jerky storyline
Without the movie’s accomplished cast, that includes Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and even Taylor Swift, the movie would be a total flop. The actors rescued the would-be boring characters, and transformed them into being much more complex and intriguing parts .
Straying from the book’s path of a classic coming of age tale, the movie was transformed into a love story with two sixteen year olds. Although impossible in their strict utopian society, emotions and opinions are clearly displayed between the two and other characters.
Cutting your imagination off, a definitive ending is shoved down your throat. Unlike the open ending in the book, the complex problems are too simply solved and does not leave the reader to question. Though regularly consulted during the making of the movie, Lowry’s written masterpiece was turned into an ordinary, run of the mill movie with the very occasional surprise.
The author simply states, “I have had two previous books made into very mediocre movies for television. The movies appeared and disappeared quickly. The books continued on.”
“If IStay”
Choosing whether or not to live in the middle of a coma might not be on everyone’s bucket list, but Mia Hall, the main character of “If I Stay”, doesn’t get a choice.
Beautifully portraying the delicate situation of life and the twisted emotions that go with it, Chloe Mortez, who played Mia, was definitely the star of this movie that occasionally flickered through over-dramatic and cheesy scenes.
And of course it can’t be a young adult movie without a love story! Jamie Blackey, who plays Adam, Mia’s doting boyfriend, has sappy stapled to his forehead and is always there for her. He is joined in the hospital with Mia’s grandfather who also steals the show with his short but sweet conversations with a comatose Mia.
Unfortunately coming out soon after the hit blockbuster,“The Fault in Our Stars”, “If I Stay” is referenced to be a copy since it is similar in many aspects. Even though “If I Stay” is a pretty typical romantic drama, Mia’s past memories of her family along with the pain she is going through plays with the audience’s emotions and provokes them to think more deeply about life. I recommend seeing it if you enjoyed the “Notebook” or “The Fault in Our Stars”, even if it was another basic outline of a romance causing viewers to forget it in a month.
