[HPFGU-Movie] Re: Book adaptations

[AnitaKH]

susanbones2003 <rkdas at charter.net> asked:Jen here, yet again...(someone else get in here and add something!)
akh warns - you asked for it!

My love/hate relationship with books being adapted for film goes back to about 1963 or so - I think it was "Emil and the Detectives."  I loved seeing it on the screen, but was shocked - shocked! - to see they'd changed the ending.  How  dare they alter my beloved book?!?

Well, after vast experience in the ensuing 40 years of movie-going, where I've seen adaptations, "inspired by" reworkings, and other flights of imagination based on books I love (Little Women, various Dickens and Austen treatments, and I can't ignore How the Grinch Stole Christmas), I look for what I can enjoy and try to ignore departures.  

Mind you, I'm still critical of serious changes that I feel violate the spirit, strucure, or both (don't EVEN get me started on the 1940 "Pride and Prejudice. Grrr!).  That said, I found Jackson & Co made few departures that were neither within the plausible realm of Tolkien's world nor were possible for the characters as depicted in the books.  I say few, not none, but that's probably a discussion for the LOTR Yahoo group.

I have felt the same thus far with the HP movies, even POA, which seems to be either a viewer's favorite movie or least favorite.  I cannot know what goes on in the head of the director as he's reading the book, so for all I know, his adaptation is consitent with his interpretation of the text.  Heaven knows, there are multiple interpretations of JKR's text.  If you're in doubt, go visit the main HPfGU list.  Short of putting Hogwart's in the 19th (or 25th) century, making Harry a giggly girl or some other such outrage, I'm likely to go see the movies and enjoy them.  Is it the movie I would write?  Probably not.  Would anyone come to see the screenplay I would write?  Pretty likely not; I have no clue how to write a screenplay!

akh, who has time to pontificate, since her work's e-mail and web site are under siege right now...



		
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