‘The Virgin Suicides’ Movie Review

Movie Poster Image via Amazon

I realize it’s been over a year since a did a page-to-screen review and I feel like I need to apologize. I’ve been bad at following up my books with the movie, even when I fully intend to watch the film. This case will hopefully change my motivation going forward. I absolutely loved Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides. I was pumped to watch the movie and requested it from the library almost immediately after finishing the book.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Homecoming. The dance was a really critical turning point in the book and I thought it was well translated to the movie. Lux and Trip were electric together and I could understand why the night was so pivotal for her. I did feel like the other girls were a bit more glossed over than they were in the book but it was a small change.

Kirsten Dunst. OK, I didn’t believe she was 14, but I would have believed 16. She did great at the emotional highs and lows that Lux felt. She was rebellious and in love, scared and confident all at the same time and I thought she was wonderful.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

The tree coming down. I’m not even really sure about this one. My husband was watching with me and thought the tree came down, I didn’t think so but noticed in a later shot that it was down. I didn’t think this was a strong plot point anyway so I’m really fine with whatever happened to the tree.

Cover image via Amazon

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Mary’s suicide. In the book, Mary’s first attempt wasn’t successful but she tried again later and did kill herself. I thought it was an important touch that Mary, like Cecilia, didn’t succeed but made a second attempt. Lux’s pregnancy scare. They speak very briefly about her trists on the roof but there’s a lot more made of them in the book. She really broke from her parents and her history when she was doing that and I thought her pregnancy scare was the last time she could have gotten help. Plus, the ambulance visiting the house was a huge build of tension that I think was missed.

Things That Changed Too Much

The collective narrator. In the book, it was much less clear who the boys are who are narrating the book. I’m not sure this could have been done any differently in the movie, where a visual group needs to be shown. I liked the idea that the ‘we’ narrator was a larger group, not boiled down to five like the film decided to do. It seemed a little too personal instead of a collective group recognizing how the girls were separate and different from themselves. I think this was a great adaptation and I see why so many of you have pushed me to watch it as soon as I could.

Reader, have you seen the movie for The Virgin Suicides? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Sign Up for Monthly Newsletters

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Join my email list

By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

‘Love, Simon’ (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) Movie Review

Movie poster via IMDb.

I had a night alone and didn’t think this movie was high on my husband’s ‘to-watch’ list. He’s been trying to cram in all the Marvel movies he missed before seeing Endgame. So I figured I’d watch this one alone and I really enjoyed it! I’m so glad I saw it rather soon after finishing the book because so much was fresh in my mind.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Martin. I had a lot of trouble picturing this character as I read the book. He seemed to fit in, but not be accepted anywhere and I had an issue figuring out who this person was and how he fit into the story. I thought the portrayal by Logan Miller was great and let me get a much better idea of Martin and who he was.

Realistic High School. This is the same compliment I gave the book. High school life tends to look very glamorous in a lot of movies, with actors in their late 20s pretending to be teenagers. I felt this film did a good job of keeping the image realistic and it felt like the high school I attended and that I’ve heard about from others.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Less focus on parents. There was a bit focus on Simon’s parents in the book. They’re very relaxed and informal with Simon to the point that it bothers him, but he loves them fiercely. I know the movie didn’t have time to get into this relationship, but it was something in the book I really enjoyed. I don’t think teenagers and adults get along in books as often as they do in real life.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Alice and the sister relationship. Simon’s older sister, Alice, was going through changes at the same time he was and I think it made it easier for him to tell his parents he was changing, too. Taking Alice out for the movie made sense, though. I did miss how close Simon was with Alice and Nora. The Nora in the movie wasn’t as prominent as the one in the book and I thought her support of Simon when Martin posted on Tumblr seem odd. In the book, it made a lot of sense because she and Simon were so close.

Cal. Simon built Cal up in his mind a lot in the book, thinking that he was Blue and developing a crush on Cal separate from his crush on Blue. I felt that Simon’s desire for Blue to be Cal was part of what pushed the real Blue away. He felt rejected because Simon was physically attracted to someone so different from himself. Simon had never once guessed the right identity for Blue, even though in the movie he did. I thought this made the reveal a little less surprising and a bit more of a letdown.

Things That Changed Too Much

Leah. Leah’s character was so different! I didn’t like her much in the book and I could have liked her in the movie if I wasn’t so mad about her being different! Changing her crush from Nick to Simon was too clean. The fact that she liked Nick when Nick liked Abby was part of the complication in the book that made it interesting. Add on to that she was a lot more social and likable and upbeat, and it’s a different character. I wish they’d gone with the original Leah and not forced Leah and Nick on a date. It was too weird.

I can see why this did so well at the theater. It’s a great love story and a very realistic depiction of high school and the social perils involved. Reader, have you seen the movie for Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘The Hate U Give’ Movie Review

Movie poster via Amazon

I’d hoped that I would be able to watch the movie for The Hate U Give closer to when I finished reading it, but life didn’t agree. I was able to watch it two weeks ago when I had a house guest I didn’t know how to entertain. He and I were both swimming in the state meet and we needed something calm to do. What better than a politically charged teen movie about murder?

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Starr. Seriously, Amandla Stenberg. Amazing. She was exactly how I pictured Starr. She was sassy when she needed to be, sweet, and strong. She was just the character I’d pictured in my head and her emotions and attitude changes throughout were great. It’s hard to imagine what it is like to experience the trauma Starr did, but Stenberg brought it to life.

Maverick. I could summarize this and say casting, but each deserves its own credit. Russell Hornsby was great. I keep picturing the scene where he lined his kids up and made them repeat the Black Panthers’ Points. He was strong, moving and believable. Great performance.

King. When I read the book, I pictured King as a big, imposing figure. Not Anthony Mackie at all. So I struggled with his portrayal at first because it was so different from my mental picture. But Mackie won me over. His quiet, tough character was even more intimidating than what I’d originally pictured and I was terrified of him by the end!

Hailey. I struggled with Sabrina Carpenter in this role because I’m familiar with her playing a character named Maya in Girl Meets World so the names threw me off at first, but I got over it. I’d had trouble picturing a character who was a good friend and turned so negative so quickly. I thought the way Carpenter pulled it off was great.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Taking out DeVante. I think this was a logical removal. DeVante had the options Maverick always wished he had, but the story wasn’t about Maverick, it was about Starr. Taking him out helped focus on Starr’s story.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Hailey’s comments about Maya. Hearing Maya mention Hailey’s comments about her race made me dislike Hailey even more in the book. It was something little, but it helped explain why Starr and Maya banded together and how misguided Hailey was. I think it would have been something quick to keep in that would have helped the story.

Things That Changed Too Much

Sekani at the end. Yeah, this one got me mad. Sekani taking Mav’s gun and aiming at King with Starr walking between him and a police officer was too much. I’m not crazy, right? This was totally different from the end of the book, right? Don’t get me wrong, it was very impactful. But it was too much.

Staying in Garden Heights. This really bothered me. Lisa and Mav’s fights about leaving or staying were a big part of the book and they surfaced in the movie, too. But when they decided to stay because King was gone instead of moving because it was the right move long-term, I was disappointed. The message of the book was that moving out wasn’t giving up. And I think the movie could have included that.

Overall, an amazing movie adaptation. I’m sad it took me so long to watch it, but I’m really glad I saw it. Reader, have you seen the movie for The Hate U Give? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘Bird Box’ Movie Review

Movie Poster via IMDb

It’s been a few years since I read Josh Malerman’s book Bird Box for my book club. Our amazing leader picked it as a spooky October read, a favorite tradition of ours. With the Netflix release of a movie version starring Sandra Bullock, I was pumped. A huge surge in views of those past posts shows a lot of people were curious about the book so I’m looking forward to this comparison and seeing what the rest of you thought as well.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Sandra Bullock. She was amazing. The stress she exuded was palpable and she made me uneasy and on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved how she played Malorie.

Boy and Girl growing up. In the book, we skip from their birth to the river trip. The movie gave us a few glances of them growing up with Malorie and Tom, learning about being outside and life before the invasion. I liked these little touches.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

The quick invasion. The book had a slower invasion and Malorie and her sister losing contact with their parents and others before experiencing it themselves. The quick invasion was much more exciting and made for a great movie moment. It was a bit too similar to War of the Worlds for me, but that’s also a great sequence.

Book Cover via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

The creatures getting in. In the book, the characters are always worried about the creatures getting into their houses through doors. When they come inside, they created an ‘airlock’ of sorts to make sure the creatures weren’t there with them. They got rid of this completely in the movie. My husband, who hadn’t read the book, asked me about it and I told him the book solution. He thought that seemed more logical.

Things That Changed Too Much

Tom’s death. Maybe my memory is off, but I thought Tom died in the ‘Gary Incident.’  Him living longer gave us a great battle with the mentally deranged people but didn’t add much to the story. It also made it weird, to me at least, when Malorie gives Boy the name Tom.

Having to look. That was what was so scary about the river journey in the book! You had to look at a fork in the river and Malorie had to believe that she could do this. I wish that had been kept in. Again, the rapids made for a great visual sequence but having to look was downright terrifying!

I’m so glad this awesome book was turned into a movie. Maybe it would have been a better Halloween release, but Netflix has seen amazing success with it. Reader, have you seen the Bird Box movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘The Joy Luck Club’ Movie Review

Movie Poster via Pinterest

I was really excited to finish this book and immediately start on the movie. It was a book I read over a few weeks and seeing all that time culminate in two hours was really rewarding. I always try to watch the movie right away. Though I often fail. Oh well.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Visualizing the characters. I had a lot of trouble connecting the characters when I read. I would forget who had which childhood and who’s mother was who. Seeing the characters and the actors made it a lot easier for me. I could connect Lindo and Waverly, An-Mihn and Rose. I could remember the childhood one mother had and see why she felt a certain way about her daughter’s decisions. It helped to connect the stories for me.

Auntie Lindo. She was great! I loved the actress and all the enthusiasm she had for her role and the emotion she poured into it. I would watch an entire movie of just Auntie Lindo’s stories.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

June’s father not coming to China. It seemed a bit incongruous to me when I read the book. The whole thing to that point had been about mothers and daughters and how they’re connected across generations and cultures. By having her father along, the relationship she develops with her half-sisters is a bit off and the meeting with her Aunt in the book is much less personal. I wish the book had followed this.

Time in China. The time with her aunt in the book seemed like filler to me. It didn’t build anticipation or develop the characters so I felt it could have been cut. June also makes a few comments about communist China which seemed tacked on to me. I liked it better in the movie where those things were left out.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Rose and Lena’s childhoods. Did I miss something? We got the story of June playing the piano and Waverly playing chess, but what about Lena and Rose? I don’t remember the exact stories they had in the book, so maybe there’s nothing missing. It just seems off for there to be nothing about those two.

Things That Changed Too Much

June speaking Chinese. She makes a point earlier of telling her Aunties that she can’t understand Chinese. Then at the end, she has a conversation with her half-sisters in Chinese and understands the questions they ask her. How long was the time in between that she could learn another language? Not long enough!

The ending. I was angry with the end. I couldn’t believe that no one would tell the twins their mother was dead before June arrived! That was so much to place on June and ask her to communicate to women she was meeting for the first time. It was building up the twins’ hope as well. Of course, they’re excited to meet their half-sister, but it’s not the same excitement you’d feel when meeting your mother.

This was a really great movie and I’m glad I was able to watch it so soon after reading the book. They compliment each other well. Reader, have you seen the Joy Luck Club movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (2017) Movie Review

Movie Poster via Wikipedia

I won’t lie, I watched this movie because I didn’t have time to finish a book and write a review here for you all. I’ve been wanting to see this one for a while so it was a good kick in the pants to finally rent it and watch. I figured that anything with Johnny Depp and Kenneth Branagh would be worth seeing.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

All of the characters. I remember getting many of them confused while listening to the audiobook. Being able to see a face to go with the name was beyond helpful and made the movie much more enjoyable.

The train. It was so beautiful! I’m contemplating a train trip in the next few years and I’ll be sadly disappointed if the train doesn’t look like that. My husband says I’m going to be sadly disappointed by Amtrak.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Dr. Constantine. I honestly forgot about him until reviewing the original book. His absence was very minor and not a bit loss for the film. I thought it was good to reduce the number of characters, even just a little.

Dr. Arbuthnot. Here’s how they got away with it so well. By making Arbuthnot a doctor, they were able to use his skills in that field and fill in anything missed. Sly. It was also interesting that they decided to add some racial diversity with the casting. I thought it was great to address racial tensions at the time of the story with him.

Cover image via Goodreads.com

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

I honestly can’t think of anything that was left out. It seems more was added to round out the run time of this movie. Granted, it’s been a while since I read it so I may have forgotten.

Things That Changed Too Much

Too much action. Chasing McQueen on the bridge and Mrs. Hubbard being stabbed were just a bit too much for me! The murder was gruesome enough for me and I didn’t need the added suspense. Maybe someone who didn’t know how it ended would feel differently, but I wasn’t a fan.

The ending. Spoilers in this one! But seriously, Poirot telling them to kill him so he won’t reveal his secret? Really, that was too much. As was Hubbard/Arden sacrificing her life. It was too dramatic for me. The book had a degree of calm to it despite the tragic situation that the movie seems to have tried to avoid at all costs.

Interestingly, I can also compare this movie to the BBC Poirot episode on the same book. I honestly liked the BBC version better. It was true to the book and didn’t deal with over-dramatics. I also liked the portrayal of Poirot better. Branagh’s version was a bit too comical and not a world-renown detective for me.

I’m buckling down with my reading with the sincere hopes of getting you a book review next week! I don’t want to be watching movies over and over to have something to talk about. Though, it is very relaxing. Reader, have you seen the 2017 Murder on the Orient Express movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘A Walk In the Woods’ Movie Review

Image via Movie Poster Shop

It’s been a while since I read a book that had been turned into a movie and it was a nice break. It let me say to my husband on Saturday, “I have to watch this movie!” I enjoyed A Walk In the Woods a lot as an audiobook and I was curious how it would be turned into a movie so it was a delight to see this and see how things developed.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Nick Nolte. I had an idea in my heads of what Katz would look and act like, much of it derived from the narrator of the audiobook. Nolte didn’t hit it exactly, but he was pretty darn close! I enjoyed his portrayal and how he struggled with the hiking but became so much better as the film went on. When he wanted to give up, he let Bill talk him out of it. That was a lot of growth from when he got off the plane.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Katz’s drinking. I’m glad this still got brought up. I thought with the direction the film was going that it would be cut since it was at the end of the book. It was one of Katz’s biggest demons and another big moment of growth for his character.

Running into bears. This was a bit much for me. The two did run into some kind of creature (I suspect a bobcat) but the encounter was nowhere near as exciting as the one in the film. It seemed a bit too convenient that the bears were scared off by the men in their tents. Honestly, that wouldn’t always work.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Nature facts. Toward the end, Bill goes off about the American Chestnut but it’s the first time he’s talked about nature or the trail at all for their entire trip. The book had Bill giving facts about the trail’s history and the landscape they’re walking through the whole time. Why take it out at the beginning and leave only the Chestnut?

Things That Changed Too Much

Not stopping in Tennessee. When Katz brought up fast forwarding the trip, I was ready for it. The Smokey’s were the worst part of the trip for both of them. I was really surprised when Bill kept going and they didn’t skip ahead to Virginia. That was a bit too much for me.

Not taking a break and coming back to it. I didn’t like the pace of hiking the trail in the book, but this was weird. Instead of taking the summer apart and Bill hiking parts of the trail by himself, they stopped completely in Virginia. In my mind, they weren’t as close to ‘finishing it’ as they came in the book. They had all of New England that wasn’t touched. Either way, the book and movie fell short of what I was hoping for in the story, but the movie even more so.

This was what I was looking for in a fun read about hiking and being outside. I’ve been couped up inside with school projects and I’d love to get out like Katz and Bill. Reader, have you seen the A Walk in the Woods movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘The Spectacular Now’ Movie Review

Image via Movie Poster Shop

I’ve been watching a lot of movies based on books lately! It’s been a good way for me to relax while school has been crazy. I watch them in two or three chunks which drives my husband crazy and ensures I get to watch them alone! I hadn’t heard of this book until I saw the trailer for The Spectacular Now so I had to watch the movie right away!

Things I Thought Were Awesome

The narration as a college essay. I was wondering how the writers would get Sutter’s strong voice to influence the story but using a college essay at the beginning and end was a great way to get his personality across and emphasize how he changed. Kudos!

Sutter’s dad. This wasn’t awesome in a way that means ‘cool’ but in a way that means ‘well done, writers.’ I hated Mr. Keely even more in the movie than I did in the book and he was pretty terrible in both. How little he cares about seeing his son after so many years is really depressing and seeing him go back to the bar instead of home to see Sutter was infuriating. I understood Sutter’s anger better and why Aimee was more worried about Sutter than herself after the car accident.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Simplifying his relationship with Holly. The opening when Sutter sets a fire in Holly’s house set the tone well for how combative the two would be and helped the reader understand why Holly is so reluctant to give Sutter his dad’s information. I think implying they didn’t have a lot in common and the obvious age gap between them was enough and I’m glad they took it out.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Aimee’s drinking. The amount Aimee drank and the problems she started running into with drinking were a major message in the book. I felt this was a bit glossed over in favor of Sutter’s drinking problems in the film. Book Aimee is drinking to excess and getting sick from it while movie Aimee is having a few drinks to have fun but seems to be encouraging Sutter more than anything else. I think the change in Aimee was a big part of the book ending. With the ending change (see below), it makes a bit more sense the way the movie went.

Things That Changed Too Much

The ending. I didn’t like it. (Major spoilers for the rest of this paragraph.) In the book, Sutter had Aimee leave because it was best for her. He didn’t have his own things sorted out but knew she was in a good place and was set up to succeed in life. He recognized that he was a boost she needed to reach her goals. In the movie, he just abandons her and she almost stays for him but at the last minute, she goes anyway. I thought this was really against the book’s idea of pushing her out of the nest. Especially when he shows up in Philly to see her! That really rubbed me the wrong way. Book Sutter realized she needed him for a time and that time was over. Movie Sutter wanted to fix his own mistake and get back with her. I didn’t like the change, it made me lose some respect for Sutter.

Cassidy and Krystal. Small, but a Hollywood change I didn’t like. Cassidy and Krystal were fat! It was in the book, multiple times in Cassidy’s case. But in the movie, because Hollywood and women, they’re rail thin. I would have loved a curvaceous Cassidy and I was really hoping it would happen, but no dice. Drats.

This was a fun book and a good movie. Except for the ending, I thought the two were rather comparable. Reader, have you seen The Spectacular Now movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘The Circle’ Movie Review

Movie poster via Book My Show

FINALLY! I had The Circle on my TBR before the movie was announced but when it came out, I tried to read the book so I could see the movie in theaters and compare them but life (and book clubs) happened and I’m only just now reading and watching. I’m so behind the times. At least I’m trying to catch up!

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Mercer. I know Ellar Coltrane doesn’t look a thing like the Mercer described in the book, but I almost liked him better. Mae seemed really superficial when she started making fun of how Mercer looked so having an attractive guy play him made more sense to me. He still came off as ‘outdoors-y’ and hands-on without an out for teasing him on vanity reasons.

Chasing Mercer. This scene was hard to read and understand in the book but seeing it played out made me really appreciate how he felt chased. It’s easy to see why, after getting death threats from strangers, he wanted to hide and being chased made him flee like an animal.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Taking out Francis. He didn’t add much to the story in my mind. He did give us a baseline for Mae’s ideas of privacy at the beginning of the book and how they changed by the end. But really, he just made me sad most of the time. Better not to have a sad character.

Reducing the feedback systems. There was so much as far as the surveys, PartiRank, influencer scores, ah! It was too much, and that was the point of it all, but it was still overwhelming to read and would have been overwhelming to see in the movie. Better off without it.

Taking out the fish tank. That was a heavy-handed metaphor if I’ve ever read one. It added nothing to the plot and only served to show the three founders as aquatic creatures and see, in a very disturbing feeding practice, how a society can destroy itself.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Mae’s relationship with Ty/Kalden. I felt this was pretty integral to their teamwork at the end (which I’ll get to later). Without the relationship between them, I felt there wasn’t much for the trust they shared to be based on. I would have argued for the relationship to be left in, especially with Francis being taken out.

Transparency. Mae’s transparency was a big deal, but the number of other people going transparent was really glossed over. There was the one senator, but that didn’t scrape the surface of the number of people in the book who became transparent. I wish it was shown that Mae wasn’t such an anomaly.

Things That Changed Too Much

Warning: all of these are spoilers for the book and the movie. You’ve been warned.

Annie. I thought the way Annie’s story ended in the book was appropriate. There had to be a victim who’d been swept up in the Circle and it was Annie. She was necessary to show the evil in a system like the Circle and without her collapse, the ending seemed almost happy. As much as I hate to say it, Annie needed to end up in that coma.

Ty at the end. I don’t get this one. Why would he want to share Stenton and Eamon’s secrets but not bring down the company? It didn’t make sense to me what he was trying to accomplish. He’d already said that the reason he created TruYou had been twisted and he wasn’t happy with it. Why would he be happy with the Circle’s path and want it to continue? I feel like there’s a deleted scene here that makes this all make sense and makes Mae look like the bad one.

Eamon at the end. I didn’t like him ending up the bad guy after all. I pinned him as the guy who genuinely thought he was doing something for the good of the world and seeing him entrenched in secrets and getting ready to face legal battles ruined his character for me. I wish they’d left him out of it, maybe thrown Stenton under the bus alone. Or, you know, kept the ending from the book. Just saying.

Spoilers over!

Overall, it was a fair representation of the book though, of course, a lot was cut out for time. It was such a long book, I knew a lot had to go. Reader, have you seen The Circle movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

‘The Glass Castle’ Movie Review

Movie Poster via IMDb

OK, I’ll be the first to admit that I read this book a looooong time ago. I know it was 2015 because I remember reading it at a conference in Chicago. I told myself I’d see the movie when it came out but I’m terrible at seeing movies in a timely fashion. I was on my way home from California when I started watching it on the in-plane entertainment app. We landed before I could finish it so I wrapped it up over the weekend. I don’t have a great memory of the book, so please comment with more if you can.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Woody Harrelson. I feel like he gets a bad reputation for being a bad actor, but I don’t agree. He’s very good at playing a drunk or a drug addict! Rex seems like a role made for him and he did a great job with it. The emotional highs and lows were believable and I felt like Woody might have really experienced those emotions.

If you only watch one part of this movie, watch the credits. There are interviews with the Walls kids and video clips of Rose Mary and Rex from the time they were living homeless in New York. It was amazing to see Rex and how well Harrelson embodied him. The interviews were great because the kids shared their memories of getting a star and it mirrored that scene in the movie so well.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

More of the movie concentrated on Jeannette’s time in the present, with David, than I remember from the book. It was fine by me, interesting enough, but I felt like it was just to give Brie Larson more screen time. I wanted to be with the Walls family in Welsh or traveling across the country in a van more, but the writers found a way to keep it interesting and I liked it well enough.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Not taken out, but shortened. Her time in college! I was amazed that Jeannette went through school with no family support the way she did. That was the most empowering part of her story for me because it overlapped with my life. I was really amazed by her strength there.

Things That Changed Too Much

Rose Mary’s problems. It was clear in the book that both of Jeannette’s parents contributed to her challenging upbringing. While Rex had problems with drinking, Rose Mary would hide food from her children and couldn’t hold a job. Her issues were really downplayed in the movie to focus on Rex and I think it took away from the book as a whole.

I’d have a lot more to say if it hadn’t been so long between when I read the book and seeing the film. I liked the movie but I’m sure there were parts left out that I would have liked to see. Reader, have you seen The Glass Castle movie? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!