 |
| Photo credit: theglobalpanorama on Flickr |
So the TFiOS grand opening weekend is over, and like many others, I saw the movie on opening night. And I loved it.
Movie adaptations are tough. On one hand, we want them to be as faithful to the book as possible, but on the other, movies are not books, and they shouldn’t be handled the same way as a book. Sometimes, staying perfectly faithful to the book means making a not-so-great movie, so there needs to be a balance between making a great film representation of the book and remaining faithful to what’s on the page.
To me, the TFiOS movie hit that balance beautifully.
It wasn’t just the acting (which was incredible), or the casting (which was perfect), or the cinematography and plot and set design. It was the feel of the movie, with a tone that matched Hazel’s snarky, cynical attitude in the book. It was the carefully chosen direct quotes and perfectly timed voice-overs and actors that really embodied the characters just like I’d imagined them in the book. It was respectfully handled portrayals of disability and perfectly awkward, sweet, funny and heartbreaking moments that fit the book so well.
The TFiOS movie was everything I could have hoped for in an adaptation, and it gives me hope for future YA adaptations. Because the sooner people realize YA books to screen can be truly fantastic movies and take them seriously, the sooner people may stop writing stupid articles degrading a whole category of novels and the sooner I’ll see more of my favorites in theaters.
So if you haven’t seen it yet? Do it. You’ll probably love it.
Have you seen the TFiOS movie yet? If so, what did you think? If not, do you plan to?
Twitter-sized bites:
Why the #TFiOS movie gives one writer hope for future YA adaptations. (Click to tweet)
Have you seen the TFiOS movie yet? What did you think? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)
