"Did you see that new movie?"
"Yeah it was alright, it didn't do the book justice."
The book is always better than the movie. We've heard it just about a million and one times, but do we ever stop to think why the pages between our fingers are so often more enjoyable to the picture before our eyes?
Most recently, over break, I read The Girl on the Train written by Paula Hawkins. The book sparked my interest because I heard it was sort of like Gone Girl which I absolutely loved. I could not put the book down, and finished in two days. I was full of character description and back story that gripped the reader in and did not put you down until the back cover was shut. The movie however seemed rushed. It left key parts out that were crucial in the enjoyment of the novel. It was set in New York, rather than London, which is a slight change, but took something away. The main character, Emily Blunt, was much prettier than she was written to be- in my opinion. I guess that's Hollywood for you.
Perhaps I am old soul, and do not give movies a fair chance. I have always been opposed to switching completely over to a technologically centered world- ridding of the paper and pen I see as dearest partners in crime. But time and time again, it seems the 12 dollar movie ticket never lives up to the six dollar paperback. So here goes the English major attempting to be impartial on such a topic.
First, comes time. There just isn't enough of it. No one wants to sit through a five hour movie, but that is what is would take to pack everything a beautifully written thought out novel has to offer. It isn't the movie's fault. It is no one's perhaps. It just seems impossible to fit all the character development, and plot details into a two hour trip to the movies. They's need to start making XXL popcorn, I suppose.
Second, comes the mystery. Putting a book together when alone in a quiet room is much more intellectually challenging than watching the story play out before your eyes. Watching a movie does require lots of paying attention, I will not take that away from the movie defender, but it just does not compare to reading a mile a minute to get to that next page to find out who the murderer is, to only later realize you were totally and utterly fooled. Movies are far too predictable for my liking.
Lastly and almost more importantly, the book usually comes first. You read a book and you have a certain picture in your head of the setting and its characters. If the movie does not cast the right looking actors to play the part you may be thrown off and disappointed right off the bat. Not having a clean slate from the start to give the movie a fair chance brings us back to the main point- the book, my friends is (almost) always better than the movie.
Happy reading...
and watching.
