I picked up the “The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls in the spring of 2016 and was so captivated, I could not put it down until I devoured the very last page.
The book is a memoir vividly depicting the unconventional childhood of young Jeannette Walls. By unconventional childhood, I mean being brought up basically homeless, running from the FBI in the middle of the night, sleeping under the desert stars, being thrown from cars, coping with unstable parents, and so much more. Although the book has sold millions of copies, been on the New York Times Best Seller List, and is a must read – what really intrigued me was the movie released this week on August 11, 2017.
I am always a big advocate for reading the book before seeing the movie, and “The Glass Castle” is no different. But going into the movie with only 50 percent rotten tomatoes, and having an extreme love for the book, I was shocked to have left the theater overly satisfied and genuinely amazed. Frankly, my expectations were shattered.
One reason this movie was so fantastic is that it told the story of Jeannette Walls and her family in the most truthful way possible.
In the memoir, Jeanette’s mom is constantly painting. Her artwork plays a huge part in the family’s life, whether it’s the creativity and passion she was able to share with her children or the fact she did not make an income from her paintings to put food on the table.
The director decided to use her real paintings for the movie to give the film even more of a visual truth.
“Summer Storm” is a song played in the movie written by composer Joel P West. Jeanette's father, Rex Wallace, wrote a lot of poetry in his lifetime and Joel West used his poetry as inspiration to create "Summer Storm."
His vision was to bring to life something Rex would have written himself. These small, personal details are what made this movie more than a typical Hollywood film, but an intimate depiction of Jeannette's unbelievable life.
The movie is perfectly cast, but more than that, the actors portray the complexity of the story and the dichotomy of emotions in the most authentic performance. When you read a book, your imagination can run wild while the author fills your mind with endless details.
A movie is different in the fact it visually presents you with the characters and shows you exactly how each scene is to look, feel, and eventually be played out. Although "The Glass Castle" is a memoir, the stories Jeannette writes about are hard to believe. So when an audience can watch the story unfold on a big screen in front them, it makes the story that more real.
In “The Glass Castle” book, the relationship between Jeannette and her father is the main focus. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. At times, Rex is the most creative and supportive father who pushes Jeannette to dream bigger than whatever box society puts her in, but on the other hand, he is too drunk
Jeannette yearns to get away from her dysfunctional parents, especially her drunken father, yet with all of her anger she feels towards him, she cannot help but loves him for the fatherly parts he did play in her life. This conflict can be explained through multiple chapters of a memoir, but the actors had to display this same deep and intricate relationship through a short two-hour film.
It seemed impossible, but they captured it perfectly.
“The Glass Castle” movie was so well done because it gave the audience a picture of humanity and all of its gray areas. People are not simply black and white; there is always a story behind the person. This why you find yourself rooting for and against Rex throughout the film because he is neither purely evil nor purely good. He is complex as all humans are. Like the book, the movie makes you laugh, cringe, cry, have empathy and eventually contemplate the main ideas of family, freedom, and forgiveness. Bringing "The Glass Castle" to the big screen allows the astonishing true story to come to life by giving the characters and jaw dropping chapters a platform to be visually seen and ultimately: felt.
Do yourself a favor and get to a movie theater ASAP.
