I was first introduced to "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," a novel by American author Ransom Riggs back in 2011. My dad had picked up a few books that he thought I would enjoy, and I picked up this one first because the picture of the levitating girl on the front page fascinated me. I quickly found myself caught up in the fictional world full of children with peculiarities, time loops, and strange creatures called hollowgasts that try to kill the peculiars. I finished the book in just a few days, and yearned to learn more about these characters I had come to love. By the time the sequel, "Hollow City" was released in 2014, I was so busy with classes that I never got a chance to read it.
Thoughts of the characters eventually left my mind, until I saw that a movie adaptation of the book was going to be released. Initially, I was nervous about how the movie would live up to the book, because it didn't seem like the type of book that would make a good movie. Now, after seeing the movie twice, I can say for certain that although there were changes made to make the story work as a movie, the magical and mysterious vibes that had caused me to love the book in the first place are still there. Here are some of my thoughts on the biggest changes that were made to get the book ready for the silver screen.
1. Emma and Olive's Peculiarities Were Switched
This was probably one of the most obvious differences for me. In the book, Emma can control fire and manipulate it with her hands, and Olive is lighter than air. These were swapped for the movie. According to Tim Burton, the director of the film, "We just sort of felt that having Emma floating would be a bit more poetic and it was in the spirit of the book." Although this change initially seemed odd and had me questioning if I had misheard the introductions of the children, I agree that it worked well to have Emma float and that it allows her relationship with Jake to reach a new level not seen in the book.
2. The Relationship Between Abe and Emma is Less Obvious
Emma, who is Jake's love interest in the film, hints at the fact that she had a relationship with his grandfather, Abe, back in the 1940's when he was Jake's age and lived in the Loop with her. In the book, this relationship is much more clearly defined. I preferred the way it was depicted in the movie because it gave Emma a slightly mysterious vibe because she avoids Jake's questions about her past as well as his questions about his grandfather. It also made it easier to ignore the fact that Emma has been romantically interested in both Jake and his grandfather, a fact that is kind of odd.
3. The Character of Mr. Barron Was Created
Director Tim Burton created a new character for the film, Mr. Barron, who is the leader of the wights. Wights are evil peculiars who were turned into hollowgasts in a failed attempt to achieve immortality. Hollowgasts eat the eyeballs of peculiar children to turn into wights. When Tim Burton was asked why he created this new character, his answer was simple. He wanted to work with Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is perfect in this role, and his character adds a new level of conflict in the movie. He looks like the perfect movie villain, and his first appearance at the beginning of the movie made me jump out of my seat the first time I saw the film.
4. The Movie Provides More Closure Than The Book
I found that the book ended rather abruptly, as if there should have been another chapter to tie up the loose ends. Waiting three years to find out what happened to the children was painful. Without giving away too many details, I can say that the movie goes beyond the end of the book and provides you with a sense of what the future holds for the children and Miss Peregrine.
5. The Movie Has A Stronger Plot Than The Book
Personally, I thought that the book lacked a driving plot, which was the main reason I was nervous when I heard about the movie adaptation. I enjoyed that the book was more about showing the reader around the magical world that the peculiars live in rather than being crammed with action on every page, however I knew that this does not translate well on screen. I was glad to see that the other changes that were made, especially the creation of the character of Dr. Barron, opened up the opportunity for more action.
Overall, I have to say that this is one of the best movie adaptations of a book I have ever seen. The few changes that were made were beneficial to the plot or helped to make the movie more accessible to those who did not read the book. The special effects were also amazing. I was curious about how the peculiarities would translate to the screen without appearing too fake, and the film did a wonderful job making it actually look like these actors have special abilities. The cast is phenomenal. Eva Green blew me away as Miss Peregrine as did the new child stars, like Finlay MacMillan, Pixie Davies, Raffiella Chapman, and Lauren McCrostie. Ella Purnell, who played teen Maleficent in the 2014 Disney movie was stunning as Emma, and Asa Butterfield, known for his performance as Bruno in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is perfect for the role of Jake.
Even if you have not read the book, if you're a fan of sci-fi, fantasy, or mystery, I'm sure you'll enjoy "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children."
