So the book that has caused millions of women to swoon has become a movie. I personally haven't read the books and I may have been the only one in the whole theater. Still, I thought the trailer looked good and I mostly went for the company. I heard that the Edwards (no pun intended) Theater in Nampa sold out every theater. I wouldn't be too surprised since I got there about 11:50pm and had to park a football field away. The other girls went to IHOP beforehand but Ken ended up having an emergency at work that kept him until almost 11:00. Having paid for my ticket last week, I was pretty nervous that he wouldn't be home in time for me to go, but it all worked out and my girls saved me a great seat.
As for the movie itself, I tried not to have many preconceived notions as to how it would be. Having never read the books, I thought this would be easy, but having so many women around me rave for months about how Edward Cullen is the perfect man, I admit I ended up with a few expectations. I found that I didn't identify with Bella as much as I would have liked, nor did I find Edward's character as irresistibly attractive as I would have expected. On further reflection, I think this could have been due to the fact that the character development and even the plot development in some points seemed a bit rushed. I've noticed this is a mistake frequently made when adapting a movie from a book, especially a book that is really popular. Audiences expect the same story line and characters they fell in love with in print, yet a good movie, in my opinion, is developed in a manner entirely different than a good book. One scene can be worth a thousand words, yet a book can use thousands more scenes and dialogs to develop its plot and characters than can be included in a two hour movie. In order to make a viable movie from a good book the plot and characters must almost always be changed, in some cases more than others. And therein lies the dilemma: change a classic favorite story too much and it will upset the fans, but try to include too many details and you have a mediocre movie that's either too long, or too broken up, etc.
That being said, I did think Twilight was a good movie in its own right. When I set my expectations for the "perfect guy" aside, I realized that Edward was exactly what I would expect a pasty-pale, deeply conflicted vampire with a moral conscience to be. It was Bella's character I felt I had to stretch for because in my opinion the movie glosses over her character development more. Why does she have the issues she has? Why is she so different from other girls that she turns the head of a guy who's been around for decades and seen hundreds of girls come and go? Why does she freak out in the hospital when Edwards suggests they never see each other again? I had to search my imagination for her possible motivations because they really weren't developed for us. And why can't he read her thoughts? Ok, that one might be answered later...
I found the cinematography and the special effects interesting and beautiful and Stephanie Meyer's take on vampires really intriguing. I'm not normally into horror movies, especially vampires, but I didn't feel at any point like I was watching a horror movie--more of an action/romance/drama. I thought the whole "vampire's passion for blood" was very tastefully done (another inadvertent pun). All in all, I really enjoyed myself and I decided that I need to see it again to form a solid opinion.
2 comments:
I thought that your take on the movie was fascinating, and exactly right on. I wasn't very impressed, yet I did like the books. I found myself "filling in" why people were doing the things that they were from the Book. If I hadn't read the book, I felt like I wouldn't understand what was happening, especially in the character development of Bella.
To answer a few of your questions, Edward is interested in Bella because she is perfect for him. Because he can't read his mind he finds her quirky and fascinating. It's the very fact that he doesn't know what she is thinking that makes figuring her out so fascinating. Second, the fact that her blood "sings" to him in a way that no one else's does means that being around her requires an immense amount of self control. It is that control, that sacrifice for her that creates his love for her. Love is sacrifice, and as we give up things that we want for another we come to love the one we are sacrificing for. "Bridle all your passions to be filled with love."
To "get" Edward's attatchment to Bella a little more, try reading:
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_partialdraft3.pdf
Cheers!
I got to see Twilight on my birthday, and I had so much fun. I loved the books, so I was looking forward to the movie, and I was surprised at how good it was. It stayed very close to the book, so half the fun for me was watching the scenes that play in my head while reading actually come to life before my eyes. The other half of the fun was as you described, feeling like a college kid out with girlfriends to have a good time! :)
Though my sister agrees with you on the movie version of Bella, I didn't have a problem with her. Though I've read the books, which are written from her perspective, so it's a lot easier to understand her. Movies are better suited to portraying actions, not thoughts.
And I loved movie version Edward. I liked him much better in the movie than I did in the actual book! (I was for Jacob and Bella being together, because I felt they had a healthier relationship.)
Anyway, I'm glad you got to have a fun night out with the girls! And read the books - though I didn't like the relationship between Bella and Edward, and I actually didn't like their characters for awhile, I still loved the books. They were fascinating stories told with excellent storytelling. (Notice I didn't say superb writing - that leaves something to be desired. But you can't fault her for her ability to capture your interest and draw you into the world she created!)
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