Veronica over at Toddled Dredge has issued a terrific reading challenge: read the book that the movie was based on. The Disney movie, that is. Who among us never labored under the delusion that we wouldn’t let our kids see the movies before they read the books? I still can’t believe I let my kids watch the Narnia movie… *sigh* But that’s the story of parenting, isn’t it? The best-laid plans…
When I was a kid we didn’t have a tv, which meant that I had almost always read the book before I saw the movie. And even back then I was usually disappointed by the movie. The worst offender — to this day, I have not gotten over it — was The Wizard of Oz.
[SPOILER ALERT for the book version]
Folks, it’s not supposed to be a dream! In the book she doesn’t get knocked on the head! Everything that happens really happens! Oz is supposed to be a real place!
Mary Poppins was another huge disappointment for me. I’ve gotten over it now; at least, I can appreciate the movie on its own merits, if not as an adaptation of the book. But the thing that fascinates me to this day about the book, and which is not nearly apparent enough in the movie, is that Mary Poppins was mean! She was vain and haughty and gruff and sallow and totally humorless. Yet everyone loves her. Whereas, although Julie Andrews tried, bless her heart, she just could not suppress those pink cheeks and twinkling eyes.
Anyway, I signed up for Treasure Island, which I’ve neither read nor seen. I hope you’ll head on over to Veronica’s and sign up for a book, too. This is gonna be fun!
5 Comments
What a great challenge! I feel just as you do about Mary Poppins. The book Mary Poppins is so much more complex and interesting than the movie one. Though, like you, I have come to appreciate the movie as an independent entity. I saw an excellent documentary on P.L. Travers in which she was very acerbic about the Mary Poppins movie, despite the enormous financial rewards it brought her.
I saw something about P.L. Travers too. Maybe it was in the special features on the Mary Poppins DVD. The main thing I remember is that she resisted selling the movie rights for years and Walt Disney went through hoops before she finally agreed. And I must say it makes me feel a bit better to know she didn’t like it, either.
Definitely try to read the books before the movies. However, with the Narnia film, it’s okay, because now you can get your kids excited for the rest of the Narnia films as they’re filming the next two already (original order, so it’s Prince Caspian and then Voyage of the Dawn Treader). (see NarniaFans.com)
Anyway, I could have been happier that I read the Lord of the Rings before seeing the films but found the films to be artistically brilliant in their own way, and love them equally.
The Princess Bride is another exception, where the author of the book also penned the film’s screenplay.
Big Fish, on the other hand, was VERY close to the book, but there was one thing about it that really got to me. The movie was better. And I’m not biased but when it comes to one part of the story, I just can’t abide by the book’s version of what happened.
Oh yeah, and what I meant about getting your kids excited for the next Narnia films is: have them now go on and read them (original order first, and then chronological if you’d like). There are six more adventures to be had!
Well, I thought the Narnia movie wasn’t too bad, but I still wish they’d read it first. One thing I actually liked better in the movie was the poignant opening scene, i.e. their reason for being sent out in the country, which in the book is glossed over in one sentence. I am glad to learn that they are making the movies in the original order, anyway. I know it was C.S. Lewis’s wish to have them republished in chron order but in my opinion that’s a terrible idea.
Interesting point about Princess Bride. I read the book only after seeing the movie and didn’t notice too much difference. Maybe a little more back story. I think it’s a good thing to have the author write the screenplay. We just watched Empire Falls (author wrote the screenplay) and I thought it was marvelously true to the book.