Plot
To lengthen the story so that it could fit a full movie time, I would add more of the author's day. Rather than starting with her in bed, I would run through her day, including her reading about the man down the street who had been killed. Also, when she begins her story, I would have it start with a quick run-through of how the father and mother met. It would still be very fairytale-esque. It would be a similar style to the beginning of the animated Disney movie "Up". I would also add a scene at the end which shows the mother and father watching as workmen take down the barbedwire and uninstall the alarm systems.
Setting
The author would live in a fairly new suburban area. All of the houses would seem clean and neat, but they would be covered with "No Trespassing" signs. It might feature a scene which shows the author, in a nice car, driving into a gated community with beggars at the entrance. For the story part of the movie, the setting would be the same as what the text describes. The houses would all be large, and it would show various brands of alarm systems throughout the neighborhood. It might show an empty park or basketball court because the children are not allowed to play out in the neighborhood. The house they live in would be very locked up, with locks on cabinets and closet doors that requires a key. It would also be mid-spring, with blooms everywhere, but no one paying much attention to them.
Point of View
The point of view would need to stay the same because the whole point of the short story is that the author is telling herself a story. Her sarcastic tone and the fairytale phrases are important to keep. The point of view shows us that the author is scared in her own home. However, by showing how overprotectiveness can be just as bad, she brings herself comfort. All people tell themselves comforting things when they get scared, so it makes the whole idea of it more relatable. The point of view could not be changed to that of the father, mother, or child because they are flat characters in the story and should remain that way. By giving one of them narration, it would give them a connection with the reader, which would be harmful to the feeling of the story. In keeping them flat, the reader can see the tragic accident at the end as more of a lesson than the emotional scene it would otherwise be.
Characterization
The author would have her characterization reveals mostly through her reactions and interactions with other people. We would also be able to hear her inner thoughts, which would reveal that she is a very sympathetic person. We would hear that she feels bad for the beggars at the end of her community, but she is scared to offer them help. As for the characters in the fram story, they would have as little as possible revealed about them. They would live the cookie-cutter lifestyle, but not be perfect. The parents would not really pay much attention to the boy. The boy would not have a sense of the poor lifestyle that some people in his community live in.
Theme
The theme of this story is overprotectiveness. I think this is important, especially in the high-crime world of today. It is only right to keep the theme intact. People long for the olden days, when you knew all of your neighbors' names and let the summer breeze in through the windows at night. Instead, we try everything to be the oppostie. We lock our windows up tight and avert our eyes when we cross people on the street. The theme of the story should be the same in the movie because it has a clear purpose. It seeks to warn us about the direction our society is going in if we don't change our ways.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Independent Reading Film Blog
Plot-
The plot of the movie was almost identical to the short story, from the quotes to the experiences the characters have. Some critical things did change though, such as Chris rescuing Teddy from the train rather than Gordie. Because of this switch, the reader is not able to know what feelings it evoked between Chris and Teddy because we are limited to what Gordie's thoughts are. A scene that was not in the short story at all was Gordie's Yankees' cap, a cap he loves because it was given to him by his dead brother, being stolen by Ace Merrill before they even leave town. This added scene goes against the almost apathetic feelings that Gordie had for his brother in the short story. It said that he didn't even cry at his funeral, while Gordie seems pretty torn up about the loss in the film. This switch can change the audience's attitude toward Gordie. While the movie adds the last scene, it takes away an important one in the book. When Gordie goes to get food in the movie, he does not get in a skirmish with the store owner over his brother. This scene was important to revealing Gordie's character and yearning to break away from under his brother's shadow, but the movie does not allow the viewer this knowledge.
Point Of View-
Like the short story, the movie is told from an adult Gordie's point of view. It was important to keep it this way in the movie because it reveals the other characters very well. Gordie knows his friends very well, and this allows the readers to know them, too. At the beginning of the movie, it shows Gordie reading about Chris' death. Because the movie is in his point of view, we know that he cared very much for Chris. It gives it a emotional element that the reader or viewer can relate to. This point of view is important to the work as a whole because it reveals the character's inner turmoils, rather than simply telling about their journey to find a dead body. It would still be good if that were the case, but it would not grasp the audience as it does.
Characterization-
The characterization is revealed mostly through the interactions of the characters rather than Gordie's inner thoughts, like in the short story. This mode worked better for the movie because if everything was revealed through the narrator's voice in the background, it would have made for a boring movie. It is a good idea for writing, but not for something that people want to view. While the mode of characterizing was changed, the actual characters themselves did not change. Teddy was still the son of a crazy veteran who did stupid stunts, Chris was still the tough guy with a big heart and Gordie's best friend, and Vern was still the odd fat kid who was always scared to try stuff. If one element of the character's had changed, it would have been a negative effect because the author of the short story, Stephen King, created them as they were meant to be.
Setting-
The setting is the same. The town is still Castle Rock, Oregon, and they are still going to the Back Harlow Road. The take the same train tracks, go to the same dump, and the movie keeps all of the elements of setting. This helps to stay with the theme of young boys, in a time before people worried about kidnappers on every corner, setting out to find their own rite of passage. It was important to stay with this setting, because it went from their safe little homes and tree house to an uninhabited forest with wild plants and animals. They were breaking away from safety, and venturing out to find something new, a lesson which the reader appreciates.
Theme-
The theme also stayed the same. The boys find what they are looking for, and come to the realization that they are no longer innocent. They have seen something mature, and they feel very strongly about it. The theme is rite of passage, a fairly common one, but it is taken to a new level through the short story, and the movie continues this idea. Had the theme changed in any way, the story would not be as powerful as it was. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was such a powerful story to people who had already gone through a similar rite of passage. The characters do not realize what they are in for, but the reader does. Seeing a dead body for the first time must be one of the most humbling experiences. And the fact that the movie kept this aspect of the short story the same is a very good thing.
The plot of the movie was almost identical to the short story, from the quotes to the experiences the characters have. Some critical things did change though, such as Chris rescuing Teddy from the train rather than Gordie. Because of this switch, the reader is not able to know what feelings it evoked between Chris and Teddy because we are limited to what Gordie's thoughts are. A scene that was not in the short story at all was Gordie's Yankees' cap, a cap he loves because it was given to him by his dead brother, being stolen by Ace Merrill before they even leave town. This added scene goes against the almost apathetic feelings that Gordie had for his brother in the short story. It said that he didn't even cry at his funeral, while Gordie seems pretty torn up about the loss in the film. This switch can change the audience's attitude toward Gordie. While the movie adds the last scene, it takes away an important one in the book. When Gordie goes to get food in the movie, he does not get in a skirmish with the store owner over his brother. This scene was important to revealing Gordie's character and yearning to break away from under his brother's shadow, but the movie does not allow the viewer this knowledge.
Point Of View-
Like the short story, the movie is told from an adult Gordie's point of view. It was important to keep it this way in the movie because it reveals the other characters very well. Gordie knows his friends very well, and this allows the readers to know them, too. At the beginning of the movie, it shows Gordie reading about Chris' death. Because the movie is in his point of view, we know that he cared very much for Chris. It gives it a emotional element that the reader or viewer can relate to. This point of view is important to the work as a whole because it reveals the character's inner turmoils, rather than simply telling about their journey to find a dead body. It would still be good if that were the case, but it would not grasp the audience as it does.
Characterization-
The characterization is revealed mostly through the interactions of the characters rather than Gordie's inner thoughts, like in the short story. This mode worked better for the movie because if everything was revealed through the narrator's voice in the background, it would have made for a boring movie. It is a good idea for writing, but not for something that people want to view. While the mode of characterizing was changed, the actual characters themselves did not change. Teddy was still the son of a crazy veteran who did stupid stunts, Chris was still the tough guy with a big heart and Gordie's best friend, and Vern was still the odd fat kid who was always scared to try stuff. If one element of the character's had changed, it would have been a negative effect because the author of the short story, Stephen King, created them as they were meant to be.
Setting-
The setting is the same. The town is still Castle Rock, Oregon, and they are still going to the Back Harlow Road. The take the same train tracks, go to the same dump, and the movie keeps all of the elements of setting. This helps to stay with the theme of young boys, in a time before people worried about kidnappers on every corner, setting out to find their own rite of passage. It was important to stay with this setting, because it went from their safe little homes and tree house to an uninhabited forest with wild plants and animals. They were breaking away from safety, and venturing out to find something new, a lesson which the reader appreciates.
Theme-
The theme also stayed the same. The boys find what they are looking for, and come to the realization that they are no longer innocent. They have seen something mature, and they feel very strongly about it. The theme is rite of passage, a fairly common one, but it is taken to a new level through the short story, and the movie continues this idea. Had the theme changed in any way, the story would not be as powerful as it was. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was such a powerful story to people who had already gone through a similar rite of passage. The characters do not realize what they are in for, but the reader does. Seeing a dead body for the first time must be one of the most humbling experiences. And the fact that the movie kept this aspect of the short story the same is a very good thing.
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