I haven't review My Sister's Keeper on the blog, but I think I mentioned it somewhere. Anyway, this was the first Jodi Picoult book I had read, so I wasn't yet used to her book's "formula" and I really liked this book. Kate, the eldest daughter suffers from leukemia (a cancer which my mom fought - and beat) and her parents have a second daughter, Anna in order to keep Kate alive. Through the book, you see the perspectives of many of the characters involved, which leaves you feeling empathy for all parties. Then, there is a massively shocking ending. And that pretty much sums up the book. Since I read this book, I have read a few other Picoult books, and I can't describe this book with as much hoorah as I probably did when I first read it, but alas, I really did like it when I read it.
Cue a few months later, and a movie comes out. I was surprised by the casting of Cameron Diaz, as she is almost always a joker, and I didn't have much exposure to Abigail Breslin so I didn't have any preconceived notions. Well, I watched this movie on a plane, and the ride was over before the movie was. Up to the point that I got off the plane, I sort of though, "ehhh, not bad, not great but still good" The acting and casting ended up being really good, my biggest problem with the movie was that the passage of time was a little awkward, and that the writing style didn't translate to film very well (almost like they didn't care to try very hard). Then, a few nights later, I finished watching the movie and.... WTF?!! That's not what happened!! First of all, the kidney issue is dealt with differently, making movie Anna seem like a bit more of a jerk, secondly the ending is a bit reversed, no? Like why not just take what happened in the book and make it the complete opposite for the end?? Cause that's what they did! It really irritated me. I get that movies aren't always going to go exactly the way they book did, but why instead of making a movie on 3/4 of a book and then doing whatever you wanted, write a different 3/4 beginning and then do that for the ending. So stupid. The movie also lacked the relationship the brother, Jesse had with his parents in the book, which I thought was kind of important.
Overall, I think each on their own were fine, but that they should of either followed the book, or made a different movie.
Verdict: Book was better, and movie was not close enough to the story line.
I think I'll first read the book. I knew about the movie and haven't seen it yet, but usually the book is better. I hate it too when the change important parts in the story (as you say, why not make a complete different movie?)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts :) Happy midnight reading!