The other night I saw MY SISTER’S KEEPER with my mom and the Little Pisser. My mom lent me the book by Jodi Picoult two weeks ago, but naturally I forgot to read it until I realized the movie was looming (um, don’t visit the link to Jodi’s website, if you were thinking about it, until you read my spoiler alert, down below). So I ate the book with my brain, finishing this weekend. Usually, I’m disappointed in movies made from books. But MY SISTER’S KEEPER, the movie, which was pretty decent, was a good representation of the novel. The movie even kept the multiple first-person viewpoints of the book intact.
Sure, the movie wandered from the book here and there, but not in a way that bothered me. Even the ending didn’t bother me, but…okay, I’m going to have to put this part in white font, because it’s a spoiler. If you’ve read the novel and plan to see the movie, DON’T READ this spoiler. If you’ve seen the movie and now really want to read the novel, DON’T HIGHLIGHT the big white section below. If you don’t give a rip and want to read the spoiler, anyway, highlight the white section with your cursor. My words will magically appear! (I am truly amazing sometimes).
SPOILER ALERT!! (Just in case I wasn’t clear).
The movie changes the ending of the book big time. I can kind of understand why the producers, the director, or whoever makes these decisions, did change the ending. In the novel, the ending was a complete surprise to me. It worked, on the page, but it might have come across a bit too soap-operish on the big screen. You see, in the movie, the wrong sister dies.
In the novel, the sister with cancer doesn’t die. The courtroom scenes play out pretty much like they do in the novel, except for one part in the novel where Anna, the sister without cancer, tells her lawyer that what she wished for the future was to see her sister alive in ten years. That she would gladly give her sister her kidney if her sister would allow her to.
Then the lawyer and Anna drive off in the pouring rain, get in a car accident, and Anna dies. Yes, Anna dies. Well, she’s brain dead, hooked up to machines, and Kate, the sister who needs the transplant is still alive. The parents are trying to decide what to do when the lawyer rushes in to announce that Anna wanted to give her sister the kidney, Kate will die without the surgery, so sign the organ donor forms.
The novel ends with an epilogue set ten years later. Kate survived her cancer and has gone on to live a rewarding life. Now, you tell me, isn’t that a huge departure from the film, where Anna doesn’t give Kate her kidney and Kate dies?
End of Spoiler.
Spoiler P.S. What I discuss in the spoiler is addressed on Jodi Picoult’s website and includes her thoughts on it, so I’m warning you, don’t visit her website link if you don’t want to know.
I don’t want to discuss MY SISTER’S KEEPER, the movie, or even MSK, the novel, because I don’t want to ruin it for others. But the experience got me thinking about other novels to film. Which have worked for you and which haven’t? I was super disappointed in the film adaptation of SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD. I read the book before the movie. I loved the book and couldn’t have given two hoots about the film. However, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, I saw the movie before I read the book, and I enjoyed both greatly. FIRST BLOOD, I’ve never read the book, and I thought the movie was great. So maybe I should stop reading books before seeing the movie. But that’s hard to do when you don’t know which books will get made into movies.
Do you prefer to read the book and then see the movie, or vice versa? Does it drive you nuts when the movie veers extensively from the book? Or can you separate them in your mind and enjoy both versions for what they are?
If you’re interested in sharing your thoughts with the director and screenwriter about the book-to-film process of MY SISTER’S KEEPER, you can do so here.
I haven’t read the book and will probably see the movie when it’s on cable. (I’m looking forward to Dillinger! Johnny Depp, yum.) I read your spoiler, and really like the book ending.
The Horse Whisperer. It was really pretty good, but I hated the ending in the movie, which they also changed. I understand why they changed it, but still … And I couldn’t sympathize with the lead actress, Kristin Scott Thomas.
Hi Edie,
I didn’t read THE HORSE WHISPERER so had no idea they’d changed the ending. This is the problem with reading – it teaches you things!!
DH and I want to go see PUBLIC ENEMIES, too. I remember watching a movie about Dillinger when I was a kid. I was totally enthralled.
I’d way rather see the movie THEN read the book. Had I read YaYa Sisterhood first, I’d have been HORRIBLY disappointed in the movie, which I quite enjoyed. And yes, it can drive me crazy when they change major aspects of the plot when adapting a book to film.
One movie that worked really well was The Girl with the Pearl Earring – it was pretty faithful to the book and was gorgeous to look at too (didn’t hurt that Colin Firth plays Vermeer *g*).
As for being able to separate film versions from the novel, I can do that with some, it just depends on the quality of the film. Gone With the Wind, for instance, does cut out some subplots and 2 of Scarlett’s children, but somehow it still works – capturing the essence of Mitchell’s story. And given it’s still nearly four hours, it’s a good thing some editorial decisions were made!
Teresa, I think I’m going to have to start following your M.O. and read the books after the movies. Like I said, though, the problem is not knowing which books will get made into movies.
That’s nice to know you enjoyed YA-YA the movie. I thought it sucked, after having read the book first and totally enjoying it.
I’ve seen GIRL but never read the book.
Sigh, Penny is having email problems on her website, and now I am, too. My first indication was when I stopped receiving email notifications of comments to this blog, which are supposed to forward from my website email to a private one. My forwarders aren’t working on either website, and mail is bouncing on Penny’s website. I’ve been moved up to a level 3 technician, but now with the long weekends, I’m hearing from NO ONE.
Argh.
First experience with not hating the movie because I’d read the book was The Hunt for Red October. I loved the movie, read the book, and was much happier with the secret kept in the movie–it made it more suspenseful.
Since then, I’ve gone both ways. No Harry Potter movie would ever be acceptable, because I love the books too much, and they’re too rich. I’m able to divorce how I feel about the movies but have to watch them at least twice. The first time it’s “that was changed, that was changed, that works okay, no they DI’N’T!” LOL
Overall, though, I finally learned to let go and just try to encapsulate each experience independently of each other, if you know what I mean.
That’s very good advice, Natalie. I’ll try my best to follow it (experiencing each independently of the other). MSK, I read *just* before the movie, which didn’t help.