The Fifty Cents of Hollywood

As an avid lover of books I find that the movie version of my favorite books I've read is somewhat lacking.  That cannot be more true than for My Sister's Keeper, which just came out on blu-ray and dvd.  I've been waiting patiently for it to because it is probably my favorite of Jodi Piccoult's novels that I've read.  I should not have got my hopes up.  Although the movie does follow the book in that it skips between characters' perspectives and from the present to the past, it completely changed the ending. 

I understand that sometimes directors and screenwriters believe they need to change things up to create more of a feel good ending or to make it seem less sad for the audience, but come on.  I was so disappointed.  I hate to tell what the difference was because there are those that saw the movie but did not read the book.  Go to Wikipedia, which for some may not be the most reliable site for information will tell the person the real ending to the novel even though it won't make you feel better about the characters in the movie.

So everytime a movie comes out based on a book I've read and fell in love with: example: The Time Traveler's Wife, I will have to be more cautious before I see the movie.  Maybe read some more reviews.  That movie did the book justice I thought.  I remember the day that I found it tucked in a corner of a used bookstore and thought what an interesting concept.  People need to read the details; there is so much lost on the screen.  I'm sad to think about what they are doing to the The Lovely Bones.  That movie is getting such poor reviews. 

Here is the moral of the story: read the book.  See the movie if you feel ducky especially if there are special effects and such.  But life is too short to miss the details. Hollywood should keep their nose out the books and come up with their own ideas for screenplays.

M