Everyone has read their fair share of books that have been turned into movies, and seen the movies that were based off of books. But, why is America obsessed with turning perfectly good and interesting books into movies?
Personally, although I like watching the movies made about books I've read, I don't understand the thought process. Is it just about money? I wonder how the authors about these books feel now that their characters have actual faces, and their stories are brought to life. Obviously, if I was an author, I would be jumping for joy if my book was made into a movie, because that would mean alot of money, but is that the only reason I'd be happy? If you take away the money aspect, why do we make movies based on books? Is it to just create more million-dollar earning oppurtunities for production studios and movie stars? Is the movie worth it?
I have never met someone who read a book, then saw the movie based on that book, and thought the movie was better. The book ALWAYS wins. So why bother with the movie? The book/movie concept just shows how greedy and money hungry America is. And don't get me wrong, I would be the same way if a production studio came and knocked on my door, but other than the money, I don't get it. Making a movie out of a book takes all the imagination out of it. How is that a good thing?
I remember when I saw the first Harry Potter movie. I had read the book, and was sooo excited for the movie to come out. But when I saw all the characters, Hogwarts, and everything else, I automatically forgot how I had originally pictured it in my head. Although I loved the movie, I still had a strange sensation that the movie stole something from me. It took away the imagination I had had, and took away my own personal Hogwarts. Now, understandable that in big budget films like the Harry Potter series, the author probably got to decide how everything looked according to her imagination, but what about other movies?
Are the authors even that involved? For instance, in The Namesake movie, our whole class agreed that Sonia looked nothing like how she was described in the book. Did Jhumpa Lahiri cast that actress? Or did some faceless casting director do it? Was The Namesake movie really what Lahiri imagined in her mind as she wrote the book?
Books that get made into movies are continuously entertaining, and earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year. But my question is just, what happens to the imagination of the readers? I understand how the money of the industry could persuade some, but is there any other reason for our obsession of actully SEEING what we're reading?
Katie, I completely agree that sometimes the movies can take out the joy of a book because it ruins the image I had in my mind. However, I do think it is exciting to see the world and people in books come alive on the screen. Also, when the person or place turns out to be just like you pictured it it makes the story even better. I must admit though that I feel conflicted often times when I hear a book I read is being turned into a movie.
ReplyDeleteKatie, I completely agree! I feel that the book always wins over the movie. However, it is sometimes interesting to see how the characters in your head match up to the ones on screen. For example, in The Namesake movie, I had a completely different impression of Gogol as a teenager. I saw him with short hair and very tall and lanky. I would have never expected him to look like a greasy stoner!
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