rummaging for answers in the pages

            Behind almost every movie is a great novel. Today, best sellers are transformed into movies to gain a larger audience, but are the movies always true to the books? In my opinion, most movies tend to stay true to the story except for minor changes in details used to capture the attention of the audience. These changes can either bring the book to life or leave viewers wishing that the book remained on a shelf. Remember, to transform a book into a film is a very difficult task.

            One of my favorite novels, The Secret Life of Bees, is a perfect example.Set in the South in the 1960’s, the story revolves around a young white girl who after the death of her mother has her African American caregiver as her only real companion. During this period in time, racial tensions were on the rise and violence was fierce. The author, Sue Monk, used vivid, descriptive language throughout the novel to convey the violence that occupied the underlining tension that existed due to racial inequality in the South.  The tone she set clearly portrayed the abuse, discrimination, and even death that took place.  The author’s words left a lasting image embedded in your mind of how the white people treated the African Americans.  However, when I saw the movie, the images displayed on the big screen did not do the novel the justice it deserved. Although the cast was awesome with Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning, the overall effect lacked the energy that the book possessed. The issue of racism seemed much more subdued compared to the book. To me, the director was unable to capture the powerful events on screen, leaving more to be desired. I am not saying that the movie was not good, but I just did not feel the same emotion and connection to the characters as I did when reading the novel. For me, this page turner should have just stayed on the best seller list.  

            That brings me to another novel that I love with all my heart- the first book of the Twilight series, Twilight. I understand that it is extremely difficult to condense over four hundred pages into a two hour movie, but in order to capture the essence of the novel, the director must try to come as close as possible. Within the first ten minutes of the movie, Bella and Edward were already in love, something that the author took over one hundred pages to do. Rushing this major part of the novel made me feel as though a lot of important connections between the characters were omitted since there were moments in those pages that only words could truly describe. However, at times I cried because the director was able to bring the emotions of the characters to life right out of the book. The vibrant images I had in my head of Edward and Bella from the novel kept my eyes glued to the screen. The pages did come to life on the screen, but I feel this was only because I was so emotionally attached to the author’s captivating words.

What do you think? Are Capote’s words holding up on the big screen in the movieIn Cold Blood directed by Richard Brooks in 1967? Are the visual images as compelling as in the novel? Should such a great piece of literature remain just a page turner? Let me tell you what I think. After viewing the movie, I think the movie totally captured the essence of Capote’s words. Just as I could not put the book down, I also kept my eyes glued to the screen. There was perfect casting of all the characters as compared to the book.  The movie did however spend more time on developing the characters of Perry and Dick and not as much as the Clutters. The entire story was filmed in black and white which gave it an eerie feeling. The filming of the murders was done exceptionally well. Without being graphic and gory, the sound of the empty shotgun shell being ejected from the shotgun after every round added to the tension and made me tense up anticipating the death of the next victim.   Even though I knew how the story ended, the execution scene in the movie was horrifying and was exactly the way Capote described it in the novel. As I previously stated about the movie Twilight, the director had to condense hundreds of pages into 134 minutes which meant that some details had to be shortened or omitted. In my opinion, the movie did the novel a great justice and should be seen by everyone who has read the novel. Overall, a movie can never be exactly like the book, but most times they come very close. What do you think?

Have you ever imagined life like a ticking time bomb, not knowing when it was going to be your last day, last minute or even last second on this earth?  In the novel, In Cold Blood, the family of four was not expecting their life to end as soon as it did. Within the first few pages of the mystery novel, my mind immediately traveled off into thinking about how terrifying it would be to know that it could be my last day alive. The Clutter family had no idea, not even a small inclination that their typical routine would no longer continue. This just made my heart sink miles deep within my chest. Ironically, before his unknown approaching death, Mr. Clutter going to get life insurance besides and was busy taking care of his farm and tending to his crops. The narrator tells the reader “… he headed for home and the day’s work, unaware that it would be his last” (Capote 13). After reading that quote, my thoughts were turned down, like they were controlled by a simple volume nob; I turned them all the way to silent. I did not want to continue reading. This man was going to die and I knew. I sank deeper into my chair, practically halfway on the floor.

I soon put the book down and began think about all of the innocent lives that are lost in just one single day. My mind flashed back to the tragic day of the Virginia Tech shooting. I will never forget April 16^th, 2007, a day so many lives were lost in an instant. I remember the televisions, the radios, the Facebook statuses, and the phone calls. I will never forget the way the people reacted around me. Thirty-three people died; each person with a life goal or plan at mind. Those kids went to class that day expecting to fulfill the rest of their college years, get married, grow old…but sadly, for some of them their journey ended sooner than planned. I wondered what they would have done differently that day if they had known it would be their last. Perhaps confess their love to someone, call their mom and dad, quit their job; the ideas are endless. I never thought that a book could allow my mind to think so deeply and allow me to feel such strong emotions of grief over past events. It made me feel as if I could or should have done something to help. But instead, now all I do is watch the memorials on television and read about the ceremonies remembering the loved ones lost.

         My mind was like a moon bounce, my thoughts hopping from event to event. Time shifted from 2007 to March 15, 2011.  I walked in the house after finishing work, turned on my computer and suddenly thousands of notifications popped up saying that a student from Central had been killed.  The entire baseball team was devastated at the loss of their teammate and friend, Kevin Gilbert, as he made his way to practice early that morning. He was only eighteen years old when he got into a horrific car accident and passed away. Everyday car accidents happen, they are unexpected and sudden, and the result is life changing. The word about Kevin had affected those who did not even know him personally, like me. And then just last week, I walked into school and heard nothing but noses being blown and weeps so loud that the people in China could hear. It was the first anniversary of Kevin’s death and the images came pouring back.  Kevin Gilbert’s death had left a mark on our entire high school- teachers, staff and students- and will for years to come. The young man’s life ended within an instant, just like the people at VT and the Clutter family.  

All of the events I discussed reinforce what I read in the novel.  The Clutter family was suddenly swept up in a series of events beyond their control.  As with Virginia Tech and our own Kevin Gilbert, fate dictated the destiny of those involved.  In the midst of these depressing thoughts, I remembered something my parents told me about tragic events. “When one door closes…another one always opens”.  For every death there is another birth.  While an unexpected death is sad and heartbreaking, the important thing to remember is how that person lived their life, not how it was taken away.  I guess what I realized most is that we don’t know when our lives will end so we move forward expecting that each new day brings us closer to fulfilling our goals and dreams, instead of hiding in our homes afraid of the unknown.    

Clip from Mean Girls

The Pink Ladies from Grease.

We all know they exist, we’ve all seen them. In fact maybe you have even been a part of one. As with any typical high school experience, cliques are everywhere. Cliques are a part of everyday life and have been around for many years. In John Updike’s short story A&P, one particular quote immediately got my attention.  The narrator stated, “She was the queen. She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round. She didn’t look around, not this queen; she just walked straight on slowly, on these long white prima donna legs” (Updike 2). The words Updike used instantly sparked the popular media portrayal in my mind of female cliques that exist in all walks of society. What stuck out the most was the word “queen” that he used to describe one of the girls in the short story. Although he spoke about three girls together, the other two just followed the queen’s cue and lagged behind her. Cliques, as I know them, always have a “leader” or a “queen” in charge. This person is the one who has the power and control over the group.

Jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, hippies, punks, and many more all can be considered cliques but in all honesty, have they really changed over the years? Updike’s quote brought to my mind a great 1950’s portrayal of a female clique with a queen bee as its leader- Grease. Rydell High School, just like Central, had groups made up of a select few that followed the queens’ commands. Rizzo and the Pink Ladies, who dressed provocatively, would strut their stuff around the school with Rizzo always two steps ahead of the other girls. Although clothing trends have changed since the fifties, today’s cliques still display similar, with some being considered even more provocative. The old saying, “Birds of a feather, flock together” is a great way to describe these cliques.

From watching movies and reading novels, I noticed that Hollywood depicts the leader of the group as the “Queen Bee”, “Head Honcho” or whatever you want to call her. She is usually very beautiful, thin, the center of attention, and the manipulator of others around her. A more modern take on Updike’s quote is a movie most of us are familiar with- Mean Girls. In Mean Girls, the female clique is centered on Regina George (the Queen) and her crew. When I read A & P, Updike’s description perfectly defined the action I saw when I watched the movie. Regina George paraded around with “prima donna legs” just like the way Sammy described “Queenie” in the supermarket. Heads turned with all eyes on them every time Regina and her girls entered a room, much like the girls in the story.

Whether it’s the 1950’s, 1960’s, or even today, cliques are still a part of high school life. Just like you, I see the “Queens” and their crew when I walk into the cafeteria, library or any public place in school.  These girls draw attention to themselves by the way they dress and how they present themselves. They socialize only with each other and walk around as if all the other kids are inferior to them. I know we all tend to stay with people we are most comfortable with, but for some, acceptance into a group is a priority.  You know who they are, you can pick them out. Just look for those egotistical girls that Updike described who think they are better than everyone else.