Twilight Movie is a Good Adaptation of the Book
Director Hardwick Directs Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart
Dec 5, 2008
Vampires, werewolves and and love triangles. Who wouldn't want to pick up this book? Well...actually a lot of people, but a lot more people, including what seems like every single girl ages 11-19 decided that Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series was their book of choice and recently movie of choice.
Book to Film - worth the watch?
Though the Twilight Saga was thoroughly entertaining, it seemed like a movie was the worst way for this fad to go. How can one put teen romance and vampires onto a screen and make it realistic and entertaining? Somehow, director Catherine Hardwicke pulled it off.
The first movie in the saga was surprisingly true to the book and entertaining. Twilight starred Kristen Stewart as the awkward 17-year-old Bella Swan, who recently moved from bright sunny Pheonix, AZ to dark, gloomy Forks, Wa, and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, the impossibly beautiful forever 17-year-old vampire. It chronicles the human girl and male vampire's epic love affair.
Many viewers claim Twilight the movie does not follow the book. However, any movie based on a book has this issue, because it is simply impossible to have as much of a detailed plot in a movie as a book. There is not enough time. It is a mark of a good director on how well they balance the need to stay true to the plot of a book and adding enough details without making the movie 10 hours long.
The Characters and Their Relationships
The two Twilight screen characters matched the book characters to a tee. Bella's defining characteristics were that she was fearless when it came to the vampires and clumsy in everything she did. Throughout the movie she was tripping and running into things, but was completely at ease with the vampires.
Edward's character in the book was of course gorgeous, which Pattinson pulled off quite nicely, while being slightly mysterious and to most, kind of strange. In the movie, viewers find themselves attracted by his beauty and somewhat distracted by his almost awkwardness, as if he was born in another century.
The two main character's relationship was perfect. Edward and Bella seemed absolutely obsessed with each other, which, just like in the book is cute and somewhat disturbing at the same time. The later books expand on the two's near obsession with each other and Hardwick does a great job of introducing it.
Plot Points
The movie's basic plot points are also very in tune with the book, plus beside the key events that had to happen in order for the movie to have the same plot, Hardwicke did a good job of keeping in some of the lesser scenes that give the book its flavor and individuality. Of course some things had to be edited out, but the director did a good job keeping the things that really effected the story and even those that have an effect in later books. For example, the build up to the prom and also Bella's dad giving her the old truck, though not crucial to the plot of twilight, they are crucial to the characters and to later books. These scenes were portrayed almost exactly as they were in the book, and gave the movie the same feel as the book.
Definitely worth the watch
All over, the movie stayed very true to the integral plot points in the book. Hardwicke paid close attention to aspects like character personality, relationships and the basic plot flow, which made the movie a very true and entertaining adaptation of the book.
