Books vs. Films

In this blog, I will be discussing three books and the film versions that have been adapted from the original books. Books have, for decades, been the inspiration for many filmmakers, and children's books have been some of the most popular films ever produced. For this blog, I tried to choose books and films that would not only appeal to a variety of children, but also that would read and watched by different age children.

My first choice was Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. I chose this book / film combination because of the popularity of the book series, according to both the public children's librarians as well as the elementary school librarians to whom I have spoken. When I first chose this book / film combination, I did not realize that the 2004 film version actually is an adaptation of the first three books in this popular series. I can definitely understand why the books are so popular; the characters are fun, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. The three children, who are the main characters, are orphans, being taken from relative to relative in the first three books, and in each case, they are being "chased" by Count Olaf, a relative who is very interested in the money the children are destined to inherit. The film, in my opinion, does not live up to the books. Count Olaf, portrayed by Jim Carrey, is most certainly the highlight of the film, but the overall adaptation does not communicate the same fantasy and "other world" situations that I loved so much in the books.

After I finished up Lemony Snicket, I focused my attention on an older book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a wonderful book by James Bond author, Ian Fleming. Written for his son, Fleming wrote an extremely interesting book about a car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that "looks out" for its owners in several hair-raising and dangerous situations. The book was not necessarily an "easy" read, written almost in a stream-of-consciousness style that I think most children would find difficult. On the other hand, the film adaptation of this book could appeal to any child who views it. When making the film version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the writers decided to turn this children's book into a musical. The filmmakers chose a wonderful actor, Dick Van Dyke, to serve as the inventor / father in the story, and he does a wonderful job leading his family through this adventure. Adding such songs as "Toot Sweets," "Hushabye Mountain," and "Truly Scrumptious," a song named after one of the main characters of the film who falls in love with the children, who in turn fall in love with her. Both the book and film "work," but the film comes across in such a way that makes it irresistible to viewers.

The third book / film combination is a Dr. Seuss classic that has recently made its name just as familiar in the film world -- Horton Hears a Who! Dr. Seuss' classic book is one that many, many children learn to grow and love; the story focuses on an elephant, Horton, who hears a "Who" on the top of this dandelion-style flower. Unfortunately, no one else can hear the "Who," leaving Horton to look like a fool and the people of WhoVille in desperation. The 2008 film version is wonderful in every way. The filmmakers did an excellent job of keeping the Dr. Seuss story very close to its original; however, they added enough modern "updates" to make it interesting to today's audiences. Children going to see the film hear such things as "WhoSpace," referencing today's popular website MySpace, and "WhoPhone," which sounds very similar to an iPhone. Choices like these inclusions, as well as choices of actors' voices, such as Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, make this Seuss story perfect for today's film audiences. Every adult and every child who I know who love the original book and who have seen the new film version are extremely happy with the adaptation.

Nate Smith



Sources:

Fleming, I. (1964). Chitty chitty bang bang: The magical car. Cutchogue, NY: Buccaneer Books.

Geisel, T. S. (1982). Horton hears a who! New York: Random House.

Hayward, J., & Martino, S. (Directors). (2008). Horton hears a who! [Motion picture]. United States of America: Blue Sky Studios.

Hughes, K. (Director). (1968). Chitty chitty bang bang [Motion picture]. United Kingdom: United Artists.

Silberling, B. (Director). (2004). Lemony snicket's a series of unfortunate events [Motion picture]. United States of America: Paramount Pictures.

Snicket, L. (1999). A series of unfortunate events: The trouble begins. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.