Page to Screen, Beautiful Creatures

Book: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Film: Beautiful Creatures directed by Richard LaGravenese
Compared by Bronte

1. Scenes missing (if any) from the film

One of my favourite scenes in the book was where Ethan is in the Caster Library and finds his mothers desk. On it are items that mean a lot to Ethan and I just liked the sad 'more to Ethan than you think' part in the book. Also his mother uses random things to book mark pages, plastic spoon etc that was a nice touch to the book. It is a little detail and would be hard to convey on screen, but I just liked it.

2. Characters missing (if any) from the film

I don't think that there were any main characters missing from the film that I felt should be included. Boo Radley the dog was not in the film, does he count as a character?

3. Anything added into the film that wasn't in the book that was interesting.

I really liked the bit at the dinner table where Lena and Ridley have a, a...misunderstanding? Fight? It was really well produced and made, it looked real and it was. It was made without special effects if my knowledge is correct. It wasn't how I'd imagained it to play out but I very much enjoyed it like that.

4. Most beautiful scene in the film.

The part where Lena gives Ethan his Christmas present. It was just really cute. And sweet.

5. Did anyone drink tea in the film?

Yes, Lena gives Ethan tea when he is recovering from his little shock. He also has a cookie with it, which makes it ten times better. Cookies make everything better.

6. Overall: Book vs film

The film is never better than the book. Isn't that what everyone says, so you always go into the cinema not expecting much but I have to say I was really excited about this film from the moment I knew it was being made and I have to say it was really good.

Often in films they change the story quite a bit to make film lovers enjoy it and not lose interest but I guess with a book containing as much creativity and imagination as this one, you wouldn't have to change much. And they didn't. Which is why I loved this film so much!

It stuck to the book, the actors were brilliant, very well cast and the acted just as I imagined they would, but they are actors so I would expect no less. But they were great. Overall this film gripped me from the beginning, just like the book did and I can't wait for the next one. Such a long wait.

A bit more...

So this is a little extra. You lucky people. Eleanor and I were discussing the connection between Beautiful Creatures and To Kill a Mockingbird and although very different books made at very different time they have an awful lot in common.

So Gatlin, a small town in the deep south of America, just like Maycomb County, where no one leaves and generation after generation stay there. Maycomb County is filled with prejudice toward race, class and gender just like how in Gatlin, people are prejudice towards the Ravenwoods, even though Macon never really comes out of his old house any way, so how would they know? Some would say he is a bit of a recluse. Ring any bells?

There is definitly a connection between Macon Ravenwood and Boo Radley, besides the fact he has a dog actually called Boo Radley. We also have Lena, who no one knows and people don't like her because of the rumours that spread around the small town, a little like Tom Robinson.

When the Galtinions (!people from Gatlin!) try to get rid of Lena and they all sign partitions its a bit like how in the court no one listens to Toms side of the story even thought they know that he is really the innocent one, a bit like Lena. They all go off religion and what they think that God would want in both books. Both very religion orientated. We also have the fact that Ethan, Jem, both lost their mothers when they were old enough to remember them which adds to the sympathy of the novels.

In Maycomb County everything bad that happens is blamed on the people that don't fit in, the Ewells, Cunninghams, Robinsons etc just like how in Beautiful Creatures everything strange that happens, lightning etc is blamed on the Ravenwoods, even though in this case they were actually to blame. But that is not the point.

Finally we have Amma, who is my opinion should be married to Atticus. They are very similar, protective, clever, secretive. No one knew Atticus was 'One Shot Finch' just like no one knew Amma was a keeper. And their names both start with A. Let's not forget about that. We could also compare Amma with Calpurnia for the same reasons really, sweet, caring, lovely and they both cook food and look after Ethan/Jem/Scout who they love as if they were their own children. A motherly figure.

So whether it was intentional or not, we can conclude that the books, although set in different time zones and made for different genres, are very similar.