What’s *Not* To Love – Things Which Do Not Please Me In The Movie Twilight
Perhaps you have grown tired of me sharing the Twilight gospel. When I first saw the movie, I was not sure what I thought of it. I thought of some things I did not like, how some of the movie-magic was not so magical and how adaptation changes many book elements. When I saw the movie the 2nd time I looked for mistakes but also saw past them and enjoyed the great moments. I still love the movie but much of it is very different from the feel I get from the books.
I think the interpretations of Bella and Edward are pretty good, but there are many character aspects that have been significantly changed. There are several significant scenes where “Edward” is just too angry. He’s absolutely supposed to show Bella she should stay away or at least be wary but I think he yells and is more disgusted with himself than he should be. I’m really going to get picky here: when he takes Bella up the hill to “reveal” himself, he’s too rough with her. I know from the commentary that Rob Pattinson thinks himself not very athletic or physically coordinated but he really pulls her along. Later they are climbing trees. I don’t think Edward would have put Bella in that situation, he’s too overprotective. She is rather delicate and clumsy, though Kristen Stewart is not. She is apparently plenty coordinated and can even play volleyball well.
The meadow scene itself is quite different because instead of thinking over all she has learned alone, coming to the realization that it doesn’t matter what Edward is, we see this thought process with Edward right there, pressuring her to vocalize what he is. I can understand that the original processes are too internal. They did a decent job bringing in some of Bella’s thoughts as narration. In the same scene Bella is supposed to get her first chance to touch Edward. They adore eachother so strongly, and both feel undeserving of the others love, but we only ever see Edward caress Bella. She rarely, if ever gets a chance.
Other parts that bother me are script related. In some pivotal moments, movie-Bella is not herself. Turns out these are moments where the script had changed or lines forgotten so whatever came out is what was recorded. First is in the escape from the baseball scene. She and Edward are in the car yelling at eachother. That was a bit of ad lib on the last day of filming. Yelling is fine, it fits the mood but she keeps saying she doesn’t know what to do. Book-Bella had all kinds of “diabolical” ideas. She doesn’t want to hurt Charlie, but she knows precisely what to say to get him to let her go. Another script problem was in the hospital after the ballet studio. Edward tells her to go to Florida, sacrificing his happiness for her safety, and instead of fighting only medically-induced drowsiness, she stutters (b/c she couldn’t remember the lines) and can barely get out a few clear words. But the sentiment of each is the same. Half the time when she’s talking to Edward she has trouble with coherency anyway, so I suppose it fits okay.
A couple continuity issues bug me. I do realize how little time they had to make this, and the serious weather problems they had. I do love the movie, but I can also see it objectively. The baseball scene is filmed over a couple days, in a couple different perspectives, and the hair issues they had with the females are clearest in Rosalie particularly right before and after the nomads have arrived. There is nothing a ball cap can do to hide it. From one perspective, her hair is perfect and with large loose waves. From another, the weather has made her hair lengthen into waves with less volume, it goes back and forth. In the hospital, when the camera is right in Bella’s face, the nose tubes come right up under her eyes. When the view is father away, the tubes are lower across her cheeks.
Then there are technological differences, and I don’t mean in how wires were taken out or rain added or removed (and there was plenty of that!). I am referring to all the gadgets Bella and her father own. Book-Bella was raised by a kindergarden teacher and a chief of police. She was going to pool her money just to buy warmer clothes and find an old car to get herself around Forks. She’s described as having a dial-up internet connection (probably on an old computer) so slow that she’ll go back downstairs to get some food or wash dishes (because Charlie has no dishwasher) instead of sitting their while it connects. She has to borrow Alice’s cell phone while waiting in in the hotel and has a walkman/cd player that rests on her bedside table. All these things are different. She has a sleek iMac and iPod, and a fancy cell phone so we can hear her talking to her mother instead of reading emails. And apparently Charlie even has a dishwasher. Tim suggested all her gadgetry might help the target audience more easily connect with her. Her clunky old truck is certainly more visible but all these little things add up to a help us understand her better.
I’ve watched extended scenes as well, and most of what was edited out what not book material anyway. I really hope the next movies stick to the book as much as possible. They should really endeavor to earn all the money they are going to make. There are a least 3 different copies of the dvd available! At each place it’s sold, the features and covers are a little different. I know many TwilightMOMs have bought them all so as not to miss out on a thing. There is also another version of the soundtrack, not the score, but a new cd/dvd with music videos. What gets me is the song that actually starts the credits, is not on either cd! It’s a good song too. I’m definitely going to acquire for my new ipod.
Please Leave a Comment: