Beautiful Creatures Film Review

Beautiful Creatures 2013

  Yesterday (Feb. 16 2013) we went to see the Beautiful Creatures movie at the theater. Needless to say, we had a case of the fangirl squees while waiting for the film to start. We have been waiting to see the film since we all read the book.  

            Unfortunately, there were many times when we looked at each other and mouthed “what?!” I am adamant that adaptations from book to film cannot be exactly alike. What works in a book does not necessarily work in a film. However, while watching this film, there is the moment when you realize the film has gone crazy and has started adding unnecessary things to the story. Some of the additions are ridiculous, and I will address them, but those sections might contain spoilers and will be marked. I try not to repeat myself so while some comments could appear under many headings, I try to keep some kind of semblance of organization.

Main Characters

            Ethan does not behave as I thought he did in the book. Admittedly, I thought their banter was much more interesting in the book, and overall he had more personality. (Lena: Can we just have a normal, awkward teenager date? Ethan: I won’t even call you the next day. *note: this is not an exact quote, only what I can remember.) I still stand by my opinion that he looks older than he should, and he doesn’t have the hair that needs cutting as stated in the book. It would be one thing if the film simply ignored it, but no, it doesn’t. In the first few moments of the film Amma reminds Ethan that he needs a haircut (when he obviously doesn’t). It was a moment when the writer tells the audience “Hey, I read the book too, I know what I’m writing about.” And by the way, he doesn’t know what he’s writing about.  

            Lena is a decent actor, though like Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in the Hunger Games film, I feel that they should have been more aware of how her face looks in certain angles. That’s something the camera and the actress needs to be aware of. My only major gripe with Lena is that her wardrobe doesn’t have the otherworldly feel like it does in the book. She is supposed to look different and out of place. Sure, she might not look exactly like her class mates, but it’s close, and maybe she is from the next town over. She is supposed to look noticeably different, and she doesn’t. Also, the charm necklace is never explained and should therefore just be taken out of the film.    

Atmosphere

            The atmosphere was well-done in the film, though I have actually never been to the south (yet). At least it looks like what other films tell me the American South looks like. However, I hate it when films have a narrative frame, trying to emulate Twilight. It would have been more effective to have Ethan speaking to someone for the set-up. Ethan: Hey Link. I hate Gatlin. You know what my mom always said, right? That we should strive to get out of this town full of religious zealots. She was right. All Gatlin talks about is the Battle of Honey Hill. Etc. There is at least one other point in the film that uses voice-over narrative that is unnecessary and shows lazy writing. Also, throwing around terms like “naturalist” without explanation is lazy writing and confusing for the audience, whether they have read the book or not.   

            I do dislike how the term southern Gothic is automatically stapled to this film. Yes, it takes place in the south and has the religious overtones known in the Bible Belt. Does it really have the abandoned, spooky buildings or other iconic symbolism? Not really. Everything is overdramatic and not scary at all. In fact, most of the scenes are in happy daylight. Southern Gothic also involves the grotesque in some way. It’s not here. So let’s stop using terms we don’t understand, shall we? It’s a teen romance movie, don’t paint it as something that it is not.

Book to Film-What Was Changed

(Mild Spoilers)

Light Vs Dark

            This change I actually liked. In the book, why you wouldn’t want to go Dark isn’t particularly clear. I assumed it has something to do with going to the dark side and you get to shoot lightning out of your fingers, but nothing is said in the book, as far as we can recall. With the exception of the “OMG once you go Dark you’ll hurt everybody you love!” you don’t know anything besides Dark=Bad.

            In the film, Dark Casters are actually bad. Ridley, a siren, actually hurts people. Sarafine has an agenda that will hurt mortals. Even Macon Ravenwood is a total jerk at one point and does something mean to Ethan.   

Claiming

All Duchannes are Claimed, male or female, in the book. In the film, only the men get to choose and the girls still get Claimed. Why did they change this in the film? They made it a girl only curse that is directly related to their bloodline. I think this was a stupid idea that was totally unnecessary. Why change what isn't broken? 

Secondary Characters

            A lot of fail here. Why don’t we get to hear about any of the family’s powers? Where are all the other family members? Larkin’s purpose in the film has been so altered, I have to ask: why is he even in the film? Marian has been cut and replaced with Amma. Amma is supposed to be the Caster and Public Library librarian, on top of being Ethan’s caretaker (which is not explained, to my recollection) and a seer. This doesn’t give her much time to do all the other things she is supposed to do in the story, and I hate how the film just neglects logic and piles all this on her character. Ethan’s father never makes an appearance and he is swiftly forgotten. Not much mentioning of Ethan’s mother, either, when she plays a role in the first book even though she is absent. Don’t even get me started on what they did to Macon in the end of the film.   

Sarafine   

Why is Sarafine introduced so early? The whole “OMG she’s been influencing everyone the entire time!” falls flat because in the film, we are SHOWN a huge reveal too soon. The audience is left going:...ok....so here’s Sarafine, being evil. I guess she’s the bad guy. The film tells us: Please be afraid of her now. This doesn’t really work.  

Ending

            The ending was ridiculous. I will not apologize for my statement either. It was stupid and uninspired. It was like whoever wrote the screenplay felt pressured to throw in a mish-mash of overused tripe and call it a day. Even the lines the actors were given are just awful. Why did they deviate from the source material so badly? I can't stand what they did to Macon and Ridley.

Verdict

            An alright movie for people who have not read the book and are into paranormal romances. The ending was rubbish. The beginning was more than decent for this kind of film. It had some interesting and thrilling scenes with magic like spinning tables. The love story was alright. Better than Twilight. Atmosphere and acting was enjoyable. If the second film is made despite the abysmal ending, I hope they get a better screen writer.   

The Giving Bunny Project

http://www.urbanthreads.com/blog/?p=7487

A great thing to teach teens (or anyone) is the value of giving. The Giving Bunny Project encourages participants to make simple bunnies with a paper tag and leave them to be found. This brightens someone's day and encourages the receiver to become a giver. Giving a gift anonymously is something that most people will never do. The experience of giving without recognition is very refreshing.  You can find all the details, along with a template in this blog post.

This project was created by Urban Threads and is perfect for use in teen programming! You just need some kind of white fabric like felt or fleece, some thread for stitching, stuffing, and a pompom for the tail. The site suggests embroidering the eyes and nose. If teaching embroidery to teens is daunting, you can make it simpler by using tiny button eyes and a tiny pink pompom for the nose, or stitch on the shapes. I've seen some adorable variants and it's not about being exact to the pictures. Just get together with the supplies, some snacks, and go at it!

Hopefully we'll be making our own once we pick up the supplies in a week or so. We look forward to leaving them in places to be found to bring a smile to someone's face!
      

Dr. Frankenstein’s Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

*Made Possible by NetGalley.com! Thank you very much!
Published: January 1 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Website: Author’s Website

Introduction

            Before Victor Frankenstein died, he had twin daughters. Ingrid is her father’s daughter, possessing a scientific mind. Giselle is frail with her cough, but is beautiful. They inherit Castle Frankenstein on a lonely little island and relocate with their new wealth. Ingrid becomes fascinated with her late father’s scientific research, and Giselle is a budding socialite looking for love. The peaceful life on the island is interrupted with several murders. Who is the murderer?

The premise of this book hooked me because I love Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. I cannot count how many times I have read it. The idea that he had two daughters who may take up his work is brilliant. I had hoped for a gothic tale involving castles, monsters, insanity, love, and science.

Pacing

Unfortunately, that is where the brilliance ends. The beginning of the book is terribly slow. To fix this, there needs to be a hook at the very beginning. Perhaps start with an incident that is described later. Of course, no one is paying me to edit this, but there are many ways to easily fix the pacing. The beginning is boring and made me wonder if I really wanted to give my time to it.

Murder Mystery

            The murder mystery was disappointing. Without giving away who is behind them, it is terribly obvious. Perhaps the author shouldn’t have made that person act like a nutcase all the time. Or balance that person’s insanity with people of equal or insanity, or perhaps even worse. And when it is revealed who did it...party’s over. That’s it. Well? What happened to them? What about all the people left behind? How do they feel about it? This short book could have been made longer with some exposition.   

Audience

In my opinion, it should be re-written for an older age group. You know, for teens who have read Frankenstein in high school. On my copy it says for ages 12 and up. A 12-year-old’s reading taste and a 16-year-old’s will differ immensely. If it is for young adults, write it for that age group. A 12-year-old is not a YA.

Writing

My biggest gripe is the writing. Nothing about the prose stands out. That’s probably because it was written for 12-year-olds, though I have read books for that audience that is written with artistry. There is nothing about this that makes it stand out in the sea of books already written. Pick an age group and deliver the best writing possible.    

Praise

The cover, the premise, and I thought it was cute to mention Percy and Mary Shelly.

Final Verdict 
            Great idea, mediocre execution. Because of the mediocre writing, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for a teen book club pick. If a teen likes Frankenstein, I would recommend it on the basis of the premise alone.

Dancing In The Dark by Robyn Bavati

*Made Possible by NetGalley.com! Thank you very much!
Published: 2010 (Australia) Feb 8^th 2013 (NA Release Date-I have a NetGalley ARC)
Publisher: Flux Books
Website: Author Website 

Introduction

Yehudit (Ditty) Cohen and her friend Sara see a ballet on TV. It is the first time Ditty has ever seen the beautiful and graceful art form, and she is beyond smitten. She is twelve-years-old and she asks her parents to have lessons. Her request is hit with a firm rejection, and she cannot ask again, ever. This is all because she is part of a haredi community of ultra-orthodox Jews. Dancing is strictly forbidden. Yet she cannot simply forget. At first she practices in secret, then it escalates, and she goes to great lengths to lie to her parents to continue dancing. She fights with her religion, her morals, and her family, and in the end, is it worth it?    

Cover

            NetGalley only gave me this tiny PNG for a cover, so making it bigger just makes it blurrier, but...it says “Dancing In The Dark.” Really. For your cover, that’s a serious typo. There should not be typos on your cover, ever.

Dancing and Religion

            It is evident that genres like the paranormal get a lot of attention from me because, well, I like them a lot. I decided that I needed to keep up with other genres too. After all, I love being able to personally recommend books when teens ask for different subjects.

            So, I know nothing about ballet beyond the year I took when I was six-years-old. I also know very little about ultra-orthodox Judaism. The ballet parts were easy enough to read without knowing the meaning of every specific term the author throws at the reader. The Jewish terms, not so much. I had to look up many words (like “sheitel”), despite it being explained somewhat (they wear the wig because no one except her husband may see her natural hair after she is married). You know what I didn’t know? There is a glossary in the back. Because I read this book as an eBook, I had no idea, though it is possible that I would not have found the glossary in a print book either, unless it was pointed out.

Age
           The protagonist is twelve at the beginning of the book, but on the page, she doesn’t read like a twelve-year-old. To me, she came off as being at least fifteen, but it might be that her ultra-orthodox upbringing is unfamiliar to me. It was not terribly apparent that she was steadily becoming older. The book ends when she’s seventeen (minus the epilogue). I only felt her really aging when she begins to question her upbringing and morals, but before this she didn’t act her age. Maybe she’s just so...good?   

Later in the book, Ditty and her cousin Linda begin to debate the validity of religion. I would never tell anyone that having religious faith is a bad thing, I advocate questioning the world as a whole, and I thoroughly admire the author for presenting the dilemmas that everyone, young and old, might have. If she didn’t have these religious quandaries the book would have been boring.

I found it infuriating that parents would not allow their children to express themselves in harmless ways, and I’m all for the arts. I think this kind of emotional response is what the author was going for. My inner monologue kept going “but it’s not fair!” and “if my daughter ever wanted this, I’d totally let her because I’m awesome.” But because I am a rational human being, I had to acknowledge that every day we accept the truths that are given to us in blind faith because...we just do. I don’t go outside in my bikini and make snow angels because I’ve been told all my life that I would get sick after such an act. Sure, I might not, but I have been led to believe that I will, so I won’t even bother to try. I don’t really even question it.

Community Themes

            Community is so conflicting in this book. The haredi community is for the ultra-orthodox Jews. They help each other, visit, arrange marriages with each other, etc. Ditty gets babysitting jobs with her community ties. They gather for religious holidays together. Very special bonds are formed.

            But the community is such a double-edged sword. They constantly watch each other and report on the younger members. When Ditty is caught doing something against the rules of their religion, her mother is told immediately. As a minor, it is difficult to be part of a community and not follow every single one of their rules. What if one member didn’t want to be kosher anymore? What about an adult? As a minor, the parents would punish their child to change the behaviour. As an adult, they would be gossiped about and ostracized.

            This gossiping is easily seen with Sara’s family situation. What does it matter to the community about what her father, who no longer lives in the community, does? Why would it reflect badly on his daughter? And I do have to say, if anyone is going to judge you based on your family, they are not worth your time. It happens every day, but it’s by people who cannot adequately value themselves, those who have to tally their self worth by adding other people into their lives.       

Adults As Authority Figures

            This book definitely reminded me how I felt about adults when I was a teen. In Dancing In The Dark, the parents control their kids and lie to them. Yes, these things are done in a “loving” way. Yes, they will choose who you marry, though you can say no...but you’ve been raised never to say no. They give you the illusion of choice. Then you grow up fearing people in authority. And when you’re an adult who has feared authority all your life, you continue to let other people make the choices for you. A perfect example is Sara’s mother and the Rabi. When the adults are like this...you feel powerless to make your own choices. To have your own life.

Adults As Allies 
             Not all adults will hold the exact same position of authority in life. Some, like Miss Mitchell, will encourage you, protect you, and give you opportunities. We need more adults like these. Unfortunately, sometimes these kinds of adults can be few and far between. I did not have many until I hit high school, and then I only had two teachers who actually encouraged me to read, write, and go to university. Considering that absolutely no one encouraged me before this to make something of myself, that I had talent, that I was anything but stupid, those two people made an immeasurable difference to me. There are so many teachers and administrators and librarians who seriously shouldn’t be in their profession. Young people need more positive experiences with adults, or else they are going to grow up expecting to be treated like dirt their whole life. In turn, they will probably become a bitter adult too.

Verdict
            I highly recommend this as a possible teen book club pick. It can be read by people who are not Jewish or dancers, and I have the feeling that boys would enjoy it too, if they are open to female protagonists. Teens who are interested in stories about religion, rebellion, and freedom will probably enjoy this immensely. This story is about ballet, but I did not find that it has the “sports genre” feel. It was more of a drama. It was a little slow at the beginning, but it grabbed me when she finds her love of dance, and it had moments when I genuinely ached for Ditty to have the freedom to dance without hiding it.