From: Vlasta Blaha <vkb66>
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:29:14 -0600

I, too, had the same sad experience when I began to watch the movie of Ella Enchanted after enjoying the book so very much. When I watched Inkheart, I was also disappointed after thoroughly being involved in the audio-book edition. And as others mentioned, Polar Express the movie, was a completely alien experience from the beloved picture book.

The one movie that comes to mind, which I believe is faithful to the theme and characters of the book is Because of Winn-Dixie. From the beginning the book became my favorite and I had shared it with many elementary students over the years. The movie provided me with the same warm, human goodness messages.

It was interesting to read Marion's comments about book and movie production being such separate undertakings. While that makes sense in a business world, I continue to anticipate when viewing the movie version, a review of favorite books that is similar to my reading experience. Yet, how could that be the case when I created the images while reading and someone else has created the movie images for us.

Vlasta Karol Blaha



----- Original Message ----- From: <ccbc-net-request at lists.education.wisc.edu> To: <ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 11:00 AM Subject: CCBC-Net Digest, Vol 49, Issue 13


> Send CCBC-Net mailing list submissions to
> ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> ccbc-net-request at lists.education.wisc.edu
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> ccbc-net-owner at lists.education.wisc.edu
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of CCBC-Net digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Ella Enchanted (Michelle Wyler)
> 2. Despereaux (Killeen, Erlene)
> 3. Having a book made into a movie (mdanebauer at aol.com)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:50:40 -0500
> From: Michelle Wyler <wyler at wisc.edu>
> Subject: [CCBC-Net] Ella Enchanted
> To: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Message-ID: <3CBC3F1F-6C10-4298-83CD-7ADF167D7792 at wisc.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>
> I will never forget my daughter's dismay as we sat in the theater
> watching the film version of Ella Enchanted, which had been her
> favorite book for several years at that point. Shocked at first and
> growing increasingly disappointed, she kept whispering, "This isn't
> what happened in the book." She felt betrayed by the movie and never
> wanted to watch it again.
>
> Michelle Wyler
> SLIS student
> UW-Madison
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:57:34 -0500
> From: "Killeen, Erlene" <Erlene.Killeen at Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
> Subject: [CCBC-Net] Despereaux
> To: "ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu"
> <ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu>
> Message-ID:
> <FFC4D7362B525840BD3867D63B36281D155543C324 at S-MSX01.Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> How fascinating as everyone I talked to that had read the book and then
> saw Tale of Despereaux absolutely disliked the movie. They thought the
> mouse was "cute" but didn't like the flavor of the movie at all. They
> reacted so strongly that I didn't bother to go see the movie and have
> avoided purchasing a DVD of it for our school collection because I assumed
> no one would use it!
>
> The same group really likes Holes and uses it after the kids finish with
> the book.
> They also love using the animated Charlotte's Web from many years ago.
> Having seen both that and the newer version with live actors, I prefer the
> animation but thought Dakota Fanning was a nice Fern.
> Erlene
>
>
> Erlene Bishop Killeen
> erlene.killeen at stoughton.k12.wi.us
> Stoughton Area Schools
> 1601 West South Street
> Stoughton, WI 53589
> 608-877-5181
> ________________________________________
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:59:28 -0400
> From: mdanebauer at aol.com
> Subject: [CCBC-Net] Having a book made into a movie
> To: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Message-ID: <8CBED30297B3029-9B8-1FC9 at WEBMAIL-MY14.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> I've had the experience of having two books made into films, not for the
> big screen, but for TV.? What the experience taught me is that the book is
> the book and that the movie is an entirely separate vehicle and--at least
> in my two different experiences--those creating the film aren't likely to
> have either much respect for or interest in the book.
>
>
>
> One was my first novel, Shelter from the Wind, which was made into an NBC
> After School Treat called Rodeo Red and the Runaway.? Rodeo Red was a
> horse, and there is no horse in the book, which pretty well sums up the
> experience.? NBC had optioned the book themselves--not the usual
> route--and turned it over to a company to make the film.? However, those
> making the film soon decided that the pivotal scene in the book could not
> be translated to children's television, a scene when the young girl
> drowned a newly born cleft-pallet puppy to keep it from starving, the
> girl's first act of responsibility and compassion.? After that they
> considered the scene when the pups were born, another pivotal scene, and
> decided filming the birth of puppies would be complicated.? Then someone
> suggested,?"Well, we've been wanting a girl horse story for a long time,"
> and the discussion moved on from there.
>
>
>
> The second was On My Honor which was, again, filmed for television.?
> Unfortunately, the title was kept this time.? The director ordinarily did
> sit coms, and the film started off like a sit com and progressed to . . .
> well, I'm not sure what it progressed to.? Not only was I not involved on
> any level, but I wasn't even told that it was going to be shown.? A
> director friend in NYC let me know he'd seen it and I managed, eventually,
> to get a copy.? I watched it once and have never been able to look at it
> again.
>
>
>
> Quite beyond those experiences, though, I find I usually regret seeing any
> film based on a book for children.? It becomes something so different,
> usually so action based and superficial, and the more nuanced the story
> was to start with the less well it does on the screen.? (Bridge to
> Terabithia was a notable exception, but then Catherine's own son was the
> producer.)? In fact, I usually come out of children's films feeling quite
> embarrassed to be a children's writer.? And that has been true even in
> those situations where I know the author was involved with the development
> and production of the film and was, presumably, happy with the product.? I
> think the fact that the audience is perceived to be children?turns on some
> really basic assumptions, assumptions that are different in the world of
> film than they are in the world of books.??
>
>
>
> Marion
>
>
>
> Marion Dane Bauer
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>
> End of CCBC-Net Digest, Vol 49, Issue 13
> ****************************************


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.392 / Virus Database: 270.13.58/2309 - Release Date: 08/17/09 06:08:00
Received on Mon 17 Aug 2009 03:29:14 PM CDT