The BIG Problem With Movies: The Books Are Just So Good!

Whenever I check out the movies reviews of movies that were based of books, I sit and wonder, "Why are they all  hated, so loathed by millions of movie-goers around the globe?" The answer is simple; no matter how awesome, filling, and entertaining the movie is, it can never beat the book. While books capture all juicy aspects, including plot twists, emotions, and knowledge, movies give us the same things too, only with a different feeling. There are copious amounts of confusing, completely different than the book, movies-based-on-books out there like Beautiful Creatures, The Host, Sea of Monsters, and City of Bones. Overall, as movies are not bad, but just perplexing and all over the place. The movies are not to blame; it is the books. They are so awesome and everything fits together like a puzzle, that it is impossible to redoe it in any way.

Therefore, even though I have no experience with script writing, I am going to create short scenes from one of my favorite books, Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. Though it greatly deserves to be a movie, it has not been one yet.

Scene 1
Beginning: Lina talking to news reporter, when she is 90 years old. Time: December, 2005

Lina: (with emotion) The world was so happy. In Lithuania, I felt like nothing could ever go wrong. I drew every evening; it was my time of peace. My family, my younger brother Jonas, Mom, and Dad were so strong. I never thought that something so devastating would strike us. (she sniffles some tears and wipes them away.)

News Reporter: I understand how difficult it must be for you. Do you want to give us a flashback of your story?

Lina : Yes, the world deserves to know this devastating story, hidden between shades of gray.

Scene 2
Lina's story starts here. She is fifteen years old. Her mom is sewing; her dad is not yet home from work.

Time: Evening

(Urgent pounding on the door)

Jonas: Mother, aren't you going to open it? It might break down.

Mother: (quietly sitting on a chair, praying) Of coarse, darling. I will open it.

Jonas: (face is deeply pale, he looks scared) (whispers) NVKD! I heard that they are arresting people.

Lina: No, not us.

(A tall officer stands there near the doorway, holding the family's passports).
Mother: (calmly) Give us more time. We will be ready by the morning

Officer: (gruffs) Only twenty minutes, or you won't live to see morning.

Mother: Please lower your voice. I have children.

Officer: (barks) Fine! 20 more minutes. (He throws his cigarette wad into their house, and stomps on it)

(Note: Parts of the dialouge from Scence 2 were taken from the Ruta Sepetys's writing.)

The scenes that I wrote were difficult to act, as the book was very emotional. If I continued the script to have more scenes, it would have been impossible for to write, as it would be too cheesy and awkward. So, do not blame the movie's horribleness on the movie. It is the book's fault, they are so good, giving me a love to imagine.

                     


Both the Dutch cover and U.S. cover of Between Shades of Gray have beautiful meanings. 

Which cover do you personally like better, and why?

Citation for Images:

Review. Weblog post. Http://2.bp.blogspot.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_zmpklYrkLRXleK2FVfFATKElUCUPMIjW0r99Jcu7GIZtVVgMLy5EWL9gcw9lt_FSrjMwzt1BIoqT246R2-Be28pxOUDm8Qc4M6pAZbQnJB0KSy8JofdR8B6bt0hIMGFIw1zY5Mk_5Q/s320/Between+Shades+of+Gray.jpg>.

Review. Weblog post. Http://rutafans.files.wordpress.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. <http://rutafans.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/dutch-bsg.jpg/2013/06/dutch-bsg.jpg>.