The novel was one of the funniest, sharpest, best-written things I ever found-and I wasn't surprised when Gail Parent made a name as the creator of witty, memorable dialogue, because I had read this many years before "The Golden Girls" hit TV. And there is FANTASTIC, hilarious, brilliant dialogue in the book. Forty (or more) years later, I could probably recite some of it verbatim, I reread the novel so many times.
BUT... the inner narrative of Sheila-her super-insightful take on the world around her, complete with prejudice that even the first time I read it made me cringe (Sheila/Parent is often so homophobic I wanted to punch her... but then she would add a detail that showed what she really was was jealous of people who knew and liked themselves more than she did... and I guess that obnoxious language is how people other than my super-liberal extended family actually thought and talked, to their discredit), is what worked on the page and never would on the screen.
I hated every change they made to the book for the movie, but since I was, even as a kid, the original annoying, 'the book is so much better' critic, it didn't surprise me that this version was a tremendous disappointment. It is, however, years later, an EXCELLENT reminder to stop hoping they'll ever make a movie of my counterpart favorite novel (Wilton Barnhardt's "Emma Who Saved My Life"). Some stories are only meant to 'come alive' in our imagination while we read. This was a movie I wished I had never seen.
The two stars are because I devoutly hope some people who'd never read the book did so after trying the movie. But, really, what a waste of money, effort, and time (including mine).
It's a cliché, but... 'read the book instead'. REALLY!!!!
BUT... the inner narrative of Sheila-her super-insightful take on the world around her, complete with prejudice that even the first time I read it made me cringe (Sheila/Parent is often so homophobic I wanted to punch her... but then she would add a detail that showed what she really was was jealous of people who knew and liked themselves more than she did... and I guess that obnoxious language is how people other than my super-liberal extended family actually thought and talked, to their discredit), is what worked on the page and never would on the screen.
I hated every change they made to the book for the movie, but since I was, even as a kid, the original annoying, 'the book is so much better' critic, it didn't surprise me that this version was a tremendous disappointment. It is, however, years later, an EXCELLENT reminder to stop hoping they'll ever make a movie of my counterpart favorite novel (Wilton Barnhardt's "Emma Who Saved My Life"). Some stories are only meant to 'come alive' in our imagination while we read. This was a movie I wished I had never seen.
The two stars are because I devoutly hope some people who'd never read the book did so after trying the movie. But, really, what a waste of money, effort, and time (including mine).
It's a cliché, but... 'read the book instead'. REALLY!!!!