Divergent: Let them eat cake!

***spoilers!***spoilers!***spoilers!***warning!***spoilers!***spoilers!***spoilers!***

Divergent's release date has been on my calendar for months. It was a blockbuster at the box office this weekend.  I'll watch it again. I'll probably watch Insurgent on opening weekend, too.

 Unfortunately, much of the movie was as insipid as this poster.

1.  Sunrise to indicate dawning of a new day over a destroyed city
2.  Protagonist walking an "uphill climb" to get to that "new day"
3.  Hot love interest staring at her bum (yes, I realize that their backs are to each other, but it completely looks like he's staring at her bootie.)

Yeah, yeah, I get what it's all about.

*sigh*

I sighed a lot during this movie.  I've read the book as many times as I've read Hunger Games and Pride and Prejudice. It has elements I really enjoy. I had high expectations.

*sigh*

Unfortunately, some of the reasons I like the book were completely neutered.

Plot Points

Where was the chocolate cake? What's a good book without a food that makes you think of it?  In taking away the chocolate cake the Dauntless are known for, some of the richness of the story was destroyed. Instead, they focused on the whole hamburger thing.  Without a bun.  Really? Chocolate cake is so much more telling of Dauntless than a meat patty.

Where was the fear?  Yes, lots of scenes remained that intimidated people who were scared of heights. But what about the violent scenes that showed so much about the dangerous world they lived in and a person's character under pressure? What about Peter?  No cloak and dagger/eye-gouging stuff?  Was Edward still hanging out with them--both eyes intact?  How are they going to get around him in future movies? They touched on Al's fear of being excluded and how he responded to his fear. I understand why they cut his crush on Tris and her rejection of him, but I still missed that plot point.  What about when Tris let Christina take the flag as a win because she felt she was on shaky ground with their friendship? The film only hinted about the relationship with Will and Christina, so the tension between Christina and Tris is minimal for the next installment. What about the fear scene with Marcus Eaton and Four?  I don't want to see a man beat his child, but I did want to see Tris try to help him through that fear and the others.  There was a bonding in the book when they traveled through Four's fear landscape that I missed in the movie. And on that note...

Where was the chemistry?  Even though Tris was supposed to be this scrawny, child-like, not-so-pretty girl, the book made us see her as Four did. Strong, brave, sexy.  So many of the cute lines and moments from the book were deleted for the movie. Four is totally hot in the movie. Don't get me wrong.  Still, his vulnerability and need for Tris was missing.  Furthermore, why in the hell did they make her fear of being close to Four turn into a rape scene?  A perfectly sweet scene was transformed into a menacing and twisted one.  In the book, there was a hint of sexual groping in her assault when Al and the others tried to toss her into the pit, but that aspect was removed from the film. If some of the violence was left out to protect young audiences, I think adding a rape scene with a sweetheart might do more damage to influence young viewers than showing a mother getting riddled with bullets to protect her child.

Where were the lies?  Although the movie managed to heavily stress some of the themes through imagery--birds/flying/freedom and reflections/seeing true self--it mostly skipped over the duplicitous nature of human beings. Sure, Jeanine talks about human nature and we get she's a big ol' liar, but all of the bits in the book about the protagonist's own proclivity toward dishonesty (she did test as Erudite, too, after all) were removed.   She said in the book, "I couldn't be Candor. I lie too easily." Her duplicity is a running plot line through the trilogy, and its absence weakens her character.


Casting

When I saw the casting I was a little nervous.  The movie proved my anxiety was for good reason.

Shailene Woodley...bless her heart.  She did her best, but she is no Tris.  It's not her fault. It's casting. (Note: April 6, 2014: I learned she's cast as Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars and think she is PERFECT for this role. I"m very excited to see her in that movie.) Check out this list of some people's choices.   Yes, I'm being completely superficial, but isn't seeing the story the point of taking a book and making a movie? At times, Woodley's big eyes--that were supposed to be blue like most of the other Abnegation--pulled me in and I wanted to root for her. But she just looks too old (meaning 19? versus 16) and too solid. She's supposed to be scrawny, pale, blond, not especially pretty, but interesting.  She claims to look like a child.   Even Four tells her she doesn't have any muscle. It's not like he was saying she was fat. She gets her ass kicked easily because there's not much of her.

I have to remind myself that this is a movie and not a book. They take liberties to tell a similar story but not the same one.

They achieved success with a lot of casting choices.

Four was right on target. (After all, Theo James caused Mary all sorts of trouble as the Turkish gentleman in Downton Abbey, and he possesses the sexiness to pull off the male love interest.)

Tony Goldwyn and Ashley Judd as Andrew and Natalie Prior were good. I couldn't have asked for better.  I believed them. So many relationships were removed in the film. (I get it. They have to cut for time.) I wish the visitation day would have been kept. It's so cool how she connects with her mother as she watches her in the halls of Dauntless. Of course, if that scene were included, though, they'd have to bring back the chocolate cake. After all, before Natalie left she told Tris, " Have a piece of cake for me, all right? The chocolate. It's delicious."

Christina got away with being smaller than Tris because she captured so much of her spirit.

Kate Winslet rocked Jeanine Matthews.  I look forward to seeing her again in the next film.

Side note: Did anyone else think they were trying awfully hard to make Jeanine look a little too much like Hillary Clinton? I know I know I know... Hollywood never gets political.

All of that being said, I will probably watch it again.  Even if it's just to see this part:

I'll just bake my own chocolate cake.

What about you?  What are your thoughts on the movie? The book? 

Friday Favorite: Catching Fire from Hunger Games

Warning***Spoilers***

Part of me dreaded watching Catching Fire. How could Peeta's character ever be redeemed?  Then I saw the movie. Even if you are a stickler for details, believe me when I tell you it is worth watching.

Just turn off the sound and watch.

butterfly dress by Alexander McQueen

Clothes
Since a pin helped spark a revolution and a dress helped the fire grow, it seems fitting that the clothes in this movie are incredible. Cinna is one of my favorite characters, but I applaud the real designers who costumed these actors.  Somehow, the Capitol clothes don't seem quite as over-the-top as in the first movie. In fact, they simply seem couture. The audience's acceptance of their look as normal is a triumph--the creators have truly made us voyeuristic members of the Capitol. I love-love-love that Effie wore Alexander McQueen's butterfly dress. The victors, too, have stepped up their look and make quite the statement. As soon as Katniss appeared onscreen, I wanted to learn to knit or crochet or...okay, I wanted to buy this cowl/vest thing.

photo from capitol couture.pn 

Each time the victors dressed up, I wondered how many versions will be at high school proms this year? Plus, I may pick up running if I can acquire a workout version of the shirt worn in the Quell.  I can't find it, but I did find the training gear here. Hmmm. Did the franchise possibly have marketing in mind? Buy the jewelry here, including the mocking jay pin, Finnick's necklace, and Peeta's art deco pendant (cast from the actual prop).

Peeta
Even though I will forever be a Gale girl, the book convincingly argued why Katniss would be attracted to Peeta.  He was yin to her yang.  They balanced each other. She needed him as much as he needed her. Plus, it was in first person so we live the love story through the eyes of Katniss and see how she is sometimes flat-out in awe of the boy with the bread. Not so in Hunger Games movie.  Peeta was a big ol' pansy.  All of the parts where he helped them survive were tossed out to show what a badass Katniss was. And that's just annoying.

Relief filled me as Catching Fire attempted to restore Peeta's dignity a little at a time. He was intelligent.  His talent for dealing with people was reinforced. I was feeling pretty good about Catching Fire making him seem like someone she'd actually prefer to the rebellious Gale. Then, they had him pansy up again. He was stumbling, she was rescuing...Blahblahblah.

However, at least this time around, he wasn't all pathetic puppy love and weakling. Josh Hutcherson has the opportunity to win over even Gale faithfuls in the third and fourth installments. Onscreen, he has the possibility to grow and change more than any other character.

Casting
All in all, I think Catching Fire was a much better movie than the first one.  I screamed, gasped, curled up in my chair, etc.  And I've read the book three times. I've only been that crazy obsessive with one other series. Initially, Finnick wasn't quite what I'd imagined. Then I went home and read how Katniss described Finnick as "too pretty" for her tastes. Yep. The casting was right on. Now, I adore him. And I believed he'd been passed around the Capital women for almost ten years.  I absolutely loved the casting of Mags and Johanna. Perfection.

Madge
I did, however, miss characters--especially Madge. Remember the girl who gave Katniss the mockingjay pin?  The girl whose aunt died in the Quarter Quell Haymitch won?  The only girlfriend Katniss had?(What? Katniss had a friend besides Gale? Who might have even had a crush on him and been a better fit for Gale than Katniss?) No?  You must have only seen the movie.  She was cut.   By giving the pin to Katniss, Madge revealed the heart of a rebel. As the daughter of the mayor, she knew what it represented. However,  since they couldn't neuter her like Peeta they just amputated her. Peeta, Madge, Darius (what? who's he?!) were silenced as much as an Avox, preventing anyone from portraying Katniss as more of a person doing great things rather than some kind of superhero. Perhaps to cover these misdeeds, the character of President Snow's granddaughter was introduced in the movie.  Really? Really?

Extras
If you're throwing a watch party, it wouldn't be complete without this Happy Hunger Games banner.
Consider wearing this mocking jay full skirt. 


If you just can't get enough Hunger Games, check out this online magazine called Capitol Couture. See stylish pictures and insider information.  If you don't already, you'll feel just like a citizen of Panem when you peruse the pages.

Here are some other posts I've written about the Hunger Games trilogy. 

Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor.

So, did the movie measure up to your expectations? What did you love or loathe? How many movie watchers plan to read the book?  

Who keeps you up at night?

Oh, Jane.  You did it again.

I remember our first time.

Mr. Darcy and I stayed up all night and watched the sun rise together.  My husband woke up once, told me I was crazy, and went back to sleep.

Others are also guilty of my sleep deprivation, too.

But Jane...you get me almost every time.


It's not just your books. It's also the movie adaptations.

Most recently, I watched Emma, the miniseries with Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley.

Sigh.


Mr. Knightley and I did not watch the sun rise, but we did flip the calendar since I watched the entire miniseries after the kids and my hubby were in bed.


I could say I regret those nights Jane took from me.


But I don't.


What about you?  What authors/stories/movies/characters have you willingly skipped sleep for?

Friday Favorite: Storm Trooper

Target Dollar Spot, you know me so well. That's right. I bought this Storm Trooper notepad for me.

TV show Friends exposed some sort of geeky cult fantasy: Princess Leia.

Rachel dresses up as Princess Leia for geeky boyfriend Ross

But nothing was mentioned of geeky girls. 

Let's see...Magic Mike had a real following, too. I think these guys can pull off a kickline, don't you, ladies?

 

What do you think of Storm Troopers? Soldiers of an evil empire or misunderstood bad boys?

Add Glamour to Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue

The kids and I watched Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Disney, 2010) the other night.  It's about a fairy (Tinkerbell) who gets captured by a little girl. The story is sweet.

There's a boy who leads her on a journey.

Tink's friends battle the rain to "rescue" an imprisoned pal.

So many aspects of the story seemed similar to a story I know very well. But there were differences.

For example, Tink teaches Lizzie how to fly.

Plus, the only real danger Tinkerbell encounters is Lizzie's father, a scientist who likes to pin things with wings to his wall. It's Disney, so everything turns out happy in the end.

If you know someone who liked this movie, but wants something a smidge darker, my novel Glamour (HAWK, 2008) is the perfect next step.

In my book, a teen captures fairies.  But she's not nice.

So the fairies aren't either.

Writer's Wednesday: Literary Boyfriends

Long before I wanted a real boyfriend, I juggled several from literature. And what's better than a literary boyfriend? A literary love triangle!

No matter who the main character chooses, I always choose one similar to my first love: Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind.  That other guy Ashley Wilkes? Ew! Rhett may have been no "gentleman," but at least he stood up for what he believed and fought for it. My eleven-year-old brain read between the lines and wanted Ashley to stop being such a wimp about life and man up already.

How about you? Who are your favorite literary boyfriends?

To get the conversation started, let's talk about famous young adult titles that are already movies or will be soon.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Edward vs. Jacob
No contest! Edward is just too polished (like cold marble, I know)--and whiny--for my tastes. (Get it? Vampire pun there.) I prefer the warmth and personality of Jacob. He's a fighter.

The Selection by Kiera Cass
 Prince Maxon vs. Aspen
This one throws a wrench in the whole bad boy thing.  I prefer Maxon over Aspen.  Is it because he's a prince? Nope. I think it's because he really wants what is best for her, is willing to stand up to his father for his own beliefs, and doesn't whine about circumstances.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Peta vs. Gale
It's always been you, Gale.  Always. You're a rebel. A fighter.  Peeta...okay, in the book, you are not the wimp the movie makes you. You are your own kind of hero. You know how to use your brain and teach me, I mean Katniss, a thing or two. You save the heroine a few times yourself. Without you, she wouldn't have survived. But, Peeta, I'd rather be friends. Let's have dinner. You bring the bread.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Four vs. ???
So, there's no love triangle here, but I still wanted to mention my most recent literary boyfriend. 

Who is your literary boyfriend?  Do you prefer books with love triangles or not?

Does Marcellus Wallace shop at Target?

Failing to ensure all of the doors were closed, we locked the car and went shopping. Upon our return, the back door was still ajar.

No, not ajar. Wide open.

In addition to many other kid related items--we really need to clean the car--the following objects were as we left them:

• Starbucks gift card in front cup holder
• iPad in driver's side door 
• Assorted DVDs in back floor board
• DVD player attached to back of front passenger's seat

The door touched the cart return, so everyone who parked in our row and were good citizens who didn't leave the shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot witnessed the vulnerability of our car. But no sticky fingers took anything.

I'd like to think the lack of theft is a commentary on society.

(insert rainbows and sunshine here)

Listen up! There really are good people in the world who don't take easy opportunities.

And they shop at Target.

Of course...

...it could be a commentary that people suspected no one could be stupid enough to leave their doors open with valuables inside unless he or she was Pulp Fiction crazy and not to be messed with.

Either way, I'm grateful.

Magic Monday: Mermaids are Real?!

The Little Mermaid is one of my all-time favorite movies.  Confession: my favorite sing-in-the-shower-song is Part of That World.

 
When I heard about the mermaid "documentary," I was a tad excited.


Read here.
See pictures here.  And here.

Yes, I wrote a book about fairies. Some may think I'm one of those people who have rooms decorated completely in unicorn themes. I don't. 

Although...this lovely picture hangs on a wall.

Wouldn't you like to think that maybe, just maybe,  a real mer-girl like Ariel wants to find herself and break free from what's expected?

I don't know about you, but I like to believe in the possibility of fairy tales.

Hunger Games Heels

Don't think I wouldn't wear them.

 Check them out here!

The Hunger Games is here!

It's here!

I'm crazy about the book. I've written about it here, here, and here.  

I haven't been this excited about a movie since Star Wars Episode I...and we all know how that turned out.  

Let's think positive thoughts and focus on the future.

Invite your friends, and...


...host a party with a little help from your online pals.

Shelterrific has an idea for a tracker jay pinata that made me laugh out loud!

Confessions of a Cookbook Queen has great food ideas clearly tied to the story. *Spoiler alert*

Shine from Yahoo has fancier recipes that look delicious and add a bit more style.

OhBrooke: The parachute-like container for her "deadly berries" is cute.


Need some tunes? Check out this article about the soundtrack.

Which district is yours?

Friday Favorite: One for the Money

*************Spoiler alert**************

Popcorn in hand, my friend Ange turned to me and grinned. “Audience demographic is no surprise.”

As we climbed the light-lined stairs, I saw what she meant. Only a couple of men held seats in the packed theater. I’m pretty sure one was there under duress.

Fans who’ve read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series over the last couple of decades are simply happy as Plum with a Tasty Cake that a movie was finally made.  I know I am.

Since the book has such a strong fan base, the task of creating a proper script and casting correctly must've required a team of people working harder than Lula’s spandex. 

I’m pleased with some choices, but less pleased with others. Oh well, you can’t have your Morelli and Ranger, too.

The script was a great translation from novel to screen.  It’s funny. At times, the delivery was a one-liner after another and seemed a little forced, but it had more to do with acting than the script.  The style of the novel is comic-quick, too, but it isn’t as forced on the page.  On the bright side, the movie is laugh-out-loud funny, which is reminiscent of the book. For time’s sake, a few parts were left out, but the heart of the series was definitely intact.

Let’s discuss casting:

Stephanie Plum: Katherine Heigl is a brave, brave woman to take on the much beloved role of the lingerie salesman turned bounty hunter.  (Daniel Radcliffe took on Harry Potter when he was too young to know what he was getting into and the series wasn’t complete.)  People have been imagining Plum for seventeen years.  When Heigl was cast, I might have thrown up a little in my mouth. With that in mind, she surprised me. I didn't love her, but I accepted her.  Maybe because I love the books so much I want it to work.  However, I actually lived in New Jersey for a year and I never heard an accent like the one she used--even on Jersey transit.  No one can be the Stephanie in my imagination, and for her to perform in a way that makes me not despise her and actually hope there’s another movie, I applaud her.

 

But that doesn't change the fact her eyes are the wrong color.

Ranger: (insert sigh) Daniel Sunjata has the look of Ranger, but his performance proved that men don’t get what we see in Ranger.  He’s a fantasy.  He’s an action figure.  He’s not real.  He’s supposed to be like the dark tinted windows on the cars he drives.  He sees us…I mean, Stephanie...clearly, but we can’t see anything but his sleek, sexy exterior. He’s a flat character who only begins to develop after many, many books. Sunjata made him too jovial, too soft. I never imagined Ranger flirting back with the women who fall all over him.  He’s above that. He knows he’s hot.

Morelli: When I first saw the casting, I thought, “No way!” Then I watched Jason O'Mara in action. He is a bit old to play Morelli, but I liked him.  He has the spitfire unpredictability and the spark in his eye necessary for Morelli. The chemistry between him and Plum worked...after a few rough scenes. 

Many, many of us would have liked the film made when Sandra Bullock and The Rock were age appropriate enough to play Stephanie and Ranger. O'Mara would have rounded out that cast nicely.

Vinnie and Connie

Connie: Fine. My friend thought it should have been Debbie Mazar from Entourage. I was just stuck on my misinformed vision of Connie in my brain as a blonde.

Vinnie: Patrick Fischler is right on.  Perfect weasel.

Stephanie’s parents: Fine. 

Grandma Mazur: Debbie Reynolds is iconic. However, I imagined Grandma Mazur as a feisty, spry, little ol’ geezer. I'd have cast her as Cloris Leachman, the award winning actress who plays the grandmother in Raising Hope.

Lula: Best casting of movie.  Shari Shepherd rocked this part like it was made for her. I hope a sequel is made just so I can watch Lula in action again. In fact, just make a movie about her.  If you're a fan of the book, the movie is worth watching so you can see Lula in person.

All in all, I would see it again. I'd like to get to see the characters in action and meet some that were missing--Joyce Barnhardt, anyone?

The casting was definitely this movie's weakness. Let's hope Two for the Dough gets made.

Writer's Wednesday: The Hunger Games

I'm a big fan of the young adult novel The Hunger Games.   I blogged about it here, here, and here. It's one of those books that makes me miss teaching because I'd love to discuss it with teenagers.

Prepare yourself.

First we had the book to movie mania of Harry Potter, then Lord of the Rings, and most recently Twilight.  Now, movie goers are ready for some science fiction. The Hunger Games will be in theaters on March 23, 2012.

Who else is excited?

Peeta, the boy with the bread

Katniss and Gale hunting

So...what do you think?

May the odds be ever in your favor.