The Shadow of the Bear

[meltintall3]

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It is a very common thing to hear someone say after finishing a good book, "Wouldn't that make a great movie?"

It is also relatively common for books to be turned into movies, and in my experience that ends up with fans banging their heads against the wall and wailing, "WHY? WHYOHWHYOHWHY???" (There are also fans who think such misery-inducing scenes are cool, but we're not talking about those fans or those movies.)

graphic by Aloysha of NarniaWeb

It was my priviledge to attend the premiere screening of The Shadow of the Bear and it is my very great pleasure to tell you that there is at last a book-to-movie translation that has lost nothing of what originally drew readers in. Rose, Bear, Fish, and Blanche have the same conversations and speak the same truths. If only a few books are fated to have such faithful adaptions, I'm glad it was this one. 

There were a few rough scenes near the beginning where the delivery and timing of the lines were just enough 'off' to be jarring, and then you have to be sucked back in to the story. There's even a place where I ask myself "Whyohwhy didn't they change the script to match the set?" but that, my friends, is the difference between a big budget movie and a small one... The big budget can build the matching set, and they change the script anyway. 

 

I'm sure you'll hear a lot about how Rose steals almost every scene she appears in, and how the other three leads put in excellent performances. You'll probably also hear about Rob and Lisa and the other students. But you might not hear so much about Sister Geraldine because you immediately accept her as being that character. 

 

The music for the credits is appropriate and beautiful. My heartfelt gratitude to the cast and crew for renewing my conviction that books can make great movies without compromising the original story.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you so much for the review! Yes, there were some lines that, in retrospect, should have been changed. ;) But I'm delighted that overall you approved of the film, as I know it is a very special book to many people and we all have our different opinions of how things should look! I'm especially happy about your mention of Sister Geraldine!

The Shadow of the Bear.

[(Anonymous)]

Soo...Is there a trailer for the rest of us to drool over. ;-)

Love,
S

Re: The Shadow of the Bear.

[meltintall3.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Vx7PdnjYo

teaser trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng5NuSBzLX0

full length

M