This
fall’s movie season seems to be even more filled than normal with films that originated as books. From October’s release of John Krakauer’s Into the Wild through
next month’s release of a completely computer animated Beowulf, there are lots
of opportunities to get your students interested in some great books – and
there are lots of opportunities for the film industry to ruin some great books.
Nothing's
more frustrating than going to a movie of one of your favorite books and being
horrified by what's been cut and what's been added. As a disclaimer, I've not
seen any of the following movies, but from the internet rumor mill, here's what
I'm looking for and what English teachers might be interested in.
Into the Wild - October, 2007
The Book: John Krakauer's nonfiction take on Christopher McCandless'
tale into the wilderness has become one of our best-selling nonfiction books
over the last couple of years. It's especially popular for boys more interested
in running around outside than sitting indoors reading a book.
The Movie: Sean Penn has been trying to get this film off the ground for
years, ever since he read the book. According to many reviews, Penn has become
too close to this movie and tries too hard. Many people will see McCandless not
as the romantic, philosophical wanderer that Penn tries to portray, but as a
spoiled and selfish boy who foolishly puts himself at risk. Still, from all
accounts, the movie's scenery is breathtaking and could be worth the price of
admission for that reason alone.
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Beowulf - November 19, 2007
The Book: Beowulf needs no introduction; as one of the first works we have in
English, it's a staple in classrooms across the country. Instead, I'll briefly
touch upon a couple of the available editions.
If you've not yet seen Nobel Prize-Winning poet Seamus Heaney's translation,
now's the time to pick up a copy. With the original old-English on the
left-hand page facing Heaney's translation, you can see how well his
percussive prose matches the original poem. While this text is, in my opinion,
the best available translation, it's out of the price range of many classrooms,
so you may also want to check out the Prestwick House Literary Touchstone
Edition.
The Prestwick House Beowulf compiles the best and most readable classic translations into one
text at a great price (only $1.99 with the teacher's discount!). This edition
was designed specifically for classroom use and contains sidebar notes, reading
pointers for sharper insight, vocabulary, and a glossary.
The Movie: Probably the most ballyhooed of this fall's crop of films,
Beowulf is a "digitally enhanced live action film," which means that they overlaid computer animation on top of real actors, for some unfathomable reason. It stars the voices
and likenesses of Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie. From first glances at the
film, it looks like they’ve taken some rather large liberties with the plot line - the biggest
of which is turning Grendel’s mother into a temptress instead of a monster. The
relationship between her and Beowulf seems to be a focus of this movie,
so it might vary greatly from the story we all know.
Beowulf: Heaney Translation
Beowulf: Literary Touchstone Classic
Beowulf Teaching Unit / Downloadable Teaching Unit
Beowulf Activity Pack / Downloadable Activity Pack
The Kite Runner – December 28
The Book: Khaled
Hosseini’s surprise best-seller has been appearing in the classrooms of
early-adopters over the last year and a half. When I read this book, I was
completely enthralled from beginning to end, despite a few convenient
coincidences that occasionally marred my suspension of disbelief. One of the great
things about this book is that kids get a taste of a foreign culture at both
high and low points, and they get to see what a generation of warfare can cause.
Caveat: Early in the book there’s a scene with rape, which could make this
book unacceptable in many classrooms.
The Movie: Early reviews
have been positive, so I’m expecting this movie to be good. It’s not filled
with star-power, but people are acclaiming the acting as very good. The book condenses
characters and events, but it looks like there aren’t major plot changes, and
much of the dialogue is taken directly from the book.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Golden Compass – December
7
The Book: To tell
you the truth, the His Dark Materials trilogy, of which The Golden Compass is
the first book, is one of the best Young Adult series I’ve read in a long time.
It’s filled with Miltonian allusions, interesting characters, a unique fantasy/
sci-fi world, and an action-filled plot. That being said, it also has some
very strange theological underpinnings that are almost certain to raise strong
objections when this book is brought into the classroom. While I really enjoyed
the read, after the minor furor over witchcraft and Harry Potter in schools
across the country, I’d worry much more about this series. If you’re teaching in a
liberal or progressive school, however, this may be an exciting choice for younger readers.
The Movie: This film is going to be one of the big releases of this year’s holiday season, and from
the early trailers, it could be really good. There are a lot of issues (children
killing and being killed and other violence and the above mentioned religious
issues) that
could be cut from the film for political correctness, and this has a lot of fans worried. This movie certainly has the potential to be either watered down or
too dark for a children’s movie, so keep your eyes on this one.
The Golden Compass - Phillip Pullman
Keep your eyes peeled for these movies by favorite authors,
too:
The Cohen brothers have directed No Country for Old Men by
Cormac McCarthy, author of All the Pretty Horses and The Road. Release Date: November
21.
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez,
author of One Hundred Years of Solitude and Chronicle of a Death Foretold, will
be released on December 7.
