BOOK VS MOVIE: Girl, Interrupted

Susanna Kaysen's memoir and James Mangold's film Girl, Interrupted both discuss temporary life in a mental institution. The differences between the two are quite distinct if you pay attention.

Kaysen's writing style is a mix between observation and stream of consciousness. She watches the many events going on in her ward while at the same time voices the many thoughts running around in her head. It's in a similar style to Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar.

Mangold's direction is a trifle different to Kaysen's writing. It appears rather focused on the main character rather than the ensemble of people Kaysen introduces in the book. True, the supporting characters have their time in the spotlight, but only for a short time.

Anyway, onto the differences. As with most adaptations, certain scenes are altered, removed or added. Though some scenes improved in the film, if only a minor tweak or two. In total, only a small number of scenes between the two match.

All in all, both memoir and film have their flaws, yet the memoir comes out on top. Mainly because it's straight from the horse's mouth, not glamorized to make it more appealing to everyone. Then again, the film isn't as sporadic as the memoir.

What's worth checking out?: I'd go with the novel.

3:10 to Yuma

I've been seeing a lot of westerns lately. Ranging from featuring John Wayne to Clint Eastwood to the actors in between, directors from John Ford to Sergio Leone, and having loads of action, they are always entertaining.


Rancher Daniel Evans (Christian Bale) agrees to help take outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to the 3:10 train to Yuma for his trial. But Wade is a cunning outlaw, so Evans has to keep a sharp eye on him. Throw in having Wade's gang coming after them and it's a fight for their lives.


So awesome. Take note that the final scenes are a homage to High Noon. By that, I mean as time passes the suspense builds. The thrill of an Eastwood western, the intensity of a John Wayne western, 3:10 to Yuma is just damn good. Bale and Crowe are a good actor pairing for this particular movie. Ben Foster, who plays a member of Wade's gang, is also very good. If you're a fan of westerns, this is just for you.


My Rating: ****1/2

Walk the Line

I think that the most common subject for biopics are musicians. I mean, come on. The Doors, Coal Miner's Daughter, Ray and The Runaways are good examples. Another good example is the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) has gone through a very troublesome life. His brother died when he was young, he never got along with his father and he struggled to get into the music business. Once he broke through, he had to overcome drug addiction with the help of fellow singer June Carter (Reese Witherspoon).

I've been hearing a lot of backlash on Witherspoon's performance, mostly that she didn't deserve the Oscar. I somewhat agree with that statement, but honestly she wasn't that bad but she wasn't that great. Besides, I liked Phoenix's performance more. He probably would've won had Philip Seymour Hoffman and Heath Ledger weren't up for Best Actor the same year.

My Rating: ****1/2