FRIDAY FLICK: Little Children

I loved Tom Perrotta's book and I love Kate Winslet so I had high hopes for this film, but...

Okay, first of all there was a voiceover. An omniscient narrator describing the characters' thoughts and backstory. For example, "Sarah wondered if Brad was always this forthcoming. If anything, he seemed a little lonely..."

At first I thought we'd accidentally put the audio description on! It was extremely distracting.

Then there were the changes to the book. I'm not entirely confident about this since it's a while since I read it, but as far as I recall, the treatment of the sex offender character was much more interesting and morally challenging in the book. In the movie, he was much more of a generic "baddy", from the casting onwards.

There were a couple of other things that were taken directly from the book, but weren't fleshed out or explained enough. Like Brad's obsessive watching of the skateboarders. Having read the book, I got what it was all about, but my husband, who hasn't read it, was puzzled by it.

Kate Winslet was great, but all in all, it left me a bit cold.

Related posts: Little Children movie news | Friday Flick archives

Keris

"In the novel, Kathy determines that it&#39s a colour only a child would choose. Either a child or someone who is head over heels in love. She realizes with a great degree of certainty that Sarah and Brad are having an affair."

From IMDb

Not much use if you&#39re just watching the film, is it?

Keri

I didnt read the book, but I watched the movie....will someone PLEASE explain Kathy&#39s reaction to the blue nail polish? it confused me thoroughly

Keris

That&#39s funny, Lucie. I was thinking that at the beginning of the film too. That I&#39ve never really appreciated before how difficult that must be!

Just checked Perrotta on IMDb and, no, that was his first. He wasn&#39t sole writer, but the other writer doesn&#39t have many credits either (although one of them *is* In the Bedroom...).

Lucie Simone

I wonder if Perrotta had written other scripts. Generally, they aren&#39t crossover art forms for writers. I have a friend who is a screenwriter who adapts novels to screenplays and he does them so well. It&#39s really a very particular craft in which a novel&#39s interior monologue has to be conveyed through action or dialogue in a film. No small task!

Keris

I appreciate that, Lucie, but if they didn&#39t have the time or the wherewithal to explain it, they should have left it out, IMO. What&#39s the point in having it in the film if only those who&#39ve read the book will understand it?

Interesting comment about voiceover. I can&#39t watch Dexter (too gory), but I agree re Scrubs. I just found it odd in Little Children. It was as if they couldn&#39t work out how to dramatise it so they just decided not to bother.

Actually, that&#39s not what I thought as I was watching it - I thought Tom Perrotta (who also wrote the screenplay) was thinking "My book is so brilliant, why don&#39t I just have someone read from it in the film?"

FRIDAY FLICK: Little Children

FRIDAY FLICK: Little Children - Comments

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