Book 2 Review 1: Movie Adaptations

To Keep:

The Hospital Scene

This is one of the most suspenseful parts in the book. Mariah White’s daughter is on the verge of death with no explanation. Mariah was issued a restraining order away from her daughter for evidence to use in court. Mariah White goes against the court order by the advice of her own lawyer, dresses up in costume, and visits her dying daughter. As soon as she hugs her daughter, she wakes up for the first time since she was sick and said “Hi Mommy”. Those words were so powerful and this would be easily depicted in a movie. The emotions would be really interesting to see on the big screen. This scene is a turning point in the book, making it essential in the movie.

Kansas City Scene

When Mariah White and Faith White escape to Kansas City, the notorious Ian Fletcher follows them. An intense and somewhat confusing relationship is formed between Ian and Mariah. This is almost a forbidden love because Ian has been attacking and trying to prove Mariah and Faith wrong for the majority of the book. The formation of this relationship is an interesting twist in the book. It is a major plotline and the story would be lost if the movie were created without it.

Courtroom Scene

This is the part that the whole book leads up to. If the movie did not involve these scenes, the story would be lost. This is the final fight for custody over Faith. It is extremely dramatic and all people involved are verbally attacking each other. There are a lot of interesting points made during the trial that makes the reader think. This is an emotionally packed scene that is essential to the adaption of the book.

 

To Cut:

There are a lot of minor details, like the flashbacks that Mariah has that need to be cut. The book is not about her and her ex-husband's relationship. Readers get lost in the past and is definitely unnessecary and hard to show in a movie.

I would also cut the Catholic parts of the book. The priests can be kept but there are a lot of chapters that explain a lot of the Catholic religion. Those explanations are not really needed for the overall understanding of the book.