Suddenly Cinema

Why does it seem like every book I read as a teen is being turned into a movie just now?

I meandered onto IMDB again today. It's something I do. Often. And there, right on the front page, was an advertisement for a new movie called Fat Kid Rules the World. I was wary as I clicked the link. Was this for real? Had someone really made of movie of that book? Lo and behold, someone had. And it looks good. Now it's been years since I read this book. I think I must have been about 14 when I did. So my memory of it is kind of hazy. There's this kid who is fat. (spoiler) He becomes friends with this other kid who is a homeless, drug addicted, wanna punk musician. It's an offbeat coming-of-age story. I do remember that I adored it. I'm always nervous to watch movies based on books I've read for the obvious reasons. But the preview looks amazing. I think I just might invest the time and money to see this.

The movie version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower is out in theaters now. I read that book my freshman year of high school. I remember it vividly. Both the book itself and the actual reading of it: I would often be reading that book instead of paying attention in computer class. (sorry Mr. Stone) I won't say the book changed my life, but it did have a significant impact on several of the life choices I made that year. Well, at least that first semester. I don't think I'm going to see the movie. The image I have of Charlie in my head does not match the actor on the screen and I don't know if I can handle that. Also, I don't know how I feel about Emma Watson. I might end up watching it anyway. But I'm not going to pay for it.

Okay, so that was only two. But it seems like a lot more.

You know what? I'm going to include Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, even though that movie came out in '08. I remember ordering that book online from B&N back in the day. I also remember how the day after I got the book in the mail, I saw the first trailer for the movie. I was not overly happy. I never did see the movie. I didn't want to. The book was amazing. Completely amazing. Two teenagers running around New York's underground music scene; getting caught making out in a motel supply closet; meeting a transvestite named Tony, or Toni, possibly Toné? What more could you want from an offbeat coming-of-age story? (I'm starting to notice a pattern) But I could tell, just from the trailers, that the movie did not follow the book at all. They made it into a Micheal Cera comedy. All elbows and awkwardness. I had no desire to see that again.

And while I'm at it, I'm going to give an honorable mention to the made-for-TV movie version of Speak. Actually, I'm not very happy about this one either. I read the book when I was 13. The movie came out in '04. It stared a then little known actress named Kristen Stewart. I didn't want to watch then and I definitely don't want to watch it today.