The following review may contain minor spoilers.Having waited many years: for Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones, movie to be released, I have to say it was disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed watching it but I wouldn’t rush out to watch it again.
I do however love the book. It was given to me as a gift from a wonderful woman, my friend Penny Keith-Radcliffe who sadly is no longer here. The book is not something I would normally go for, with there being no witches or vampires in it, but I have to say I read it more than once. I remember the day she bought me it, we spent the day bookshop browsing, lunch and chatting. One of my favourite days ever and holds a very special place in my heart.
When I found out they were making the book into a film, I wondered how they were going to recreate the story. Especially when the main character is dead from the word go. Not to mention the fact that the characters also age over a ten-year period, but the film didn’t include the latter.
The novel is about a fourteen-year-old girl, Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) who experiences a horrific sexual assault and is murdered. She then narrates her experience and tries to guide her family from the in-between world. Peter Jackson’s idea of heaven reminded me of what I imagine being on an illegal substance during a flower power convention would be like.
Susie recaps what happens before, during and after she is murdered. The rest of her family her father (Mark Wahlberg), her mother (Rachel Weisz), her grandmother (Susan Sarandon) and sister (Rose McIver) muddle through with what has happened.
Her father feels her around and becomes obsessed with solving the crime. It keeps him going but everything else, including his relationships fall apart.
Observing all of this from beyond, Susie gradually figures out she is not alone. First deals with an unfinished teenage crush.
Don’t expect a Hollywood ending as there isn’t one, but I think it ends the way it should. I liked that about the book.
If you haven’t read the book, read the book. The book is deeply moving, the film however, not so much. I do recommend you seeing it, especially if you have read the book.
This post is protected under copyright. SusankMann 2009 – 2014