Wow. This movie really lived up to the book, and I completely loved the book when I read it over a year ago! They merged Uncle Al and August into one character, but that was a pretty smart move in my opinion. Besides that, there weren't very many changes to the basic story. Rosie is an absolute doll, and it's easy to fall in love with the animals like Jacob does. It's also easy to hate August and root for Jacob and Marlena. The story is fairly simple to follow, and although Camel talks pretty quickly, the vocabulary is established so viewers can keep up with the who's who in the circus biz. All the major players are present, but there are no nursing home scenes so Rosemary never shows up. Hal Holbrook, the gentleman playing the old Jacob, is a sweet man. He brought the slightest hint of tear to my eye. Reese Witherspoon, while I love her to death, wasn't the best pick for this role. She doesn't really have the face for the '30s, in my opinion. Perhaps Olivia Wilde or Kate Beckinsale might have been other choices. Knowing the age difference between Reese and Robert in real life made it feel slightly awkward, but I did love them anyway.
And dare I say that I've gained a bit of respect for Robert Pattinson. I never thought I'd really enjoy a role of his due to some Twilight cheesiness, but he did well here in Water for Elephants. I am positive that he would not have been in the running at all if it were my choice, but at the same time I feel like he did a great job in this one. I'll leave you with this picture of him in a suit with Rosie. Hopefully everyone gets a chance to see this one, especially if you've read the book! And if you go see this, let me know what you think! Happy movie watching :o)
I really want to read this book! I haven't seen the movie yet, so no spoilers! =]
ReplyDelete