i love the book and the movie, i have a learning disability, reading comprehension issues, and for me, i watch the movie first, and then i read the book - i can follow the book better, and connect with it better, my brain can envision the scenes, hear the characters voices, tones, and fill in those parts the book covers that of course a movie changes or leaves out.
I have both the book and the movie and I love both...But I have to give the win for the book. The book is so much more immersive and the characters are grittier and to be honest, more repulsive, especially the mother, Bonnie Grape. In the book, she comes across as a an overgrown child who has to be babysat 24/7. I feel empathy for her, but to me, I kind of feel like everything that transpired in the novel grew out of her not really taking care of herself and letting herself go. In the movie, she's sweet and more loving, but I have to say in the novel, she comes across as a villainness at times. Maybe ALbert Grape committed suicide because his Bonnie, the mother, always pushed him around? Maybe that was part of it? I found Arnie to be more cringey in the movie. I feel DCicaprio did well, but I feel he sometimes went over the top in emphasizing how mentally challenged Arnie was. Also, in the book, Arnie lost an eye and wears an eyepatch. I found that to be interesting. What I wish the movie had done-I wish we could have gotten Larry and Janice, two of the other Grape siblings. I found Gilbert's moments with Janice to be interesting and we were missing that in the movie. I also would have liked some scenes with Lameson Grocery. Those are some of my favorite parts of the novel I love reading about everyday, mundane, slice of life stuff and writing about such things and I found Lameson's Grocery and Mr. Lameson to be an endearing character and I wish we could have gotten some more scenees of Gilbert at work. However, I had a problem with Gilbert taking a srt of romantic interest in a minor. In the movie we are not told how old Becky is and so, I think the movie actuallu did better than the novel in that regard. But overall, I prefer the book. I thik of Amy's Elvis fixation, the fact that Ellen is so useless to the family, the fact that their home is falling apart. Yes, the book wins here. I give the book an A- and the movie a B+.
In regards to my previous comment...WHen I said Bonnie grape was something of a villainness, I didn't mean that she was a mustache twirling type. To me, she is somewhat like Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk in that she had no intention of becoming hugely obese, but she did and now she's horrified at what she's become, much like Bruce banner is at having become The Hulk. I think it's interesting how one form of media can influence you in how you perceive a character differently than another form of media can. In the movie, I find Bonnie Grape to be endearing and sweet, though, still somewhat hard twatch at times, but the novel, well, the novel's version of Bonnie Grape makes me think of how repulsive she can be. Bonnie Grape? Is she someone who is to be empathetic toward or angry toward? Perhaps both. I just love the character of Bonnie Grape and I find her interesting. I wonder what the novel would have been like if Hedges had chosen to write the novel solely about her. What if she had been the book's protagonist? And Gilbert. He's a small town version of Holden Caulfield if you ask me. Both or so lost and to some extent, fake, even though they hate fakery. Maybe they hate fakery because they sense it in themselves? I can relate to Gilbert in the sense I love the small town life. If I was able boded, I'd want to work at a store like Lameson grocery. I have another recommendation, Laura-"A Painted House" by John Grisham It's a novel about a boy coming of age in Arkansas in 1952. CBS made a movie based on it. I love the novel and wonder how the movie was.
I was surprised how much I loved the book! So yes, I would definitely recommend it. There's some cringey moments, but overall I loved it. And I went into the book already having seen the movie and still liked it
The term “retard” was offensive in the 80s as it is today. But you’re missing more than that. Your references to small town people are also quite insensitive and biased. You would benefit from conducting some research and revisiting your review.
retard was always used as an insult, it was the shortened word for what used to be ''retardate'' this was used in the 50s and 60s to describe an individual with retardation; but retarded or retardation was the accepted medical/disability term in the 80s she has a right to her opinion and any biases she has based on her experiences and interpretations.
i love the book and the movie, i have a learning disability, reading comprehension issues, and for me, i watch the movie first, and then i read the book - i can follow the book better, and connect with it better, my brain can envision the scenes, hear the characters voices, tones, and fill in those parts the book covers that of course a movie changes or leaves out.
I have both the book and the movie and I love both...But I have to give the win for the book. The book is so much more immersive and the characters are grittier and to be honest, more repulsive, especially the mother, Bonnie Grape.
In the book, she comes across as a an overgrown child who has to be babysat 24/7. I feel empathy for her, but to me, I kind of feel like everything that transpired in the novel grew out of her not really taking care of herself and letting herself go. In the movie, she's sweet and more loving, but I have to say in the novel, she comes across as a villainness at times. Maybe ALbert Grape committed suicide because his Bonnie, the mother, always pushed him around? Maybe that was part of it?
I found Arnie to be more cringey in the movie. I feel DCicaprio did well, but I feel he sometimes went over the top in emphasizing how mentally challenged Arnie was. Also, in the book, Arnie lost an eye and wears an eyepatch. I found that to be interesting.
What I wish the movie had done-I wish we could have gotten Larry and Janice, two of the other Grape siblings. I found Gilbert's moments with Janice to be interesting and we were missing that in the movie.
I also would have liked some scenes with Lameson Grocery. Those are some of my favorite parts of the novel I love reading about everyday, mundane, slice of life stuff and writing about such things and I found Lameson's Grocery and Mr. Lameson to be an endearing character and I wish we could have gotten some more scenees of Gilbert at work.
However, I had a problem with Gilbert taking a srt of romantic interest in a minor. In the movie we are not told how old Becky is and so, I think the movie actuallu did better than the novel in that regard.
But overall, I prefer the book. I thik of Amy's Elvis fixation, the fact that Ellen is so useless to the family, the fact that their home is falling apart. Yes, the book wins here. I give the book an A- and the movie a B+.
In regards to my previous comment...WHen I said Bonnie grape was something of a villainness, I didn't mean that she was a mustache twirling type. To me, she is somewhat like Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk in that she had no intention of becoming hugely obese, but she did and now she's horrified at what she's become, much like Bruce banner is at having become The Hulk.
I think it's interesting how one form of media can influence you in how you perceive a character differently than another form of media can. In the movie, I find Bonnie Grape to be endearing and sweet, though, still somewhat hard twatch at times, but the novel, well, the novel's version of Bonnie Grape makes me think of how repulsive she can be. Bonnie Grape? Is she someone who is to be empathetic toward or angry toward? Perhaps both. I just love the character of Bonnie Grape and I find her interesting. I wonder what the novel would have been like if Hedges had chosen to write the novel solely about her. What if she had been the book's protagonist?
And Gilbert. He's a small town version of Holden Caulfield if you ask me. Both or so lost and to some extent, fake, even though they hate fakery. Maybe they hate fakery because they sense it in themselves? I can relate to Gilbert in the sense I love the small town life. If I was able boded, I'd want to work at a store like Lameson grocery.
I have another recommendation, Laura-"A Painted House" by John Grisham It's a novel about a boy coming of age in Arkansas in 1952. CBS made a movie based on it. I love the novel and wonder how the movie was.
i have the book...should i read it? i've seen the movie
I was surprised how much I loved the book! So yes, I would definitely recommend it. There's some cringey moments, but overall I loved it. And I went into the book already having seen the movie and still liked it
The term “retard” was offensive in the 80s as it is today. But you’re missing more than that. Your references to small town people are also quite insensitive and biased. You would benefit from conducting some research and revisiting your review.
Exactly. The demeaning nature of the term small town people has the same negative connotation that other negative terms do. But somehow it’s ok…
retard was always used as an insult, it was the shortened word for what used to be ''retardate'' this was used in the 50s and 60s to describe an individual with retardation; but retarded or retardation was the accepted medical/disability term in the 80s she has a right to her opinion and any biases she has based on her experiences and interpretations.