Marley & Me and The Tale of Despereaux movie reviews from fans who read the books

December 26, 5:46 PMBook ExaminerMichelle Kerns

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Most avid book readers aren't interested in the opinions of professional movie reviewers when it comes to getting information about film adaptations of books; what they want to know is how the movie measures up to the book from people who know. Take a look at what some movie-going readers had to say about this season's latest book-to-movie manifestations: Marley & Me and The Tale of Despereaux.

Marley & Me

Many people who went to see Marley & Me on Christmas Day expected a light-hearted, cutesy, dog tale; most, however, were unhappily surprised by the movie's sober -- and entirely true to the book --  ending. Here is what some viewers who had read the book had to say:

They left little out, including the sad but true ending. For dog owners this is life and the sad reality. Read the book, it will give you a better understanding of the movie.

Another fan of the book moaned:

What a disappointment. I loved the book. Take out half an hour of making/having babies and complaining about jobs, let’s see more of the dog, give it a happy ending (a new puppy maybe?) instead of leaving us with 3 crying kids throwing letters into a grave. Nice touch wrapping him in a blanket “to keep him warm” (???). Did we really need to see the vet giving the injection of death and watching the dog closing it’s eyes for the last time?
My daughter is 14 and was depressed for the rest of the day. Don’t take your little kids.

While many viewers who weren't familiar with the book were surprised at the movie's content and felt like they had been mislead by the movie's upbeat and aggressively cutesy trailers, several readers said:

If you’ve read the book, you would know that it’s not for kids. It’s based on a book with sexual content, language, etc... The book isn’t a reckless dog comedy…it’s really about a family growing closer thanks to the dog... I was scared the movie would be kiddied down too much so it would be another Beethoven or Air Bud. I am glad it keeps its language, etc.

And Tricia Spencer, a Suite 101 writer and fan of the Marley & Me book, says:

The heart wrenching sorrow of Marley’s last days offered the human actors plenty of opportunities to showcase their acting chops, but those final, very long, scenes so overshadowed the rest of the movie that they are all you remember as you exit the theater. That’s no tribute to the fun-at-any-cost Marley. And it’s no tribute to John Grogan whose warm and witty book has far more laughs than tears.

 

 

The Tale of Despereaux

This adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's enchanting book featured a star-studded cast that included Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson (a.k.a Hermione Granger), Matthew Broderick, and Robbie Coltrane (a.k.a. Rubeus Hagrid) amongst other movie luminaries. How did it measure up to the widely admired book?

One fan said:

Did they do a good job with my beloved book?  Well, more or less. That is, given that it is a big Hollywood film, it was much more along the lines of the book than I expected..Toned-down is probably a good phrase for what has been done with the book.  The extreme darkness has been massively toned down.  The humor seems tamped down too.  I mean, this is a book where you laugh and you cry.  As for the movie, I’m not sure it elicits either. 

Here's the Horn Book reviewer, Claire E. Gross' take:

The Tale of Despereaux, directed for the big screen by Sam Fell and Robert Stevenhagen and written by Will McRobb, is not so much an adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery-winning book as it is a re-imagining. The movie borrows and reworks the basic components of the novel, but it takes significant liberties with both plot and theme....

Despereaux-the-film is solid moviemaking — and decent storytelling. But without the balance of dark undercurrents, it lacks the staying power of DiCamillo’s book. The resonance of redemption, the gravitas of forgiveness, the emotional relief of a hard-won happy ending are missing. Maybe that’s just smart business, but I can’t help but feel the loss. Despereaux-the-book was positively brimming with literary elements—the gather-round-now narrative voice, the accentuated metaphors and motifs, the intricate network of connection that bound the plot and characters. All that, sadly, has been excised. What’s left? Plenty of what made the tale so accessible, but little of what made it acclaimed

One disgruntled reader said:

My children and I read the book before going to see the movie and all I can say is the movie was such the disappointment. It was made to be politically correct for the children leaving out the best parts of the book. The kids seemed to enjoy it, but as an adult it was a waste of time and money. If you are a fan of the book I would highly recommend that you do not see this movie.

Have you read and seen both the print and film manifestations of Marley & Me or The Tale of Despereaux? Let us know what you thought -- leave a comment below or direct your musings to michellekerns@surewest.net