MovieChat Forums > The Burning Bed (1984) Discussion > Francine in the book

Francine in the book

posted 17 years ago by fiatlux-1
4 replies | jump to latest

Francine in the book is a little tougher emotionally. I hated how they showed only the weak, timid side of Francine in the film.
Plus, in the novel, she has several more chances to get away from Mickey and keeps going on back!!!

I know how her family was and how the times were, and her story is heartbreaking no doubt.... but you still had a hard time feeling too much sympathy when she went back to him after he beat her to a pulp!!!!
Mickey hadn't begun to threaten her life yet, and seemed willing to let her leave even though he said he'd take her to court for the kids.
I was very briefly in an abusive relationship, so I do know some of what its like. There IS usually a time when you can leave them before they view you as their property. Once you take them back and accept their 'apology', it only gets harder from there.

"Some laughed. He let them. His own heart laughed, and that was enough."
-A Christmas Carol

[–] JoeLoebner 17 years ago

It's like Francine wasn't facing reality for a long time.

[–] jbartelone 15 years ago

Is the book written in a novelistic (fiction) style with name and event changes or is it more biographical in nature? This wasn't a novel, this really happened, and I hope that the book sticks to the actual events in the case. How else is the book different than the movie? What events are described in the book that are not in the movie?

Joe

[–] majoolie54-1 14 years ago

I know you posted this a long time ago but last week I saw the movie and I found the book and have just finished reading it.

The movie is very close to the events in the book except the movie doesn't show EVERY time she tried to leave Mickey. Also in the book it tells us how Mickey and his friends rented an apartment soemwhere in town to bring women back to. Another thing that was in the book was, remember while she was at school and she dropped something in the cafeteria and a man bent down to pick it up and there seemed to be a moment between them then nothing was mentioned again? In the book, his name is George Walkup, he is going through a divorce and he asked her on a date and she accepted, told Mickey she was going to a birthday party, and they had sex in his car. Afterwards she asked him questions about his divorce and his stories were very contradictory so she wanted nothing else to do with him. When she was in jail awaiting trial, a friend from her school visited her and told her George Walkup asked for her so Francine would write him letters full of intimate thoughts and her friend would deliver them (sending them by mail was a risk). After she wrote him three letters, he never spoke to her friend again so once more, Francine forgot about him.
A week before the trial, Francine's lawyer met with the prosecution as new evidence was discovered and had to be discussed. The lawyer was given Xeroxed copies of the letters sent to George from Francine. They were found in his personal effects after she had committed suicide by shooting himself. Turns out George was very kinky and was faced trial after being charged on a sex offence involving the rape of a child. When her lawyer broke the news, Francine was appauled.

When I watched the movie I wondered why they put George in there for a few moments then never mentioned him again. What was the point in that?

I also Googled George Walkup and found nothing about a suicide so I'm not too sure if they used his real name.

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among stars.

[–] hasheart 9 years ago

didn't francine have 4 kids? in the movie it just mentions 3