MovieChat Forums > That Was Then... This Is Now (1985) Discussion > S.E Hinton's Opinion on this film

S.E Hinton's Opinion on this film

posted 17 years ago by iluvpink8
8 replies | jump to latest

"People wondered why i was letting a 22 year old id write the screenplay, but i was the same age when i wrote the book. Emilio knew a lot more about screenplays than I did-so why not? I told him though that the studio would make him change the ending, which would ruin the whole impact of the story. As much as Emilio had been around movies, he didn't realize how powerless the screenwriter was. There are a lot of good things about that movie, but it turned out to be wishy washy."

wheres Francis Ford Copolla when you need him. I really agree with her. Also i'm kinda happy to know it wasn't emilio who changed the ending.

I got this quotes in the interview in the back of the book Some of Tims Stories

ba dum bum ching!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] iluvpink8 17 years ago

bump

ba dum bum ching!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ferreira0665 16 years ago

I don't know if the ending in the book really would have been the more realistic ending. They were like brothers and lived together since Mark was 9. Mark needed a reality check. He was always trying to be the protector. I don't know if that is how it was in the book. But the ending the book from what I heard of Mark saying he hated him and there wasn't anything he could do is more depressing but is it really something that Mark would have said to someone at one point he had considered to be his brother. I have a really close relationship with my roommate and we act like brothers. I am more of the reckless one while he is more reserved. I am older by 4 yrs. Me and him have gotten in fights and several times and we live together. But at the end of it all we forgive one another and move on, we have lived together for more than a yr and have known each other since june of 2006. He has anger issues because he doesn't think highly or himself most of the time and I have *beep* talking issues and also relatively negative when I don't think something is going to work out for him and try to prepare him for the worst. He doesn't like that, but so far I have been right. I try to protect him and he says I am 22 I can deal with it myself. But then when I do that he is moody and sulks all day which I *beep* hate. But I can't do anything about it. Have I said things to him that probably I shouldn't have when I was pissed, Yeah, I have. Has he? Yeah he has. But at the end of the day or maybe a day later we are back to acting like brothers like we were before the outbursts. He thinks I'm crazy, I think he isn't crazy enough. Will a that was then... this is now situation happen, probably not, because he won't let me get into drugs or do anything that stupid. He said he would kill me first. I have done my share of drugs but I was finished with that when I was 18. Would he be able to forgive me if I did something like Mark did; giving drugs to a minor and having him overdose? After he kicked my ass and didn't talk to me for probably a couple of weeks yeah. If the boy died he wouldn't have to, because I would probably kill myself. People are allowed to *beep* up. If you turn your back on someone because they *beep* up a few times nobody would have family or friends. He has always been the first to swing but it is not like a beating, its a fight cause I fight back. Somebody asked me "why don't you move out when he gets violent?" I said "because if I did I would be just like everyone of his other previous friends in his life that turned their backs on him when he *beep* up and that was a lot of people and I can't do that to him." We haven't had a fight for awhile and we happen to get along fine now. Less stress in the household. No more freeloading roommates. Yes that was major stress factor that would cause to aggravate us both.

[–] itsallforu 12 years ago

Have you ever had an ultimate betrayal though? That's what your missing in your analysis ferreira0665. You make a lot of great points, but this isn't something simple. It's not like they both wanted the last fudge cicle in the freezer, and Mark took it. This is a matter of having to spend time in federal prison and have a large chunk of your young life taken away from you.

Mark did the socially acceptable "right thing" and as a result found out in life that sometimes doing what's right can lead to negative consequences. Sometimes doing what you know is the right thing, will have a pessimistic effect on your life.

When your young you look at life in black and white. There is a huge distinction, seperation between right and wrong. Yet as we get older those colors of black and white begin to blend together in shades of grey, and that is the hard life lessen that the book "That Was Then This is Now" gets across to it's readers.

I read the book when I was a freshman in high school, and it completely changed my outlook on life. It compeltely changed the way I look at people. The way I value right and wrong. It made me stop taking every rule and every regulation at face value and begin to analyze it deeply asking myself the depth of the answers I had in front of me.

The movie didn't do this because the ending was completely altered which as S.E. Hinton already stated in her own words, ruined the impact.

I won't come out and say that you missed the point of the book, because as a writer myself I am very well aware that readers take their own interpretation. I will though say you missed the point S.E. Hinton was trying to get across. I hope I have cleared it up for you.

[–] ferreira0665 12 years ago

I have had people that I considered close friends and family just simply walk out of my life breaking all contact with me. It hurt. Did it turn out to be for my own good, probably. Have I ever done that to someone? One person, yes and it was quite liberating actually. To be able to respond to you now, I would need to watch the movie again as well as read the book. I still haven't read the book I was just responding on what I thought the realism of the ending of the movie. I have no opinion of the book as I have not read it. I do agree that Hollywood likes to Hollywoodize things to make them more appealing but with this story I don't know.

I have written two screenplays about the bonds of brotherhood in which one follows the other but I am very reluctant to try to sell it to Hollywood because I don't want it Hollywoodized and turned into something it wasn't meant to be. I wrote the story based on realism of situations and I know Hollywood would probably dumb it down just like they simply do with titles because they feel American audiences can't understand the original intent of the title. Examples: Renaming Danny the Dog as Unleashed and Butterfly on a Wheel with Shattered. There are some other films America has done that on but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

What I would really like is for someone who knows the business side of things to help me get it done. Make it an independent film.

But like I said above, I can't really fully respond to the whether or not the movie's ending is better or the book's is. All I know it what I saw and what I saw was what I responded to.

[–] itsallforu 12 years ago

Ferreira0665 - First off thanks for your prompt thorough response. Secondly it's really cool to meet a fellow writer. I haven't written a screenplay yet, but I have written two plays and a novel. I'm working on my second novel now. I want to wish you well in your writing and give the the ever so redudant advice of never giving up. It's often a world full of quick rejection and criticism and a grueling slow process towards reward and satasfaction.

Now on to topic.

I missed at first that you hadn't read the book, and that is enough of an answer for me to how you came to your final conclusion. The movie is much different than the book. Matter of fact, it's differences far outnumber it's similarities. The structure of the story is completely different, as is it's focus. It makes complete since how you conducted your thesis.

However, I still want to point out a few key factors.

There is a difference between breaking contact with someone and betrayal. Now the one thing that must be taken into consideration is that Bryon's intentions were no malcious. He did not do what he did to get Mark into trouble or to hurt him. He did what he did because he felt, and rightly so, that he was doing the right thing. Hopefully in time, Mark would see this as well and their bond of friendship/brotherhood would reignite.

However, to quote a famous Indian of the Cherokee Tribe Chief Attakulakula, "You can only truly hate someone if you loved them". I feel there is a lot of truth to this saying, through obversation and personal expeience and I also feel that it applies to the issue at hand with Bryon and Mark.

Being betrayed, or at least feeling betrayed is a much different feeling than having someone just walk out of your life. I've had many people come and go in my life. Sure, it's sad and I miss some of them, but it's a much different feeling than the people I've had in my life who have betrayed me. To make clear, I don't feel that Bryon betrayed Mark, but Mark feels that he did. Thus while I don't feel Mark's hatred is justified, I do understand it.

Overall, the story of the book would make a great film. One that would change the perspectives of those who saw it. It's a shame that this wasn't capitalized upon under its first try. Hopefully one day, "That Was Then, This is Now" will be remade, and hopefully get it right second time around.

[–] 12 years ago

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