What Happens In This Movie?

Being an avid fan of the book, but one who is usually open to small amounts of interpretation in book-to-movie adaptations, I will lay out the pros and cons (geez, I sound like Suzy here) of the movie, without spoiling anything if I can avoid it.

I like Mischa as Vicky, she is really a good match. When I first saw it, I had no idea who she was, since that was before she became really famous. When I saw it again later on, I recognized her but couldn't figure out who she was. When I looked it up, the reaction was "Wow, she's the girl from 'The OC'?" She looks very different, mostly because of her age, and she really does look like Vicky should in my opinion.

I do agree with the fact that, while Ryan plays the part of Adam well personality wise, he looks too young. That was the first thing I noticed when I saw a preview for the movie. They also took away from his character a bit because he doesn't really have the dark cloud, so to say, hanging over him that he does in the book.

Zachary is a different character in a lot of ways. They did a good job of portraying his suicidal tendencies, though it was played down, mostly because this is a Disney movie. What they missed on was that Zach isn't as much of a tough guy as he is in the book, nor does he have such a sharp temper or wild mood swings. They also played down his forward advances on Vicky... again this is made for kids, where the book was intended for young adults and teens, so I could understand that. They made him too much of a hero (if a misguided one) in the movie. In the book, every noble thing he did was to impress Vicky... that was his only real motivation. Also, while I don't dislike Jared, he isn't quite what I pictured for Zachary, partially because he too is too young.

I love the man they cast as Grandfather, he was one of the high points of the movie, especially when you consider how little the rest of the family appears in the it. Suzy was perfect for the small part she appeared in. She both looked and acted the part. Rob, while he played the part pretty well, was entirely too old. He looked the same age as Suzy, instead of being the vulnerable, sweet little boy he was supposed to be. John was cut entirely.

Yes, they cut Leo and his whole storyline, as well as all the 'minor' characters. I think that mostly that was done for time as well as some of the more tragic themes involved, but it did take away from the story. They modernized the setting, but thanks to Madeleine L'Engle's timeless writing, it didn't really show. When you read the book, you find yourself (at least I did) forgetting that it is set in the 1970's because all the emotions and struggles are still very relevant today.

Also, and this is what bothered me the most, they did change the fundamental storyline of the whole novel. A lot of things happen in the book that do not happen in the movie and vice-versa. In usual Disney fashion (and no I'm not bashing Disney, I like their movies, just not always their view of things), they weren't content with a story where the main plot is about a girl growing up, struggling with her emotions, dealing with the both wanted and unwanted affections of three very different boys, and ultimately coming to terms with who she is as a person. They had, in their opinion, to add in the drift net story, because the original is too mental and spiritual for them to feel that kids can grasp it. I think that when the made this movie, they truly underestimated the intelligence and depth of their audience's minds. In short, this movie really should have been done by someone other than Disney, because they are too afraid to approach the very religious nature of the story. Madeleine L'Engle is a very spiritual writer and I think that so much of what makes her stories great was lost in this adaptation.

All that being said, if you like the book, you should really read the rest of the series (if you haven't already).
For reference purposes I'll put Vicky's age next to each one.

Meet the Austins - This one is okay and really sets up the family dynamics, but was my least favorite of the series. Aside from not understanding a few of the memories mentioned in the later books, there is nothing in this one that will really take away from the series if you skip it. (12)

The Moon by Night - This one is my favorite after RoEL. It is a much shorter and less deep book, but it lets you into Vicky's mind in a way the first does not. This is Vicky's first meeting of Zachary Gray, and will let you see a lot of what is behind his actions in RoEL. There is just something I love about this book. (14)

The Arm of the Starfish - This is actually not part of the Austin Family series, but is important to the story regardless. This is the introduction of Adam Eddington and is a much different style of book than the others I've mentioned so far. It is very much an action story, with a touch of international espionage thrown into the mix. For reference purposes, this takes place at the same time as "The Moon by Night" as both are set the summer before Adam and Vicky's meeting. This book was a real treat for me, because it included two of my favorite characters from the classic 'Time Quartet' series, Calvin O'Keefe and Meg Murray O'Keefe, as well as their children. Also, this is the first introduction to a great character named Canon Tallis, who has a recurring role across the L'Engle universe.

The Young Unicorns - This was a very different book for me, and it took me until about half-way though to really get into it. Unlike the other Austin books, this one is not about Vicky, but rather focuses on Suzy and Rob as the main characters. It is a much darker book, with a lot of deep symbolism. It almost seems to blend in better with "Starfish" than with the rest of the series, which I suppose is fitting as Canon Tallis appears here as well. It is a good book, but if you read them in chronological order, expect a major shift in gears from RoEL to this one.

Troubling a Star - To my knowledge, this is the most recent addition to the series and is set a year after RoEL. Vicky and Adam are the main characters and once again the story is action/espionage based. This book is really good, very dark in a lot of places, but still has that wonderful glimmer of hope shining through that Madeline L'Engle is famous for in her writing. (17)

There, I hope I have not bored anyone with my long-winded explanations. After reading this you can probably see why Madeline L'Engle is one of my favorite authors. We both love to give a lot of detail, LOL. Anyway, all of this is just my opinion and you can take it or not. Just wanted to put it out there for you.