MovieChat Forums > The Slap (2011) Discussion > Once I found this was an Australian rema...

Once I found this was an Australian remake..

posted 9 years ago by terryshilo
5 replies | jump to latest

..I found the original Aussie mini-series online to watch and will not watch the American version past last nights first episode. They will homogenize it to American broadcast channel standards and lose so much of the impact of this fantastic (I don't usually use such adjectives for much Aussie TV) mini-series. This is deep, it reflects each person far past the topical we see of the group attending the 40th birthday party. The program lays bare many parts of each of us (many will see themselves in one or another character) that we keep hidden, sometimes from our loved ones and closet friends. If you watch this and compare it to the American version you will see Australia knocked this Norwegian authors story out of the park. It's not the best or most fun type of entertainment on television; however, the drama shows us a cross culture of a group of people that I haven't seen done on television before in spectacular fashion. Kudos to this ensemble cast and to the showrunners that put this together.

[–] SWLinPHX-2 9 years ago

I agree. Somehow I don't think the American version will be as authentic or realistic (especially where the Greek culture is concerned).

[–] ofuoku71 9 years ago

Hulu had the series so I watched all 8 episodes. The American version pales in comparison to the original!

[–] kay_cee_d 9 years ago

Can I just say while I agree that the Aussie version is better in a lot of ways (though I tend to prefer the production values of the US version), I don't understand why people don't actually give a series a chance before they immediately judge it?

Plenty of countries take shows from other countries and rework them. It happens all the time. America isn't the only place that does it. But every time an American company decides to remake a "foreign" (to us, of course) show people explode and don't actually give that show a chance. And of course when they do watch the show they watch it with the view that it will be bad and so, to them, no matter what, it is bad. I'm not saying that is particular show is great (though I don't think it is "trash" or "a piece of crap" like some hysterical posters are saying) I am saying that the world is not going to end if a show is remade. You don't have to automatically hate on it.

Personally I always feel like "the more the merrier" because I love stories and movies and television and I love to watch how different people interpret things. Its not going to destroy the original. If you don't like it, than you don't like it. But using these preconceived ideas that if something is a remake it is automatically terrible doesn't make sense. It may be terrible or it may be amazing.

And honestly I feel like people typically (I'm not saying always, but it seems to happen a lot) act this way when the US is remaking something. First I think you should look at who is remaking the show. What network. What directors/producers/writers. Who are the actors? Because all of those things come into play. You can't just make a blanket generalization because there ARE people in the industry who are capable and make something wonderful.

[–] gregbarnes 9 years ago

Well said. I wish you would post this in more boards.

[–] shewasmyrushmore 8 years ago

If you watch this and compare it to the American version you will see Australia knocked this Norwegian authors story out of the park.

norwegian?
he's an australian writer.

but i will say having read the novel, then watched the aussie tv series, then the US series, the US one was just terrible. well except for the fact that a couple of characters were probably slightly better cast in relation to the novel (aisha in particular).

the US version just seemed so candy-flossed, like they had to take away all the elements of the novel that were absolutely vital to the story, but that would offend US viewers or something?? basically the plot of the story was drastically changed so that it wasn't really based off the novel anymore. which was a shame, as the novel was great and the US generally has more money to spend on production so can at times up the quality.