Movie #1364 "The Glass Castle" --- this is a tough one to write a blog on for me for several reasons. One is that this is one of my favorite books; i.e., if someone were to say that he/she has never read a book he/she enjoys, I would say, "Have you tried reading 'Glass Castle'"? Since everyone knows books are usually better than movies (with very few exceptions, like the book "Jaws"), you shouldn't be surprised that I liked reading the book much better. So that makes it difficult to "like" any rendition of a book that is cherished. But when you research the differences between this book and its movie, you will find that there ARE things changed, but that the author was on the set every day and she says that the movie is even closer to what happened than the book...........hmmm. I've been thinking about this film ever since the movie ended. My first reaction to the end of the movie was that I felt it didn't get the dad right at all. I didn't remember Rex being so abusive in the book, or at least there were more redeeming moments in the book that showed off his intelligence, his passion which he passed on to his daughter who loved and trusted him, and his love for Jeanette (the narrator and author of the book). I felt Woody Harrelson had ruined it somewhat with his interpretation --- I hadn't read the lines that Rex said to be as angry as Woody delivered them --- but then, if you watch the credits and see the real Rex speaking, the anger and big mouthiness were there. So I decided that I think how you feel about this movie depends on how you interpret the Rex character and the mother --- are they abusive, or negligent? When I read the book, I felt that they were negligent --- they were two people who never should have had children, but that there was enough there to find a little redeeming, esp. when they weren't drinking (and there was backstory as to why they were drinking so much). But as they say, "One picture is worth a 1000 words" ---- when you read that the parents are throwing things at each other in another of their many brawls, and mom ends up hanging out the window so the kids have to come together to pull her back in to save her life, you read it and use your imagination to visualize what a scene this is, but when you actually SEE this in the film......it leaves a possible bigger impression on the viewer. Well, it did me. So I felt the dad was meaner and more abusive in the film. That makes the film so much more uncomfortable to watch and recommend , and harder to swallow the ending (I don't want to tell what it is, but when you see it, you'll know what I mean). It's not a movie I ever want to see again ---- and I really don't want to recommend it because it is so hard to watch. The acting is good, esp. the little kids and Brie Larson (Jeanette). The subject is eye opening. There's a good theme about being able to accomplish quite a bit if people believe and in you and support you! (the kids survive because of their tight bonding --- more said about this in the book) The differences with the book deal with: Jeanette having a boyfriend throughout the movie, no meeting of grandma on mom's side who left them land and a house on it, mom not being as mentally ill as she came across in the book, the movie going back and forth between present and past much more, movie having less bonding of the kids in their attempts to survive, movie having less moments showing Dad's passion/dreams and intelligence. And there's more: check out these links if you are interested:
http://www.refinery29.com/2017/08/167683/the-glass-castle-movie-book-differences#slide-1,
http://www.flare.com/culture/glass-castle-book-vs-movie/, and
http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/glass-castle/. So yep, there are differences, and if those differences bother you, then you won't like the film as much, but if you've never read the book, I'm still not sure how you will react. I am anxious to hear what parents would think about this movie ( because it is hard to get past some of the despicable behavior that the parents in the book display when raising their three kids...) That being said, if what I said above whets your appetite for an uncomfortable film about parenting, see it, and then let me know what you think. It's different than a lot of what comes out in Hollywood. This director wrote the script for "Short Term 12" which also starred Brie Larson, and I recommend that one, just not sure about this one. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5.
THE GLASS CASTLE 2017 PG-13 3.5 stars out of 5
Adapted from the novel of the same name, this family drama follows future writer Jeannette Walls, who spends her hardscrabble childhood on the run with her negligent artist mother and storytelling alcoholic father.
