Book vs. Movie Review: Little Lord Fauntleroy

Hello, my readers!

Today is one of my favorite days: a birthday! This one is especially good because it would've been someone's 100th birthday! You know how I am, I get so excited about these things. And, I love to make you wait, so you'll have to go through my review of my most recent read before I tell you. Enjoy the suspense!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. These reviews are spoiler free!



Little Lord Fauntleroy - by Frances Hodgson Burnett:

A little boy, Cedric Errol, goes through some changes when he is moved from New York to England upon learning that he is going to be an Earl! His grandfather, the current earl, had a few disagreements with his son, and still has some with the boy's mother, but Cedric is his only heir. The seven year old begins his new life while still staying the kind person that he is. But, trouble looms on the horizon when it comes to their attention that something is wrong.
Genre: Children's Fiction.
Characters: 8, I'll talk about this more latter on. I have to get this out of the way first, these names are hilarious! They were the craziest things that you've ever heard. My favorite was Molyneux!
Words: 8, no bad words! I have this rating because I was getting tired of the words "dryly" and "queer" which are used a lot. The latter, though, was slightly intentional:

'"It makes me feel very queer," he said; "it makes me feel---queer."

The Earl looked at the boy in silence. It made him feel queer, too---queerer than he had ever felt in his whole life."'

Quotability: 7, there aren't any lines that I can see myself quoting over and over again, but this line was so funny because I relate to it a lot.

'"Spelling is a curious thing," he said. "It's so often different from what you expect it to be. I used to think "please' was spelled p-l-e-e-s, but it isn't, you know; and you'd think 'dear' was spelled d-e-r-e, if you didn't inquire. Sometimes it almost discourages you."'

Notes: There was also this one line, though very innocently said, cracked me up because it was so funny! Oh, Cedric! You little seven year old, you!

"I never knew any little girls, but I always like to look at them."

Content: 8, there is a tiny mention of married couples not living together, and usually that greatly concerns me, but in here I was fine with the circumstances.
Originality: 9, this is a cute little story! I can think of a few like it, but I believe that this was the first, so it gets the credit!
Good For: All kids! This teaches great lessons of being kind that would be suitable for all.

"You know you always remember people who are kind to you."
Age Range: All ages! This is one of the few books that I can think would be great for young and old alike.
Overall Score: 8!
Worth reading?: Oh, very! All the scenes make me so happy.
Will I read again?: I don't know if I'd want to read this again for my own benefit, but I now want to read it TO someone, and I hate reading out loud if that tells you anything.




VS.



Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936):

Based on: the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
In 1880's New York a little boy gets the surprise of his life when he learns that he is to be an earl! He has to move to England and will miss his friends, but he is excited to meet his grandfather, though he is confused that his mother and the Earl won't meet. Things are going very well and he is happy, but is there an even bigger surprise around the corner?

Genres: Drama, Family.
Length: approx. 90 minutes.
Costumes: 9, nothing extravagant, but nothing indecent.
Script: 10, no bad words! (Unless you count "holy mackerel!", which was used only once)

A funny part about a bike: "It has all the latest improvements!"
Crew: Directed by: John Cromwell. Written by: Hugh Walpole & Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Starring:

Freddie Bartholomew as Cedric Errol, Lord Fauntleroy.

C. Aubrey Smith as the Earl of Dorincourt.

Dolores Costello Barrymore as "Dearest" Errol.

Mickey Rooney as Dick Tipton.

Henry Stephenson as Mr Havisham.

Guy Kibbee as Silas Hobbs.

Una O'Connor as Mary.

Helen Flint as Minna.

Jackie Searl as Tom.

Eric Alden as Ben Tipton.

Constance Collier as Lady Constantia Lorridaile.

Walter Kingsford as Joshua Snade.

E. E. Clive as Sir Harry Lorridaile.

Ivan F. Simpson as Reverend Mordaunt.

Virginia Field as Miss Herbert.

Lionel Belmore as Mr. Higgins.

Reginald Barlow as Mr. Newick.

Jessie Ralph as the Applewoman from Brooklyn

Cinematography: 8, there was one part that stood out to me, when someone was turning a page that turned into a new scene, but that's it. Just your standard black and white. Oh, but the horses caught both my dad's and my eye! Those where some "high steppers"! Very impressive. Extra point just for that.
Cinematography by: Charles Rosher.

Music: 7, the music didn't stand out to me. Sometimes it was peppy, other times more subdued. But, at one point the music for Auld Lang Syne was worked in and I thought it was well done.
Music by: Max Steiner.
Notes:

At one point Cedric is playing Robin Hood and Una O'Connor is in the background. This was an interesting thing because Una O'Connor was in the movie made two years later The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)!

I also didn't notice until watching the movie the coincidence of Errol and Earl being so close...
Quotability: 7, there were funny lines, for sure, but not many that I would consider quoting often. This, though, was hilarious!

"I find that muffins are biscuits and biscuits are cookies!"

Content: 8, same as the book. In addition to that some kids get into a fight, but no one is hurt.

"I've promised him that if there was another war I would try to stop it." 

(This is out of context because of reasons, but I like it all the same).

Originality: 9, based on the book, so same as the book! There were a few differences, but they didn't change much. Basically just:

Cedric's age. In this he is nine instead of seven.

And another small part with his character that I mention later on.

Good For: Fans of black and white movies.

Age Range: I can't recommend this one as much as the book just because it bored me when I was little. The script isn't that interesting and you can easily lose track of what is happening. I think I might have left a little over half way the first time because I had other things to do. BUT, a little older viewers might have a longer attention span. This isn't because of content, just personal feelings.
Overall Score: 7!
Worth watching?: Yeah, probably because of the horses, to be honest.
Will I watch again?: Um, I don't know. I'd already seen it before, and it was fun to see again, but I don't feel the urge to revisit it anytime soon. But, I am interested in looking into other versions!

Well, I've kept you waiting long enough. I'm reviewing this because today, September 23rd, would have been Mickey Rooney's 100th birthday!

My favorite role of his is Mi Taylor in National Velvet (1944) which was the first movie I saw him in. But, Little Lord Fauntleroy was the second movie of his that I saw! In fact, I always think of him as either "National Velvet guy" or "Little Lord Fauntleroy guy".  Rewatching it I couldn't believe how young he was! Wow!


Some of my thoughts on both the book and the movie dealing with the characters and storyline:

At first I was a trifle irritated with the book. Oh what a perfect little boy! He's the most adorable little boy in the world! He's such a handsome chap, handsomer than any! He is so sweet and kind! I was thinking, "Come on. No little boy is "perfect" like that!" I know quite a few because I babysit them and they are all precious darlings whom I love, but they all can be quite mischievous. So I thought that it was unrealistic. As a writer, I'm always cautioned against making my characters too flawless. It can be hard and I've received feedback that my characters were not relatable because of it. Therefore I start to think, "Why could Frances Hodgson Burnett get away with it?" I'm not saying that characters should be badly behaved--mercy no!--just that having a fault or two makes them all the greater when they learn and overcome!

Here the movie did make a slight difference. It showed Cedric getting into a fight, though not completely of his own accord. I can't say that I didn't like it. It was brief, but made Cedric seem a little more human.

After that I began thinking of two characters from the book Anne of Avonlea - by L. M. Montgomery: Davy and Dora. Everyone loves Davy in spite of the fact that he is the biggest troublemaker ever---or is it because of it that they love him? I love Davy, too, as I said earlier, I know several of my own "Davys". He was my favorite part of the book when I read it the first time.

Upon rereading I realized something: Dora. Dora doesn't get nearly enough attention. She is a perfect angel and is good and lovely, why don't we appreciate her? I understand that at that time L. M. Montgomery was probably making a statement with the way the twins (oh, did I mention that they were twins?) are treated. I'm sure that readers expected the good people to be loved and the naughty ones to be punished and not loved as much and Ms. Montgomery was saying how that shouldn't always be like that. I appreciate that, I really do, but I also want to see more Dora.

CLICK. Things start to come together in my mind. If there is a child who has been raised with so much love, one who sees the good in everyone, should we not look up to this person? I understand isn't always possible and it shouldn't be (otherwise books and movies would become boring really quickly), but it's good to have a character like this every once in awhile. Especially for little kids to look up to! After that I realized what a good story this is for little kids.

But, something still bothered me. The statement that was obvious to me was: "You can only be good if you are beautiful". Huh, you won't get far with me. When the Earl was thinking to himself of how he wouldn't like him so much if he wasn't so good looking I was rolling my eyes. I couldn't believe it! It's Cedric's good nature and kindness that are what make him so lovable!

There was then a little boy mentioned who had a scar on his face but was still pleasant.

CLICK. There it goes again. "Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way..." I pondered. Maybe it's that people are beautiful BECAUSE they are kind, not vice versa. Think about it, in the story of Cinderella we hear of her two "ugly stepsisters" who are like that because they are cruel. Maybe goodness shines through? Now we don't have scientific proof of that, but it makes sense.

Maybe the moral of the story is to look for the best in people. Not that you should be blind, but that seeing the potential in someone helps them to see it, too.

Now that, is a meaning that I write about and can get fully behind.



As this is a comparison, which is the winner? I don't know. I'm going to have to say the book because they movie bored me when I was little while when I read the book it was a cute and refreshing break from my other reading. They are both enjoyable in their own rights, but I would recommend (like always) reading the book first, then deciding for yourself!


Hey, near the end there I got into a little rant that I did not see coming. But, in my defense it's something that I've very passionate about and love getting a chance to think about it.

Alright friends, that's enough from me! Thank you so much for reading! Please tell me some of your favorite story examples dealing with this! Oh, and what is your favorite Mickey Rooney movie? Happy birthday to MR!

MovieCritic

Book vs. Movie Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Hello, everyone!

A while back I did a mini review of the book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It was only a mini review then because I was hoping to watch the movie and compare the two sometime. Well, I had that chance a few months ago and here we are! Enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows:

"I think you learn more if you're laughing at the same time."
Now that the war is over, there are no more worries. When writer Juliet Ashton receives a book that used to belong to her and a letter from a man on Guernsey island, her curiosity is aroused. She learns that the man, Dawsey Adams, is part of a literary society that was started during the occupation of Guernsey during World War II. She writes letters with other members of the book club, trying to know everything that she can. Without realizing it she finds herself living their lives, as they recall the occupation. She wants to be part of Guernsey, too, but with pulls in London, will she ever know where she belongs?
"Didn't matter then who started in it the first place. Not to me, anyway."
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, epistolary novel.
Characters: 7. My only complaint is that two characters are mentioned as being homosexual. I don't think that anyone who identifies with that is a bad person, definitely not, but I just don't support their way of living. In this book I was really frustrated with it because it seemed like such a convenient thing. Instead of developing and making other plot points stronger, they went for the easy way out. It isn't a big deal, they are just side characters, and after mentioning it once it never does again.
My favorites:
Juliet: I love her passion for living and her curiosity to always know more.
Isola: She is such a sweetheart!
Amelia: She went through a lot, but is still strong and helps so many people.
Dawsey: I'll admit, I didn't like him at first, but he is quiet and patient and lovable!
Kit & Eli: They are adorable!! I love Eben, too.
"Our faces are always a dead giveaway. A lifted brow or curled lip reveals that it's a poor excuse for a book, and the clever customers ask for a recommendation instead, whereupon we frog-march them over to a particular volume and command them to read it."
Words: 6, there is some swearing and name calling. But, can we talk about how cool it is that it is an epistolary novel? It is completely written in letters! Sometimes that can be a little hard to read, but all the effort into writing it makes up for it. And personally, I had a hard time putting this one down.
"When I got up this morning, the sea was full of sun pennies--and now it all seems to be covered in lemon scrim."
Quotes: 9, there are so many great quotes about literature and reading!
"That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive--all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment."
Content: 6, there are mentions of drinking, crude humor about bathrooms, descriptions of violence, death, and a suggestive thing involving a character that happened. On the notes that I took I wrote down, "Some of the discussion not pleasing" but I don't recall what that was.
"Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books."
Originality: 10! This was a very educational book for me because I had no idea about the occupation of Guernsey, and I would never have thought of writing a book about it! The story is so good. I didn't like it at first, but after thinking about it for two years, I have decided that I do!
"At the start, we tried to be calm and objective, but that soon fell away, and the purpose of the speakers was to goad the listeners into wanting to read the book themselves."
Good For: fans of historical fiction, for people who are looking for a different perspective, anyone who has lost people who mean a lot to them.
Age Range: I would say anyone over 13, because otherwise the story wouldn't be interesting to them. To most people older than that I would day it is very fascinating!
Overall Score: 7.5!
"You write charming little notes."


VS.


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018):

Based on: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
"Yes, yes, we are book lovers."
After the writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a man who is returning a book that used to belong to her, she becomes fascinated with his literary society that he tells her about. He lives on the island of Guernsey, and was there during the occupation, when they formed the society. Juliet visits the island and never wants to leave. She decides to write a book about it, but there is some kind of secret involving one of the founders. Where is Elizabeth McKenna and what was her part in the occupation?
"But I don't need to tell you this, you already know what books can do. That is something we share, different as our lives may be."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Period Drama, Romance.
Length: approx. 124 minutes.
Costumes: 9, they did a great job with setting them all for the time period!

Script: 8, we hear God's name in vain a few times, but that's it.
"I'm older than time and I understand nothing."
Crew:
Directed by: Mike Newell.
Written by: Kevin Hood, Don Roos, Tom Bezucha, Mary Ann Shaffer, and Annie Barrows.
Starring:
Lily James as Juliet Ashton.

Michiel Huisman as Dawsey Adams.

Penelope Wilton as Amelia Maugery.

Jessica Brown Findlay as Elizabeth McKenna.

Katherine Parkinson as Isola Pribby.
Glen Powell as Mark Reynolds.
Matthew Goode as Sidney Stark.
Tom Courtenay as Eben Ramsey.
Kit Connor as Eli Ramsey.
Florence Keen as Kit McKenna.
Nicolo Pasetti as Christian Hellmann.
Bronagh Gallagher as Charlotte Stimple.
Cinematography: 10! Ah, Guernsey is so gorgeous!!!

Cinematography by: Zac Nicholson.
Music: 7, um, I was so wrapped up in the story that I didn't notice it? I remember that it was good, but I couldn't tell you what it was.
Music by: Alexandra Harwood.
Notes: There are a lot of differences from the book, like scenes got cut, fewer characters, and a few things tweaked to fit in, but I loved all of the changes that they made! It was so good. Bravo!

Quotes: 8, "I don't care for everyone to see me cry. I will later."
Content: 7, there is drinking, violence, death, images of blood, gross things, smoking, mild kissing, and then the suggestive thing that I talked about as well as several other suggestive comments. I knew that the writers couldn't take out the homosexual mention, but it was only one person, and very, very, very, brief. It wasn't a big deal, and I appreciated that.
Originality: 10! Once again, this is such a creative idea! Both inspiring and informational.
Good For: anyone who is a fan of the actors, people who have been through hard times, anyone interested in history.
Age Range: This is pretty open to any age. Once again, kids under 13 might find it boring, but it totally depends on the individual.
Overall Score: 8.5!

Bonus thoughts:
Alright, so I thought that the book was okay, but I loved this movie! So good! When I heard that they were making a movie I thought, "How can you make a movie of a story told in letters?" The answer: they didn't use the letter format and it worked out anyway. I was so excited to hear that Lily James, Penelope Wilton, and Jessica Brown Findlay were all in it (I told my sister, "Downton Abbey reunion"!)! They all did amazing jobs! The story really gripped me even though I already knew it, the scenes were gorgeous, Kit and Eli were so adorable, Dawsey was precious, and just everything about it was so good. It even gave me a better appreciation for the book. If you have read it, then I definitely suggest that you watch this, too!!
Sadly, I couldn't find photos of my favorites, so you'll have to watch yourself to see what they look like!


The movie wins!


If you have seen or read this, I would love to know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Book vs. Movie Review: Babe

Hello, everyone!

This year is 2019 in our calender, but it is also the year of the pig in the Chinese and Japanese years. Because of this I am going to review a book and a movie about a pig! One of the sweetest pigs of all time, I might add.

I hope that you enjoy!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

Babe the Gallant Pig - by Dick King-Smith:

Source

Also known as: The Sheep-Pig.
'For some time now they had shown an instinctive interest in anything that moved, driving it away or bringing it back, turning it to the left or right, in fact herding it.'
A farmer wins a pig by guessing his weight. Babe, the pig, bonds with a collie who is a sheepdog, and the two become like mother and son. Soon Babe begins to learn how to herd ducks and chickens, and wants to do the same with sheep, but the farmer's wife is still thinking about how tasty pigs are. If he can't get the sheep to move in the usual dog techniques, what is he going to do?
Genre: Middle grade fiction.
Characters: 7, it's a short book so there isn't a lot of development, but all the characters are really sweet.
My favorites:
Babe: This little pig! He is so sweet and kind and adorable!
Farmer Hogget: He is a kindred spirit to me. 'I'm daft, he thought, grinning to himself.'
Words: 7, the b-word of a female dog is used five times, but never in an insulting way, just talking about Fly. It was cool that each chapter heading was a quote in that chapter.
'On the opposite side of the valley the trees and houses and haystacks stood out clearly against the background in that three-dimensional way that means rain later.'
Quotes: 6, not extremely quotable on a day to day basis, but there are some sweet lines.
"You've got to be a brave boy."
Awards: 1984 Guardian Children's Fiction Award.
Content: 9, there is death and descriptions of blood, but it is very short and not too gory.
Originality: 9, this is such a cute idea of having a pig try to be a sheep dog! I know that I would never have thought of it.
Good For: kids, animal lovers.
Age Range: This is a perfect book for little kids! It is very short (I read it in one sitting), but sweet and I know that I would have loved it when I was little. Even reading it now I appreciated the sweet message.
Overall Score: 7.5!
Bonus thoughts:

'"I suppose you'd say," she remarked now, "that those dogs just weren't polite enough?'"

This is such a sweet book that reminds us that when we get into a habit we can just do it and not think about how we are treating others. It shows us through the innocence of Babe, how to be polite and kind to everyone. I love it!

VS.


Babe (1995):

Based on: Babe, the Gallant Pig - by Dick King-Smith.
"This is a tale of an unprejudiced heart that changed the whole valley."
A pig is won by a farmer and goes to live on a sheep farm. He makes friends with all of the animals there and the farmer, Mr. Hoggett, finds himself growing fond of him. After watching the sheep dogs do their work he decides that he wants to try, but their rough method doesn't work. He thinks the best of each animal but one dog, Rex, thinks that he is trying to take his place. Mr. Hoggett comes up with a crazy idea. Can Babe be a great pig, or will he end up as dinner?

Genre: Comedy, Family.
Length: approx. 91 minutes.
Costumes: 7, just regular clothing.
Script: 10, no bad words! "He should accept what he is and be grateful for it. That goes for all of us."
Crew:
Directed by: Chris Noonan.
Written by: George Miller, Chris Noonan, & Dick King-Smith.
Starring:
Christine Cavanaugh as the voice of Babe.

James Cromwell as Arthur Hoggett.

Magda Szubanski as Esme Cordelia Hoggett.
Miriam Margolyes as the voice of Fly.

Hugo Weaving as the voice of Rex.

Danny Mann as the voice of Ferdinand.
Miriam Flynn as the voice of Maa.
Roscoe Lee Browne as the Narrator.
Russi Taylor as the voice of Duchess.

Brittany Byrnes as The Hoggetts' granddaughter.

Wade Hayward as The Hoggetts' grandson.

Paul Goddard as the Hoggetts' son-in-law.

Zoe Burton as the Hoggetts' daughter.

Cinematography: 10!!! Warning, rant ahead. This is a movie where we have animals that talk with each other, and therefore their mouths have to move. We also have them doing strange things. In today's world what would the animals be? CGI. Did they do that for this movie? No! There is mixture of real animals and animatronics. You heard that, robots! Watching this you would never guess! As I say later, it won Best Visual Effects! So, so, so, awesome. I love it!!!

Cinematography by: Andrew Lesnie.
Music: 9, the score is so good and the one song in here is so sweet! I feel like singing it as I write, "If I had words to make a day for you..."
Music by: Nigel Westlake.
Notes: Because the book is very short, they had to add in more parts and they did such a great job! I really like Rex and his whole story, and Ferdinand is a hoot! That duck gets into so much trouble. In my opinion they took an already sweet story, and made it even sweeter and deeper in meaning! Bravo! I also love the development they did on Mr. Hoggett. When I was younger I thought that he was grumpy, but watching it now I see that he is just introverted and a kindred spirit! Another cool thing was dividing it into "chapters" and having the three funny mice announce each one!
Quotes: 8, "That'll do pig, that'll do."
Oscars won: 1: Best Visual Effects, but it was nominated for 7, including Best Picture!

Content: 9, there is death, and we see a little bit of blood and animal fights, but there are not a lot and they are short. We also mention dogs as breeding animals, and same with chickens and roosters.
Originality: 9, same as the book! As I said above, I love the additions.
Good For: Everyone!
Age Range: All ages! It is rated G, so any kid can watch this, but all adults would learn some things about being kind.
Overall Score: 9!
Bonus thoughts:

"The pig promised himself that he would never think badly of another creature again."
Where do I start? When I was little I thought that this film was a little boring, but boy, was I wrong! Babe gets into so many adventures, and he is the sweetest pig ever! The way that he shows kindness to everyone, even those who have hurt him, is inspiring. You just want to be like him! The time that he is just singing because he is so happy melts my heart. This movie is amazing, and you should all watch it when you have the chance.


The movie wins!


Well, there it is! I hope you all enjoyed my reviews of this sweet story. Have you read or seen this? What do you think of it?

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

Book vs. Movie Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

Hello, everyone!

Today is a very big day. It is the day that I am doing a review with my older sister, Em.

"Why?" you might ask. I have wanted to review the Pulitzer prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird - by Harper Lee ever since I read it in December of 2016. 2016 was a while ago, and since Em just read it this year she will be helping me out with details that I don't remember.

"Why haven't you done it sooner?" you ask. I love to compare books to movies on this blog and I wasn't able to watch the movie until last year when I was in a blogging rut so that didn't happen. That is why today is a very big day! My comments will be in black like usual, and Em's will be in maroon. Say hello, Em!

Hello?

Perfect! If you want to check out something that Em and I did in the past, click here. Let's get started!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.


To Kill a Mockingbird - by Harper Lee:

“Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” 
This book starts in the summer of 1932, in the life of Scout Finch, a girl in a small southern town with a love for reading, even though she hasn't been to school yet. She and her big brother Jem have a lot to learn as big changes take place as they grow older, and especially when their father, Atticus (a lawyer), takes on a case defending Tom Robinson, a local worker. Will the people of their small town be able to overcome their prejudices and see what's right?
“You just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't you let 'em get your goat. Try fightin' with your head for a change."
Genre: Fiction.
Characters: 10! There is so much depth to each and every one of them!
Our favorites: 
Atticus Finch: He is like, the best character of all time. "Stand up, Scout, your father's passing."
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch: Her innocence is so sweet, and she is just amazing. That's all I can say.
Jem Finch: He gets into a lot of trouble, but he is such a good big brother to Scout.
Calpurnia: She's a good anchor throughout the book for the Finches.
Miss Maudie Atkinson: She is the best! She is solid and open minded. Also provides comic relief.
Words: 8, there is some mild swearing. Points for writing in dialect. As I point out later, there is some name calling in a bad word, but it's shown as bad and a character is told not to say that. It's what was said around that time. It's somewhat necessary for the setting.
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” 
Quotes: 8, there are some really, really, really amazing lines in here, but we decided to rate it 8 because when I talk about quotes I mean things that you can just say on a regular basis, out of context. All of the quotes we have here are the really famous ones, but they're famous for a reason!
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
Awards: Won the Pulitzer prize in 1961. It also was voted the 2018 PBS "The Great American Read".
Content: 9, there is attempted murder, death, racism, drinking, mention of abuse, violence, and in the trial that we mentioned Atticus defends a man against accusations of rape.
Because of this you are wondering, "Why are you rating it 9, then?" Because all the things that I mentioned are shown as wrong. That's right, it is all shown that these are bad things that shouldn't happen. It is rare when you come across a book that shows them in a bad light. I have mentioned them for anyone who might be extremely disturbed by any of it.
“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”
Originality: 10, It's really pretty original, but it's also realistic.
Good For: Everyone needs to read this!!
Age Range: Story time. My mom has never been one for "banning books". She always let my sisters and me read whatever books we wanted to. When I was eight we were in the library and I came up to her holding this book. I said, "I want to read this!"
She looked at me and said, "I definitely think that you should read that. It's an amazing book, but you should wait until you're older." That was the only she said that to me and I was offended. I thought, "Shouldn't people be able to read any books that they want?" when I finally did read it I didn't really understand it because I kept thinking, "Why couldn't I have read this earlier?"
But, do you know what? I wouldn't have appreciated it at all. This book goes through some heavy subjects, and I would've been bored because I wouldn't have understood what was going on. In fact, I want to reread it because I think that I'll be able to understand a lot more. Because of that, I would say that the age range is anyone 15 and up.
Overall Score: 9!
Bonus thoughts:
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
This book has everything, it makes you laugh, cry, inspires you, and gives you something to think about. The details in it are amazing and how everything is woven in. It deals with my favorite subjects, having perspective and learning not to judge. Go read it right now if you haven't already.
This is a classic for a reason. Classics tend to pose the big questions, question the big questions, and put us on a path towards the answers. "What is the difference between right and wrong?" is something we often ask ourselves, and there are so many different ways to answer that. This book takes a good, long look at the human condition on an individual, and an overall level, and tells us that to understand it we have to look not only at ourselves and those we know, but look through other people's points of view, in circumstances we don't even know exist. What you don't know about someone can be the best thing you ever learn.


VS.


To Kill a Mockingbird (1962):

Based on: To Kill a Mockingbird -by Harper Lee.
Scout and Jem think that their father is boring. When he is assigned to defend a man in a trial a lot of people in the town turn against him. The siblings learn about life and how to treat people as they go through school and witness the trials. They start to find that maybe their father is a man worth admiring. Will the rest of the town follow suit and do what is right?
"There are some men in this world who are born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them."

Genre: Drama.
Length: approx. 129 minutes.
Costumes: 8. Nothing bad, nothing spectacular. Just accurate.
Script: 9, there is no swearing, but like we said above there is name calling using a certain bad word, but it's shown as something that you shouldn't use.
"There's a lot of ugly things in this world, son, and I wish that I could keep 'em all away from you."
Crew:
Directed by: Robert Mulligan.
Written by: Horton Foote & Harper Lee.
Starring:
Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.

Mary Badham as Scout.

Phillip Alford as Jem.

John Megna as Charles Baker "Dill" Harris.
Brock Peters as Tom Robinson.

Frank Overton as Sheriff Heck Tate.
Rosemary Murphy as Miss Maudie Atkinson.
James Anderson as Bob Ewell.

Estelle Evans as Calpurnia.
Paul Fix as Judge Taylor.
Collin Wilcox as Mayella Ewell.
Robert Duvall as Arthur Radley.
Crahan Denton as Walter Cunningham.
Ruth White as Mrs. Dubose.
Kim Stanley as the narrator.
Kim Hamilton as Helen Robinson.
William Walker as Reverend Sykes.
Cinematography: 10, I love black and white movies! It was really interesting. The opening credits shot had an amazing feel, and shadows throughout were done really well in the suspenseful moments.
Cinematography by: Russell Harlan.

Music: 8, I thought it was good, I mean, sometimes it was a little over the top in moments where I would've liked quiet, but overall it matched the mood very well.
Music by: Elmer Bernstein.
Notes:
My favorite part, now we compare! As I said above, this is spoiler free, but I am just going to point out some of the differences between the book.
1. In the book we see everything from Scout's point of view, and we do for the majority here, but in this we also see from Jem's eyes which I thought was a cool addition.
2. Many of the everyday aspects were cut from the movie for timing reasons as well as several special events and characters that I thought were important in the book.
3. Some of those are that in the book we go deeper into the characters of Miss Maudie Atkinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Calpurnia.
Anything else? Just little details that would be spoilers, so nope.

Quotes: 7, Less quotable than the book because there are fewer quotes! Some of the really great quotes from the book were cut because some of the elements were cut. As mentioned before. There still are some really great ones, but also as we said before not really ones that you can use on a day to day basis. More inspiring than anything else.
"'Do you know what a compromise is?'
'Breaking the law?'"
Oscars won: 3: Best Actor (Gregory Peck), Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, & Best Art Direction, Black-and-White.
Content: 9, We've talked about this before, same deal as in the book. I don't want us to repeat ourselves too many times, so let me sum up. There is racism, attempted murder, death, and there is lawsuit that deals with a man accused of rape. With that comes descriptions of violence.

Originality: 10, same as the book.
Good For: People who are fans of black and white movies, everyone anywhere.
Age Range: Same as book (read the book review first and don't just skip to this one). 15 and up to be able to understand the depth of it.
"You never really understand a person unless you see from their point of view."
Overall Score: 8!

Bonus thoughts:
Oh man, this movie. Gregory Peck deserved his Oscar 100%. As much as I love the book, I feel like watching the movie helped me understand the whole idea better, I think that this is mostly because I was so young when I read the book and it was just last year that I saw this. The book is still my favorite, but this is the perfect film to accompany it. Even though some of the actors don't look exactly like I imagined them, they did brilliant jobs! If you have read the book and haven't seen this, go! And if you haven't read the book, then do that then see this!
The movie version of any book usually follows the same basic storyline, but loses the depth and meaning, replacing it with drama. This is a complete exception to that. It cuts much of the storyline from the book, focusing on one main element, but the meaning is amplified by the amazing performances of the actors and the cinematography. The book still has more depth, but the general feeling was captured very well in the movie. I agree, read the book, then watch this.


Em and I had a terrific time watching and reviewing this. Have you seen this? Do you agree with our thoughts? Well, thank you so much for reading!

MovieCritic

Book vs. Movie Review: The Wizard of Oz

Hello!

Can any of you think of a more famous movie than, The Wizard of Oz (1939)? I do not know a single person who hasn't seen this movie! A lot of people don't know it, but there actually is a book! In fact, there is a whole 14 book series! The movie is one of the first that I remember watching, and the book was the first novel that I read, so both are super nostalgic for me. When my sisters and I were little, we got a costume set, so we loved to act out The Wizard of Oz. My older sister was Dorothy, I was Glinda, and my little sister was The Wicked Witch of the West--and this is based off of hair colors, just to let you all know. My most popular post on this blog is when I imagined a remake of this in 1942 starring Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Donald O'Connor. Anyway, let's get to the reviews!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - by L. Frank Baum:

Everything is normal in Kansas until one day Dorothy is whisked off into the land of Oz in a tornado. Dorothy just wants to get back home, so she decides to go to the Emerald City to see the great Wizard Oz. Along the way she meets a lot of friends who join her journey, and help her get there. She has such adventures and experiences, but will she ever get back to Aunt Em and Uncle Henry?

Genre: Fantasy.

Characters: 10! Some of the most famous characters ever!

My favorites: I can't pick favorites, I love them all. Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion.

Words: 10, 'A little way off was a small brook, rushing and sparkling along between green banks, and murmuring in a voice very grateful to a little girl who had lived so long on the dry, grey prairies.'

Quotes: 9, "I see we are going to live a little while longer, and I am glad of it, for it must be a very uncomfortable thing not to be alive."

Storyline: 7, there is death, and mention of being chopped apart.

Good For: Any child, any fan of the movie, and anybody!

Age Range: I first read this when I was 7-8, and I still love it now, so I would say anyone could enjoy it!

Overall Score: 9!

Bonus thoughts:

Sigh. This book is so nostalgic for me, but I already said that. I think that a lot of people would be surprised about what is in here, but more on that down below.

VS.

The Wizard of Oz (1939):

Based on: The Wizard of Oz - by L. Frank Baum.

When Dorothy's best friend and dog, Toto, has been attempted to be taken away, she decides to run away. She meets a fortune teller who predicts that her Auntie Em is worried about her, so she tries to go home, only she doesn't expect how long that will take. Her house is carried off in a tornado, with her in it, and stops in the land of Oz. Glinda, the good witch, tells Dorothy to go to Oz, the great wizard to help her. Along with ruby slippers, Toto, a Scarecrow, a Tin woodman, and a Cowardly Lion, they reach the Emerald City, only to find that Oz will only help them if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants Dorothy's shoes. After they get separated, Dorothy wonders, "Will I ever see Auntie Em again?"

Genre: Musical, Fantasy.

Length: approx. 102 minutes.

Costumes: 10! Just imagine, nowadays the Cowardly Lion (and the Tin woodman probably) would be CGI. But, in 1939 they used real costumes, and make-up and I love it!! They did such a good job. I would only say that the Munchkins need to wear more blue (because it is the best color ever).

My favorite: Glinda's dress is amazing!

Script: 10! 

Crew:

Directed by: Victor Fleming.

Written by: Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, & Edgar Allan Woolf.

Starring:

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale.

Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, and Hunk.

Jack Haley as The Tin Woodman, and Hickory.

Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, and Zeke.

Billie Burke as Glinda.

Frank Morgan as Oz, and the fortune teller.

Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West, and Miss Gulch.

Clara Blandick as Auntie Em.

Charley Grapewin as Uncle Henry.

Terry as Toto.

Cinematography: 10!! Can we talk about the genius of having Kansas be in Black and White, and Oz be in Color? It is so gorgeous!!

Cinematography by: Harold Rosson, and Arnold Gillespie.

Music: 10, all of these songs are so amazing!! The musical numbers are so detailed!

Music by: Herbert Stothart.
Notes: The "oil" from the oil can, was chocolate syrup!

Quotes: 10! "Toto, I've got a feeling we aren't in Kansas anymore..."

Oscars won: 2: Best Original Song ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow"), and Best Original Score.

Storyline: 10, there is death, and killing, but it is shown as wrong.
"There's no place like home."

Good For: Every person everywhere!

Age Range: All ages!

Overall Score: 10!

Bonus thoughts:
This movie is so great. I love it! I am getting so happy just thinking about it!!


So, it turns out that 80 years ago today, August 25th, 1939, the movie opened! In celebration of this, Rebecca, who blogs at Taking Up Room is hosting a Wizard of Oz Blogathon!

For this I am comparing in detail the book vs. the movie!
Because of how detailed this is going to be a SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen the movie and read the book.
1. The biggest difference are the famous slippers. Everyone has heard of the "ruby red slippers", but in the book they are the silver slippers. The reason is that with the Technicolor, they wanted the shoes to pop against the yellow brick road, and silver wasn't doing it. Just thought that I'd put that out there first.

2. In the movie it suggests having been in Oz all being a dream because we see each of the main actors as someone in Dorothy's life. This was a really interesting idea because in the book there are only a few pages in Kansas.

3. In the movie having Glinda be part of it all along instead of just at the end. In the book, the Good Witch of the North greets Dorothy when she lands in Oz, and tells her to go to Oz. When Oz can't help Dorothy, she and her friends set off to the South, where the Quadlings live, to find Glinda. In the movie, Glinda appears in a bubble at the end, which is inspiration from book five, The Road to Oz. They have a lot of adventures trying to get to Glinda, one of them being finding a town of porcelain dolls, which they included in the movie Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).
4. While they are on their way to visit Glinda in the book, trees try to stop them and grab them with their branches. In the movie, before they find the Tin woodman, Dorothy makes the mistake for picking an apple, and the tree gets angry and throws apples at her.
5. In the book the Wicked Witch of the West is described very differently than we all imagine her. She also isn't trying to get the slippers all along, only when she kidnaps Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion.

6. They take away the back stories of the Scarecrow, the Tin woodman, and the flying monkeys in the movie (which I thought was boring when I was little anyway). In the book the flying monkeys aren't evil, they just have to do what ever the owner of the golden cap tells them too, and like a genie they have three tasks. This helps Dorothy and her friends out later. Though they didn't put this in the movie, you can see the witch is holding onto a golden cap when she is ordering the monkeys to do her bidding.
7. In the book, while in the forest they are scared of lions and Kalidahs, which are creatures with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger. They knew this was going to be too hard to explain in the movie, so they came up with the phrase, "Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!" to say what they are scared of.
8. I was surprised to read this time around that in describing the Emerald City it says, 'There seemed to be no horses nor animals of any kind,' which is interesting considering that in the movie a big musical number in the Emerald City is about a "horse of a different color". Speaking of the Emerald City, in the book it isn't actually all green! Everyone just thinks that it is because they were green glasses.
9. In the book it takes four days for our heroes to see Oz, because they go in one, by one, and Oz looks different each time. To Dorothy: he was a huge head, to the Scarecrow: a lovely lady, to the Tin woodman: a terrible beast, and to the Cowardly Lion: a ball of fire. In the movie they have them go in together (which is one of my favorite scenes because I love how they would be too scared alone, but are braver with their friends), and Oz is a combination of a huge head and a ball of fire.

10. I love how in the movie how Oz gives them what they want. He gives the Scarecrow a diploma, the Tin woodman a heart shaped clock, and the Cowardly Lion a badge of honor. In the book he opens the Scarecrow up and pours "brains" (oats) into him, sews a satin heart and puts it in the Tin woodman, and has the Cowardly Lion drink "courage" (no one knows what it actually was). Oz just gives them confidence in who they are.
11. The poppy field is very different in the book. Since Glinda isn't helping them all along, she can't make it snow. Instead, the Scarecrow and the Tin woodman carry Dorothy and Toto out, but they can't lift the Lion. The Tin woodman saves the queen of the field mice from a wildcat, so she calls all mice and after the Tin woodman builds a cart, using string the mice pull the Cowardly Lion out.
12. In the book when the Wicked Witch captures Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion, the Winged Monkeys take apart the Scarecrow, and beat the Tin woodman up so neither of them can move. In the movie, the Witch only takes Dorothy, so the other three come up with a plan to get into the castle of the witch.

When I was little I was shocked at how different they were and how many things were changed in the movie, but when I reread it for this I was thinking about that they made great decisions, actually! They wanted to add musical numbers, and not have too much, so they have a really good balance.


Thank you to Rebecca of Taking Up Room for hosting this! And thanks to all of you for reading this! Do you love The Wizard of Oz as much as I do?

MovieCritic