Reaction to the Film Review

After I watched the movie, I decided to read many film reviews not only because I had to but because I wanted to see whether people has the same views and opinions on the movie as I had. Mr. Scott whose last name I am using because I have no idea what his first name is, basically summed up my entire view of the movie in about a page. “In modern day commercial fiction, and in Hollywood movies, childhood mortality is handled with sometimes cynical care” (Scott). I thought that what he was trying to say was that trying to capture the death of a child in a family is hard to do in Hollywood movies, because each director has his own view on the subject. While some might try to show the family hurt and divided by the death of the child, another can show this as a chance to change the way the family is by making them appear to become successful off of the death of a loved one, as in this movie as opposed to the book.

“The director, Nick Cassavetes, has in the past, in movies like “The Notebook” and “John Q,” attempted a kind of honest manipulation, wringing outsize waves of emotion out of more or less ordinary situations, and trying to hold on to some notion of realism in the process”(Scott). I also agreed with this point because before I watched the movie, I was hoping for some intense emotional scenes that would cause me to tear up and become very inspired and at the same time saddened by the events that occurred in the movie. As I was in the middle of watching the movie, it was not like what I expected. The sad scenes just made me frown as opposed of tear up. I noticed that although leukemia is not an “ordinary situation”, I thought that the director was probably trying to get more emotion out of these situations, which I thought were just not as emotional as I thought it would be.  

‘“My Sister’s Keeper” takes on a very tough subject — and has, in Anna and Kate, two pretty tough characters played by strong young actresses — but ultimately it is too soft, too easy, and it dissolves like a tear-soaked tissue’ (Scott). Overall I thought that this movie was a good movie, but like Mr. Scott said it was too soft and probably did not get the entire theme of sadness throughout the movie. One of the good things about this movie is that the roles were played by good actresses and actors which played their roles very well. And when it comes to the review given by Mr. Scott I agree with many of the points that he emphasized through his film review.

                

Scott, A. O. "Movie Review - My Sister's Keeper - My Kidney, My Life: Siblings in a Tough Spot - NYTimes.com." Movie Reviews, Showtimes and Trailers - Movies - New York Times - The New York Times. 26 June 2009. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. <http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/movies/26sister.html>.

Reaction to the Film : My Sister's Keeper

The film adaptation to the novel My Sister’s Keeper was very sentimental and touching. The film began with a medium shot of the main character Anna. Since the book was written in different point of views for each section, the first to narrate the story was Anna. Afterward to allow us to understand the story behind why she was born, we see extended flashback shots of memories that the family, mainly the two sisters had together. She narrates how she was an engineered baby who was brought to the world to save her sister. The music that was used during these particular scenes was sounds that gave you a very relaxing sense, allowing you or perhaps the characters in the movie to remember their memories.

When dialogue begins through the characters, we see Anna going to the local pawn shop to sell the necklace that was given to her for doing so many things for her sister. The use of a close up allows us to see the reaction of Anna when she was giving away the special necklace that was given to her. Whenever something occurs or bad news is given, the close up shot allows us to see the reaction of the character.

As Anna goes to Campbell Alexander to sue her parents for medical emancipation, we view this scene through medium shots. The use of the medium shot allows us to see the reaction as well as the actions they do when they hear the news. When the family hears the news of Kate locking her in her room they all ran up to the room and a dolly shot was used to show them running and the camera is following them. Since Kate was now in relapse again, the parents were talking to the doctors in the room about Kate so they could do something to help benefit her, a long shot is used to show Kate all the way in the room as well as frame within a frame to attract your eyes toward Kate.

Toward the end of the film Anna and her mother are together and her mom is saying sorry for everything she did to Kate, but Kate tells her mom not to be sorry of anything she did because Kate lived a good life. A long shot was given to zoom out to show Kate and her mother laying together, and that night was the night when Kate stopped breathing and died.

Differences from the Book:

In the film, there were many changes from the book. Some of the difference that I noticed was that in the book Judge DeSalvo is a man, referred to as he or him. In the movie, Judge DeSalvo is a woman. I feel as though I understand why they chose a woman to play this role because a woman would be able to understand the emotional level of this story and of the Judges daughter’s death better. A major difference from the book was toward the end of the movie, in the book Anna dies of a car crash and Kate survives using Anna’s kidney. In the movie, Kate dies and the rest of the family continues on living their life such as the mom returning to work to become a successful lawyer, the father taking an early pension and counsel’s troubled youth, and Jesse, Anna’s brother goes back to school and gets a scholarship to an Art Academy.

Final thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed reading and watching My Sister’s Keeper. I love watching movies or books that are emotional/sentimental because I am able to really be focused on the details and even get a personal reaction toward it. Between the book and the film adaptation, I would chose the movie because it has a better outcome in the end. Although Kate dying is not a better outcome, I feel as though it is worse then the surprising twist of having Anna die when she was also the one suffering the whole time. Personally, the movie is better and makes me tear up a little less than the book.

My Sister's Keeper 283-423

Summary:

After the deal was rejected, the trial begins. The first witness that is called up is Anna’s mother, Sara. Of course since she is the opposing side, Campbell’s job is to go hard on her and that was exactly what he did. He asked her many things about the procedures that Anna went through, and some of them she was told to describe how the procedure went. Most of the things that she said were facts that could have been used against her which is why she stood up for herself and said that she loves both of her daughters equally and the only reason why Kate was her main focus was because she is the sick one.

The next part of the story is a flashback of Sara’s when she remembers her daughter Kate’s first love. One day while Kate was in the hospital waiting for her treatment, she met this boy, Taylor who was on the other side of the room waiting for his treatment. Her mother remembers Kate starting a conversation with this boy, the first time she did anything of that nature. Immediately Kate became very fond of Taylor and gave him her phone number hoping he would call. When they go home she Kate tells her mother that she felt as though something bad was going to happen. Her mother was very puzzled by why her daughter would say such a thing and Kate replied to her by saying that every time something good happened in her life like Taylor something bad always happens to balance it out. Her mom thought it was a very outrageous belief but three days later after a checkup, Kate was told that she was going back into relapse. When Taylor comes back to the hospital to see Kate he asks her to come with him to the hospital dance for the sick children. She agrees, and goes dress shopping with her mother and sister. When she finds the prefect dress and hair to go with it her and Taylor go out and Kate’s family couldn’t have been much happier. A couple of days after the dance, Kate isn’t worried about the treatment that she is getting but about why Taylor hasn’t called her in the three days that passed. Her mom goes out to ask the nurse where he was and she was told that he died that morning…

The day of the hearing comes and Campbell’s last chance is for Brain, Anna’s dad/ Sara’s husband to explain to the judge that he disagrees with his wife on making Anna continue being a donor for her sister although she didn’t want to. But instead of disagreeing, he agreed with his wife and the only hope that Campbell had left was to have Anna testify although she clearly said in the beginning that she didn’t want to.

After many people testified, Anna’s guardian aid is called up to testify. The reason for her being placed with Anna was because they needed someone from the outside to provide Anna with the guidance she needed with making her decisions. For the first time ever, Julia did not have a recommendation to what was best for Anna.

When Anna decides to testify, it’s a surprise to everyone. Ever since Kate’s condition worsened, she was been more ok with the thought of dying. Her mom was the one standing in the way of letting Kate go. Kate just wanted to be free, and the reason why Anna filed for medical emancipation from her parents was because…Kate asked her to. After Anna told the court this her attorney, Campbell had a seizure. She then told Anna the truth of why he needed Judge his dog. Judge was a service dog that managed his seizures. Julia who was there for Campbell ever since they were in his school made sure that Campbell was ok, which is when she told him that he wouldn’t leave her anymore but that she would, in another fifty-sixty years.

            One of the last things they do that day with the judge is take a trip to the hospital to see Kate. After everyone is done talking to her, Sara stays last and apologizes to her daughter for everything, but Kate says it’s ok because she lived a good life.

            The next day after the closing statements are given, the judge makes his decision and says that Anna is medically emancipated from her parents and Campbell was put in charge of following that through. After the case is over, they all go and Campbell offers to give Anna a ride and she accepts. They leave and after a while her parents were about to leave too but Brain got called in for work because of a car accident that occurred. When he gets there he takes the victims out the car and notices that the guy he pulled out the car was Campbell Johnson and in the passenger seat was his young daughter, Anna. When they bring her to the emergency room, the doctor comes out and says that she is not responding to the medication given because she is brain dead and they asked the parents if an organ donation is something they would like to consider. Campbell who has the right to decide told the doctors that there was a girl upstairs (Kate) who needed one, and as for Kate she survived and thrived off of the second chance her sister gave her, and even after eight years didn’t have a relapse.

Quote:

“I take her with me, wherever I go” (Picoult 423).

Reaction:

            Anna’s death was the most surprising thing that occurred in this book. I would have never, ever pictured an outcome of this sort, which makes this book so wonderful. When Anna died, Kate was given the organs that she needed in order to survive. If Anna survived, I doubt that Kate would have been able to live. After Kate’s kidney transplant, she now is able to thank her sister every day for the second chance that she has given her. Kate is able to remember this every day of her life because of it being part of her body, and is demonstrated through the scars she has and will see for the rest of her life.