Monday, November 24, 2008

A Librarian’s Take on Twilight the Movie

Librarians saw Twilight’s movie/money-making potential long before Hollywood put out a casting call. That’s because we’re the ones who field all the requests for Meyer’s books and we know without even checking the shelf that those same books are not even on the shelf for the come-lately patrons who haven’t gotten on the band wagon. We know the hysteria Twilight causes; hell we’re part of the hysterics.

Hollywood could’ve made improvements to Meyer’s Twilight if they just had the foresight. I really thought the screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg, could have rewritten some of Meyer’s cheesier dialogue (ie. The whole lion and lamb line makes me want to put my finger down my throat and activate my gag reflex.) And Robert Pattinson, who, despite what I am about to write, was a great casting choice for Edward, is uncomfortably stiff, barely swinging his arms when he walks and delivering some lines with such melodrama that I couldn’t help but think, “teens today, everything is life or death with them.” I knew Edward wasn’t going to kill Bella and I just wanted him to relax. Probably the most enjoyable re-write was Charlie, played by Billy Burke, who Rosenberg instilled a sense of humor that Meyer neglected. Aside from Kristen Stewart and Pattinson, most of the actors portraying the Cullens hadn’t played any parts larger than McDonald’s Customer #4. No one saw the potential in this movie and for that reason; the movie didn’t live up to its potential.

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