A Feminist's take On: "Divergent"-- From Book to Movie.

I know what you're thinking; the book is entirely different from the movie. I mean, basically world's apart by adaptation standards. Where does one begin? How about starting here: I actually don't mind the sudden string of book-to-movie adaptations that are taking over the big screen lately. Once a book is written, it's out there. Out there for us to enjoy and live however we choose to; hence the whole theory of having a movie adaptation to begin with! It allows a whole new group of people to experience the story; to meet the characters and join the fandom. There really is enough room for everyone, I promise.

So, let me begin by saying, I didn't totally hate Divergent the movie. I didn't love it either. I could sit here and knit pick what I disliked and, honestly, when I set out to write this post I almost did! Yeah, no one wants to read that! No, instead I'm just going to condense my opinion to 2 issues that I found most frustrating. Because, overall, there were a lot of truly glowing moments. Like when Tris took that literal leap of faith into Dauntless. I held my breath , and then laughed with her when she landed successfully. What a rush! And then that first meeting with Four… sigh. Yes, I'm a huge Tobias Eaton groupie. Don't judge me. At least I don't stalk any real people. SPOILERS!

Point One: They tried to copy The Hunger Games. I'm the first one to point out that, yes, Divergent shares many things in common with this series. Dystopian America, check. Corrupt government, check. Control freak president figure with overall distain for human life, check. Yummy abs, check. But that's all on the surface. Whereas the Hunger Games uses the actual games as a basis for all the unrest, and eventual revolution, Divergent does not. The rigourous training is necessary; it allows the initiates to build up their bodies and minds. To face their perceived fears and to become stronger, inside and out. Tris grows through this experience and very literally becomes a "warrior woman". There is also no love triangle, no side to take on which man is most "deserving" of Tris' heart in the end. In fact, there is a very realistic, messy, emotional and volatile relationship at the heart of this story. They barely gave that relationship a chance to flourish, basically throwing it together during one "show me your tats" moment. What happened to the slow boil?  I'm certainly not saying the entire movie was a loss; I just wish that they had embraced what makes Divergent unique. However,I do have to admit it was amazing to see women in a position of power. There was no separation of gender training within Dauntless faction, each initiate had to train in the same facility while learning the same techniques. It was refreshing, and one of the things that makes this story so strong right from the start.

Point Two: The ending was painful.  I mean, why did they have to rework the ending to begin with? All of you who read the book will, hopefully, agree. They ruined the climatic ending sequence  involving Jeanine for Insurgent!  And, officially, reduced Tobias to a pretty boy. He had a bigger role in that final sequence (rather than flinging his girlfriend around) and it was meant to show his duality. He's not just a good trainer/fighter. He's also a smart guy, who works in INTELLIGENCE!! I think he even says as much, for a split second, at the beginning of the movie. Why didn't he shut down the computers HIMSELF, like he was supposed to?? Why did they have to MIND CONTROL Jeanine? Like she would have been so foolish as to have been standing right there. In Dauntless headquarters. Basically ground zero, the whole time. With dozens of witnesses to her depravity, controlling the simulation herself. I thought she was supposed to be from Erudite, the logical-thinking faction. And, how will this play out for Insurgent,  where Tobias and Tris are blamed for "crimes against humanity", because they are believed to have caused the entire attack on Abnegation. I mean, the writers did realize there was another book, correct? This does have to make sense even in a Sci-Fi universe!

Ok, ok I need to calm down. Deep, cleansing breaths.

Ok. I'm solid again. Sorry, guys, I almost lost my cool there. Anyways, I didn't mean to slam the movie.  Fine, maybe only a little bit. The casting, though, was like a bright light at the end of a dimly lit tunnel. Take Shailene Woodley for example. Although she got started on some ABC Family show, her break out moment finally came in The Descendants, playing George Clooney's troubled daughter, no less. She got the chance to prove that she isn't just another pretty face, out to play the same teen-angsty role over and over again. A fact she got to showcase here  in Divergent. She made Tris real for us. Showing all the facets of her personality; quiet and somewhat shy but  still smart and observant. She's a fighter and you realize, as you do when reading the book, that Tris was born a fighter all along.

And, of course, Theo James. Not only is he a brooding, handsome guy with big pouty lips. But he managed to break away from that stereotype, just enough to show that there is more to Four. His dry sarcasm was just enough to make us chuckle, and let's not forget that final scene. Yes, it made steam come out of my ears just a little bit. But, when Tris turns the gun towards herself, I actually held my breath. You see Four battling with himself, his eyes confused and hard and…vulnerable. That is the essence of Four, to me anyway. He breaks the stereotypes of what a man should be, as much as Tris does for women. A man can wield a gun and yet still be vulnerable and a little lost as well. He proves that walls can be brought down, that a man can be both soft and hard at the same time… that all Tobias really wanted was to be loved in the end.

Ok, now that I've said my piece, what part of the movie did you love, or even hate for that matter? Are you looking forward to Insurgent? Any thoughts on Allegiant?

On another note, I've become recently obsessed with Ellie Goulding's song, Beating Heart. Check it out here! And anyone looking for another interesting read in this same genre, you should really give the Delirium series a look. It's available in Hardcover and for your Kindle.

A Love Letter to Mr. Rochester

How do you begin a love letter to a fictional character? It's funny; not funny as in LOL funny but simply interesting-funny to consider how real a character can become… how they almost take their first breaths when you open the pages of the book and then linger in the back of your mind for days or even years after you set that book aside. And so it is with Mr. Edward Fairfax Rochester.

For any self-respecting bookworm, it's almost a natural event. It happens every once in a while. You kind of hold your breath the first moment said character arrives on the page; even after a thousand times of reading Jane Eyre it is always the same. This time around, I even rushed to her first wanderings in the woods where she trips up his horse to hear his thundering, swearing voice. I suppose my somewhat wayward affections began because he is a completely singular character. He is neither handsome nor perfect nor even very young. He is no Mr. Darcy or even an Edward Cullen (i.e a sensitive man to the emotions of his lady love). In fact he is quite the opposite of almost any other male character in literature.

He is allowed to be ugly and cool; brooding at times. The kind of character whom you're not sure is being totally honest in his affections or merely sarcastic. He keeps Jane guessing from the very beginning…and I ask you ladies, what man hasn't?  Sometimes, your girl friends or family members pointed out all his flaws; yet  all you could see was the inner beauty of the man. And somehow you knew he felt the same way… thus it is with Mr. Rochester. He loves Jane in all her forms; she is neither too plain for him or too smart. Too independent or too needy. He simply loves her as she is, he never asks her to be more or less that what she is. I think that is what we all want in the end.

And so I find myself in this Conundrum. I have been for several months as I tried to figure out a way to write this letter in honor of him. I even started hunting down every film adaptation; trying to find the answer in each actors' interpretation of his harsh lines and imperfect personality. My favorite being the most recent version starring Michael Fassbender (and that sparked a whole other infatuation). I truly felt he is the most physically attractive of all the Rochester actors; allowing the inner ugliness of the character to shine through. At the same time I couldn't ignore the sexiness he brought to the role, that sense of mischievousness that sparkled in his eye.

There were moments that Jane's (Waskiowska) retorts to his probing questions nearly made him look like he was about to laugh, before he looked away into the flames of the fire. It's felt like I rediscovered the character; hence making this movie my favorite version of all the adaptations. It was beautiful and haunting; it high lightened the sacrifice one makes when they choose to love a person. But most of all, it was realistic. We can all agree love is messy and cruel and painful at times; it isn't a fairytale. And sometimes, as in Jane Eyre, the man that you fear might destroy is the very person that needs to be saved.

Sigh… I'm afraid i'm no closer to writing that pesky love letter. Maybe I should just read the book again..

The "Games" Have Changed

I had originally written this post as a pre-curser to the arrival of Catching Fire. But now I just feel like gushing openly. I know there are many out there who haven't read the books and count on the movies; so I wanted to be careful what was said here, just in case. Now since the movie has come out on the market, I'm going to speak freely.

I am the Spark.

I love the Hunger Games series. You can say it's just the fan girl spirit but it's so much more than that. The books are amazing; it's so rare that I, personally, feel such a close connection to a main character. Usually, I root for the under-dog. Like Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. I've always liked the ambiguous nature of said characters and watching them develop and grow; not knowing if their going to turn to the dark side…or whether they are trustworthy at all.

But, it is hard to ignore Katniss. When she speaks, she doesn't whisper. She roars. So loudly, in fact, that it's impossible for her to hide under any mask. She refuses to follow the perception that women are "delicate" (no matter how hard Haymitch may try) because she insists on taking care of herself…and other people for that matter. Katniss fears the impending revolution because she's more worried about her own world… to her, it's impossible to save every single person in the outlying districts. She fails to realize the power she holds all throughout the second book/movie. And, from Prim and her mother to Peeta and Haymitch, that feeling to protect and nurture is strong. The thought of losing any of them burns deeper than the fire that envelopes her dress as she twirls. She is a modern female, not trying to fulfill anyone else's standards but her own; railing against the system that makes her feel caged. But yet, she fears losing everything if she attempts to move against it.

Because, let's face it. As women we wear many different hats. We embark on a very delicate tight-rope walk every time we attempt to take a breath. Don't we all feel the, almost daily strain, of having to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders? Then, to top it all off for this Girl on Fire, there is that overwhelming terror of failing those around her, of losing just one more loved one to the Capitol. And most of all, she faces off not only against President Snow but the two men that matter most in her world. Can't she just love both of them in her own way? Both men being so different certainly doesn't merit her having to choose one over the other…but yet they persist none-the-less.

As we gear up for Mockingjay, the last in the series, which finds Katniss finally facing off against the Capitol head on; one thought runs through my head. How is she different from any woman in the real world? Just speaking for myself, I know that fighting for what you believe in isn't always an easy game. The fear of failure, in all it's forms, is always looming over our heads. But, much like Katniss, we have to remember even one voice can spark something big. It can make people think…and talk and even cause a huge blaze that can engulf everyone. Sinner or Saint, Katniss stands for that spark. That spark in all of us. And as I straighten my Mockingjay pin to face the world, I feel validated for my fan girl/obsessive tendencies.

After all, I fangirl with a purpose.