Author's Note: "My goal was to write a piece comparing a novel to a movie so I chose one of my favorite books: My Sister's Keeper. I hope you like it... comments are very appreciated!"
My Sister’s Keeper is known as one of the most heartfelt books of the 21st century. Pulling your heartstrings at every page turn, this book really grabs your attention very quickly on. From the first page to the last you just cannot stop reading or put the book down: you have to know how it ends. In fact the book, written by Jodi Picoult, was so successful that an aspiring director came along and offered a movie deal for the novel. Since then the movie and the book are still beloved by many but some things that are in the book change in the movie, and the lighting and music that are used in the movie create emotion and drama.
The biggest change from the original novel My Sister’s Keeper was the ending. In the book Anna, the daughter fighting to have rights over her own body, dies tragically in a brutal car accident and is declared as brain dead and her kidney and other organs are donated to her sister Kate. As a result of Anna’s organs being donated to Kate she gets to live a healthy normal life. However the movie doesn’t stay true to the books ending. Instead in the movie version Kate explains to her family that she is ready to die, and after time soaks in a little they accept her decision and ultimately at the end of the book Kate passes away. I feel like the writers and directors of the movie decided to change the original ending because I feel like even though there is still death it’s less sad. I feel like the movie ending is a more appropriate ending for the movie because I feel like it sets off a better message: that is you want something and work for it that one day it can come true. All in all a lot of the movie stays true to the book but one of the most drastic changes from the movie to the novel is the ending.
Another thing that enhanced the screenplay and made the book differ from the movie was the lighting and music used in the movie. Obviously there was no lighting or music in the book but I feel like when the book became a movie the lighting and music played a big part in adding drama and suspense throughout the story. For example, the lighting in Kate’s hospital room varied, on her good days it was always very bright and made you feel happy but on her bad days the lighting was very dark and glum. I think the director made the decision to do this because then you really get to experience the emotions that the characters feel. Another lighting change I noticed in the movie that I thought was important was that when Kate died it was raining and the lights were dark but during her funeral the sun was shining all throughout the sky. Lastly the music during scenes like Kate’s death, the courtroom scene, and the fights Anna had with her family was all very suspenseful and added a lot of drama. All of these are very relevant observations and examples of how the movie’s lighting and music made the film much more appealing. I feel like the lighting and music in the movie version of My Sister’s Keeper enhanced the entire movie and added a lot more dimension and depth.
Throughout the movie and book My Sister’s Keeper the music and lighting add much variations and drama and some of the storyline is altered. All in all I think My Sister’s Keeper was both successful on screen and off. The book and the movie both teach life lessons that both kids, teenagers, adults, and seniors can all relate to and learn from.
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