A-Z List 8: Books to Movies, Aging Characters

It is finally here: the list where I review books made from movies!

And it is far too large a list. 

I decided to narrow the list by pairing it with A-Z List 2. A-Z List 2 is lists of fiction authors I have read over the years. The choice of books-to-movies will come from that list. 

In addition, I decided to do what I did with biographies (A-Z List 6): each choice will present a problem or issue or question or concern or, not to be so pessimistic, improvement that comes with the change in medium.

The first list of authors, of course, was A, as in A is for Authors from Adams to Austen. 

Alcott is on the list and immediately raised the first problem:

A Gap in Age Creates a Gap in Audience Investment

The 1994 Little Women used two actresses for Amy, Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis. The casting is intelligent, but the gap is still too much. While it is believable that a young hyperactive and bratty girl will grow into a sedate, charming young lady, the break in appearance as well as behavior delivers the impression that one is watching a completely different movie. Kirsten Dunst was something of a powerhouse, even at age 12. Her loss is bemoaned.

My personal feeling is that they should have kept and aged Dunst. But I suppose there are laws against that, as in how long children can be kept on set. 

However, in the black & white Daddy Long Legs, Mary Pickford, age 27, successfully changes from unstoppable early adolescent to charming and energetic young adult, with only a slight strain of believability. That film is one of the few large budget films to tell the actual story--from the novel by Jean Webster--without music (there is an anime version without music). It required the use of the same actress to cover a four to five year gap--hey, the audience wants to be invested! And Mary Pickford proves why she was so beloved: she was something of a powerhouse herself.

Megan Follows accomplished a similar impressive feat with Anne of Green Gables in the Andrew Sullivan series. She was 16 when she accepted the part.