Translating a book to a movie can be a very difficult, tedious task. I think the three most important things in a successful translation is the consistency of plot, tone, and characters. Since the movie is based upon a previous written book, the plot should follow the same course as the story. Perhaps the author is telling a true story which is truly meaningful to them, or maybe just trying to teach the lesson. It was written a certain way for a reason and their story should be altered as little as possible. Within the plot the theme and tone are also developed. The second evaluative criteria would be the translation of the tone. The filmmaker should use appropriate stage directions to set the tone. This can be done by use of lighting, music, scenery, and dialogue. The tone is important in interpreting the message and plot of the story. The final evaluative criteria is the development of characters. Characters are the single most important thing in a story. A minor character have the same impact as a well-devleoped protagonist. Authors spend a lot of time providing appropriate description of each character. This is important because it allows the reader to visualize the character as imagined. The words written by an author leave room for interpretation, unlike movies. The translation is given the character description and their only task is to find an appropriate actor/actress who portrays the character the best.

I know how pessimistic and close-minded I can be towards things, but when I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong. I was wrong about the movie Adaptation, but my feelings remain strongly against the book Orchid Thief. The screenplay was interesting, unexpected and clever. Charlie Kaufman faced a very difficult task by taking on the role to write this script but he did so in his original way. He knew the book was boring and that's why he put a spin to the ending and making it appealing to a bigger audience. By incorporating drugs and violence, Kaufman made the story much more interesting. Also by writing himself into the script as a character he showed the difficulties he encountered portraying the themes and lessons in the book, something that often goes unnoticed. The transitions between the character's individual plots were obvious and easy to follow. Susan Orleans had written a powerful, although extremely boring novel about John Laroche and his orchids. I would not have assigned this book, or even a 10 page summary, to a class of high school students. Unless you're like Hillary and enjoy read the dictionary for fun, most students would have a similar reaction to mine.