Heaven in cinema: The Lovely Bones
Brittany Ashley
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Film
4 Flames
Clutching my buttery popcorn and oversized bag of Skittles, my anticipation to finally see The Lovely Bones was growing intensely with each preview. Being one of the very few females on the planet that has not previously read the novel (written by Alice Sebold in 2002), I had no idea what was about to unfold before my eyes.
The Lovely Bones is based on the story about a teenage girl, Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), who is brutally murdered by her pedophile neighbor Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci, although hardly recognizable with a blonde mustache). With little help from the authorities, Susie's father (Mark Wahlberg) and younger sister are left to uncover the mystery of her death. Susie's murder occurs early on in the film, leaving the remaining hour and a half to take place partly in reality and partly in Susie's version of Heaven. I could have sworn I was on acid for more than half of the film with the insane colors and visual effects of Alice Sebold's vision of "heaven".
Despite the stunning effects from Peter Jackson, (the producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) those who have read The Lovely Bones felt that it lacked many emotional elements that were crucial to the book. Jackson justified omission of the graphic scenes in order to keep it viewable for a mass audience. But, then again, when are rape, murder, and a depiction of a non-secular heaven appropriate for a whole population?
This film took me through a rollercoaster of emotions: I laughed, I cried like a little girl and I was terrified at points. The plot is extremely powerful and thought provoking. Although some diehard fans of the book might feel that the movie lacked the emotions that has captivated people everywhere, the movie still has redeemable qualities and will want to make you read the book again (or for the first time).
Clutching my buttery popcorn and oversized bag of Skittles, my anticipation to finally see The Lovely Bones was growing intensely with each preview. Being one of the very few females on the planet that has not previously read the novel (written by Alice Sebold in 2002), I had no idea what was about to unfold before my eyes.
The Lovely Bones is based on the story about a teenage girl, Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan), who is brutally murdered by her pedophile neighbor Mr. Harvey (Stanley Tucci, although hardly recognizable with a blonde mustache). With little help from the authorities, Susie's father (Mark Wahlberg) and younger sister are left to uncover the mystery of her death. Susie's murder occurs early on in the film, leaving the remaining hour and a half to take place partly in reality and partly in Susie's version of Heaven. I could have sworn I was on acid for more than half of the film with the insane colors and visual effects of Alice Sebold's vision of "heaven".
Despite the stunning effects from Peter Jackson, (the producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) those who have read The Lovely Bones felt that it lacked many emotional elements that were crucial to the book. Jackson justified omission of the graphic scenes in order to keep it viewable for a mass audience. But, then again, when are rape, murder, and a depiction of a non-secular heaven appropriate for a whole population?
This film took me through a rollercoaster of emotions: I laughed, I cried like a little girl and I was terrified at points. The plot is extremely powerful and thought provoking. Although some diehard fans of the book might feel that the movie lacked the emotions that has captivated people everywhere, the movie still has redeemable qualities and will want to make you read the book again (or for the first time).
Be the first to comment on this story