Twilight

Brook and I went and saw the movie "Twilight" last night. (side note: I don't understand why this blog site has bold and italics options but no underline) We had both read the book, and while I was not planning to see the movie the opening weekend, when Brook invited me, I accepted. However, leading up to the day, I wasn't really looking forward to it for multiple reasons. Quite honestly, although I have completed the first two books in the series, I don't think they are very good. I decided to read them because my Children's Literature students were shocked that I had not read "Twilight", so I decided to appease them by reading. They are romance novels aimed at the teen set. The vocabulary is basic, much of the diologue insipid and melo-dramatic, anf the heroine, Bella, is constantly moody and whiney, and I cannot, for the life of me, discover a redeeming quality in her that would make multiple guys fall for her. I have continued reading the series purely out of curiosity, but I spend much of that time reading being baffled at why "Twilight" has become of the phenomenon it has. Some people might not understand the "Harry Potter" phenomenon, but it can't be denied that the female character in "Harry Potter" are much stronger and interesting, and the writing of the books is pretty damn fantastic.

Okay, with all that said, I was also concerned about the movie because I knew it would be jam-packed with teeny-boppers - who tend to be very annoying at movies - and the critics' reviews were pretty bad. They said it was sappy, melo-dramatic, that the diologue was cheesy, the it dragged, etc. Pretty much all of my complaints about the book. So here is my take on the movie...

It was VERY entertaining. Never once, once it began, was I bored or wished I hadn't come. I totally enjoyed it, but here is the reason why: the audience, despite most of them being rabid "Twilight" fans, didn't take it seriously. The whole audience laughed at a lot of the sappy scenes and lengthy close-ups. But I don't think that is what the movie makers intended. I think they intended for it all the be taken very seriously, and as the critics probably did just that, they thought the movie was terrible. I can see where that could happen if you took it too seriously. But our audience laughed at the cheesiness and painfully drawn-out first kiss scene. This audience totally had fun with it, and as a result, I had a great time watching it.

Probably, if I hadn't gone to that opening night show, the audience reaction and, in turn, my reaction to the movie could have been vastly different. So, I must thank Brook for convincing me to go; plus, I had a great time just hanging out with her :o)

P.S. I don't know how the movie will be for someone who hasn'rt read the book. The movie won't be confusing at all - if anything, the story is not a deep, much-thought-required one - but you may not be able to enjoy those scenes and moments that come straight from the book and are depicted with such dedication to accuracy.