(Warning, may contain some spoilers)
I like that the director stayed true to the book by opening with the stove accident because that captured my attention immediately. Told from the adult Jeanette's perspective looking back, the movie version took on a serious tone right away and lost some of what made the book such an addictive (no pun intended) read. When told from a child's perspective, some of the family's experiences seemed truly magical, like spending the night in the desert or dancing in rain puddles during a storm. I also felt a stronger emotional connection to the dad through young Jeanette's idealized view of him and was less able to hate him later when his alcoholism totally spiraled out of control. From the child's perspective, Jeanette's growing realization that her larger than life dad was not so heroic was very potent. The story told by the adult Jeanette was still emotionally powerful, but the present dysfunction gave away the secret of why her parents were so odd and why they kept moving. The fiancé was barely mentioned in the book, but I loved the dynamics between him and the dad in the film. That add-in was very helpful in understanding how Walls came to terms with who she is and where she came from. I wish the other siblings had been more developed. All in all, I liked this adaptation of Walls's touching and disturbing book and hope Woody Harrelson gets an Oscar for his portrayal of Rex Walls.
I like that the director stayed true to the book by opening with the stove accident because that captured my attention immediately. Told from the adult Jeanette's perspective looking back, the movie version took on a serious tone right away and lost some of what made the book such an addictive (no pun intended) read. When told from a child's perspective, some of the family's experiences seemed truly magical, like spending the night in the desert or dancing in rain puddles during a storm. I also felt a stronger emotional connection to the dad through young Jeanette's idealized view of him and was less able to hate him later when his alcoholism totally spiraled out of control. From the child's perspective, Jeanette's growing realization that her larger than life dad was not so heroic was very potent. The story told by the adult Jeanette was still emotionally powerful, but the present dysfunction gave away the secret of why her parents were so odd and why they kept moving. The fiancé was barely mentioned in the book, but I loved the dynamics between him and the dad in the film. That add-in was very helpful in understanding how Walls came to terms with who she is and where she came from. I wish the other siblings had been more developed. All in all, I liked this adaptation of Walls's touching and disturbing book and hope Woody Harrelson gets an Oscar for his portrayal of Rex Walls.