A Review of Mixed Proportions

[theladyfeylene]

So, I watched The Mist tonight.

All through it, I was riveted. I was overjoyed. Instead of the shrieks and whimpers that usually accompany R rated horror movies, I was squealing happily like a little girl as the movie unfolded and more and more of the plot had been left completely in tactI am not exaggerating. The one thought that pervaded my

Comments

[homeostatis]

... oh why did this have to be the one movie I missed out on watching the week it came out? Stephen King forgive me, I'm going to buy a pirated copy nao. D:

[theladyfeylene]

I missed it too, and.... I'm honestly glad I didn't pay money for it.

The ending just.... it completely destroys the entire point of the original story. And destroys the entire movie. I'm used to endings being changed a little, and sometimes I don't care - like Room 1408, the theatrical release ending worked - but this....argh. I can't even....

WHY?

[ex_talia_sp]

I think this calls for the WTF? icon.

Well now I know not to watch it.

[theladyfeylene]

If you're not familiar with the original story, it probably wouldn't even register that there's anything wrong with the movie. It's just....argh.

[kanara]

The ending was horrible in that gut-wrenching "why, god, why?" sort of way, but I think it was appropriate to the movie. Granted, I've never read King's original work, mostly because I don't care for King's writing style, but a part of me thought, from an intellectual perspective, a better ending than the original one where they just keep driving. Emotionally, I want to find the guy who decided this was the better ending and choke him. A lot.

[theladyfeylene]

The whole point and theme of the original story was 'hope'. That was what Stephen King wanted to write about. The infinite hope within humanity, and our ability to take that hope and make it real. To fight all odds for what we believe in, because of the hope that tomorrow will be better. And that if we hope enough, it spurs us to ensure that tomorrow is better. And that even when things seem bleakest, it's okay. Mankind makes damn sure to make as happy and ending as possible.

That's why I have such a problem with the movie. It took a story about hope and triumph of will in the face of unbeatable odds and....destroyed it. There was no hope. There was no triumph. There was no happy ending. And that's integral to the message of the story. :/

[kanara]

Ah. Well, that does make a difference.

[theladyfeylene]

Yeah. As a movie itself, looking at it separate from the original novella (which is difficult, since other than the five minutes of the end, it follows practically word by word) it's a good movie - even the end. From an unbiased standpoint, the ending was well done and probably heartwrenching and all that.

But when I compare it to the novella, and how everything was so perfect and then the ending was so...not at all what the novella was about, it loses so much for me.

I realize Stephen King is crazy and bitter and all about bleak despair these days, but....

[blind_nights]

HAHAHAHA. i heard Stephen King gave the okay on that ending, though, so maybe it's not that big of a backstab. then again, i'm one of those people who watched the movie without reading the original book, SO. :O

[theladyfeylene]

Much as I love and adore Stephen King, the man also believes his creativity lives inside of the van that almost killed him a few years ago, and was transferred into it during the accident. Oh, the fate of us New England Horror writers. We're all doomed to go crazy! ;) Though in more logical explanations, King's entire outlook on life and writing have changed since his accident, and he's very into the bleak and the hopeless now. It's why I can't get into a lot of his post-accident stuff, other than Everything's Eventual and Kingdom Hospital.

The ending of the original novella was all about hope, and triumph, and the amazing capacity for humankind to overcome all odds, no matter how great. It was all about how humans can do anything with the power of hope, and will do anything to ensure that hope is more than just a vague emotion - humans will make hope real and solid.

The movie ending.... well, you saw it. Not so much the hope and triumph and overcoming all odds.

[blind_nights]

.... LOL. you know, i own a copy of his novel on writing, and you've pretty much summed up the monologue.

and knowing Hollywood, they just wanted to make it as stylish as possible, and i admit to being a sucker for the dismal endings. but considering there's such a difference between the movie and book, i've been thinking about giving the book a read.

[theladyfeylene]

I live by that book. :D

I admit that looking at it as a stand alone movie not connected to anything, it's a good movie. Even the ending. But when compared to the book.... I'm not a stickler, by any means. Room 1408 had a radically different ending than the story, but it still worked and still kept to the theme of the original piece.

The novella is damn good. There's one major difference I can think of (other than the ending) that was just a little scene that was left out, but really, it always kind of jarred me in the story anyway. It's a in...argh, lemme grab my short story/novella collections.

Skeleton Crew! But I guess it has been released as its own novella now, since the movie. But Skeleton Crew is totally worth it, because for the price of one book, you get 23 stories! Including the best short story King ever wrote, Ballad of the Flexible Bullet!

[jaysummers]

I must admit, I really liked the ending. But then again, I don't expect movies to follow the books anymore. Not since Jurassic Park. :P