How did we get from protest boards and best sellers to the box office? The Hate U Give
made waves this year, so we began to look into how true to books films stay
made waves this year, so we began to look into how true to books films stay
by Jodie Shepherd
It’s no secret that there has been a huge trend in adapting books into films and theatre shows. Books have been adapted into films since 1903 – the first being The Great Train Robbery, a short story written by Scott Marble, which was adapted into a 10 minute film. In fact, the trend was (and continues to be) so popular that, in 1939, almost every film nominated for an Academy Award was a book adaption.
From The Devil Wears Prada to James Bond, Of Mice and Men to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – there’s one thing you can almost guarantee when adapting a book: a fan base. People love books and there’s a certain level of passion, and pressure, when a book gets auctioned to be made into a film. It’s fine to say that, with a book adaption, audiences are already pre-sold on the idea; they know the story (or, at least, the basis of the story) and there’s a level of recognisability for readers and viewers alike but best sellers don’t necessarily guarantee success in the box office
Look at the Percy Jackson franchise, for example. The fast-paced mythological book series was commissioned for a four-film series, yet only two instalments were released amidst backlash from fans who argued that the characters didn’t resemble their descriptions in the books, important secondary characters were cut from the story and the changes made to the script meant that the personalities of the characters were changed too. The author of the series, Rick Riordan, has stated numerous times that he hasn’t watched the films as he doesn’t want them to influence the ways in which he views the characters he created.
Yet, on the other hand, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars has been heavily praised as one of the best page-to-screen adaptions of recent years. Fans of arguably one of the most popular Young Adult novels of the decade so far anticipated the release of the 2014 film starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort and it didn’t disappoint. Very little was changed in terms of plot and character development between the book and film and viewers credited the casting of the production – with some saying the actors were perfect for the roles.
Other fan favourites include Holes (a classic, if you ask the PAGE team) and Lord of the Rings – the writers of which have been credited by some as taking the books and making them the ‘best trilogy of films ever created’, according to fans.
Some people, both readers / viewers and writers, believe that certain literature shouldn’t be made into films – not necessarily because it will ultimately reduce the quality and reputation of the original piece but, realistically, it is more so about the medium in which the adaption occurs. Also, some books work better in TV than they do in film, some work better in the form of theatre. Just like the same method doesn’t work for every recipe, the same method doesn’t work for every adaption.
Potentially, one of the most prominent current examples of a book-to-movie adaptation is that of The Hate U Give. Published in February 2017, Angie Thomas’ award-winning novel debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list where it remained for 50 weeks. The novel is an expansion of a short story written by Thomas while she was in college, following the 2009 police shooting of Oscar Grant.
The novel has proven to be incredibly popular globally and, frankly, it’s clear why. The book follows 16-year-old Starr Carter as she straddles her two worlds – the poor neighbourhood Garden Heights where she was born and raised, and the upper-class, predominantly white world of her high school, Williamson Prep, in the suburbs. There are two versions of Starr but her worlds collide when she witnesses the fatal police shooting of her unarmed best friend Khalil and, now, the way in which she navigates the situation – and what she says – could destroy her community.
The case is just another in a string of police shootings and becomes a national scandal. As the only witness, Starr generally lacks a ‘safe’ space – at school, her peers talk about how it was inevitable that Khalil would be shot because he was allegedly a drug dealer and ‘deserved it’. At home, in Garden Heights, ‘snitches get stiches’ is possibly the best phrase for the neighbourhood – Khalil’s death is used as an excuse for gangs to expand their war of territory.
In today’s world, it’s increasingly important that we shine a light on movements such as Black Lives Matter and issues of racism and police brutality. The Hate U Give does exactly that. It’s raw, gut-wrenching and heartbreakingly impactful.
At this crucial point in history, Thomas has crafted an authentic, witty, relatable character in Starr. Not only does her story tackle the larger issues at hand – like that of systematic racism – but it also tackles the more general trials of growing up, complete with pop culture references and humour that people of all backgrounds are able to relate to. The first-person narrative used throughout the novel allows readers to experience a glimpse of the brutal reality of racism and the issues surrounding it through the eyes of a teenager – providing a grippingly raw account of contemporary black youth growing up in America today.
The motion picture – starring the likes of Amandla Stenberg and Regina Hall – is equally as good, yet there are notable differences. Expectedly, some minor details have been changed – one example being that, in the book, Starr and her boyfriend, Chris, have been dating for a year while, in the film, they’ve been together for six months – but there are also bigger differences, done for cinematic effect and intensified drama.
It’s understandable to make these changes; after all, moviemakers want their films to be as successful as possible – even if that means excessive dramatisation, in some cases – but are they really necessary? In The Hate U Give, probably not - the plot of the film is impactful enough, already.
Either way, The Hate U Give is something the world needs. It was inevitable that someone would write a novel about such a pressing issue in today’s world but there was no guarantee that it would be done well – and with such good timing. Thomas has created a masterpiece – the novel is yet another piece in the puzzle of the wake-up call the world needs when it comes to racism, police brutality and movements such as #BlackLivesMatter. And the team behind the motion picture have done an incredible job at bringing it to life. The Hate U Give is a must-read and a must-see for everyone, no matter your background.
The thing about adapting books into film is that, sometimes, it’s simply not possible to follow the book as accurately as is hoped. Whether that be due to funding, time and scheduling or simply missing the point of the plot – it’s something that’s inevitable within the industry. Yet, ultimately, book-to-film adaptations aren’t going anywhere any time soon. 2018 bought us the screen adaptations of the likes of Love Simon, Peter Rabbit, Little Women and the final instalment of the Maze Runner franchise. 2019 will bring us Stephen King’s Pet Sematry, Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom, amongst others. And we may think some adaptions are horrendous – we may even prefer some films to the books they’re based on – but, one thing is for sure: this trend of adapting books into film is only intensifying. And that’s great - not only for movie-lovers, but also for book-lovers – what better place to get recommendations for your next read?
Please note: this piece was originally written for PAGE Magazine.
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