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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Story to Screenplay
F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the great voices in the history of American literature, is best known today for his novels, but during his lifetime his fame stemmed primarily from his prolific achievements as one of America's most gifted short story writers. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is one of his most memorable creations. "I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man whois born in his eighties and ages backwards. A man, like any of us, unable to stop time. We follow his story set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the twenty-first century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Directed by David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a time traveler's tale of the people and places Benjamin Button bumps into along the way, the loves he loses and finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time. Included in this volume is F. Scott Fitzgerald's provocative story, as well as Eric Roth's stunning screenplay, a bold re-imagining of this classic tale.
224 pages, Paperback
Published December 23, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 19, 2014
There are two versions of stories in this book, the original short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the screenplay story by Eric Roth.
Honestly, I think the movie is better than the original short story.
Benjamin Button is a man who ages backwards, but only physically. Mentally and emotionally, he grows and develops like us normal people. Book or movie,Benjamin's story teaches us the joy of life, the sadness of death, and the journey of a person who grows up and explores their own world.
I remember watching the film back in 2008. It's somehow a dark story, but it taught me the value of life and make the most of it because you only live once.
Honestly, I think the movie is better than the original short story.
Benjamin Button is a man who ages backwards, but only physically. Mentally and emotionally, he grows and develops like us normal people. Book or movie,Benjamin's story teaches us the joy of life, the sadness of death, and the journey of a person who grows up and explores their own world.
I remember watching the film back in 2008. It's somehow a dark story, but it taught me the value of life and make the most of it because you only live once.
June 19, 2013
After reading this story i've come to a rare conclusion that I liked the film far better than the book. It was still an ok read but I had slightly higher expectations for a work of F. Scott Fitzgerald's. All in all, it was an ok light read.
October 1, 2019
The Absurdity of Life
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is considered not only a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s but also one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. The story was published in 1922, and was later included in his Tales of the Jazz Age. From my point of view, it is an intriguing fantasy which reveals the sorrow and helplessness of the human life as well as the Jazz Age.
The story is about a man called Benjamin Button who was born with a physical appearance of a 70-year-old man, and grew younger as time went by. Despite his efforts to live a normal life like others, his inverse growth often posed problems for him. His family members blamed him for his “abnormal behavior”, he himself sometimes also felt puzzled and helpless but could do nothing about it. Though he also went to university, got a job, got married and joined the army like others; he did them in a chronologically inverse way, considering his actual age. At the end, he could not remember his life experience and died quietly as a baby.
Compared to its film adaptation, it’s a rather simple story without a resonant love story and many ups and downs in its plot. However, the story possesses an unusual charm. It indicates author’s thoughts and feelings about life and the social circumstances he was living in. The author seemed to be quite disappointed and pessimistic about life, but he has seen through all of them already. As a result, he was able to mock at himself as well as the entire society. That is why black humor can be found throughout the story. Through its fantastic plot, the sense of absurdity is created. For instance, when Benjamin grew older (appears to be younger), his son was angry about him. His son said:” You better turn right around and start back the other way. This has gone too far to be a joke. It isn’t funny any longer. You—you behave yourself!” And he continued:” When visitors are in the house I want you to call me ‘uncle’…It looks absurd for a boy of fifteen to call me by my first name. ”Poor Benjamin, he felt terrible hearing these words but had no choice. Readers can’t help feeling sorry for him and seeing the absurdity in his experience.
Apart from that, the language style also contributes to creating a sense of absurdity and humor. Formal words are extensively used in daily occasions and appear to be fancy and funny. For example, At the beginning of the story, the author described how excited the father of the hero was, because he was on his way to see his newborn baby. The author wrote:” On the September morning consecrated to the enormous event he arose nervously at six o’clock…he adjusted an impeccable stock…to determine whether the darkness of the night had borne in new life upon its bosom.” What forms the contrast is the colossal disappointment he felt later when he saw his “70-year-old baby.” Such amusing details are easy to be found throughout the story. What amazes me is that sometimes using funny events to imply sorrow is far more effective than describing sorrow directly.
The ending of the story is quite noteworthy too. The author wrote:” Then it was all dark, and his white crib and the dim faces that moved above him, and the warm sweet aroma of the milk, faded out altogether from his mind. ” Isn’t it sad but true that when we die, our memory fades too? Life is like a dream, and when it’s gone, it seems nothing has ever happened. People are so powerless in such circumstances. This story was inspired by a remark of Mark Twain: it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end. By giving a man the unusual living experience in a perfectly normal world, Fitzgerald gave Twain's idea a fair trial, leaving readers to reflect on the meaning of life and death.
To conclude, the story is undoubtedly an interesting one pregnant with meaning. It’s worth reading twice or even more for it leaves enough room for readers to think and to imagine. Using seemingly amusing plot, the story conveys a sorrowful message about life. It suggests that life is absurd and people are often played by fate. It’s also a touching story with its vivid depiction and lifelike details. As a consequence, the author successfully led his readers to feel the existence and effectiveness of the story. Good books may not be complicated in form, but are for sure worth our contemplation.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is considered not only a member of the “Lost Generation” of the 1920s but also one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. The story was published in 1922, and was later included in his Tales of the Jazz Age. From my point of view, it is an intriguing fantasy which reveals the sorrow and helplessness of the human life as well as the Jazz Age.
The story is about a man called Benjamin Button who was born with a physical appearance of a 70-year-old man, and grew younger as time went by. Despite his efforts to live a normal life like others, his inverse growth often posed problems for him. His family members blamed him for his “abnormal behavior”, he himself sometimes also felt puzzled and helpless but could do nothing about it. Though he also went to university, got a job, got married and joined the army like others; he did them in a chronologically inverse way, considering his actual age. At the end, he could not remember his life experience and died quietly as a baby.
Compared to its film adaptation, it’s a rather simple story without a resonant love story and many ups and downs in its plot. However, the story possesses an unusual charm. It indicates author’s thoughts and feelings about life and the social circumstances he was living in. The author seemed to be quite disappointed and pessimistic about life, but he has seen through all of them already. As a result, he was able to mock at himself as well as the entire society. That is why black humor can be found throughout the story. Through its fantastic plot, the sense of absurdity is created. For instance, when Benjamin grew older (appears to be younger), his son was angry about him. His son said:” You better turn right around and start back the other way. This has gone too far to be a joke. It isn’t funny any longer. You—you behave yourself!” And he continued:” When visitors are in the house I want you to call me ‘uncle’…It looks absurd for a boy of fifteen to call me by my first name. ”Poor Benjamin, he felt terrible hearing these words but had no choice. Readers can’t help feeling sorry for him and seeing the absurdity in his experience.
Apart from that, the language style also contributes to creating a sense of absurdity and humor. Formal words are extensively used in daily occasions and appear to be fancy and funny. For example, At the beginning of the story, the author described how excited the father of the hero was, because he was on his way to see his newborn baby. The author wrote:” On the September morning consecrated to the enormous event he arose nervously at six o’clock…he adjusted an impeccable stock…to determine whether the darkness of the night had borne in new life upon its bosom.” What forms the contrast is the colossal disappointment he felt later when he saw his “70-year-old baby.” Such amusing details are easy to be found throughout the story. What amazes me is that sometimes using funny events to imply sorrow is far more effective than describing sorrow directly.
The ending of the story is quite noteworthy too. The author wrote:” Then it was all dark, and his white crib and the dim faces that moved above him, and the warm sweet aroma of the milk, faded out altogether from his mind. ” Isn’t it sad but true that when we die, our memory fades too? Life is like a dream, and when it’s gone, it seems nothing has ever happened. People are so powerless in such circumstances. This story was inspired by a remark of Mark Twain: it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end. By giving a man the unusual living experience in a perfectly normal world, Fitzgerald gave Twain's idea a fair trial, leaving readers to reflect on the meaning of life and death.
To conclude, the story is undoubtedly an interesting one pregnant with meaning. It’s worth reading twice or even more for it leaves enough room for readers to think and to imagine. Using seemingly amusing plot, the story conveys a sorrowful message about life. It suggests that life is absurd and people are often played by fate. It’s also a touching story with its vivid depiction and lifelike details. As a consequence, the author successfully led his readers to feel the existence and effectiveness of the story. Good books may not be complicated in form, but are for sure worth our contemplation.
February 9, 2025
I was incredibly moved by the adapted screenplay. I really thought it was better than the origin short story. The arcs of the characters.
Read
August 11, 2011okay, i'm not gonna lie, i didn't read the screenplay cuz i thought that would be boring. the tale of benjamin button is actually a short story and it was only about 30 pages. i really enjoyed it and i can't wait to see the movie and see how they adapted it!
Read
August 31, 2009I enjoyed this movie so much that I wanted to read the screenplay and learn the format a little better. The movie is so different from Fitzgerald's short story and yet I love them both.
June 21, 2013
A great love story. Time is the enemy of us all, but The Curious Case of Benjamin Button makes us forget that... and remember to cherish each day.
March 29, 2013
237 - 2013
Skenario film ini jauh lebih gripping (dan panjang, tentunya) dari versi aslinya.
Beautiful sadness. Jadi terbayang adegan filmnya.
*ngusap air mata*
Skenario film ini jauh lebih gripping (dan panjang, tentunya) dari versi aslinya.
Beautiful sadness. Jadi terbayang adegan filmnya.
*ngusap air mata*
July 8, 2013
The short story is interesting, 3 to 4 stars. It's a really interesting concept.
The screenplay is another story, 3 stars. I haven't seen the movie yet.
The screenplay is another story, 3 stars. I haven't seen the movie yet.
May 18, 2022
I preferred the movie to the short story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews