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How does the movie compare to the movie? (I realize Jolie won best supporting actress.)

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Katie Sanders Both are really good!! I saw the movie before I read the book, so I knew what was going to happen. Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder are AMAZING actresses!! So they really bring the story to life!
Donna Noble both are really good but the movie is defiantly different from the book.
Lois The movie was nothing special in my opinion. The directors easily could've just made a movie about a girl in a mental hospital without any reference to Kaysen or her story. They stripped the core of the book out of the movie. Pretty but no substance.
Kateřina I found both great - saw the film first, read the book later. Maybe if it was the other way around, I would be a bit disappointed. The film leaves a strong impression, it is mre dramatical, there is certain gradation. The book has soul, you can feel the emotions in the lives of the characters. In a sense, the book is more radical.
Kayla Sullinger I saw the film first.The film was more dramatic and it sort of deviated from the book.The book was more about how she felt her time in the hospital and explained her diagnoses in her words. I liked the film better which doesn't usually happen for me.Even if I read the book after watching the movie.
H There's a pretty obvious difference in the novel and its adaptation. The novel is matter-of-fact yet anecdotal in its delivery, with a fairly subdued, minimalist style. The film is much more dramatized and glossy (it was pretty much a Winona Ryder vehicle in the end), deviating from the source with a few glaring contrivances on one hand and toning down of less-than-endearing details on the other. The "chick-flick" treatment is disappointing when considering the heart of the original source.
Heidi Hoffman The movie honestly feels like a disservice to the book. Lisa's character is changed from a troubled young girl dealing with an array of mental health issues, to a vindictive antagonist. Considering Lisa is a real person, this change feels offensive and unnecessary. While I enjoyed the movie, the act of altering an intensively personal story to fit better in the stylised movie industry contradicts everything established in the novel. The author herself even stated that she thinks the book never should have been made into a movie, and didn't like it.
Leslie I liked both -- I saw the movie first, and just recently finished the book (and plan to watch the movie again). Some differences, not major; a character left out of the movie, which would have been interesting. Plus, in the book, it goes on to tell of Susanna's future.
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