I loved the YA book by Jerry Spinelli (my sister often assigns it to her middle-school students – that’s how I heard about it.) But the film adaptation is … odd. I am a fan of Julia Hart’s work though (Miss Stevens – LOVE – and Fast Color) – so I will continue to keep my eyes peeled for her work. I reviewed the film on Ebert.
I fell hard for this book when I was a kid. Must reread it. It’s a shame the adaptation doesn’t do it justice.
I really loved the book – so much so that I avoided the sequel – did you read the sequel?
You should see it for yourself, just to see if you like it! The “music video” sections are actually really fun – when she joins the cheerleading squad. They’re more a “vehicle” for Grace Vanderwaal than anything else – so it sort of distances us from the character?
Would be interested to hear what you think.
Julia HART, Sheila – quickly, quickly!!
lol Yikes. A typo. I fixed. It’s right in the review. Thanks for catching it!
I wish you would have seen the same film I saw.
For a first-time-on-any-screen actress, you did Ms. Vanderwaal a disservice by saying “She doesn’t have the skill as an actress to give us a sense that Stargirl has an inner life.” I’m not sure what you expected – maybe there was a distant memory of the book that portrayed Stargirl as somehow different than what came through on the screen.
You were and are not the intended audience for the movie – and you’re review stands out like a sore thumb amongst the rest.
I’d suggest watching it again, forget the Manic Pixie Girl comparison – and judge it not for it’s dissimilarities to the book, but for the lessons it gives to the viewers, and the unbridled selflessness of the lead character.
// I wish you would have seen the same film I saw. //
But that’s the thing! People see things through their own lens, people have different opinions for all kinds of reasons. Some people despise movies I revere. Some people love books I hate. the list goes on. It’s all the same movie/book – we just all see different things, and my job as a critic is to write about my reaction.
I’m glad you liked it! I know a lot of people did!