Sunday, October 9, 2016

What is the difference between the book and movie versions of Wonder?

Movies are never as detailed as the book. There was many differences between the book and the movie. Many details were left out when adapting the book into a film.
One major detail that was left out of the film was how the family got another dog, Bear, after Daisy died.
Another detail that was removed from the film was Auggie’s hearing aid. Auggie’s hearing aids were a big part of the Nature Retreat when Auggie and the other boys were in a big brawl in the woods.
One minor detail that was adjusted in the film was the movie being shown at the Nature Retreat movie night. In the book, The Sound of Music was the feature presentation but in the movie it was The Wizard of Oz.


Adapting a book for the screen is a complex process, and there will inevitably be differences between any film adaptation of a novel and its source material. This is because novels and films are fundamentally different art forms. For example, film is a primarily visual form, whereas when reading a novel, the reader is responsible for conjuring images of the characters and events unfurling in their own mind. Below I will outline two of the important differences between Wonder the book and its film adaptation.
Auggie's Appearance
An important difference between these two works is the depiction of Auggie's appearance. In the novel, Auggie's appearance is alluded to in a manner that indicates to the reader that he looks extremely different from those around him. For example, it's noted that many people likely assume he was severely burned in a fire. During the opening of the book Auggie states, "I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”
In contrast, the film shows Auggie's appearance to the viewer. Some critics have taken issue with the choice to make Auggie's facial disfigurement less severe in the film than it's described in the novel. For example, Ariel Henley (2017) stated,

The prosthetics that Tremblay wears make Auggie difficult to look at, but not too difficult, allowing viewers to be more receptive to the film’s message of accepting those who look different—though not too different.

Structure
The novel explores various points of view, depicting characters surrounding Auggie and their relationships with him. Two of these characters are Auggie's sister Via and Via's friend Miranda. The film also explores multiple points of view but not in the detailed manner found in the book. This is understandable, as films have limited running time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/arts/wonder-movie-book.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/12/wonder-is-a-feel-good-movie-that-needed-more-realism/548828/

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