Poor adaptation -- read the book

Rating: 2/10 (29 November 2004)

I can only think of one movie adaptation of a great novel that was worse than this film, and that is "The Color Purple". They both suffer from similar problems. Both novels focus on the internal experiences and perceptions of the main characters, and rather than doing something creative, the film-makers simply tell the story and leave out the point of view. In the novel the entire story is told from the point of view of one of the patients. Sometimes he is drugged, sometimes he is in a fog and sometimes he's thinking clearly. To the reader it is as if you are experiencing being incarcerated in the asylum. All of this is lost in the movie. I really recommend reading the book and forgetting about the movie. Or at least read the book FIRST, you'll thank me later.