All The Bright Places : Book V Movie
- Lauren Crofts
- Jun 17, 2020
- 4 min read
It's important to speak to someone and seek help when feeling suicidal, if you need someone to talk to here are a few UK helplines :
Samaritans– for everyone
Call 116 123
Childline– for children and young people under 19
Call 0800 1111– the number will not show up on your phone bill
Call 0800 58 58 58– 5pm to midnight every day
If you are feeling suicidal :
Speak to someone, whether that be someone you trust or a GP : there is always help available.
This might seem impossible at the time but do something to keep the thoughts at bay, something that you like or a hobby you might enjoy.
Call 111 : They can give good advice and help you through the emotions you are feeling.
Always feel free to email : onlaurensmind@gmail.com I always try to be there for people when I can and have personal experience with suicidal thoughts, it will be okay.
Buckle up, this review might get brutal... ( WARNING : Spoilers and suicidal content)
I enjoyed both the film and book, however there is a lot to delve into regarding the differences. I read the book before I watched the movie, which probably doesn't help me give a non biased review. But here it goes.
Let's start with what All The Bright Places is about. Two teenagers meet, both trying to get through very personal, tragic situations. The two must complete a project together about the wonders of Indiana. On their Journeys across the state, the two get closer and take a look into the other persons life, and see that they are both dealing with grief and pain. The two characters, Violet and Finch, fall in love, and Violet is pulled into Finch's world. Finch goes through 'dark moods', which is an undiagnosed mental illness, Violet tries her best to get him through these dark times but she can't save him. Its a story of love, pain and tragedy, it's worth reading the book and watching the movie.
Now onto the films differences to the book. Firstly, it failed to bring the side characters to light. Violets ex boyfriend, Ryan, is featured rather a lot in the novel but in the film he's not even involved. For the other characters there is Roamer, the horrible bully in the book and the main cause of Finch's mental condition, possible bipolar, neither one of those subjects are mentioned in the film, and all Roamer does is say one mean thing to Finch. Mean girl Amanda isn't shown as much either, and isn't nearly as rude as she is in the book.
A big plot that isn't shown in the film is Finch's dad, according to Finch, him and his sister haven't had contact with him for years, where as in the novel, he sees him weekly, and it even ends in violence a few times, thus aiding to Finch's mental health deteriorating.
I will say that the casting was brilliant. I couldn't picture anyone but Elle Fanning to play Violet, she did an incredible job. Her performance was so raw and beautiful, especially when she was searching for Finch, screaming for him, it gave me goosebumps. Justice Smith's acting blew me away as well, the way he portrayed losing himself to the darkness was so well done that I found myself getting lost in the scene, both did a terrific job.
I found Violet to be a lot less annoying in the film which I liked. I sympathise with her as she's going through such enormous grief with losing her sister. But in the book it always felt like she didn't try hard enough with Finch, not in relation to his mental health, but towards him as a person, it seemed she was embarrassed of him, and she was quite judgmental, at least in the beginning. Although she continues to be annoyed with his personality, like she almost wants to change him.
One of the signs that a person is suicidal are sudden changes they make. A key point that is missed out in the movie is Finch paining his room blue, he starts to but doesn't finish it, the scene is completely brushed over, like it's not an important one. To compare, in the novel Finch paints his entire room blue, even the ceiling, he then moves all his furniture, until his room becomes bare. Violet picks up on this and becomes worried, and it's one of the first events to happen on Finch's path to suicide.
Speaking of his suicidal behaviour, Finch actually swallows pills as his first attempt to kill himself, he changes his mind and tries to throw them up, then goes to the hospital alone. This particular occurrence in the novel is major, it gives the reader some hope that maybe Finch wants to live and will seek help. We know that isn't the case as he commits suicide at the end, but nevertheless it's something that should have been involved in the film, it is a prominent incident that shows the audience how Finch is coping.
My final point to make is regarding The Shoe Tree scene. We see this take place very early on in the movie, whereas in the book, it occurs at the end. I was quite disappointed when this happened as it is a significant moment in the book. When Violet goes to The Shoe Tree, it is after Finch has died, she hangs a pair of her sisters shoes up and a pair of her own, when she has done so, that is when she sees Finch's shoes. This one moment was so emotional for me, it was a sign that Theodore Finch really did exist, he was on that earth, he was there, and now he wasn't. It just didn't have the same affect seeing Violet and Finch do this in the beginning of the movie.
Overall the film was very emotional, a good watch, but if you compare it to the book, it is a bit of a let down.
Film Rating : 5/10 comparing the two, otherwise a 6/10
Goodreads book rating : 4/5
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