Comparison between The Twilight Movie and Book

Meyer wrote the Twilight book, which was published in 2005 and then adapted into a movie that drew in more viewers than readers. The movie’s main focus is romance, and it primarily targets kids, teens, and young adults who will love watching it (Kokkola, 166). Evidently, there have been a number of modifications made between the novel and the film, but certain sequences have remained the same. In fact, even the personalities and preferences of the key characters varied substantially. Some fictional events in the film are revealed to be impossible in fact, such as the airport sequence (Larry 2008). Nonetheless, the omission and inclusion of some scenes, changes in the timing of the primary conflict and distinctions about the characters, all bring an overall change in the Twilight and the viewers’ perception of the Twilight.

The broad plot of the book and the movie is the same in that Isabella moves with her father, Charlie to Forks and leaves the mother Renee who is married to baseball player (Meyer 1). Bella, the seventeen-year-old goes to a new high school in Forks where falls in love with a vampire, Edwards, setting the stage for the rest of the novel and movie with specific scenes changing in the film. In the movie, Bella and Charlie eat at the dinner a lot while in the book they mostly cook at home. The relationship of Bella and Edwards is presented quite differently in the movie. For example, in the book, when Edward takes Isabella out of his car, he does not touch her citing that the Midnight Sun he is unwilling to lose his self-control (Merskin 157). In the same scene in the movie, he slings his hand around Bella as a sign of expressing his love for her. In the book, Bella communicates to Edward that she knows he is a vampire in the car but in the movie, this happens in the meadow. This change in the movie makes the plot visually dynamic and appealing to the viewers such that it makes it memorable and precious. And in the book, Bella gets to know about Edward being a vampire from a website called Vampire A-Z while in the movie, she uses Google to find that information. Notably, in the film, none of them confess their love for each other but in the book they use, ‘I love you’ several times. This difference brings a distinction between fantasy and reality since in the movie progression of things is at it happens mostly in reality. Their first kiss in the book happens in the front door, but in the movie, it happens in the bedroom making it more cinematic and portraying Edward as kind gentlemen. Additionally, the personality of Bella changes from stubborn in the book to introverted and submissive in the film. Silver (122) suggests this scene in the movie portrays the patriarchal system of male dominance and does not appreciate the feminists’ movements’ fruits. As such, it denies the woman the strength and power to make a decision but this cinematic scene also speaks of the reality of today’s world and also the cultural effects of Meyer whose insight was significant in casting the movie (Driscoll 1).

In their relationship, when Edward decides to take Bella to meet his family, in the book, he shows her the house, they discuss the cross and also Edward sings her some lullaby. However, in the movie, Bella finds the family cooking Italian food, but when Edward states that Bella has already eaten and satisfied, Rosalie breaks the bowl. Also, in the book, Rosalie is absent in the scene, but this change serves to hasten the plot. The evolution also displays the disappointment that Rosalie expresses because Bella does not eat at their home. It also depicts the human aspect of the vampires since they have emotions that get hurt and expectations as well.

In the book, there is no scene of Edward bouncing the apple off his foot, but that happens in the movie while at the cafeteria Edward bounces the apple as it is seen on the novel cover. Maybe to legitimize the film and provide the connection it has with the book. In the film, all the Cullen family wear the family crest on an accessory positioned in their body, but this scene is absent in the book. This family crest helps the viewers see the unity and togetherness of the Cullen family and how together they attain their goals.

The central conflict in the Twilight is the relationship between Edward who is a vampire and Bella who is human. Edward is afraid that this relationship will put Bella’s life at risk while Bella, because of love, is unafraid of the possible danger. This conflict is further complicated because Edward smell’s Bella’s mortal blood and he can easily cause her death. Other vampires are also a threat to Bella’s life because they would seek to exterminate her. James is one threat who is tracking her to kill, and in the book, she disappears to hide from James, but in the movie, she is left alone when James succeeds in hurting her wrist badly although he wanted to kill her. This conflict is climaxed in the studio during the fight which in essence is the Trackers and the Cullen. In the book, the existence of other vampires and their impending danger to Bella’s life are introduced later in the book making it hard for the reader to see the full scope of events (Merskin 160). However, in the movie, the Trackers are introduced early and introduces necessary tension for the viewers and also creates suspense and sparkles interest. Also, in this primary conflict, a Biology class is presented instead of English to allow time for a Biology trip that serves to enable the time of condensing the explanation how Edward saved her life from a van crash.

In conclusion, the changes made between the book worked to condense the book into a movie without losing the underlying themes and significant conflict. With the movie, the scenes are more cinematic, and the visuals appeal to more people. The movie moves fast than the book.

Works Cited

Driscoll, Catherine. “Girl culture and the Twilight Franchise.” Genre, reception and adaptation in the Twilight series. Farnham: Ashgate (2012).

Kokkola, Lydia. “Virtuous vampires and voluptuous vamps: romance conventions reconsidered in Stephenie Meyer’s ”Twilight” Series.“ Children’s Literature in Education 42.2 (2011): 165-179.

Larry Carroll (2008-09-16). ’Twilight’ Tuesday: Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg Was Inspired By ’Brokeback Mountain’. MTV. Retrieved on 2017-10-18.

Merskin, Debra. ”A boyfriend to die for: Edward Cullen as compensated psychopath in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight.“ Journal of communication inquiry 35.2 (2011): 157-178.

Meyer, Stephenie. The twilight saga complete collection. Hachette UK, 2010.

Silver, Anna. ”Twilight is not good for maidens: gender, sexuality, and the family in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.“ Studies in the Novel 42.1 (2010): 121-138.