Book vs. Movie: The Beach

I recently picked up The Beach, by Alex Garland, out of a neighbor's free book box on the curb. And once I started reading it, I couldn't really put it down.

On the surface, this is a book I would never normally choose. The themes (backpacker culture, travel, Asia, drugs, insanity) are not my usual cuppa. But I always figure if a book inspired someone to make a film out of it, it can't be that bad.

And it wasn't bad, it was great. It was complicated, so much so that I wished I were back in college to have a literature professor help me understand it all and a class full of peers to discuss it with.

After finishing it, I was desperate to see the movie. I raced to the library to get there before it closed, and they didn't have it! (Shouldn't that be against library rules? If there is a movie based on a novel, the library should be required to carry that movie, no?) Don't worry, I got it at the local video store.

So, the movie. SUCKS. No, not really, but compared to the book? Well, I guess I should know better. Had I seen the movie first, maybe. Maybe I would've thought, "Hm, what an interesting movie. I should go read the book!" But it never works that way. Once I've seen the movie I cannot work up a single ounce of interest in reading the book.

I understand that changes must be made to fit a novel-length story into a couple of hours. But the changes in this movie were so egregious and unnecessary and untrue to the spirit of the book... it was just not forgivable. I was curious about the author's opinion of the movie and he's been quoted as saying, "It's shit."

I should also mention that I kind of super love Leonardo DiCaprio. I know, he looks like he's all of twelve years old, but whatever, shut up, I loooove him. So if I'm still saying the movie is bad? Well, I'm sorry Leo, but it is.

Since I don't make it to the movies nearly as often as I would like (read: never) I guess it's good thing that the books are almost* always better.

*Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men being a ginormous exception.