Blink on Crime Exclusive - The Lovely Bones

Blink has done a report on the new movie adaptation of the book by Alice Sebold, "The lovely Bones". She so beautifully brought it back around to all missing and murdered children... I thought you might be interested to read it.

I recently downloaded this book to my Kindle and have just begun reading it.

Blink on Crime Exclusive: The Lovely Bones - Suzie Salmon

Posted by Blink
Tuesday 12 January 2010 9:26 pm

Norristown, PA– ..” My name is Salmon, like the fish..”



In honor of this Fridays premier of the film, The Lovely Bones; a screenplay adaptation of the New York Times Bestselling novel by Alice Sebold, I bring you an interview with it’s deceased heroine.

Fictional fourteen year old rape and murder victim, Suzie Salmon, spoke fictionally to blinkoncrime about her break out role:

“I would rather be attending my High School with Ruth and Ray, but Holly and I have infinity edition Cosmopolitan here..”

With regard to it’s subject matter, this is the single most emotion invoking book I have ever read. I am not talking about the many publications that I have devoured that have shaped my Blink Gumbie.

I am talking about my awakening as a new Mother, to the atrocities that I needed to protect my children from.

I had no idea.

Read the rest:http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/01/12/blink-on-crime-exclusive/#comments

Snaz, thanks for posting this. I have been awaiting the release of this movie. I read the book a few years ago and I'm happy to forward it on to anyone that would like to read it. I've been reading critic's reviews of the film, directed by Peter Jackson (Lord of The Rings), and I am disappointed by so many of the harsh reviews.

Here is just one:
"Readers will be frustrated; newcomers to the story may wonder why what is now essentially a serial-killer thriller includes so many scenes of a heaven that looks like a gumdrop-colored hobbit shire, a magical place of fanciful special effects.

In Jackson's simplified, sweetened, and CGI-besotted telling, The Lovely Bones is a sad-but-hopeful, dramatic-but-gentle fairy tale intentionally made less upsetting for teens. (There's no indication that Susie gets raped, as she does in the novel, and her murder occurs off screen.)"

What do these critics want? An explicit brutal rape and murder of a trusting 14 year old? That is just sick if that's what was expected. That is just fodder for all the sickos out there. I think we can "get" what happened to Susie.

The book was an emotional roller coaster. And, we all know a screen adaptation of a book is always somewhat different. This is about an unspeakable tragedy and the road to healing for a family.

I wasn't sure where to post this, but another book that was transpired into a movie: Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison. I recommend watching this movie.

Set in the rural South, this tale centers around the Boatwright family, a proud and closeknit clan known for their drinking, fighting, and womanizing. Nicknamed Bone by her Uncle Earle, Ruth Anne is the bastard child of Anney Boatwright, who has fought tirelessly to legitimize her child. When she marries Glen, a man from a good family, it appears that her prayers have been answered. However, Anney suffers a miscarriage and Glen begins drifting. He develops a contentious relationship with Bone and then begins taking sexual liberties with her. Embarrassed and unwilling to report these unwanted advances, Bone bottles them up and acts out her confusion and shame. Unaware of her husband's abusive behavior, Anney stands by her man. Eventually, a violent encounter wrests Bone away from her stepfather. In this first novel, Allison creates a rich sense of family and portrays the psychology of a sexually abused child with sensitivity and insight.

Jena Malone should have received double Oscars for her portrayal of little "Bone".

Both of these books sound good. Thanks Piper. I haven't read a good book in ages. Now that most of the kids are grown I can pick one up once in awhile.

I saw the movie today.

Piper wrote:I saw the movie today.

So what did you think? I heard the movie was disappointing... compared to the book. But then, that is not uncommon.

I am in the process of reading the book now.

I haven't read the book but I did see the movie. Tasha & I both liked the movie.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I couldn't believe how bad Roger Ebert blasted it. Here is how he starts his review.

"The Lovely Bones" is a deplorable film with this message: If you're a 14-year-old girl who has been brutally raped and murdered by a serial killer, you have a lot to look forward to. You can get together in heaven with the other teenage victims of the same killer, and gaze down in benevolence upon your family members as they mourn you and realize what a wonderful person you were. Sure, you miss your friends, but your fellow fatalities come dancing to greet you in a meadow of wildflowers, and how cool is that?

Read the rest: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100113/REVIEWS/100119992

I thought the movie was excellent, sorry for my short post!
I felt it pretty much followed the book, but without the gruesome details. I thought the narration by Susie was lovely and kind of haunting. The scenes of life in the "blue", the in between, were incredible. Roger Ebert can kiss my behind, LOL. It was heartbreaking to see her watch her family suffer and go on in their own ways without Susie in their lives. As far as the other murdered "teens" he mentioned, the youngest was six. I felt the movie needed to take a tender approach, and it did. You hardly recognize Stanley Tucci playing the child rapist, killer. He's very creepy indeed. It really had an effect on me seeing the other children in the dream like world, but it really brings the story together in the end. Confirming that he is indeed a serial rapist child killer. I also thought Grandma, Susan Sarandon's character, was a little over the top. But overall, I felt they did a wonderful job with it. It's too bad all of the critics are slamming it. You cannot possibly follow a book like that word for word.

I went to Amazon and read the reviews for the book and bought it. There were so many books that I would like to read that I had to get off of there. The movie is never as good as the book and I for one if I were going to watch a movie like that would be glad that the "attacks" were toned down.

Saoirse Ronan Defends Peter Jackson's Decision To Censor The Lovely Bones
Irish actress SAOIRSE RONAN has praised moviemaker PETER JACKSON for his decision not to show the rape and murder of her character in his adaptation of ALICE SEBOLD's bestseller THE LOVELY BONES.

Jackson and his co-producer wife Fran Walsh have came under fire from fans of the book for failing to depict Ronan's tragic Susie Salmon falling victim to the horrific act.

Ronan agreed with their decision - and admits she is baffled by anybody wanting to watch the harrowing scene.

She says, "To be honest, I really don't know why anyone would want to see a 14-year-old girl raped in a movie and killed.

"I feel very strongly about this. That's certainly not the type of movie that... (we) wanted to make. And Peter Jackson or not, that was not the kind of movie that I would want to be in. Plus, Susie actually runs away from her murder so the story is fuelled by that. By her going on this journey to trying to understand what happened to her body.

"That scene is very, very intense. So I think if we had put something else in, anything else, it would have completely overwhelmed the story."

--IANS-WENN

http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-33018.html

I loved the book - i loved the movie - hands down. I saw the movie opening day (before I knew there was a book) and then I got the book just 3 days later (and finished it in 2 days...) Had I read the book first (as I normally do) I think I still would have appreciated the movie - yes, there are some "weird" parts about the "blue", but it was a 14 yr old's vision of what heaven might be like - so what else is to be expected?? On opening day, i can't tell you how many young teen girls were there to see the movie - there were ALOT!! Susie's murder was handled with class and dignity - if those critics want the blood and gore, then i would suggest to them to read the book, because it certainly painted a more explicit rendition of her rape and murder. They also portrayed the murderer very well - a normal man by all outward appearances - as so many of them are... I hope what Peter Jackson has done is to open the eyes of so many young "tweens" and teens to the odd behavior of men around them and maybe those young girls will look back to this character and in doing so, save their own life...

Does anyone have my copy of The Lovely Bones book? I can't remember who I mailed it to. If you have it, I'd love for you to forward it back to me, I'll pay the postage. I have a friend that would like to read it. If not, I'll just pick up another copy. No problem, thank you in advance