The Children of Men - Book vs Movie

[Wynterhawk]

I thoroughly loved the movie. But I heard that the book went in an entirely different direction; even the woman that was pregnant wasn't the same in the book as was in the movie. Eh, I liked the story in the movie, and had no interest in the actual story that was in the book.

 

[trevanian]

The book was blah, the movie was the best SF piece of the century (well, top 2 anyway.)
Cuaron is a genius based on his visual treatment of POTTER 3 and this pic, can't wait to see more of his stuff (wish he was doing a Bond, if Clive Owen was playing 007 it would have already happened with Curaon and I'd be over the moon instead of in a brood till 2015 due to the horrid miscasting of buttugly Craig.)

1. What is your favorite sci-fi movie if CoM is 2?

2. Clive Owen is a horrible actor and would have made a horrible James Bond.

1. I would have told you but you had to put in #2.

 

[bigdaddy]

OK, I really don't care that much.

I'm now thinking about burning the book, it's that bad!

 

[AliciaD496]

It's funny, from all the replies here I feel like I must be the only one that likes the book.

I found the relationship between Xan and Theo to be kind of fascinating. I wish they had left that part in the movie in a way, show how Theo had fallen from the graces of the leaders of England. Xan was such a master manipulator and in the end falls because of his own huberis, expecting that Theo would submit to his demands for the child just because they had relationship as friends at one point. It's kind of poignant in a way that Theo would be the one to take his place as ruler, since he always did seem to come in second to Xan. I also liked the fact that both the parents of the child were people who the government would never have tested or expected to actually be able to have children because of their medical conditions. I was glad that Julian lived in the end as well. The whole Jasper back story was fleshed out in a more interesting way as well, although I liked the Jasper character in the movie better.

The movie was interesting in its own way. The atmosphere was much grittier, the whole immigrants being put away as prisoners and actually within plain sight of the common people. It seemed like they took the whole Isle of Mann prison colony idea and made it widespread all through out the isles. The story of the discovery of no children being born was told a lot better in the movie, you could hear the emotion in her voice and really feel the loneliness of the school that would likely never be used by children again. That and the visually stunning scenes at the prison camp made it a great movie.

Really, I liked both equally for different reasons. I admit I did see the movie first, so I couldn't help but picture Clive Owen as Theo as I read the book.

 

[trevanian]

OK, I really don't care that much.

I'm now thinking about burning the book, it's that bad!

I gave mine back to GoodWill but I felt bad for doing so.