#meg's thoughts

[blueeyedgrlwrites]

Alright kids. I spent 24 straight hours watching RWRB on loop (not kidding). And the only reason it wasn't more was because my dog decided to lay on the remote and turn the TV off late last night. She got glared at rather harshly for all of 3 seconds before my rational brain kicked in and told me, "Yes, Meg, you do actually need to sleep. You are closer to 40 than 20."

So with that, as I once again rewatch the RWRB movie, let's have some thoughts on book to movie adaptations from a fandom grandma, shall we?

First, Casey's book is beloved by so many and for all the right reasons. They gave us an iconically beautiful and unapologetic queer love story with characters that you love, get frustrated with, laugh both at and with, cheer for, and roll your eyes at as they stumble around figuring out this whole queer-in-the-public-eye thing and I don't care who you are, I'd imagine that's going to be tough for any public figure at any age.

Casey also gives us fleshed out and sometimes interwoven storylines with June, Nora, Pez, Luna, Bea, et al. Because writing allows for that to develop. There's no time or page limit on a book. The only limit to the book is the writer's imagination. It's an artistic medium that allows for more intricacies and interactions between the various characters (looking at Alex and Ellen and the PowerPoint, and Alex and Bea and "I love him on purpose").

I loved the book first, and I will continue to love the book above all else.

But book to movie adaptations are never going to be the same. They simply can't be the same. They have a finite amount of time to fill. They can't develop intricate storylines, which is why we see no June, no Luna, little of Percy, Alex's parents being married instead of divorced, nothing on Bea's addiction, and why we have little bastards like Miguel to still fill the main event that brings both Alex and Henry out into the public as their true, authentic selves.

The best book to movie adaptations are those that stay true to the plot. It's going to be faster paced because there's 2-2.5 hours in which to tell the story and all the main events have to be hit in that time. It's why we see the texting montage, and why the emails are done via voice over.

They honor the characters by not only keeping them as they are in the books, but in doing right by them as well. That includes casting the right people, and Taylor and Nick were far and away the best Alex and Henry.

Any creator who has ever created anything based on a book, movie, TV series, video game, etc. knows that when you take something that is already out there, you put your vision to the story. And that's what Matthew did with the movie. He made it his love letter to Henry and Alex, and Henry and Alex only. And while he surely had input from Casey, ultimately it was his vision that had to be realized in the movie.

Movie adaptations can also give you some wonderful added moments. And here we get to see Henry's struggle as well as Alex's. Because movies can be told from different points of view, even if the source material isn't. Ellen's powerpoint wasn't included, but it was referenced and that is just as important.

So many moments, from Alex and Henry's first kiss, to the conversation with Alex's dad, to Henry's soliloquy to Alex in the middle of the night at KP are still pulled word-for-word straight from the book.

We may not have "I love him on purpose." But we do have, "I'll break the sound barrier for you."

We don't get "Your Song" but we do get "Can't Help Falling in Love" and both are equally appropriate for what Alex and Henry have.

We get to keep, "history huh? Bet we could make some."

And we get to see Henry fight for himself and question why the established norms of a 21st century monarchy need to continue the way they've always been, rather than have his mum swoop in and save the day. And that is fucking brilliant character growth my friends.

No movie is ever going to be a scene by scene rehash of a book, no matter how beloved it is, and no matter how enthusiastically all of us shout that we would absolutely sit for a 10 hour movie of every little thing TYVM. But as long as it is there to be an ode to the original, to compliment it, then that's all you can ask for. And it's all you should ask for.

[feyhunter78]

So I noticed all I’ve written for Elrond x reader is smut (which I’m not upset about obvi) but it begs the question? Would y’all want to see some fluff or angst???

[waka-chan-out]

time to spend a thousand years looking through my Three Hundred and Eleven drafts to find that damn lucifer angst draft that i forgot to move to an independent document

[ashitshowforalot]

OFFICIAL PICTURES WHEN

[ophii]

they got caught in a storm

[chrollohearttags]

this whole Drake situation is the equivalent to when the popular kid got exposed for sum and everybody starts to turn on him like ‘I always knew he was weird’ after enabling their shitty behavior for years lmao. Grown ass niggas acting like high school.

[moodyseal]

TOApril Day 6 - Hair Holds Memories

Meg's hair is one of my favourite characteristics of hers because its growth is so intrinsically tied to her freedom of choice and the memories of her loved ones. I'll never forgive Nero for taking that freedom away from her 😭

[hitinmiss]

The soriku and the Hercules/Meg parallels ALWAYS hit huh

[thoughtkick]

It’s funny how you can go for a long time in life not needing someone, and then you meet them and you suddenly need them all the time.

Meg Wolitzer, Belzhar

[choconoru]

Lester doodles :D

[feyhunter78]

So I’m kinda thinking about doing that little SFW and maybe the NSFW alphabet for Elrond???? I know people have done it already but it can’t hurt to have more right?

[burstingsunrise]

now i don't wanna close my eyes 🖤🤍

[meggie-moo]

karkat is so deeply obsessed with all of his friends, and it’s great because they are all deeply obsessed with him back

[literallyjusttoa]

I am a “Meg and Apollo’s master/servant bond evolved into something a lot like an empathy link post their dip into Chaos in TDP” truther and I will be till the day I die.

[quotefeeling]

The term "forgive and forget" doesn't make sense to me. Forgiving does allow us to stop dwelling on an issue, which isn't always healthy. But if we forget, we don't learn from our mistakes.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

[forestofsprites]

as if everything that women suffered through in supernatural wasn’t enough, it was ALWAYS with a full face of makeup and absolutely pristine hair. girl you are being roasted on your infant son’s ceiling at 2am but i’m happy to say that you awoke with your eyeliner and lipstick looking absolutely gorgeous<3