The Laramie Project Movie Vs Play

It is very common in society for movies to be made from popular works of literature. This then sparks a debate of which was better. With a younger audience, most people tend to choose the movie, however, more literate people always chose the book. The Laramie Project written by Moises Kaufman is a play based off of interviews with people who experienced the devastating event in Laramie, Wyoming. A young man was beaten within an inch of death and then left to die because he was gay. The play includes interviews from a large group of locals, which provides many unique perspectives of the events. The play was then turned into a movie in 2002. After reading the play and seeing the movie, I determined that, overall, that reading the original play

has a greater effect on the audience.
I have always preferred books to movies.

In the specific case of The Laramie Project, I feel the book provides more freedom for the reader. With a book, there is often just descriptions of characters and then the reader gets to imagine what the characters look like. Having the ability to design the characters makes it easier for the reader to relate to the book. With movies, one only gets the see the directors vision of the performance. For example, in the movie, Doc O’Conner is played by Steve Buscemi, a white male in his middle 50s. When I first read the book, I imagined Doc as a black male in his 70s, like a grandfather figure. I found the casting choice enjoyable, but it was not how I had imagined. This then created a distance between me and the movie. It was not how I imagined it so it seemed incorrect, which made the events seem more

unreal.
Another reason the book is better is that it makes the events seem more real.

In school, you often read research and then at home you watch television. Reading is more associated with educational purposes, and television with entertainment. When I read the play, it felt real. I was reading interviews with real people, about real events. The book, because of its strong grasp of reality, then made the events more powerful because the felt more like reality. When watching the movie, the mind can easily disconnect by thinking it is just a movie. It does not enhance the fact the everything being seen in the movie actually happened. Although it is actors on the screen, they are representing real people, who experience the sadness and trauma of the events. Emotions are also easier to be read than seen. When reading, one’s brain creates the tone. Words are associated with tones, so when reading a very intense sentence, the mind makes the dialogue more dramatic. Thus, making the reading more climatic. When the police play the tape of Aaron McKinney after he was arrested, he gives a detailed description of what he did and why he did it. In the movie, Aaron relays the details with a hint of despair, in my head Aaron gave the same responses but with a more sinister tone. To me this had a greater effect than the movie. It made me more agitated at Aaron, instead of the movie trying to produce more guilt. Emotions are what make watching and reading so enjoyable, and in the play, emotions

are better expressed.
This performance covers a huge issue in society today, acceptance of sexuality. In society, today people are often judged, discriminated or even harmed because of their sexuality. In this particular piece, Matthew Shepherd is killed by two boys because he was gay. The murders reasoning is “they don’t like gay people”. Too many people in the world today believe that is a valid reason. This play is done in order to show that these people exist. It is very effective in making people see and understand there is a problem. I prefer the book to the movie; however, I believe the movie would have more of an effect on society. Today people are so engaged in technology and almost everyone has access to television. The movie is more accessible, it can be easier seen by mass audiences which causes a bigger reaction. People tend to have short attention span. It is easy to mentally check out and watch a movie. The important part about the overall work is the message. As long as the message is received then the work has been effective. Whether one is watching or reading a similar effect will be had. Change must be made, and this performance does just that.