The Talented Mr. Ripley is a crime fiction novel by Patricia Highsmith that was adapted into a movie in 1999 by director Anthony Minghella. Both the book and movie follow Tom Ripley through Europe after he is asked by Richard (Dickie) Greenleaf’s father to convince Dickie to return home to America. The most crucial aspect of the story’s plotline is the exposition because in order to truly understand Mr. Ripley and his actions throughout the novel the audience has to have a strong background knowledge to his character. Both versions of the story provide an adequate introduction, however due to the time constraint the movie is missing important information that contributes the atmosphere presented in the book. To make up for this the director …show more content…
changed the events an added a character in an attempt to show Tom’s personality and provide an explanation for his later actions. In spite of his attempts Minghella failed in creating an exposition that provides the same insights and knowledge that the book does. The Talented Mr. Ripley begins with Mr. Herbert Greenleaf asking Tom if he will go to Europe to convince Dickie to come home. In both the book and movie this scene takes place but is executed differently. In the book Mr. Greenleaf hears about Tom from another family and follows him into a bar then approaches him but in the movie Mr. Greenleaf approaches him at a party. The director had to change the scene because having Mr. Greenleaf follow Tom, as well as the introduction and explanation of how he knew him, would have taken a lot longer. The way the director chose to change the scene consequently makes it unrealistic. Mr. Greenleaf also only approaches Tom because “Mr. Greenleaf: You were at Princeton, most likely you’ll know our son, Dick. Dickie Greenleaf Mrs. Greenleaf: I couldn’t help noticing your Jacket.” (Minghella) This shows that the Greenleafs have no idea who Dickie is and that the only basis for asking him to go to Europe to find Dickie is that he was wearing a Princeton jacket. They do not know if he is trustworthy or even if he actually knows Dickie. The book version is a lot more true to reality because Mr. Greenleaf tells Tom that “the Schrievers spoke very highly of you, and thought you might have some influence on Richard if you were to write to him.” (Highsmith 11) This shows that Mr. Greenleaf had heard good things about Tom, making him come to the conclusion that he would be trustworthy in addition to knowing that he actually knew Dickie. Although the director still puts this important scene in the movie he makes it quick and causes the audience to think about how unlikely that is to happen in the real world. Another thing that is different from the book is the reason why Tom would leave America for Europe. As previously stated in the above paragraph the movie presents Tom as barely knowing who Dickie is leaving the reader questioning why he would be go to Europe to talk Dickie into returning to America? If the audience stops to think about it most people wouldn’t say yes to Mr. Greenleaf if he just randomly approached them at a party. In the book the fact that Tom lives in a lackluster house and does not have a steady job would explain why he would be inclined to say yes to Mr. Greenleaf. The movie shows that his job but removes Tom’s living conditions. “The smelly john down the hall that didn’t lock, that grimy room single room that looked as if it had lived in by a thousand people who had left behind their particular kind of filth.” (Highsmith 16) is how Tom describes his home. This shows that he has a reason to leave America. Knowing this, a majority, if not all, people stuck in his position would be easily persuaded into accepting a stranger’s offer because they have nothing to lose. In addition to living in an undesirable location another reason why someone would be so eager to leave is if they didn’t have a job. In the book the audience learns that this applies to Tom when he is thinking to himself “What was he himself doing with his life? Living from week to week. No bank account.” This occurs when he is having his initial conversation with Mr. Greenleaf. Tom thinks about how he isn’t really living a meaningful life in America, therefore Mr. Greenleaf asking him to go to Europe is a fantastic opportunity. In the movie it shows him working in a theatre cleaning men’s suits in the restroom which also would give him some reason to go. However the way it is shown does not portray the same feelings in the audience that the book does. The book allows the reader to really sympathize with Tom’s mediocre life whereas the movie you just get glimpse that makes his life look somewhat enjoyable. The last aspect of the exposition that the movie lacks in is introducing Tom’s character. By the time Tom travels to Europe, in the book, the reader knows a lot about his personality, as compared to the movie where the audience is left with less of a grasp as to who Tom Ripley is. In the book his personality is shown through his interaction with a character name Cleo and his impersonation of a man named George McAlpin. In the movie the director tries to replace both Cloe and the impersonation by having Tom interact with a women named Meredith. In the book the interaction with Cleo allows the reader to see that Tom Ripley is a very friendly person and also encourages the reader to identify with him. He narrates that “Cleo is the only person he could tell that he was going to Europe and why” (Highsmith 31). This shows that although he doesn’t have many friends he still has one person that he can share his life experiences with. This makes him relatable because that’s really what the majority of people want in their lives, a close friend who they can spend time with without judgement or expectation. The other event that was cut from the movie shows the darker side of his personality. Tom is pretending to be George McAlpin and sending out letters to people telling them they owe money to the bank. Although he succeeds in getting people to send checks to him he cannot cash them because they have made them out to the bank so he says “it amounted to no more than a practical joke. He wasn’t stealing money from anybody” (Highsmith 19). This makes his actions seem less criminal to the reader however it also shows that Tom can rationalize impersonating and manipulating people. The book does a good job of showing who Tom is. On the other hand the director tries to show these same traits in a shorter time frame by having Tom interact with Meredith on his way to Europe. She talks to him and he acts very friendly in a joking and playful way. But he introduces himself as Dickie Greenleaf and she responds “Meredith: Did they put your cases in the wrong pile? You were in the “R” stand. I thought I saw you there. Dickie: My father wants me back in New York. He builds boats, I’d rather sail them. So I travel under my mother’s name.” (Minghella) This shows that Tom is not afraid to pretend he is Dickie instead of himself and provides a background for the future conflict of the story. Although it is a good attempt to provide Tom with the friendly but manipulative personality it does it rather briefly and does not allow the reader to fully understand him. In addition to this the way it is shown also gives too much of the later conflict away. The way Highsmith introduces Tom’s character allows the reader to see the kind of person he is, whereas the movie leaves the audience in confusion as to why he would introduce himself as Dickie. Therefore the book provides a better introduction of Dickie so that the rest of his actions can be indirectly traced back to how he acted in the beginning of the novel. The beginning that Highsmith wrote starts the story off with a stronger foundation than the movie adaptation does.
The movie introduces Tom and the story but lacks in creating a strong foundation for the story to build upon. It also lacks in presenting Tom as a character that the audience can identify with. In the movie Mr. Greenleaf does not have a reason to ask Tom specifically to go to Europe for him and Tom does not have a true motive to say yes. Also Tom’s personality is only presented briefly and this hinders the audience’s ability to sympathize with his actions. In contrast Highsmith creates a strong base for the story and a full personality for Tom. She does this in writing about how he lives in a grotesque house and doesn’t have a job as well as how he is impersonating George McAlpin. She writes about Tom in a way that forces the reader to sympathise and relate to him because if the reader were in his exact situation they would be likely to make the same decisions. As a result of this sympathy early on the reader is more likely to continue to sympathize with him later on in the novel when he commits horrendous crimes. She causes the reader to gain an understanding of how someone as sociopath as Tom thinks and feels and allows one to identify with some of his
traits.
I enjoyed the book Medicine River, by Thomas King as well as the movie, which was based on the book. Although there were profound differences between the two, they were both pleasantly constructed. Having been instructed to read the book first, I was able to experience the full effect of the story and the message that the author intended for his readers. Although the book and the movie clearly relayed the same story, I would’ve better enjoyed the movie if it had included more incidents from the book, such as the visit from Harlen Bigbear’s estranged brother, and the ‘bridge jump’. I also wish the producer would have incorporated the many flashbacks that the main protagonist, Will, had from his youth. For example, the letters written by his father to his mother; the stories about his mother and her best friend; and the relationship with his brother James, namely, the childhood pranks that they played on one another. I am, however, aware of the time constraints involved when producing a motion picture, and I realize that the script had to be somewhat altered considering the medium at hand.
...t through, the director wanted to show that they were also bad times for his doting mother and his concerned brother. In particular, Tom led to very emotional times after he was shot by the rival gang, burns and was hospitalized (Wellman, “The Public Enemy”). One particular scene that the director of the movie included is that of Tom beating his wife with grapes. The director indicated over media interviews that he added the scene from what he faces at home especially when dealing with his wife.
At the beginning, Tom is very self-centered and preoccupied with his work. He finds what he wants to do more important than what his wife wants to do that night. Once faced with the reality of death, he realizes how important his wife is to him. This forces him to be strong and stay alive, for her sake. The only reason he made it back into his house was because of how much he cared for her. Tom then decides to go find her at the movies, which shows that he has become less self-centered and more aware of his wife’s feelings.
The movie of Of Mice and Men had many differences while still giving the same message that the book was portrayed to have. One of the major differences was that Candy never came into the room when Lennie and Crooks were talking to each other. This was major because Crooks never found out that the plan was true about the little house. In the book after he heard Candy talk about it he wanted to get in on the deal. Also the movie it never showed Lennie have his illusions of his Aunt Carla and the rabbits when he was waiting by the pond.
The first similarity between the two pieces of work is the hollowness in mankind referred to by the poem. In the novel there are two main characters that depict such hollowness. The antagonistic character of Tom Buchanan represents the ruthless and careless American whose dream is to use women and acquire money. In addition he has no respect towards others which creates pain for people around him. An example of this is when Myrtle repeatedly uttered his wife's name which was Daisy. Tom took this as an insult and viciously punched her in the nose. He never took into consideration that hitting a women is uncivilized. Another quality he has is to flaunt his wealth in other peoples' faces. This can be seen when he takes Nick around his colossal house. Tom wants others to feel jealous of his riches, when he is actually jealous of the others around him. Thus revealing his emptiness of heart and spirit. His hypocritical remarks show his hollowness towards other. During the climatic scene in the plaza hotel he said 'I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to you wife.(137)'; He doesn't take into account that he has been doing the same thing with Myrtle and plenty of other ladies. Another hollow character in the novel is Daisy. Daisy portrays the conceite...
Ken Kesey's award-winning novel, "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", was adapted into a film in 1975 written and directed by New York City native Bo Goldman and Czech director Milos Forman. Towards the end of the novel and film, Chief Bromden escapes from the ward. This scene is conveyed differently in the novel and film; however, there are evident similarities between each form of media. This scene is important to the plot because it wraps up the entire storyline. In the film and novel, similarities within Chief Bromden’s escape from the ward include the way Chief escaped, how he couldn't hear anyone in the ward due to being deaf, and how McMurphy assisted Bromden with gaining his confidence to lift the panel and throw it through the window. McMurphy essentially changed Bromden to help him break out of the asylum and back into the real world.
In the first few chapters of the book, we can already see just how spoiled Tom becomes due to his indulgent lifestyle. While Chambers is being fed “mush and milk,” Tom is being spooned “delicacies” with no limits (Twain 17). This leads Tom to always getting what he wants and bullying those who don’t comply to his rules. Although I might have thought this pampered lifestyle would fashion Tom into a strong and credible young man, much like a prince grows into the leader of a kingdom, it ended up ruining him into a weak and almost sickly child, with a character to match. Because Tom was always being ushered his life on a silver platter without lifting a finger, he later develops into someone who is unable to look after himself and solve his own problems. Later on in the book, we can most clearly see the effect of Tom’s upbringing onto himself after Roxy admits to Tom his true herita...
Tom and Dennard were able to express what it’s like to be a Euro American and African American males. The attitude that was showed by Tom in the film was eagerness, because all he knew was white identity and never really focused on how people of color felt about the society that we live in. After having conversations with Dennard, Tom came to believe that he didn’t know being a black man was very complex, because he wasn’t in the shoes of Dennard. Tom begin to look at his inner self and hoping to change his world view of what he have
The reader sees how much Gatsby wishes for Daisy and their past relationship, but Tom has become an issue through his wealth, power, and social status. Gatsby knows that he has to eclipse Tom’s appeal to Daisy in some way and that he would need money for this. This gets him into the illegal actions of bootlegging. In the end of the novel, the reader realizes the sign...
The author continuously characterizes Tom in a way that makes the readers deride him and not want to follow the example of his like. For example, after Tom's wife takes all their valuables and tries to strike a bargain with the devil as Tom won't do it himself, Tom goes looking for her. The reader sees that he doesn't really care about her as much as he cares about the valuables: "He leaped with joy; for he recognized his wife's apron, and supposed it to contain the household valuables"(263). That shows that he is really greedy and ruthless; no one wants to follow someone portrayed like that. Furthermore, Tom had evidence that his wife was fighting with the devil when she tried to strike that bargain. The passage that provides his reaction has a satirical tone: "He shrugged his shoulders, and he looked at the signs of a fierce clapper clawing."Egad," said he to himself, "Old scratch must have had a tough time if it!" Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property, with the loss of his wife"(264). Contrasting words like fierce and prowess, which are serious words, with words like clapper clawing, egad and old scratch, Irving highlights...
Tom is perhaps the most vain and inhuman of the characters, always lusting after more of the forbidden fruit, never having his full share. Even when the knowledge of it reaches his wife, Tom still returns to his cuckolding ways. Early in the book when Daisy explains how unhappy her life truly is, she describes the feeling she had after the birth of her first daughter saying, “Well, she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where. I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling...” (31). In that moment readers are finally privy to the ugly, greedy, truth that is Tom, out philandering for pleasures purely his own, while his wife gives birth to their child.
...nd Mr. Greenleaf. Though Tom already knows he has gained Marge's trust, his sociopath, anti-social attitude comes out in San Spiridone. “He felt more frightened that night, walking through San Spiridone with Marge, than if he had been alone.” (222) He feels more frightened when having a possible connection with Marge than he did when violently murdering Dickie or Freddie. However, if he could pull off being Dickie around Marge, I wonder if he would feel the same way? That would be an ideal situation for Tom. “He wanted to see Greece as Dickie Greenleaf with Dickie's money, Dickie's clothes, Dickie's way of behaving with strangers.” (172) With the realization that this could not happen comes the strongest emotion out of Tom, “Tears came in his eyes as he stared up at the campanile of the cathedral, and then he turned away and began to walk down a new street.” (172)
Tom Wingfield is a determined young man. He has decided against everyone else in his family's wishes that he wants to leave the dismal life of a factory job, to pursue a chance in the Merchant Marines. He realizes that he would be running off like his father and this is probably the only thing that kept him from leaving this long. Amanda, Tom's mother, deep down knows the day is coming that Tom will leave. She says "But not till there's someone to take your place." She wants Laura, if not herself to be taken care of. At that moment in the play Tom is the breadwinner in the family and up to this point Tom is the underpriviledged child that wants to move on. He wants to pursue his dream, a more adventurous life. Tom was a likable character until we find out he didn't pay the electric bill with the intended money. When Jim is over and he says "I paid my dues this month, instead of the light bill". At this point, Tom becomes a more selfish character. There is less sympathy given in his direction. In fact, this is probably where we feel a little more sorry for Amanda.
Part of Tom’s desire to leave is this treatment at the hands of his mother. In the beginning of the play, he loses his appetite because of his mother’s “constant directions of how to eat it” (923), and at one point she said that, in reference to books that she took from Tom, she “took that horrible novel back to the library,” (931) and that she “won’t allow such filth brought into [her] house!” (931). Part of Tom’s desire to leave is this treatment at the hands of his mother; another part is his job, and how monotonous and stagnant it is at the workshop. [PP2] Together, they leave Tom feeling trapped in his lifestyle of struggling through the days. He mentions to seeing a magician show at the movies, which sums up his feelings of
Tom is a character many people in this generation can relate to. Although the play was written many years ago Tom is just like any other millennial from this day and age. He basically hates his job because it’s not fun. He can’t cope with the fact that he has to pick up all the slack his father left behind. He even seems to think that running away will fix everything. All of these things are very common in society today.