Twilight: In the Eye of the Beholder

Teenage girls across the nation showed that anything is possible when they unite for a cause. Last weekend, the vampire love story, Twilight, opened in the box office at number one, bringing in a record setting $70.6 million.

It comes as no surprise to those of us who read the Twilight books. The saga is tailored to every teenage girl who has ever wanted true love and caters to that need with its incredibly detail oriented language. If there was any indication of how the movie would do, look at the soundtrack; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 before the movie was even released, the first movie to do so since 8 Mile was released in 2002.

The reason the movie is number one in the box office: the die hard fans. If you haven’t read the book, don’t waste your time with the movie. Twilight is not your typical vampire movie with characters pulled straight out of an Anne Rice novel. There are no fangs or bloody murder sprees, instead there are ridiculously beautiful vegetarian vampires. But I digress…

First, it must be understood that the book and the movie are two entirely different art forms. They will be and should be different in order to make complete use of their artistic frontiers. Director Catherine Hardwicke worked very closely with the Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer. Both were determined to not let fans down, and that was certainly one thing the movie did. In terms of how true to the source it was, Twilight is one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I have seen. The problem: not everything in a book is meant for film. Twilight is filled to its brim with romantic clichés, sweet one-liners, and heart wrenching emotional details about the star crossed lovers. All of these work for readers of the book, but sound remarkably cheesy on the big screen.

Twilight is about Bella Swan, a bookish seventeen-year-old who just moved from sunny Phoenix to a rainy town called Forks to live with her father. At high school she instantly notices and falls in love with Edward Cullen and, before long, he falls for her. Edward stays mysterious for a while, but reveals to Bella that he and his family are vampires. Despite his desire to drain the blood from her blushing cheeks, she can’t leave him, tossing Bella into a supernatural world she could have never imagined.

The movie is shot in the beautiful green landscape of the Pacific Northwest, and the actors are just as awe-inspiring. Kristen Stewart (Bella) looks the part and, for a young actor, does well in portraying Bella. Not terrible, but let’s just say I hope she gets some acting coaching before Twilight’s sequel, New Moon, is filmed. Her pretty face can only distract me from her stammering and monotone for so long. Robert Pattinson (Edward) is not new to the big screen; he played the memorable role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Fans and critics agree that Pattinson fits the role of the hunky Edward like a glove. However, he is a bit over-dramatic, to the point that you feel awkward sitting in your seat.

The supporting actors could have stolen the show if the movie was not a Bella/Edward stare fest; they are undoubtedly more talented that the featured couple. Nikki Reed, who plays Edward’s beautiful sister Rosalie Hale, owns the screen whenever the camera is on her. The development of the minor characters is lacking, making you wonder why they are mentioned in the first place.

Whether you love or hate the Twilight movie, I say it is in the eye of the beholder: those who read the book will swoon over it, while those who haven’t may leave the theatre scratching their heads. There is just not enough explanation of what is going on for those who don’t know Edward quotes by heart.

I challenge you to debate the movie with any diehard Twilight fan. They can back up their opinions because they are so in love with the story as a whole. They think the acting is wonderful, the story is perfectly told, and well, they may just change the subject when you mention special effects. Roger Ebert said it best in his review of the movie: "Twilight will mesmerize its target audience, 16-year-old girls and their grandmothers." So I say, save your money, read the book. It costs about the same anyway.

Example of a review I like - Roger Ebert on Twilight:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081119/REVIEWS/811199997

Example of a review I did not like - From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on Twilight:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/388515_twilight20q.html

My roommates and me at the Twilight Premiere! It was fun! But as I said above, a bit disappointing in certain areas.