Twilight Book vs. Movie

Mix a little imagination with the unparalleled story-telling skills of one Stephenie Meyer and you can never do the world of Twilight any sort of justice on film. Twilight, the film, is an adequate companion to the book; however, it in no way stands on its own.

In case you are new to the scene of Twilight, here is a little information you might need. The story follows Bella (an independent 17 year-old girl who seems wise beyond her years) and Edward (a vegetarian vampire who not only abstains from drinking human blood, but breaks all the rules of vampire cliches).

Edward has a special gift, he can read minds. This gift is what first draws him to notice our young heroin; Bella being the first creature he has come across who's thoughts are a mystery to him. However, his fascination quickly turns to something akin to hatred when Edward realizes that Bella's blood "sings" for him. Which in so many words means that this one, small, seemingly insignificant girl could ruin all his years of discipline.

His need to drink her blood combined with his desire to keep himself from becoming the monster he knows is lurking inside of him draws them together with an animalistic force that neither one can resist. The closer Edward and Bella become the more she becomes to him. His love for her soon outweighs his instinctual desire for her blood and they quickly form an intensely emotional bond that is constantly passionate in the way that near-death experiences make you.

Now, onto the differences between the book at the movie that I thought were key.

BELLA's LULLABY

In the book, Edward (when sleeping over at Bella's house) often hums a lullaby to her as she falls asleep. When he finally takes Bella home to meet the family he plays her the song on the piano telling her that she inspired it- therefore, Bella's Lullaby. However, in the movie when Edward plays the piano for Bella there is no mention or implication that the song is inspired by and intended for her.

EDWARD's EYE COLOR: THE MEANING

Perceptively, Bella notices in the book that Edward's eyes change color; the darker his eyes get, the darker his mood is. We find out that his mood is darker because he is more thirsty and therefore has a more difficult time being near her; she relates this to how men are grumpier when they're hungry. Bella comes to expect certain things from him depending on the color of his eyes. While Bella mentions to Edward that she notices his change of eye color in the movie, it is never explained WHY they change.

TIME LINE

The passage of time in the movie is very different from the passage of time in the book. In particular, the passage of time in-between Edward saving Bella from the car crash and them finally becoming friends. The movie makes it look as though it is simply one day; Edward saves her life and the next day tells her they shouldn't be friends but he would like to be.

In the book a whole six months pass after Edward saves her life before they form a friendship. This passage of time is significant because Edward is trying to stay away from Bella in order to protect both of them.

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU CARE FOR ME MORE THAN I CARE FOR YOU?

After Edward saves Bella's life in Port Angeles and subsequently takes her out to dinner with the knowledge of her friends, Jessica quizzes Bella on her and Edward's relationship while Edward listens in (since his vampire skill is mind reading). In this conversation, Bella tells Jessica that she cares for Edward more than he cares for her. After hearing her admit this belief, he confronts her and claims that she is wrong. Edward insists that he cares more because if he would have to make the choice to leave and therefore hurt himself to keep from hurting her- he would do it. This conversation and Edward's feelings on the matter are a direct lead-in (and foreshadowing) for the events that take place in the beginning of New Moon.

CONVERSATIONS

Many conversations that Edward and Bella have help you understand the process by which his feelings for her begin to completely overshadow his natural, instinctual need to drink her blood. The movie very much downplays the struggle he goes through in order to be near her.

There are many differences between the book and the movie, but these are the few that I find key to the development of the story. Those who had already read Twilight before seeing it in theaters had the advantage of letting their minds fill in the blanks. However, those who went into the movie without the knowledge that comes from reading the book missed out on important details of the story. Again, Twilight as a film was a good companion to the book, but hopefully New Moon stands on its own much better than this first installment.