Witches of Eastwick Movie Trailer:
My View on the Film before Reading:
I feel bad saying that the reason I chose this book originally was because of the movie. Ironically, the weekend prior to receiving notice of the project, I had watched the film for the first time. I loved it. It is hilarious. I felt that if the book compared to the movie in any way, it would be a fairly easy read, and it would be relatively enjoyable. One thing that the movie does an excellent job in portraying is the change in the characters over the course of the plot. We see the three witches’ liberation and freedom in both there change of appearance, especially in regards to the character Jane Smart. Jane's character shifts from a very conservative and timid woman, to a woman who is both eccentric and exhilarated. This is best portrayed, in my favorite scene, while Jane teaches her class of orchestra and band students. At the beginning of the film, her students are absolutely horrid. It also seems as though there is no hope in their improvement. However, after Jane shows up to class sporting a mid-driff top and a brilliant and colorful tutu, she tells her students to stop looking at the music. She then throws there music sheets in the air and conducts them in a song asking them to play from inside themselves. She asks them to play with feeling and emotion, all the while; she is carefree and joyously dancing around the class.
The implications of this freedom can be seen in her outing to the grocery store. As she wanders the aisles, and finally is prepared to checkout, she has all of the members of town glaring at her and whispering behind her back, until one woman bravely voices her disapproval and condemnation with the word "slut". Shocked, Jane says "excuse me," and quickly discovers that the whole town seems to agree.
*Note after reading section 1 the coven: One of the main differences in the film vs. the movie that I can see so far is in the level of depth of the characters. In the book we do not get nearly the background as we do in the book. The woman in the movie are all slender and attractive while. Therefore, we a very important look into Alexandra's character as she struggles with the acceptance of who she is and her weight. Also, in the film the women do not seem to initially have any awareness of their powers. Yet, in the book this is disproven by Alexandra's purposeful conjurement of the storm. Additionally, where in the novel it seems than Van Horne appears out of nowhere, in the film it is implied that he is summoned unintentionally by the three women's call for a "perfect man." The book also includes some conflicts in the relationships between the three women. Jane especially is often uncomfortable with the group therefore, she tends to change the subject "rather desperately, [when] feeling ignored"(33) Finally, In the film the characters seem to be much more superficial which as I read the novel is something that I'm starting to dislike. So far, I like the intimacy that the novel evokes with the reader. However, I still feel like it is moving at a slow pace. However, only time will tell if this continues.
Post II: (April 7th, 2012)
I vow now, to never choose to read a book based on my enjoyment of the film. Perhaps if I had not seen the film prior and had a clear idea of what the plot should have been, I would have enjoyed the novel more. However, I hated it, abhorred it even. In class we have discussed the varying levels of distaste and this novel represents one of the highest degrees on the scale. In relation to the book the film was a disgrace. The plot was completely different, excluding the names of the characters, the book and the novel shared little. Also, this is the first time that I have ever been able to say that I enjoyed the film more.
After finally finishing this novel, which for its mere 343 pages took me nearly 3 months, I honestly want nothing to do with it. It is almost painful to have to write these blogs now. I have never struggled so much to read a work of fiction since my third grade class's independent novel about a dog and a talking dolphin. Compared to the movie which was exciting and fast paced, the novel seemed to mercilessly lull on and on. The characters in the novel, Jane, Sukie, and Alexandra, instead of changing for the better in the novel, turned into horrible, spiteful, "witches". Unlike the film, where the bond of the coven, and the three witches grew stronger, in the novel, they grew weaker as the desires of each shifted. They all in all seemed like horrible, repulsive, women. Jane was hateful and spiteful, full of aggression and lacking in conscience. While in the film she was portrayed as meek yet, with an inner spirit and flame, the novel portrayed her as all hard edges. Her character progressively darkened and became more and more poisonous. Sukie, was extremely flat in character, and seemed to be a 'middle child' of sorts, without a mind of her own, she switched allegiances between Alexandra and Jane. Alexandra on the other hand, with all of her talk of rebirth, and growth as she no longer bent under the pressures of society consistently bowed down to the wishes of others. She proved to be insecure and weak in resolve. She refused to stand up for her beliefs and as shown in the hexing of Jenny, she followed the lead of the others even though she was portrayed as the mother figure and the wiser and stronger of the three.
