5 REASONS REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES WAS MORE IMPACTFUL AS A BOOK

I was so excited to watch Remarkably Bright Creatures. I loved the book, so I had pretty high expectations. I’m happy to say that I think they did a pretty good job with the movie. The book was better, but it almost always is. There were a few changes in the story that made the movie a little less impactful for me. Here are my thoughts:

1. Tova was already on the waiting list for the senior living center. Her husband put them on the list before he died. It had been the plan for them to go there. In the book, she decides to apply to live at the facility after picking up her late brother’s things from his room there–because she has no one else to take care of her if something happens or she becomes sick. The book has a little more focus on her state as a widow, with no living children.

2. Marcellus is a little quieter. Marcellus was my favorite character in the book, so I was disappointed that every word he said wasn’t in the movie. We missed out on his treasure collecting and the connection he had with Tova’s son and the house key. I thought that was a powerful connection in the book.

3. Avery never mentions the lady she talked down from jumping to her death. That felt significant in the book–it was mentioned twice. Although we don’t have solid answers in the end, it still leads us to make certain assumptions and we didn’t get any of that in the movie.

4. Tova frees Marcellus before she sees the ring. You could argue that it was better that way, because she was willing to free him before even knowing the extent he was willing to go for her, but I liked it better in the book. As soon as she saw the ring, she immediately knew that Marcellus knew who Tova and Cameron were to each other and she was able to say goodbye to him with all that knowledge. In the movie, he was gone by the time she realized it.

5. Cameron’s mom overdosed in the camper van he drives. In the book, she’s not dead. She’s just gone. Hasn’t been a part of his life for years. I thought this detail was significant in the book because as long as she was alive, they had the option to find her to try and get answers. I thought maybe she had some answers in the book.

Tova and Cameron seem to develop a closer relationship in the movie than they did in the book. Tova sees him in town and helps get him out of trouble with a parking ticket, they road trip together to look for his dad, Tova goes to the open mic night to watch Cameron sing and they bond. There’s an element of comedy that I don’t really remember from the book. I thought that was a nice touch for the movie. In the book it seemed like most of the bonding was happening while they were cleaning the aquarium. Another thing I liked a little better in the movie was the portrayal of Cameron in general. In the book, there’s a lot of emphasis on his character being lazy, unmotivated, and a whiny baby for lack of a better word. He didn’t come across as such a man-baby in the movie. Sure, he had his issues, but it wasn’t as strong of a point.

One thing I wish the book had, was the photos of Tova’s son and his ‘girlfriend’ hidden in the secret compartment. I thought that was perfect in the movie. I liked what they found in the book, but I think a few photos and the name list would have taken it to the next level.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. It made me cry. Never thought I’d cry about an octopus, but here I am. If you saw the movie, but didn’t read the book, I’d highly recommend it.