Twilight, The Movie

Becky, Erin, and I were overly excited when we saw Twilight on Saturday night. We were almost gleeful to be sitting there watching the book come to life for us. We all started reading the books recently, so we were late-bloomers to the world of Twilight, but we are die-hard fans.

The first 30 minutes of the movie was hard to watch. I laughed at scenes that I had envisioned so differently. But the latter 90 minutes were great. It felt like the beginning was too forced. All the close-ups (which accentuated the make-up on the actors), Edward's continuous scowl, and not enough Cullens made me very disappointed and frustrated. At one point I felt like where is the story I fell in love with. That story shines through later on when the camera was pulled back and we could watch the scenes play out. It felt like the actors found their focus and ran with the roles. Edward's scowl was more understandable when you could view his body language and interaction with others. Still wished for more Cullens though.

After watching the movie and feeling some confusion over my inability to say it was great, I read a few reviews. Reviewers discussed liking it the second time around when they did not have preconceived notions. It got me thinking about how everyone hated Breaking Dawn because they had their own desire for how the series should end, whereas Stephenie Meyer ended the series the way she wanted to end it (which I absolutely respect). So I decided to give the movie another chance. This time with no notion of how I thought certain scenes should appear. (I would only do this for Twilight, since I loved the books so much.) The second time around I loved the movie. There were many reasons for the way it played out: low budget, indie director.

Things I liked:
1. Charlie and Billy (the dads). They were hilarious. The scene with the shotgun had me laughing so hard. Charlie continuously giving Bella mace. The love Charlie has for Bella really shines through, which will be more important in the other movies. And Billy stole every scene he was in (considering I did not like this character in the book).

2. The baseball scene. This scene played out so well on screen. You really had a feel of the Cullen family as a family unit in this scene. Carlisle calling Rosalie, kitten. Esme discussing her boys. Emmett and Edward when they smack into each other and laugh. Jasper and the tossing of the bat was cool to watch. The music also enhanced this scene (one of the reasons I bought the soundtrack).

3. The rescues (the van, Port Angeles, and ballet studio). Can't say how much I loved these scenes. To see our hero save her was great. Wish there had been more of the scene with Bella and Edward in the car, but can understand the need for time. The scowl he gives the guys as he rescues Bella was great (Rob Pattinson said on the Today Show that was the hardest scene for him). The dinner scene is where Rob shines as Edward. He's our dangerous, chivalrous, funny, and sensitive Edward.

4. The kiss. I know its different then in the book, but it was a nicely played out scene. And Edward forcing himself away because he doesn't want to lose control emphasized the danger.

5. Meeting the family. The kitchen scene was classic. I thoroughly enjoyed it and liked the feel of the Cullens as a family. Also, this scene was where the actors seemed more natural.

Things I disliked or was mixed on:

1. The lab scene. I was mixed on this one. This was the moment that hooked me in the books and began the obsession. I laughed both times I saw this scene in the movie, but I understood it better the second time. To see the evidence of Edward's desire and frustration to kill Bella and how much she entices him compared to other people was interesting, but not the way I had envisioned it.

2. The meadow. I was mixed on this one as well. Bella appeared too afraid of Edward. Edward was supposed to scare Bella, but not get a reaction. I didn't expect Edward to breath heavy in this scene like he was in pain either. Once again, it's all a matter of it not playing the way I thought it should.

3. Tree scene. Really bothered me. Edward is supposed to show off with Bella, not entice her to the wonders of his world. This disturbed me. Plus, Bella should not climb trees on her own. She's a klutz.

4. Bella's lullaby. Wish there were just a few lines in the movie explaining the scene with the lullaby. Without an explanation, the scene seemed very hokey.

5. Bella and Alice. I think the casting of Alice was pitch perfect. I wish there was more interaction between Bella and Alice though. Their friendship is so strong in the book. To understand the scene at the ballet studio where Alice smells the blood, it would blend better if the viewer understood that they were great friends.

So that's my take. I have lots more opinions but this was already long enough. Let me know what you thought or let me know how crazy I am. I know make fun. I can say, I enjoyed myself thoroughly as did Becky and Erin.