Friday, February 27, 2009

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Yet another instance involving a short story where the movie is oh much better than the story upon which it is based.

Although, in this case, I'd have to say, loosely based.

The short story is rather monotone and drone-y. Emotionally gray, it merely marches the reader through the rather pathetic life of Benjamin Button with little empathy.

Fortunately for the viewer, the movie differs significantly from the story. Unlike Brokeback Mountain, which took every detail from the short story and fleshed it out to great advantage, the screenwriters for Button changed almost everything, retaining only the framework. This is to the movie's benefit.

So, the bottom line is see the movie, skip the short story.

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