This was the first Jodi Picoult novel that my daughter read so she really wanted to see the film as soon as it came out (which was yesterday). I was a bit concerned bearing in mind the subject matter – the rape and murder of a 14 year old girl – but the film is classified as a 12A so I assumed it would be OK.
The storyline might be hard to follow if you haven’t read the book. Susie is 14 and about to go on her first date but on her way home one evening is tempted to check out the underground dug-out created by her neighbour Mr Harvey. You do not witness her demise but are shown her terrified spirit rushing away from the scene. The majority of film – and at times it seems rather long - is her witnessing the devastating grief of her parents and siblings, the attempts of the police to track down her murderer and the continuing horror of that killer remaining undetected in her neighbourhood as he continues to pose a threat to those she loves. And her fear and distress as she remains locked in the confusion of the "inbetween" place between life on earth and heaven – and her reluctance to let go.
Some of the scenes from the afterworld are stunning – the ships in glass bottles crashing against the rocks, the beach and mountain views, the underwater moments and the lighthouse are truly memorable – beautiful cinematography. The tree in the cornfield bursting into life as the leaves take flight as birds – whilst a little trite – is still moving.
The lead character – Susie Salmon (played by Saoirse Ronan) - has an unusually attractive face with freckles and glacial blue eyes, impossibly long, thin legs and a soft, crisp diction that is credible as the voice of a confused 14 year old. Mark Wahlberg plays her distraught father with finesse. Rachel Weisz, appearing impossibly young, plays her mother - another great performance. Stanley Tucci is alarmingly real as the oily paedophile Mr Harvey. Whilst Susan Sarandon brings some much needed light relief to the sombre story, her cigarette smoking, whiskey swilling grandma character is a bit of a cliché.
It was a while back since I read the novel but my daughter assured me that there were some significant deviations between the book and the film versions. I don’t usually like it when they try to convert a much-loved book onto celluloid but in this case I thought they made the transition successfully. Whilst the story is deeply sad and some of the heaven scenes a little hard to swallow, overall it was done with style and taste. We left the cinema having felt the huge sadness of Susie and her family and her fellow victims but uplifted by the message of hope (and retribution) that it offers.
