New York Times Book Review the Dive From Clausens Pier
Not a train wreck, but a very poor adaption of an interesting first novel
Warning: Spoilers
While this is non quite the cringe-worthy railroad train wreck I had been fearing (based on comments hither and the promos on Lifetime), it is certainly a shallow, trivial and disappointing adaptation of a genuinely interesting (if imperfect) start novel by O. Henry award winner Ann Packer.
For some reason, the scriptwriters choose to change the perfectly elementary names of the chief characters (Bong, Mayer) to Aggravate and Mayor. Not a big change, merely there is no reason for information technology, which is an indication of the sloppiness and flabbiness of the film script. Granted, any film adaption HAS to be compressed -- a novel commonly runs 300-400 pages or more, and a movie can just exist virtually ii hours at best, then something is going to have to become....side-plots deleted, characters eliminated or combined and so on. Merely why change a simple name like Bell?
In a drearily weak bandage composed of Idiot box series and soap opera newbies, only Will Estes every bit Mike "Mayor" gives a reasonably good performance and even that is compromised by his apparently inability (or ignorance on the part of the director) to portray a quadriplegic. I thought they had changed the graphic symbol's affliction to paraplegia, based on the trailer, since Mike is shown moving his head very freely and using his arms and hands. However, if yous overlook that, this is by far the most sympathetic operation...and sadly, that throws off the whole plot. In the novel, Mike is biting and angry, and really it's pretty understandable why Carrie neither wants to ally him, stay with him or be his nurse.
Michelle Trachtenberg is far too immature to exist playing a character in her mid-twenties (She is even so a teenager) and I guess this was her agents thought to take her play a grown upwards, sexy part with love scenes. If so, he jumped the gun. Michelle still looks 15, which is swell for her since she can get dorsum to playing teen roles on TV. But to see her with an adult man, doing dear scenes, is kinda squicky -- she looks like underage jail-bait. Plus someone somewhere (her mom?) decided she could not actually be nude, not even under a sheet, so all the dear scenes are ridiculously played with Michelle fully dressed in t-shirts or other undies. Ridiculous! Michelle is withal quite far from existence able to tackle this kind of adult role, she looks like she'south sleepwalking or on Quaalude through most of the movie.
Sean Maher has the difficult and perhaps thankless role of the enigmatic NYC boyfriend, Kilroy. The filmmakers obviously didn't read the book carefully --- Kilroy is an adult man of FORTY, he is not a contemporary of Carrie's. Most of his amusing and witty dialog is sacrificed here, towards no purpose, plus his "career" of being a office temp (at 40!) is entirely left out. What he is left with is an ultra glamorous NYC flat, suitable for dear scenes, which is entirely at odds with the book, where he has virtually no piece of furniture or possessions and is living a life of nearly monastic sparseness. (I also don't call up, or think, that the character was meant to be Jewish, a blood-red herring that is tossed out for no apparent reason.)
The rest of the bandage, which in the volume included some well–rounded and important secondary characters, is totally short-shifted so that their parts are either barely in that location or incoherent. (Another example: Carrie returns to Madison in part to be with her lonely single mom –– not just Mike -- and this is entirely left out of the story.)
The worst role is that the motion-picture show implies (merely does non clearly state) that Carrie has gone back to Madison to be with Mike again, perhaps in a romantic mode. The novel is absolutely clear that whatsoever romance between them is entirely over (on both their parts) and they volition only continue on as long time friends. I approximate the concept of being friends with an ex is too advanced and circuitous for a Lifetime TV picture show!
In general, this is a disservice to the book. On information technology's ain as a film, it's similar a teen drama, cutting from the same stuff every bit Dawson'due south Creek or other teen dramas...but filled with confusing characters who disappear without cluing u.s.a. in to who they are, dialog that goes nowhere and a full general sense that big parts were chopped out and discarded. I would guess that a viewer who had not read the book would sit to the end and just think "huh? what the heck?"
I wish I could say that this a rarity for Lifetime, just in fact they are nigh in the business of butchering decent novels. What a waste!
28 out of 41 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Michelle Trachtenberg elevates this standard production
This is the first time I take seen Michelle Trachtenberg in an developed office. She still looks similar a cute kid simply her interim talent puts her into the grapheme equally a twenty-something. Probably not an Emmy part only notable just the same. The gal is good!
The DP got the angles and lighting right, only a note to the costume designer and/or director: She looks practiced in colors other than black.
The story did accept a few interesting turns. I can see why it was a best selling book...and why information technology was made into to a Lifetime movie. If you like them (I do), you lot will similar this one, too. The ending (and Michelle) left me begging for a sequel or maybe a short series.
14 out of 15 institute this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
If you lot've read the volume...don't bother with the movie!
I read the novel "The Dive from Clausen's Pier" and plant information technology to be eye-wrenching and a great expect into the mind of a torn young adult female. The Lifetime movie only chopped it up, altered it horribly and left me appalled. If y'all have not read the volume and sentry the motion-picture show, fine. But if y'all've read the book....I recommend not watching the picture. If y'all must though, be warned. There was so much richness in the book and important moments and character evolution that the motion picture skips over and alters. Originally the grapheme was named Carrie Bell in the book and the movie changes her to Carrie Aggravate...not a huge bargain, simply that is the gateway for all the changes in the plot. I understand films adapt books into the given time slots, but this picture show wasn't adapted simply more of chopped up and shoved into a formulaic display of scenes that do non capture half of the emotional journey Carrie undergoes. The most difficult part of the movie was the rapid progression of fourth dimension that is never explained or detailed well. Carrie seems to ever be wearing the same clothes so distinguishing the passage of fourth dimension and seasons is difficult. If you must picket this movie...supplement the choppy stride and lack of depth with reading the novel.
17 out of 25 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
I liked this film
I haven't read the volume, and then I tin't comment on whether the adaption was good or bad. The Dive from Clausen'southward Pier was in my opinion a good film on the whole. It'due south not commonly my kind of movie, I watched it mostly because of Michelle Trachtenberg. The story is about how an accident changes the lives of a grouping of people, and peculiarly Mike Mayor (Volition Estes) and his girlfriend Carrie Beal (Michelle Trachtenberg). It was in my opinion a flake too short, and I wish some characters could accept been explored and developed more than. Other than that, it was good.
I was pleased to see Trachtenberg in this pic, and from all her film and Television receiver works, I consider this to be ane of her best performances, possibly to share the offset spot with Mysterious Peel. She's not just a beautiful face, she'due south a talented extra and I believe that with time she will abound and develop even more.
3 out of three plant this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
loses the heart and soul of the novel
Nonetheless another sad attempt at turning a book into a motion picture. I discovered the book by accident and went about encouraging my friends to read it considering the characters, story, and compelling ending needed to exist discussed. This film lends itself to no word across asking for what purpose the things that were inverse, especially in character, were changed. By significantly changing the characters, especially Kiroy (the grapheme in the volume would NEVER accept gone chasing after Carrie), the film lost all of the soul of the book. The greatest moment in the book, when Carrie gets the sewing machine in the mail, wasn't even in the film. Further, the moving picture became less about one woman's journey to discover who she is and more about her dealing with her fiancé's blow. Definitely not recommended. Read the book.
17 out of 25 establish this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Bordering ridiculous
I haven't read the book, but nonetheless, I thought the moving-picture show was far from good. It'south supposed to be... well, the moving-picture show doesn't brand that all too clear. We learn that chief grapheme Carrie wants to get something else, and that'southward virtually it. From reading other comments, though, I've learned that it is supposed to exist about a young woman's journey to observe herself and face her demons. I'm not sure most WHAT demons...
The movie, in short, is near Carrie'due south boyfriend Mike breaking his back diving, and Carrie breaking upward with him (not considering of the injury) and going off to New York to go a life, and so to speak. She meets supposedly mysterious 35-year-onetime Kilroy and they become a couple. Then everybody leads complicated lives for a while, and she finally goes home - although the movie does not reveal for what reasons.
This movie confused me a bit right from the start, mostly because of the very young appearances of the characters; in the opening scenes we run across Carrie (Michelle Trachtenberg) and her boyfriend, and him giving her a ring, at the same fourth dimension as her voice tells the story of their several years long human relationship - and the first thought that popped into my head was: "Then, you met when you were like 9?" Sadly, in my opinion, she never rises to the challenge of portraying a young woman in this picture show, but stays on a teenager-trying-to-deed-developed level (information technology doesn't assist that she looks and sounds like fifteen-16), which makes a lot of her lines and her relationship with Kilroy literally unbelievable. She's too young to play the part.
Meanwhile, Kilroy (Sean Maher) is, I approximate, supposed to be this mysterious, secretive handsome stranger, but to me he seems exaggerated and a bit over-acted. As well, there doesn't seem to be the least flake of chemistry betwixt him and Michelle Trachtenberg. I'd guess they were brother and kid sis sooner than lovers.
All in all, the motion-picture show felt unnecessary. Nothing that pulled me in and kept me concentrated, but rather something to mindlessly doze to. We never become to meet past the surface of any grapheme, and the story is high-paced in a bad way.
3 out of four found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Typical Wifetime movie
I didn't call back the lead actress had plenty depth and gravitas to carry off the office of the chief character, who while eliciting some empathy is far from sympathetic- She seemed very remote and vacant. Although I can't tell how much of the fault with this character lies with the script. The Kilroy character seemed to be an overgrown, immature, poseur and I could not see how any adult female would detect this bonny. The character of Mike kept apologizing to Carrie simply I'thousand non certain what for. He seemed to be quite the forgiving guy. And even if he wasn't a quadriplegic, he nonetheless came across as the almost mature and sympathetic amongst this dear triangle. I did not read the book and after viewing this pic I wouldn't want to. I have to disagree with another reviewer's opinion that "the cast, without exception, was ane-dimensional and juvenile" and that the motion-picture show "seemed like a teenybopper soap opera". I thought with the exception of Carrie and Kilroy, the casting was adequately good. The cast of young xx-something's did not look like your typical O.C. or Ane Tree Loma gang and the acting chops were certainly a cutting above your typical lather opera characters. The casting was probably the only good thing most the movie. And I didn't see this as a typical teenybopper soap opera, simply your typical disappointing Wifetime -picture of the calendar week.
four out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Great for a Television picture, but that isn't maxim much.
'The Dive From Clausen's Pier' is the story of Carrie, a young woman who takes off to New York after her fiancé, Mike Mayor, is paralyzed in a diving accident. Although, the blow isn't the real reason she leaves. Fifty-fifty before the accident, her feelings for Mike were slipping. She does what she feels she has to, to find happiness. – The story itself is less than appealing to me, so this obviously isn't my type of movie. But in spite of that, I notwithstanding managed to enjoy it.
Trachtenberg (Carrie) puts on a surprisingly good operation. Coming into the film I was honestly expecting her to be the weakest link. On pinnacle of her less than stellar performance in EuroTrip, she was also the worst grapheme ever conceived on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Merely she managed to pull off a wonderful performance, particularly at the beginning of the movie. Will Estes (Mike Mayor) also put on a great performance; they played off of each other really well. In my opinion, Will and Michelle had a lot more chemistry than Michelle and Sean (who plays Killroy). That'southward where the moving-picture show starts slipping a bit, Carrie'due south relationship with Killroy is a bit unrealistic, not to mention lame. The entire "Killroy hiding something from Carrie" arc was pretty annoying. It'south merely, later on the first 30 minutes, the rest of the movie falls apartment for me. I enjoy stories where people are forced to deal with things, not run away from them. Which is why I enjoyed the ending too, only it didn't seem as poignant every bit it should be. The monologue at the end, which was supposed to be a beautiful sentiment, was actually lame to no end.
Withal, the pic wasn't nigh as horrible as I idea it was going to be. It's above boilerplate in terms of TV movies, but that really isn't saying much.
4.5
four out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
An approachable Ann packer story, version 1.20
Warning: Spoilers
First viewing, this was way different and way better than I had expected from the user reviews that I have read, while not being in the top 33% of features ever made, this is middling.
The ending. MT, the key actress, is once more looking her true age, 18ish, despite all that has gone before. Something to shrug off as other than that it is a smashing catastrophe. Except that second viewing the dive at the get-go was her grapheme at age 23ish and the ending is around a year later. Information technology fits. I had been confused by comments that mayhap referred to the novel rather than to this accommodation?
Symbolism as a bigger trouble. I presume that the swoop can be interpreted as symbolic of something fairly commonplace and that symbols such equally 23 and 35 and library books and dressmaking are liable to exist around. MT Carrie really being 18 fits this attribute really well. Stories frequently get carried away by symbolism to the detriment of the story and that does not happen in this case, but I would still have preferred this set with Carrie equally age 18 to 19. I tin similar this story, the symbolism does not mess things upward.
A drawback with the DVD is that information technology is region ane and 4x3 and interlaced. Not so unusual with MT stuff. It tin can notwithstanding look good fifty-fifty though information technology should expect even better. It looks as if role was filmed on reel and part on videotape? Replaying on a Blu-ray compatible computer system improves the quality, for me.
The DVD sleeves for both this and The Excursion suggest that these 2010 releases might have been encouraged by Trachtenberg fans taking an interest and if so I cannot complain. A fan tin can promise that these lead to more than beingness released.
***
The acting quality. Approach this as an MT fan and her opening and stop comments can stick out painfully, but the rest is very okay. I do go this tangle with some fan stuff.
Other than that, I got this DVD as a fan thing and do not consider my purchase as a waste, I had been hoping to go an affordable re-create of this deejay for some fourth dimension. I have qualms but they are not over-riding.
Re-watch this in 2015 and I am finding information technology to exist much better than a lot of stuff that I accept seen recently. I am glad that I purchased my disk.
0 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
I thought this was OK
I thought this flick was an OK film. I never read the volume but I actually want to. I'chiliad sure I'll like the volume more when I read information technology than the motion-picture show merely that'south too the indicate. I idea the story was OK and the thing I really liked was Michelle Tractenberg in this moving picture. I'1000 so tired of her playing a teenager or an immature character in some really stupid kiddie picture show. In this movie even so; I actually liked her acting because she got to play a grown upwardly. In real life, she is similar 20 and I'm and then sick and tired of her playing a kid so this was peachy. I retrieve if she was given more roles to play as a grown upwardly,her talent would really evidence. The one thing I didn't like was the ending. Information technology kind of left yous hanging on what happened and didn't really explain. I'm hoping the book is meliorate. That's all I liked almost this motion picture.
1 out of iv found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Really bad adaptation
The director and producer took a good (not great) developed novel with an interesting plot and turned it into a teenybopper soap opera. The cast, without exception, was i-dimensional and juvenile, manifestly chosen to appeal to viewers around junior high school age. Don't they think adults watch television? This moving picture was the first movie my hubby and I accept watched on cable TV since we got our satellite dish over a year ago. Now we see what we have not been missing. I was interested in the previewing comments from several people who deplored the casting of Carrie. Information technology'due south clear to me that this casting set the tone for the entire production, negatively in my view.
2 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
The Swoop from Claussen's Pier on Lifetime.
I simply give the film a 10 because I am a fan of Michelle. I think yous guys are forgetting 1 important aspect. It's a lot Cheaper to write a book than it is to make a movie. If they put Every detail of that book into the move it probably be like 6 to 12 hrs long.
What audition has a attention span that long. It would accept cost Lifetime the network 3 times more than money to make it exactly like the novel.
I hope you people who read the book will cut the TV movie some slack. It was a very romantic movie.
Michelle did a good performance of Carrie.
She has grown upwards in this movie.
She is not young Dawn anymore in Buffey.
Lifetime has lots of skilful movies like switched at birth and facing the enemy.
I hope that you guys will have the time and scout these quality programs.
They are geared for couples and more mature families.
I have non read the volume so I don't know what they left out and don't care.
I accept a difficult time reading anyways so information technology doesn't carp me.
Ladies and guys delight watch the pic once again and call back what I said so yous will have more appreciation for the Movie.
I know when your apply to the book it would be squeamish to have every part. It's non fair to expect any network to spend milllions of dollars to brand a moving-picture show to everyones liking.
Lifetime good task on the motion picture and proceed making more than corking movies.
"Lifetime Boob tube for Women" flash flash.
I should enquire them to pay me for giving their network a plug lol
2 out of half-dozen constitute this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Very Uplifting
It's nice to know that anybody has doubts about decisions they have fabricated in their lives.. This movie was very uplifting from the point of "Mike" finding out that he COULD alive without "Carrie", and eventually forgive her unforgivable deed!! Running when the going got tough! And to detect that not everyone in the movies, "Carrie" can exist a hero all of the time. She got scared, and she gave up everything, because of her fearfulness. She grew emotionally and finally figured out that there was just no style to have a existent future with "Kilroy" or anyone else until she finally did the right matter and face up her by. I don't think that running away is the right reply, simply sometimes it is easier to face things after the grit has settled a fleck. Good movie, would recommend watching it. Would have liked to see a different catastrophe though.
3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
* OK..i approximate*
I expected the Dive from Claussens pier to exist at least 3 stars since the volume was completely astonishing, only i was quite disappointed..This movie just didn't excite me, and i don't think Michelle whatever her terminal name is should of been the lead..she seemed far to young, and bored me to death..The residuum of the cast seemed to be OK..you most probable would not know any of there names, because they've merely been in a few movies..So i gauge this move was OK, simply i really don't recommend watching it..but i do recommend reading the book!! It was interesting, had an excellent plot, and was not at all boring
Megan
0 out of 1 establish this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Loved it!
I loved this film. I was so impressed with Trachtenburg in an adult role!
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452611/reviews
0 Response to "New York Times Book Review the Dive From Clausens Pier"
إرسال تعليق