A few years back I watched “Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives” mainly because I like Mark Everett. (If I remember correctly, I posted the link here shortly after I watched it. Didn’t I? Do I tend to repeat myself often? Anyway, if you’re interested, you can catch it over here. It’s worth the time. I promise.) Anyway, long story short: Everett’s dad was the first to propose the Many Worlds Interpretation of quantum physics and no! Don’t start yawning! (Actually, I believe I would be 38% more intelligent if more documentaries somehow included music/musicians that I enjoy. Learn the ins and outs of the metric system with Metric! Let’s study eye anatomy (or manic depression!) with The Weepies! Global warming with Sleigh Bells! I could go on for days. This is my best idea yet, if you don’t count adding green peppers to that pasta salad I made last summer.)
All of this to say: Although many of you swear that this summer has flown by (and I sort of agree with you), I’m here to tell you that last week was one of my longest weeks. Lots of self-imposed deadlines (some related to knitting, some not so much), a crazy amount of reflection on relationships and bitten tongues, looking ahead to creative endeavors, and so forth. I’ll spare you the details, because this isn’t that kind of website. Funny how every single week has 168 hours regardless of how you choose to spend it, no? Morris Day and The Time!
Yesterday afternoon the girls and I saw Ramona and Beezus, and although both girls loved it, they did NOT love the fact that it didn’t really seem to be based on the book. “Ramona was only FOUR in the book! Not NINE! And nothing happened to Picky Picky!” Meredith listed at least twenty differences between the book and the movie, including the fact that the book has pages and the movie was on film. (That was my favorite comparison.) Personally? I couldn’t quite get past how much Ramona looks like Lolita.
This is Ramona, also known as Joey King.
This is Lolita, also known as Sue Lyon.
And when you’re trying to be Beverly Clearyesque, but you can’t help toying with Nabokov, thoughts tend to get more twisted than a soggy kneecap. Thank God for Swedish Fish.
EDITED TO ADD: The bloody guy in the photo of Ramona? I’m assuming he’s an actor from another film that also featured Joey King. I can assure you that no blood was shed in Ramona and Beezus, although there was QUITE an accident involving peanut butter.
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I’m going to have a Laughing Cow in my side bar for six months, and you know what that means. I’m giving money away! Come over here, tell me a funny workout story, and you could win $150! ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
I was afraid the Beezus and Ramona movie was a bad idea, thanks for the heads up.
What’s up with the bloody guy next to Ramona? Creepy–
Why is little Ramona/Lolita next to Pancho Villa? Is that part of the storyline, because I can see Meredith’s point, I don’t remember Beezus and Ramona taking part in Mexico during the revolution. And of course the pages vs. film.
who’s the scary guy?!?
making a great children’s book into a movie is never a good idea, so your review is not a surprise.
seriously who’s that guy?
I figure you’ll address the “who the heck is the mutilated dude with the Tom Selleck mustache, since so many people have asked, but I wanted to point out that while your expression in the workout shot looks a bit grim, as you say, your daughter looks absolutely terrified (albeit in the cutest possible way).
Um… I owe you a quotation mark after the mustache above, not to mention a question mark.
Scary bloody guy was NOT in the book either.
yikes.
Stupid Hollywood, ruining my favorite childhood books!
Of course we knew the Pudding children were smart but I had no idea Nabakov worked for Disney. Who knew? And, what kind of a name is Beezus anyway?
You’re right! That resemblance is uncanny? Maybe they’re related.
Okay, I loved the movie, it was cute. Saw it with my two girls (ages 12 & 8) and I laughed/cried through the entire things because I realized that I am the mother of Ramona & Beezus…with different names, of course.
Love the title…funny quote of the movie.
Oh no, creepy resemblance. My girls loved all the Ramona books (although they have a bit of a sad undertone) and so did I. There was a television series that wasn’t too bad – maybe you could find it on DVD.
The Ramona/Lolita resemblance is weird. Also weird: Bloody dude up there, mustache and all, looks almost exactly like my older brother (my older brother generally is not bloodied though), smirky smile & all.
Love that your girls spent time cataloguing the differences between the book & the movie. They may have a long life ahead of them of doing this very thing.
Have your girls read all the Ramona books? There’s a sort of “second” set, where Ramona is indeed older. They weren’t published until long after the the first ones. I’m not sure they were even actually written by Cleary, but a lot of the stuff in the movie is from those more recent books.
I read all those books when I was a kid. Didn’t we find out at one point that Beezus’ real name was Beatrice? Because I remember thinking Beezus wasn’t much of an improvement.
I’m on board with the documentary idea! Let’s do this thing!
There used to be a show about Ramona on PBS. I loved that show. This movie, I WILL NOT LIKE.
For instance, I doubt they even filmed it in Portland. Travesty.
1.No they did not film Ramona & Beezus in Portland , It was filmed in Vancouver , BC Canada Because The city has a Very Similar Viewing
2. The Creepy Guy Is From another movie Joey Was in , “Quarantine” she plays as Briana .
In the movie Briana Gets Sick & what they think is just the flu is actually a Transformation she is slowly dying and later becomes a zombie..
The man in the picture Plays as a fireman who also dies