Customer Reviews

Flowers for Algernon

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have been looking for this ever since the VHS recording that I loaned out to a fellow teacher never made it back to me.

This version is so much more appropriate for the middle school level than "Charly" (i.e. drug and sexual innuendo).

I have a shortened version of the story I use in my textbooks with my students. This movie is a much better fit than "Charly."

I will admit to being a little leery when a favorite story of mine gets adapted to the screen (be it a movie or TV), and "Flowers for Algernon" is on my top five list of best short stories of all time (the novel is another matter entirely). While I understand that no story survives this transition completely intact or unaltered, this movie should be used as a case study of what not to do when making an adaptation: everything that made the original such a heart-breaking record of Charlie Gordon's rise and fall has been gutted from this script. Charlie is barely sympathetic in this rendition, and Matthew Modine's lackluster performance is just the rancid icing on the tasteless cake. Avoid this one at all costs.

I am an eighth grade Language Arts teacher, and my class reads "Flowers for Algernon" each year. Our school has a copy of the old video "Charly," but I really don't like it, especially since I have to watch it three times in a day. I took a chance on this new one, never having seen it before showing it in class. It is much more enjoyable. First of all, it is a more modern style of videography (no split screens or long montages). It also has no drug referrences. It does have implicit sexual activity, but it is not violent, like in the old version. My kids all enjoyed this movie. They laughed at different parts, and it was easy for them to identify the characters after having read the short story. I do recommend this video to anyone who enjoyed the story.

We read the short story "Flowers for Algernon" with seventh graders. Then, I showed them this updated version of the movie. The absolutely LOVED it.

This movie was very touching, and I found it to be more enjoyable than the older version entitled "Charly." I teach eighth grade language arts and each year we read the short story "Flowers for Algernon." Before I close out the unit on "Flowers for Algernon",I show the movie version. My students really enjoyed this movie, and it gave them a better understanding of the story. We were also able to compare and contrast the story to the movie. I highly recommend this film.

The movie I am reviewing is called Flowers for Algernon based on the book by Daniel Keyes. Flowers for Algernon is a story about Charlie Gordon, whose life takes a joyous to tragic arc as he grows in intelligence and adjusts to life around him. Algernon was a mouse that had gone through the same operation as Charlie, an experimental surgery that greatly raises their intelligence. The movie follows Charlie as he goes from being mentally challenged to a genius back to being mentally challenged. As the movie proceeds, it makes the audience ponder what makes us the way we are. I think it is a pretty good movie overall.

The special effects and clothing were badly chosen, but then again it was made ten years ago. Algernon looks electronic in some scenes and Charlie's hair looked like a bush. I wouldn't have imagined Miss Kinnian being played by Kelli Williams, but she plays the part well. Matthew Modine gives a performance that endears the viewer to the character. The basic plot was the same in both the short story and the movie. There were a few differences. In the short story Charlie works at a plastic box company and in the movie he works at the bakery. They both show how unfairly mentally challenged people are treated.

The idea of having a man gain and loose intelligence in a slightly romantic way is both sad and awe-inspiring. It is a great representation of the book and is a huge improvement to the previous movie Charly (1968). It was very entertaining and certainly worth watching!

Great addition to my class lesson plans. Students like to view the film and compare it to the novel. Great version of the high school book.

I'm going to reveal the ending of this film (more or less), since it's the point of my review. Please stop reading if you want to be surprised.

And the message of my review is: please don't watch this film if you like happy endings. It's a VERY good film; but it ends with the hero doomed to failure, yet unaware and determined to keep trying. I think that makes him a noble, tragic character; but for some people, the ending will be just too sad.

And in that way, this film is an excellent translation of the short story, which has the same noble but tragic ending. And in my opinion, it's far better than its predecessor, Charly, that psychedelic 60s relic. As a fan of the short story and of Cliff Robertson, I had high hopes for that film, and was disappointed by its rambling, disjointed story. (Later, I read the novel, and forgave the film a little bit: like the film, the novel is rambling and disjointed. The short story is better, tighter, and more moving.) Though I scarcely know Matthew Modine's work, I'll look for it in the future. He is a far more convincing Charlie Gordon, both as a struggling low intellect and as a troubled genius.

It has been a couple decades since I read the short story, and longer since I read the novel. I'm sure this film probably falls between the two (I don't think the short story included the subplot with Charlie's mother); but it feels like a lot of the fluff from the novel was trimmed out. The result is just about ideal for a 92 minute film, with nothing I would sat needs cutting, and no questions unanswered or character motivations unexplained.

If there's a weak spot in this film, it's the teacher, Miss Kinnian. This is no critique of Kelli Williams, who is well cast as the caring, intelligent, crusading female lead (much as she played in The Practice); but the character is never given time to develop into a three-dimensional person in her own right. She has roles to play in Charlie's life: first as surrogate mother, then as coach/confidante, and then as reluctant lover. But we see no real person underneath, just the person Charlie needs her to be at times. But this is Charlie's story, not hers, so that's to be expected.

My 8th grade students read the book so I bought the dvd for them to compare. It is a good movie, unfortunately, there is a scene where Charlie and Ms. Kinnian have sex. It isn't terribly explicit, but enough that I blocked the projector for about 30 seconds.

As an 8th grade teacher, I have enjoyed teaching the condensed version of Flowers for Algernon for years. I refuse to show the old Charly movie because there is an implied rape/aggressive sex scene that is entirely inappropriate for my students.

I was overjoyed when this delightful movie debuted on tv and absolutely thrilled it has finally arrived in DVD, as my VHS copy was failing rapidly. My students adore this movie and usually ask me to play it again for them at the end of the year, girls and boys alike. Matthew Modine makes Charlie an incredibly endearing character and Kelli Martin is ideal in the role of Miss Kinnian.

While I believe most viewers will enjoy this DVD, anyone who teaches Flowers must purchase and share this with students without delay. Enjoy!