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Compared to the book, this movie falls short in many ways. Although, to be fair, I feel this is less the fault of those involved than it is a casualty of the format. As a miniseries, I think this would've worked much better. It would've solved many of the issues holding this thing back from being great. Then again, that's the case with most book adaptations, isn't it? So, moving on from what it SHOULD'VE BEEN, and focusing on what it IS, let's talk about where this goes wrong.
First, this movie skips over most of the backstory. Now, while I understand this is unavoidable, given the time it has to tell its story, this reality still hurts the finished product in a number of ways. One example is a lack of investment in Ig's and Merrin's bond. Sure, we catch glimpses of what they had, but it's not the same. In the book, we see them fall in love bit by bit. We feel the heat from that love. We feel it grow moment by moment, and each scene is both beautiful and heart-wrenching, because you know when all is said and done, this girl will be a body beneath a tree. You watch them gravitate toward each other, you watch them love each other, then you watch them get suddenly ripped apart, and you FEEL it. So when Ig finally finds that letter, when you read those final lines, it's like a punch in the gut, because this was something epic. This was something epic, and now she'd dead. This was something epic, and now Iggy's no longer even human. That's the book. In the movie, though...they're a couple. They're in love. Okay. Moving on. It just doesn't carry the same kinda weight, and while, again, that's understandable, it's still a major disappointment. Another example is a lack of any real foundation for Lee's desperate attraction to Merrin. In the book, it's made clear time and time, again, just how much he wants Merrin. He sees himself as Ig's competition in a lot of ways. He sees himself as having just barely missed a chance to be with her. And he sees her denial of him as a kind of betrayal. So when he finally kills her, it feels like a culmination, like this was something we'd been building toward over the past however-many years. Especially since, in the book, we get a look at a strange scene I don't entirely understand, but which ultimately suggests Lee's been stripped of his humanity. Is that scene necessary? Not really--not as much as the others. I'd believe he was twisted without having seen him die as a child. But it does contribute something to the character.
Next, I'd like to note the absence of any real sense of mythology in this movie. Is there talk about God and the devil? Sure. Is Ig some kind of demon with magical powers? Yeah. But that's about it. In the book, Satan's almost a character, himself, despite never really being seen. He's the proprietor of the tree house. He's L. Morningstar. He saves Ig as a child, and he grants him revenge as an adult. He gives Ig Merrin; he gives Ig horns; he gives Ig the tree house, with all its little clues as to who Morningstar is and what he's all about--take what you want, get what you need. For me, that was so much of the magic of the book. I loved the idea that this wasn't just some simple deal with the devil. In the book, it was complex, it was nuanced. It twisted time and space, and was just as much about love as it was about revenge. Which leads me to my next point...
Where was the tree house? I mean, I know there was A tree house, but what about THE tree house? The tree house of the mind. The one the devil gave them. The one where they cemented their relationship. The one Merrin found comfort in at the end of her life. The one she used to hurt Ig while trying to push him away, and the one she hoped to one day find him in, once his own life had come to an end. The one he DID find her in, once it all had come to an end. Where was that? Where was that symbolism, that magic? Where are those heart-wrenching scenes, and that sense of epic scope I talked about earlier? Because it sure isn't here. There's just a tree house. In the forest. One they can always find, and one which the townspeople can see and interact with and use as a shrine. There's so much I was disappointed in when it came to this movie, but the lack of a tree house of the mind was definitely one of the biggest.
And finally, there's the end. Now, I'm not gonna spoil the movie for you, in case you decide to see it, but just know it isn't the same as in the book. So much is just missing. So much was done wrong. See for yourself if you'd like.
Now, despite all this, I'm still giving the movie four stars. Because while it missed out on so much of what made the book amazing, it's still an okay story and an okay movie if you're willing to leave the novel behind. My ex watched it before making it more that one chapter into the book, and she still gushes over this movie. Bought it for her grandfather, actually. And truth be told, I didn't feel like I'd wasted any of my life watching it. So four stars. Buy it if you want, but do it knowing it just won't compare.
And keep your fingers crossed for a miniseries.
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