Warning this review may contain spoiler alerts
MY SISTER’S KEEPER- I have been waiting so long for this book to become a movie. I am not saying it was horrible, and I am not saying it was excellent. In all honesty, I have never in my life cried continuously throughout an entire movie. As soon as each character started introducing themselves and telling their point of view I began to cry. I felt such a connection to the story and was so intrigued into the movie that I was emotionally involved. I was crying from beginning to end. I read a review in the Columbus Dispatch that said My Sister’s Keeper was quite a tearjerker: "Strange to say it about a movie from the director of The Notebook, but My Sister’s Keeper earns its status as a tear-duct cleaner" (Nick Chordas). That man was absolutely right. It is difficult for me to review this movie as purely a movie because I have read the book. Sometimes reading the book first can definitely ruin a movie.
First off, I would have completely re-casted the movie. No offense to all the cast and crew involved but it seems as if someone had to story read to them instead of them reading it themselves. I love Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, and Alec Baldwin as actors and love all their work but they are not the people who fit the characters. They did an excellent job acting the part, I would not doubt their acting skills for this movie, but they do not look the part. The entire Fitzgerald family is a lot younger than I pictured, especially Cameron Diaz. She is way too young to look like the mother of a three children (two of them teenagers).
Another thing was Julia. There was no Julia. I felt she had a good portion of the book and she should have been in the movie. Julia is the family guardian appointed by the judge for Anna’s case as well as a past love interest of Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin). Julia was almost like the median between Anna (Abigail Breslin) and her mother (Cameron Diaz). I would have had no problem with the makers adding Julia’s storyline in. I know it would have made the movie longer but I would have been just fine with that.
In addition, one part made me uncomfortable. The first time where Kate has her serious date and then they kiss at the end...it was awkward. It was such a beautiful intimate kiss but his stupid leather jacket ruined it for me. They were kissing, and his jacket was squeaking really loud. It was not part of the script either but it sure was a big part. That kiss was completely awkward; I just had to say something about it.
In the Columbus Dispatch, Chordas claims the movie could have “easily” been a lifetime movie “Director Nick Cassavetes, who co-wrote the script based on the novel by Jodi Picoult, goes for broke in a story that could have easily tipped over - and very nearly does during the third act – into the land of Lifetime TV movie” (Chordas). I highly disagree. Sure, this is just my opinion, but My Sister’s Keeper is so much deeper than some lifetime movie. That is the reason that movie keep me crying; It is so deep. The story had such a powerful conflict and a big resolution for both the book and the movie. Lifetime movies include some woman getting raped and then getting revenge on the man who raped her. This story is about a girl who sues her parents for medical emancipation because she is tired of being a constant donor to her sister. Anna has alternative motives and in the book, the ending has a twist.
Speaking of the ending, I had a gut feeling the producers would change the ending. Kate dying in the end does seem logical but that does not complete the title. The ending of the movie was touching and sad but the ending of the book was devastating but powerful. The movie is called My Sister’s Keeper and I believe the title comes from Anna continuously keeping Kate alive. In the end of the movie Anna says she thought she was put on this earth to save her sister and in the end she could not save her. In the book, Kate says Anna was put on this earth to save her...and she did. Anna’s last breath went to save her sister and Kate was the one to live and write about it ten years later. Because Anna did not die in the movie, she did not fulfill her purpose as well as the title. The title is what it is because Anna’s life was to save her sister; no matter how they got there, Anna took care of her sister until the end. Anna’s death brings closure to the title and the story of My Sister’s Keeper.
