Post #4: Adapting Book 2

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower makes the most sense as a movie. It is not long enough to make a TV show out of, but a good length and a good plot that would work well for a movie. If it were to be made into a TV show it would probably show Charlie as he goes through high school, but almost all of it would have to be made up because the book ends after his freshman year.
2. A scene that would have to be kept in the movie is when Charlie sits with Sam and Patrick at the football games. This scene would have to be in the movie because it is the beginning of Charlie's friendship with Sam and Patrick. It shows how kind Patrick and Sam are to Charlie even though they don't know him. Without the football game scene the rest of the book would be very different because instead of Charlie having new friends and meeting new people he would be alone and the book would be very different and would probably be boring. Another scene that would be needed in the movie is when Charlie gets high. This scene is important for comic relief in the otherwise more dramatic and serious book. It also shows how Charlie is growing over time and some of his character development. An important scene that would need to be portrayed in the movie would be when Charlie kisses Sam even though he is dating Mary Elizabeth. This takes place when Patrick dares Charlie to kiss the prettiest girl in the room. This scene is important because it shows how Charlie is in love with Sam and how after he does this many things change for him.  After this happens Charlie's friends don't talk to him for awhile and he starts to smoke a lot of pot.
3. A scene that would need to be taken out is when Charlie is just sitting at the mall watching people. This scene would not be in the movie because it is not that important to the overall story, it would just take away time from the overall movie if it was in the movie. Also, the movie would not need to show when Charlie buys pot from Bob because there is not much in that scene except for the exchange of money and pot.
4. Some of the things that Charlie see's and hears would not be able to be in the film because it would not remain PG-13; the film would need to be PG-13 or else it would lose a lot of the audience for it.
5. The character's would have to be played by young adults who have experience with acting. The actors would need to be semi-popular to create more of a fan base for the book/movie. The actor that plays Charlie would need to be able to take on a tough role.
6. The songs referenced in the book should be used because that is a big part of how Charlie feels. Music is also important to Sam and Patrick, so their favorite songs should be used too. Also, strong instrumental songs should be used in the movie to explain how Charlie feels happy and sad at the same time, and how there are many different moods throughout the book.
7. The movie would need to capture how Charlie is writing letters to his "friend" that he does not actually know. This would need to be portrayed because it is the unique writing style of Stephen Chbosky and is how Charlie's story is told in the book.