Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar: Children’s Book To Movie Transformation
My second favorite book series, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, recently became a movie. Can’t get any better than that, eh? Well, sorry to bear the…fantastic news. But, it can. Creative mastermind, Tim Burton, directed the movie. I flipped out, to say the least.
As with any book to movie transformation, the movie did not remain 100% true to its original form. Tim Burton altered certain aspects of the characters and plot. He switched the traits of Emma and Olive, which strikes me, and many loyal readers of the series, as…peculiar.
In the novel, Emma’s peculiarity, fire at the touch, fit her feisty personality, which formed her relationship with the love interest, Jacob. While shy and less expressive, Olive, had the ability to float and manipulate air, she did not connect with Jacob. As I watched the movie, I could not get past this character switch.
After much deliberation, however, I partly understand why Tim Burton made this change. Jacob does not have a combative personality. Perhaps pairing him with the feisty and fiery version of Emma would lessen their connection on screen. Plus, Tim Burton likely could not resist tying his signature gothic style into the movie. He dressed the Emma/Olive hybrid in gothic, clunky, lead shoes, to keep her from floating away.
The ending, the second largest change from book to movie, came as a shock to me. A wight (the ever so scary antagonists of the story) follows Jacob to the home for peculiar children. The protagonists and antagonists then have an epic face off, as with any conflict-driven story. But, this face-off transcends much differently in the movie than in the book. I prefer the book’s ending. But, I am biased. I do not handle change well. Either way, both endings serve their purpose, to entertain.
Adapting a book into a movie can upset fans if the initial integrity of the book alters. But, in my opinion, these changes do not detract from the story. The combination of Ransom Rigg’s story with Tim Burton’s vision is immaculate, truly an astounding work of creativity.
