My Sister's Keeper

[Cousins and partners-in-crime Dama and Dariany have teamed up to review My Sister's Keeper. The tear-jerker is based on Jodi Picoult's novel about a girl born to help her sister survive leukemia and her fight for the rights over her own body. Hover your pointer over highlighted bits for spoilers!]

Dariany: So Dorkys asked us to review so let’s get to it. What was your initial reaction?

Dama: Well when I heard they were making the book into the movie I was excited and a little worried. I loved the book and wanted to see how they would adapt it on the big screen, but Hollywood is known for f’ing up loads of books. What did you think?

Dariany: The first thing I think when I hear a book is going to be a movie is, “Will it be just as I pictured it in my head?” I don’t know if this movie was exactly like I’d pictured it. Maybe more like 80%.

Dama: That's close enough! I can see how they tried to keep their interpretation close to the book EXCEPT for that major change. I know that left a sour taste in your mouth. Care to share?

Dariany: I felt they should have been more loyal to the book so I was very pissed off. What made the book was the shocker at the end that left you with "WTH?" and made it unpredictable.

Dama: Seeing as how I spend half my life online, I had already read that it was very possible that they would change the ending. So I lowered my expectations and prayed to God that 1) they didn't keep them both alive and 2) that I had the same reaction to the movie as I did to the book (I cried my eyes out). So since both things happened, I was quite satisfied!

Dariany: Well I didn’t cry for either. Maybe I’m just not that emotional, but I think the book’s ending would’ve made more big time money.

Dama: Bueno, Hollywood is all about what GUARANTEES the big bucks. Maybe they were afraid of taking too big a risk. I read that Jodi Picoult wasn't happy and I'm not surprised. I mean, they changed her baby.

Dariany: It wasn’t My Sister’s Keeper, it was My Sister’s Keeper: The Overused Version of a Family Dealing with Cancer.

Dama: You know, I loved the fact that like in the book, they switched perspectives from the children, the parents, the lawyer...

Dariany: Yeah, I liked that too. I feel they portrayed the family a lot closer than the book did. You could feel the love between them, but in the book you can see how the family was falling apart towards the end because of the illness. The movie showed so many happy moments that in the end they couldn’t bring in everything that made the book.

Dama: Ok so switching gears if I may, what scenes touched your soul? You do have a soul right? ‘Cause you didn’t even cry.

Dariany: Oh screw you for that one! I do have a soul lady. I loved that they went more in depth with the boyfriend unlike the book. Oh and the scrapbook was great! That girl has some skill. But honestly, the death didn’t hit me hard ‘cause I felt like every scene was preparing me for it.

Dama: I loved her and Taylor together, but seeing as I have a soul, seeing her with him was soooo heartbreaking, ‘cause I def knew he was gonna die and then it was likely she would too, so it was such a bittersweet relationship. The scrapbook scene was also heart wrenching. I think that’s the one that got EVERYONE in the theater.

Dariany: To me, the fact that Taylor existed wasn't heartbreaking because they both had been living with this disease for a while and they both knew there was a huge chance of not making it to tomorrow let alone to forever, but they were happy ‘cause they were together for right now. Actually, I felt it was the happiest part of the movie!

Dama: Wow, talk about polar opposites. It was heartbreaking to me because I knew that that little bit of happiness was temporary, but I loved that neither she nor Taylor let the disease become this huge dark cloud on their relationship.

Dariany: Ok so overall I won’t say this movie was horrible because it really wasn’t. If I had to rate it without having read the book before, I would give it 4 Toasties. But in relation to the book, I give it 2.5 for effort!

Dama: Oh wow, 2.5? Why you being so damn stingy with the Toasties?!

Dariany: Hey lady, this is my rating. You go and give it your own, woman!

Dama: I guess after having read the book, I’ll give the movie 4 Toasties.

Dariany: Ok, we'll agree to disagree then.


Summary

Dariany: So after being introduced to this book by Dama and reading it, I fell in love so this might have left me a bit biased. If you haven’t read the book, you would probably think highly of it. Very emotional and everyone (except me) left in tears. It’s amazing how they show these actors as a family and you can believe it (although I’ll never believe that Cameron Diaz and gorgeous Jason Patrick could ever be those grown children’s parents). But I was highly upset that it didn’t follow the book’s blueprint to the core. So because I am a Libra that can’t make up her mind, I have two ratings: If I’d never read the book: 4 Toasties; As a huge fan of the book: 2.5 Toasties

Dama: Personally, I would say steer clear of My Sister's Keeper if you're a lover of the book from beginning to end because some changes were made. However, I have to say that the movie still tugs at your heartstrings like the book. While the overall tone of the movie is depressing, the movie does a good job of including humor and young romance as well. I give it 4 Tostadas.

My Sister's Keeper: (avg.) 3.5/5 Toasties




Image: collider.com