Post #4 Adapting Safe Haven

    Some specific challenges a filmmaker would have when turning the book Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks into a movie is casting the right people to play the characters. Without the right casting the emotions and tone of the whole movie would be off, and it would look almost awkward on screen. This is one problem that I saw in the movie, Julianne Hough, who plays Katie in the movie, was not the right casting choice in my opinion. Her seemingly joyful expression throughout the whole movie did not represent the true distress and scared feelings Katie expressed in the book.
    One scene that should be kept in the book is the scene where Josh is out fishing on the boat and he slips into the water and starts to drown. Katie sees him fall and his dad, Alex, runs out to save him. Josh's little sister Kristen is left screaming and crying, hysterical about what is happening. While Alex is attending to Josh, Kaite comforts Kristen and gets her to calm down. Once Josh is breathing normally again Alex looks over at Katie and Katie looks back. This is an important moment in their relationship, when Alex realizes how much he really likes Katie and how good she would be for his family. Katie thinks the same thing too just for a second, but enough to show reader's how their relationship is going to change.
    Another scene that definately has to be added is when Kevin, Katie's abusive husband who she ran away from, finds out she's now living in Southport and decides to drive down and kill her for running away. The filmakers need to include the moment he spots her at the carnival and how he stalks her throughout the day and night waiting for the right moment to kill them all. This is a very suspenseful moment, and the climax of the story, without this suspense the ending would be kindof shocking and too fast. This slow build up would really get the audience's attention and allow them to see the true character of Kevin. In the real movie this scene was not included, and the ending is very fast, making is almost too dramatic and nonrealistic. Also nobody gets seriously injured, while in the book Alex and Katie both were inujured pretty badly making the movie scene seem really fake.
    The third scene that should be included is when Katie realizes her only girlfriend in Southport is really the ghost/ appariton of Alex's wife who passed away a few years back. This is a pivital moment in the book, and is a shocking realization for Katie as well as the reader's. During this realization she also reads the letter Alex's ex wife wrote for her before she died, telling her everything she expected from the new mother of her children. This is the end of the book and should be the end of the movie too because with Kevin dead and everybody healed, all the characters are content and happy. It leaves the reader feeling sad yet happy at the same time. Sad that Jo wasn't real and had died, but happy that Katie is finally free, and her and Alex will live together with the kids forever.
    One part that would have to be cut out is the part inbetween when Katie is not sure wether or not she really wants to go head first into another relationship after dealing with Kevin her whole life. This inbetween part is pretty long, and it would be boring just listening to Katie contemplate with herself over a couple of weeks wether or not she should take the risk. This was included in the movie, but it was a very shortened version making it ok to add.
    Another part that should not be included in the movie is the time Kaite spent in Philadelphia when she first ran away from Kevin. This part is almost completely uneventful and isn't that important to the overall story line, though it is interesting in the book, on the big screen it would be too slow and the audience would be bored.

Book #1 Project

         Introducing the Favorite Items Box that includes Augustus’s favorite video game Counterinsurgence 2: The Price of Dawn, An Imperial Affliction Hazel’s and later Augustus’s favorite novel, a basketball trophy that Gus won, Peter Van Houten’s letters to Hazel and Gus, the last letter Gus ever wrote, and a box of tissues for the sad parts in the book. This is everything you will need to fully enjoy and experience The Fault In our Stars by John Green.

Throughout the whole book Hazel talks about and refers to her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. Hazel practically bases her whole life off of this book and the way Peter describes how we are all just a “side effect” of death. She firmly believes there is no hope, and she will die in the near future, she uses this book as a way to come to terms with her early death, and accept it fully. Augustus’s favorite video game of all time is also included in this wonderful box! Counterinsurgence 2: The Price of Dawn included in this box is the exact same game that Gus plays throughout the book! Hazel even played it! It was one of the first great memories they created with each other, and became a fall back thing to do; it was comfortable and familiar.  Before Gus was diagnosed with cancer he was a basketball star, and won many many trophies. You have the choice of getting one of the trophies that survived Isaac’s (Gus and Hazel’s friend) rage or you can get one of the trophies Isaac smashed himself! But there are only a limited number of smashed trophies so you need to order your box as soon as they go on sale! The emails sent between Hazel, Gus, Van Houten and Van Houten’s assistant have been transferred to paper in real handwriting, so every fan of the book can have copies of these important plot points! The last letter Gus wrote before he passed away is also included. All Gus ever wanted was for Hazel to be happy and content with the life she has. Even though she didn't love him till almost the end of the book he loved her from the beginning saying to her “I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the

business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.” He even spent his “cancer wish” on her so she could travel to Amsterdam to meet her favorite author Peter Van Houten. They traveled there hoping Peter would tell them what happens at the end of his book, since it suddenly ends, but he ends up being a rude drunk, who is suffering from several mental illness. They leave insulted and with no answers to their questions and disappointed, but Gus loved Hazel so much he sent Peter a death wish stating that Peter come back to the US and give Hazel’s the answers she deserves. Gus is determined to keep his promise to Hazel: she will get the answers she wants by saying “That's what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway.” Peter accepts Gus’s wish, and does return, to Hazel’s dismay, but she is very pleased and heartbroken when she finally gets a hold of Gus’s last letter. This item is what readers will really buy the package for: Gus’s last words. The box of tissues is there for the tear-jerking moments, whether they be happy or sad.

           The Favorite Items Box is the perfect way to get readers to read not only this book, but get introduced to reading itself. With these physical items readers would be able to come in contact with pieces of the characters, and connect to the book more. These connections and artifacts enhance the whole reading experience. Without this box, the book would not be as interesting to read. Since this is a sad story this box helps brighten up the mood by giving the readers extra visuals, and allowing them to fully appreciate the thoughts/ feelings of Gus and Hazel. The readers will feel as though they are actually down in the basement with Gus and Hazel playing video games, or will feel as though they were shadowing them when Isaac broke a bunch of Gus’s basketball trophies. As Gus says “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal.” This is the box and book that will help complete, and put back together their story while remaining special enough to want to be kept it a secret.