In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the
main character is, obviously, Walter Mitty. The short story, that both the 1947
and 2013 movie adaptations are based on, highlights the adventures that Walter
experiences though his almost constant daydreaming. All three versions also
portray Walter as a shy and withdrawn character. Although he is basically the
same in all of the different adaptations, that is just about all that is kept
from the original short story written by James Thurber. The 2013 version contains
the most differences, many of them being due to advancements in film making
technology.
One of the changes that the movie
uses to immediately differentiate itself from the original story is Walter’s
“love life”. In the story he is married, and the whole plot revolves around him
running errands with his wife. In the movie, he has a certain infatuation with
a woman he works with at LIFE Magazine. He even goes to the extent of joining
the dating website eHarmony to talk to her instead of doing it face to face.
Another difference between the story
and the movie is the contrasting settings. The story was published in 1939, and
therefore the events were written according to that time period. However, the movie
takes place in present day and the timeline of events is much more modern. The
original story also takes place in the suburbs, while the movie has Walter
living in New York City.
The most noticeable difference
between the two versions was the ending. In the movie, Walter decides to go on
an actual adventure, rather than just thinking about one. The whole purpose of
the journey was to retrieve a lost negative from a famous photographer that
would serve as the last ever cover photo of LIFE Magazine. In the short story,
none of that ever even happened.
The short story can be purchased
online, or read at http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1939/03/18/the-secret-life-of-walter-mitty-2. The newest movie was released in December,
2013, and can be purchased at Walmart.
Ashlee Holtzclaw
No comments:
Post a Comment