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When movies chop a story's end for time

I watched an adaptation of a novel last week. The filmmakers cut the last chapter to fit two hours. They left out the closure that made the story special. Now the movie feels unsatisfying and cheap. It's frustrating how often this happens.
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3 Comments
aaronwest
aaronwest3mo ago
That always turns a complete story into just a series of things that happened. Look at The Hobbit movies, stretching one book over three films but then botching the actual ending from the book. Or how World War Z swapped the entire final act for a generic climax. It treats the plot like a checklist and ignores why people cared in the first place.
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jenniferc71
You mention how it turns stories into a list of events, but I see it differently. Sometimes stretching a story lets filmmakers explore parts the book skipped, and it can work. It all comes down to whether the changes feel true to the story's heart.
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ryanj60
ryanj602mo ago
Yeah, that's the worst, and @aaronwest nailed it with those examples.
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