preview

Differences Between If I Stay Book And Movie

Good Essays

Mia has a decision to make, should she stay or should she decide to join her parents and brother in death? It is this question that plagues her throughout the book and movie, If I Stay. A car accident kills Mia’s parents and her brother, but Mia survives. While in a coma, Mia is outside her body observing the various reactions to her condition and contemplating her choice. The characters are basically the same, but the book and the movie explore these relationships differently. The differences in how the relationships are expressed is what makes the book better than the movie.
Mia’s relationship with Kim is not portrayed in the movie as in depth as in the book. Kim is Mia’s best friend in the book, but the closeness of that relationship …show more content…

Gran is the driving force behind Mia applying to Juilliard. She is the one who spoke to Professor Christie about Mia auditioning (pg 48). This is glossed over in the movie. In the book, the social worker brings Gran and Gramps to see Mia (pg 80). It is after this visit, that Gran and Gramps have a discussion about whether Mia decides if she stays (pg 86,87). This moment is missing from the movie. This moment is key to understanding what is happening in Mia’s mind. In the movie, Willow brings a bunch of people to see Mia, but Gramp’s is the only one to talk to Mia and he tells her it's ok to go. In the book, Willow brings Gran and Gramps in to talk to Mia (pg 176). Gran believes in angels and signs of an afterlife (pg 87). She talks to Mia about the bird that visited that she thinks represents her Aunt Glo (pg 177). It is this moment that leads into Gramps into telling Mia it is okay if she wants to leave. In the book, Gran is instrumental in all the key decisions, but is virtually left out in the movie. Another character who presents differently in the movie verses the book is Mia’s boyfriend, …show more content…

In the book, Adam asks Mia to a Yo Yo Ma concert for their first date (page 35) and breaks her coma with a heart wrenching speech followed by playing her Yo Yo Ma on an IPod and she squeezes his hand (pg 229-234). In the movie, they see a cello concert and he wakes her up by playing her a song her wrote for her after he says he’ll move to boston if she’ll stay and she wakes up. The connection of the first date to the breaking of the coma by Adam in the book is extremely emotional and direct. It brings their relationship full circle. In the movie, there is a scene where Mia asks Adam why he hasn’t written a song about her and he replies she’d have to cheat on him for that. For the movie to end with him waking her up with a song he wrote for her just doesn’t make sense. It leaves you with more questions than answers. When Mia and Adam have their “Play Me” moment in the book, it is in her room after a family dinner (pg 59). The moment is intimate and romantic. It is her first time. In the movie, their moment is after Adam’s Band’s Halloween show, Mia is dressed up like a rocker chic and she’s been drinking. She asks Adam if he likes her better that way and he says he likes HER. They have a their cliched moment in the boathouse. The romance is missing. When Mia tells Adam about Juilliard in the book, he looks awestruck, gives a sad smile and says “Yo Mama better watch his back.” (pg 49) It is a bittersweet

Get Access