Book To Film #1: Tuck Everlasting

I should state upfront that I almost always prefer any book
over it's film adaptation. Too often images created by words are often lost in film. What can be said in prose is sometimes impossible to recreate on screen. With that being said, I have enjoyed several film adaptations of children's books. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is one such example. Does the film follow the book faithfully? Are basic plot lines altered? Would I recommend the film? Read on!

There are several differences between the book and the film, some I understand, others baffle me. I must be honest and admit that I did not notice the change in the year the movie takes place versus the book. It was not until I was researching the issue that I realized the movie was set in 1914, whereas the book was set in the 1880's. The one obvious change was the aging of the heroine Winnie from a ten year old in the book to a teenager in the film. This change was understandable considering the implications of Jesse's proposal to Winnie. The characters in the book all appear in the film: the Tucks, Winnie, the man in the yellow suit, the sheriff, and Winnie's family.

The movie poses some interesting questions. Why was Winnie so fast to accept the Tucks after they had kidnapped her- the book made the answer easy to accept, whereas the film, left me wondering why she was not more afraid. The tragedy of Miles was well developed in both the book and the film. The character of the man in the yellow suit was visually delicious in the film as played by Ben Kingsley. It is of note that this film stars several Academy Award winners: Sissy Spacek, William Hurt, and Ben Kingsley.

The overriding questions of immortality, choice, love, and loneliness are addressed in the film. In the end, Winnie makes choices that usually surprises a young audience and opens the floor for discussion of these issues.

Despite the differences between the film and the book, I would recommend this Disney film as a companion to the novel.

The are thousands of websites containing lesson plans for Tuck Everlasting. One that goes into great depth is http://www.scu.edu/character/CBL/archived-lesson-plans/upload/tuck1-3.pdf.