Books We Read: November 2013

Having read the novel, this movie is a huge disappointment. I wonder how much participation does the author have in the making of this movie. From scenery to the plots to the casts, this movie is a far cry from the epic romance it is adapted from. The cattle drive in the movie is so lame and boring. When I read the book, I was seeing the epic cattle drive with lots and lots of cows and over a dozen cowboys riding their horses with Willa and her sisters against a majestic scene. The book gave me an image of the stunning horsemanship of Willa, Ben and other cowboys. But the movie is so watered down with just a small gang of cows mooing in the background and a Willa who looks like she was never on horseback much.

I have a feeling that neither the director nor the main cast members read the novel. It seems as if they only spent some time looking at the screenplay and just shot as they read on.

If I were the author, I would not let them make such a poor adaption of my novel. Willa and Ben totally have no chemistry in the movie, let alone passion. They aren't into the characters and they are so detached and remote emotionally. They are like reading the scripts in a rehearsal. They don't look like Willa and Ben at all, and they certainly don't look like cowboy or cowgirl. They just don't have that rancher vibe.

If it's up to me, I would cast Ben Affleck as Ben:

Jennifer Garner as Willa:

If they can't get the big stars, they should at least try to get actor and actress that have similar vibe. The Willa in the movie is too meaty on the face and build so she doesn't look like the Willa that is described in the book.

Mario Lopez as Adam: