This is the most perfect book-to-screen adaptation I’ve seen. The screenwriter was the book’s author, Patrick Ness, which would explain why the film sticks so closely to the book. The only significant change is the omission of Lily, a friend of the protagonist. However, she was certainly intended to be in the film, as she appears in a deleted scene.
You can read my book review here. The film is essential viewing, whether you’ve read the book or not. It’s heartbreaking but beautifully done. The actors are wonderful, especially young Lewis MacDougall as Conor, Felicity Jones as his mother and Sigourney Weaver as his grandmother. Liam Neeson voices the monstrous yew tree. Fantastic special effects, too. The animation sequences are stunning and bear a stylistic similarity to those in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I don’t want to say much about the film. I can’t find the words. I guarantee you’ll be in tears by the end, if not before.
Low-resolution film poster sourced from Wikipedia.
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