The film “Poor Things” swept the 2024 Oscars night by winning four awards for Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Costume Design.
A detail that perhaps not all fans of George Lanthimos’ acclaimed film know is that it is actually an adaptation of a novel. What are the differences between the movie and the book of ‘Poor Creatures’? we tell you.
The book on which the movie ‘Poor Things’ is based
The film, which won Emma Stone her second Oscar, is based on the 1992 book of the same name by Alexander Gray.
The work has been recognized with awards such as the Whitbread and the Guardian for Fiction. The text won its author greater recognition among the general public in his native Scotland.
“Poor Things”: differences between the movie and the book
Although both stories follow the same plot, a scientist who performs a “Frankenstein”-style experiment by implanting a baby’s brain into an adult woman, as is usually the case with any film adaptation, the big screen version is a far cry from the original text .
Initially, in the book Bella Baxter’s adventures begin and end in Glasgow, Scotland, while the film sets her (and her ‘father’ Godwin’s) life in London.
In this sense, it should also be noted that in Alasdair Gray’s text, Scottish history, culture and values are present throughout the story and are fundamental to understanding the protagonist’s personality, while in George’s version Lanthimos stood aside. The film has a lighter tone than the book’s socio-political commentary.
Additionally, the novel describes real places, rather than the imaginary or fictional settings of the film.
The movie “Poor Things” focuses on Bella’s perspective, while the book is told from the perspective of Max McCandles (played by Ramy Youssef). By the way, in the literary version, this character is named Archibald.
Another difference between Bella Baxter in the film and the book is her personality: in the film version she is presented as an idealistic young woman and champion of women’s liberation, while in the text she has a more ambiguous and complex personality.
The book “Poor Things” tells a different version of the protagonist’s origin story: Godwin is more motivated by his loneliness than we see in the film, so he ends up becoming more dependent on Bella (as opposed to the tape in which he encourages her to marry Max).
Something that has been commented on by various media regarding the differences between the book and the film of ‘Poor Things’ is that Alasdair Gray’s work is even more “strange” and enjoyable than that of George Lanthimos.
Where to watch ‘Poor Things’?
The Oscar-winning film is currently in theaters. In the United States it is already available for streaming via Hulu, while in Mexico it is likely to arrive in Mexico via the Disney+ platform.
Does reading ‘Poor Things’ grab your attention? Tell us in the comments.
Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
