Last night, I attended the midnight showing of the much-anticpated film adaptation of Twilight with three girlfriends. For those of you that live under a rock, Twilight is the story of 17-year old Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks, WA and falls in love with a mysterious, good-looking classmate named Edward Cullen. Edward and his family turn out to be vampires and Bella and Edward begin a relationship that is laced with love and danger, as Edward could kill her at any minute. I came along, more or less for the company, but I was also anxious to see how this film would translate onscreen from the book. After seeing the movie, I felt that I had just watched a story that didn't really engage me and left me a little disappointed, but after more thought, I can appreciate some elements and the daunting task it must've been to bring this beloved book by millions alive on the big-screen.
Since I am not a die-hard fan of the books (so far, at least as I've only read the first one), I need more than just the satisfaction of seeing the characters and setting come to life; I need a story and characters that has three-dimensional qualities. Since there was so much to cover in the story, a lot of the points were breezed over. There was a backstory about vampires and werewolves that hardly got any discussion. I didn't feel the relationships between all the characters were developed fully. Even with Bella and Edward I was hoping for more angsty, fluttery moments. There a couple swoon-worthy scenes between them and it would have been nice to get more of those to really understand their emotional distress.
However, I can certainly understand how it is difficult to bring the same emotional turmoil that you experience in a book to a big screen that only allows 
for two hours of material. The director followed the plot pretty closely from the book and I thought the film was rather well cast. Kristen Stewart did a good job of playing an awkward and vulnerable teenager, who could easily fall in love with a specimen as stunning as Edward. Rob Pattinson is the only
for two hours of material. The director followed the plot pretty closely from the book and I thought the film was rather well cast. Kristen Stewart did a good job of playing an awkward and vulnerable teenager, who could easily fall in love with a specimen as stunning as Edward. Rob Pattinson is the only young actor I can picture in this role, as he is a good age and has the sexy yet dangerous quality that Edward needs to have. I didn't agree with the choices for some of the supporting characters but that will make this review way too long!
There are some sociological points that some feminists and realists can argue and I will say that while those ideas can absolutely be supported, it's important to remember that this film is not for the purpose of advancing society. Maybe once in a while, we need to believe that people are "meant to be" and that they will do absolutely anything to be with the one they love.
So, in conclusion, you must be in the correct mindset when watching this movie. If anything, try to enjoy some of the Oregon coast scenery that is the setting for this movie. There are some beautiful scenes between the two leads, including one that features this song called "Bella's Lullaby." I would love to hear what other people thought about this movie so feel free to leave your comments! In fact, please do!
