Cloudy Meatballs: Book vs. Movie
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs—the book and the movie—are ingenious tall tales with lots of action. Which do you prefer?
Learning about the movie version of one of my favorite books, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, turned out to be a day of fun in candy land. Recently, I attended a press day for the movie at one of the biggest candy stores in New York City: Dylan’s Candy Bar!
One of the best parts was getting to load up my gift bucket with all the free candy I could cram in. And then there was the chocolate fountain with strawberries, marshmallows, graham crackers, and pretzels. AND the miniature teeny tiny hot dogs, hamburgers, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Yum!
The most bizarre give-away had to be the movie-themed bacon-flavored chocolate bar. Several people told me it tasted terrible, so I saved room for my favorites and left the chocolate bar to my dad.
More to the point, reporters were given copies of the book and video games based on the book. The day before we watched the 3-D version of the movie. Each medium very different with different things to draw in the reader, watcher, or player.
It all started with a 30-year-old book of the same name about food falling from the sky. Both the directors of the movie and the author and illustrator of the book were all on hand to talk to the press.
Making the children’s picture book into a feature-length movie was no easy task. While the book took two years to write and illustrate, the movie took six years!
For one thing, a feature-length movie needed more elements than the book offered. The story in the book is a tall-tale narrated by a grandfather and his two grandchildren. There are no main characters driving the events of the small town of Chewandswallow. The weather in the form of falling food is the main character.
The movie, however, is full of colorful characters, all trying to do something to help their town. None of them fully succeed in being good at what they want to do, until….well, you’ll just have to watch! But will you read the story first? I promise it won't spoil the movie.
Both mediums tell fun and interesting stories that are definitely related, but they are two very different experiences. I began to wonder: which do I prefer?
With so many books now being made into movies, is it better to just watch the movie and save your reading time for books that you can’t see in two hours? Or does reading the book help enhance the experience of the movie?
I know if it’s not done well, a movie can ruin the story in a good book! What’s your favorite book made into a movie? And which do you prefer? Click on the blue comment button below and tell us what you think!
PHOTO: Kid Reporter Alexis Wiseman tries out the chocolate fountain at Dylan's Candy Bar at the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs press day in New York in September. Photo by Suzanne Freeman
OMG! This is so awesome! I love Dylans Candy Bar!
Posted by: Alexis | 09/16/2009 at 02:03 PM
Haha. I just realized this was the awesome candy store that my grandma and I went to two years ago when she took tme to New York! I thought the whole Harry Potter wall was pretty cool.
Posted by: Murphy | 09/20/2009 at 06:55 PM
I thing the books are almost always the best. In the case of Cloudy Meatballs though i think the movie is much much better. it's a different story altogether. i usually don't like animated movies but I really like this one and i would not have seen it except i was curious how they were going to make that book into a movie. but usually i just read the book
Posted by: TRIXY | 09/26/2009 at 11:14 AM
omg! i luv it! why must u tant me!
Posted by: Valerie | 10/03/2009 at 09:17 AM