It’s the end of the year – or the start of a new one, depending on how you like to look at it! Everyone makes lists and we’re no different. In thinking about all of our time here at the Lexicon watching this book series be made into five films, we thought about the pluses and minus of going from book to film.
For this list, we offer up our top ten moments in the books that were best translated into a visual for the films. We asked a few different friends for advice, and a few of you chimed in on twitter. This is the list we came up with after taking all the comments into consideration. Let us know in the comments section if you felt we got it right, or if we left something off.
#10: The first cafeteria scene in Twilight:
Ok, so in the book Edward is already sitting in the cafeteria as opposed to just walking by, but let’s face it, it still works. It was our first glimpse of Edward… which changed everything. It was also our first glimpse of Rob… and a star was born. Add in Jessica’s banter and Bella’s claim of not being interested and you have a great movie moment.
#9 The wedding scene:
Again, we have a change from the wedding being inside in the books to outside in the movie. But did we mind? Nope! The dress was old fashioned, the decor was over the top amazing, and the mood was perfectly romantic.
#8. Rosalie and Jasper’s flashbacks:
Eclipse is a tough story with all the side stories going on and flashbacks, but we think both Jasper and Rosalie’s stories were done so well! From costuming to characterization, the flashbacks were an integral to the film as much as they are to the book.
#7. The newborn battle:
We’d had some build up to battles with the dance studio scene, which was great. But add in the wolves to the mix and you’ve got an amazing action sequence! Top it off with Victoria and Riley taking on Edward and a bleeding Bella and it gets even better!
#6. The tent scene:
Given that Fire and Ice is one of the most popular chapters in Eclipse, the expectation for this scene was huge. They reshot the scene to make it more tense and to get Bella and Jacob closer to each other. The final product was well worth the trouble… and even gave us a great line that wasn’t in the books.
#5. The baseball scene:
Personally, the baseball scene wasn’t that monumental for us in the books. But when we saw it on film, it was spectacular! The baseball scene is possibly the most popular scene from the first film… and a popular choice at costume competitions!
#4. The birth scene:
It was a fear of our for how they would film the sequence and keep it PG-13 while maintaining the horror and gruesomeness of the description from the books. The scene was graphic, but by having Bella fade in and out, the film makers managed to keep the rating down.
#3. The “months”:
When you consider that the Melissa Rosenberg and Chris Weitz had nothing but blank pages to work with for this sequence, the moment becomes even more amazing. How do you film blank pages? Like this!
#2. The clock tower scene:
From the yellow Porsche to the St. Marcus day celebration, from the mad dash through the village center to Edward taking off his shirt… the whole thing reads like the book!
#1. Bella dropping her shield to show Edward her thoughts:
What was such a simple moment to read became the moment millions of fans started crying the tears of watching a saga come to its conclusion. Even though it was the moment Edward finally understood Bella’s love for him, it was used as a chance to remind the fandom why we love these character as moment after moment flashed by. If you are a diehard fan and you got past this moment with tears in your eyes, then you are a very strong person!
Did your favorite book to screen moment make our list? Let us know in the comments!
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