I'm Actually Quite Surprised . . .

because I loved it.

I didn't think I would, but I did.

I even want to see it again.

It was nice that they stuck almost exactly to the book. Granted, they had to omit a lot of extra character development (like the Cullens) because the a movie can only be so long, but they did a really good job of giving you the 'gist' of every character.

That was nice. But I said I loved it, remember?

Some reasons why I loved it . . .

1. First, I bought the casting. I didn't think I would. The books are describe everyone in a way that allows you to develop your own perception of each character, which is why everyone has their own perfect 'Edward' in their head. I didn't think I would buy into, let alone approve of, any of the casting for the movie. But the actors did such a good job that I loved them all. While they don't (and never could) measure up to my imagination (especially my beloved Carlisle), all the actors fit the bill quite well and I wasn't disappointed with anyone. They biggest weakness in the casting in my opinion was Jacob. He was too cute. His smile was too white. Jacob was supposed to be more rugged, in my opinion. Maybe they'll do that in the next move, after his big "change".

2. The music. I loved the music in this movie. It was very outside-the-box and "mystic", if you will. The music went perfectly with the way the film was made and worked very well with the story itself. My sister-in-law actually gave me a copy of the soundtrack and its not my 'usual' music. But I love it. I especially love the song at the end, when they are dancing at prom. So romantic.

3. The thing I loved the most was the way the movie was made. It was a relatively low-budget film, and the production was . . . . artsy. That's the only word I can think of. It was artsy and mystic. It didn't look like the basic Hollywood-produced teeny-bopper film. The cinematography was also unique, and brought in some interesting shots. I loved that the filming and production itself was the way it was. It fit the book and the story so well. (This might not make any sense, but watch it and you'll know what I'm talking about.)

It wasn't perfect (is any film adaptation of a book every perfect?) and it had some weaknesses (Jacob's hair) and even 1 or 2 (or 3 or 4) corny parts, but all-in-all, they did a good job with a book that so many of us hold dear.

P.S. We had a great Thanksgiving. Tales to come at a later date.