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Laurie Halse Anderson·2004·Director: Jessica Sharzer
80%
Faithfulness
4.0
Book Rating
3.6
Movie Rating
Platform: DVD
Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Hagerman
The Book
Speak, published in 1999, is a young adult novel by Laurie Halse Anderson that tells the story of high school freshman Melinda Sordino. After Melinda is raped at an end of summer party, she calls the police, who break up the party. Melinda is then ostracized by her peers because she will not say why she called the police. Unable to verbalize what happened, Melinda nearly stops speaking altogether, expressing her voice through the art she produces for Mr. Freeman's class. This expression slowly helps Melinda acknowledge what happened, face her problems, and recreate her identity.
The Film
A teenage girl becomes selectively mute after a traumatic event at a summer party, struggling to find her voice and heal. She navigates high school challenges while slowly opening up to trusted friends and family.
Key Differences
The film condenses some events and characters for time constraints. The internal monologue and diary format from the book are less prominent in the film. Some secondary characters have reduced roles or are omitted entirely.
Our Verdict
Enjoy both!The film effectively captures the core themes of the book while adapting the narrative for a visual medium. Both reading the book and watching the film provide complementary experiences.
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