If I were to adapt a short story we studied in class in to a movie I would probably choose How I Met My Husband. I chose this story because I thought it was one of the better stories we read in class. The ending was overall pretty positive and I didn't fall asleep while reading it. Although I did enjoy the story as a whole, there were a few element I would tweak in the modified film version.
Plot
In regards to plot, there is not much that I would choose to change or edit in the story. Rather than altering what already exists, I would simply add on to the end of the story. The central conflict that exists in the story is Edie's final encounter with Chris Watters and ALice Kellings reaction to this. I would keep this conflict in the film because it adds drama. Movie goers are all about more drama. However, I do not feel the title or the end of the story really reflect the events of the story. There is much more emphasis on Edie's relationship with Chris Watters than that of her husband. Because I feel that movie critics would be upset with this ending, I feel that I would need to expand more on her relationship with her husband. I think that this would improve the overall message and theme of the work because it would unify the story and create a more positive feel. When I read the story I thought the theme was something along the lines of "convenient love". I mean, this girl marries a guy that she spends less than a page to describe whereas she spends the entire story describing a man she just met. ALso, Edie's husband was her first relationship. After reading the story I was satisfied that Edie was finally happy in the end, but I felt that she didn't really love her husband because it appeared that she had more feelings toward Chris. With my modifications, the storyline would still be the same, however, Edie would show much more concern and interest in her husband.
Point Of View
The point of view used in the short story How I Met My Husband was in first person. Edie, the central character, was the narrator for the story. This was very effective because It allowed the reader to channel into her thoughts and feelings. I would keep this element consistent in the movie because it really helps characterize Edie. In the film I would have a narrator speaking as a scene unfolded- sort of like a Morgan Freeman movie. This would assist in expressing the theme of love because it would help the audience understand Edie and how she feels during certain moments in the story.
Setting
This story took place somewhere out in the country. Mr. and Mrs. Peebles live in a nice home with plenty of empty land around it. Although I don't believe the narrator actually describes the surroundings, the fact that Mr. Watters is able to land his plane there implies that there is plenty of space and not much housing around. Also, Alice Kelling stays in a hotel in the city but is offered the opportunity to spend the night in the Peebles' home. The setting would have to remain constant between the two works in order for Chris Watters to leave his plane there. The story does not take place anywhere else besides in flashbacks by the narrator. The setting of the story as well as the movie would not really have a large impact on the message or theme of the work, however, they would greatly influence the plot if it was to change.
Characterization
There were several major characters in this story. In the film version of the story I would cast actors or actresses who exemplify the same qualities and characteristics as those in the story.
Edie- I'm not really sure exactly what actress I would attempt to cast for the role of Edie. I would look for an actress who is young and has a soft and meek voice. Innocence is obviously another key trait of Edie in this story- therefore that rules out most actresses today, sorry Lindsay.
Mrs. Peebles- Mrs. Peebles is like the typical mother figure. She is concerned and protective of Edie when Alice Kelling accuses Edie of being intimate with Chris Watters. Mrs. Peebles character should be a strong willed and older mom figure. Kathy Bates' character from The Waterboy seems like a good comparison to Mrs. Peebles.
Alice Kelling- Alice Kelling is more classy and sophisticated woman. She becomes very jealous of Edie and accuses her of having intimate relations with Chris. Rachel McAdams would be a good actress for this role.
Chris Watters- Chris Watters is a very laid back type of guy. He lives each day how he wants. He is very friendly and doesn't really care what people think. I would like to cast Johnny Depp for this role, mostly because I just like Johnny Depp.
Loretta Bird- Loretta Bird is a very gossipy type of woman. She helps move the story along because she is always present during a conflict. I'm not really sure who I would cast for this role, but it would have to be someone who is very uppity and talkative.
All of these specific characters are important to the plot of the story. Each character acts the way they do because of their personality traits. Edie is very shy and naive which is why she falls for Chris so easily. Chris is careless and doesn't really think anything of his actions. Loretta Bird likes to stir up trouble, which is why there is always a conflict when she is around. All of these characters are vital to the plot therefore in the film version I would not change any of them.
Theme
The theme of this short story was love. However, when I read the story I thought that the fact that Edie doesn't show a great deal of emotion or concern about her husband, Mr. Carmichael, takes away from the theme. I felt that the theme seemed more like "convenient love"- meaning that Edie only fell for the mailman because he liked her in return. In order to keep this perception from reaching movie viewers, I am going to include Edie's husband much more. Hopefully this will enhance the theme because it will make Edie's love for her husband seem like it is more tangible and evident. There are a few other smaller messages included in the story that I would also like to keep consistent within the film. For example, Edie is very naive and believes that Chris really loves her. However, she eventually discovers that he had just said that because he knew she would believe him. Chris took advantage of Edie by telling her she was beautiful and making her feel special. Obviously he did not even care enough about her to write a letter to her.
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