So what did you think of the Other Bolyn Girl?

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
Especially those of you who read the book........I watched the movie last night. It was a good enough story but rather disappointing when you compare it to the book. It was definitely a "loose adaptation," and there didn't seem to be much concern about historic accuracy. :rolleyes:

But it was well acted, dramatic & entertaining. Plus who doesn't like a period piece?

Other thoughts?
 
Hey Laura,

I read the book and saw the movie and like any book I have read it is always better than the movie. If you like the Boleyn Girls than you will like the Constant Princess which is about the Queen before the Boleyn Girls. Good read!

Therese
 
My overall impression was "meh" (didn't know it was a book, I'll have to check that out). I was a little disappointed when I heard Scarlet Johansson was in it. She's sort of distractingly bad in my opinion. But getting to stare at Eric Bana for a couple hours made up for it :)

I was also a little shocked at what goes for PG-13 these days. Let's see, incest, rape, and of course a regular old fashioned sex scene. Granted, no full-on nudity, but I'm pretty sure they've loosened up on the rules since I was thirteen.
 
I'm waiting for the book to become available at my library before I watch the movie (though it's killing me to wait). I'm waiting for The Constant Princess too.

Has anyone read The Boleyn Inheritance? I really enjoyed that.
 
I read the book and really liked it. The movie was ok but did not do the book justice, IMO.

I have read both the Boleyn Inheritance (liked that a lot) and The Constant Princess too. The BI is worth reading, but I really didn't like the CP at all. I'm glad I read the other two books before the CP because if I didn't I don't think I would have read the others.
 
I thought the movie was "ok" on it's own, but nothing like the book. There was WAY too much emphasis on Anne's character and not enough on Mary. Mary was the main character in the book, but barely a supporting actor in the movie. I also didn't like how they switched some major plot points around. They completely changed the situation with Anne and her brother. In the book, they did have "relations" and even had a dead deformed child together. Anne was much less sympathetic in the book too. She was basically a biotch the entire time and you were almost cheering when she finally got the ax. I still found the movie entertaining, but just not as good as the book.
 
I read the book a few years ago. Phillipa Gregory did a great job imagining and attributing emotions and mixed feelings to the characters. I thought like you Laura, that the movie did not do justice. But it still was very entertaining. I can watch any movie with Scarlett Johanssen in it. I find her beautiful and an outstanding actress.

Here is a link to Phillipa Gregory's site where she talks of how much of the book is fact vs fiction:
http://www.philippagregory.com/research/research/fact-and-fiction.php
 
Liann said:
I thought the movie was "ok" on it's own, but nothing like the book. There was WAY too much emphasis on Anne's character and not enough on Mary. Mary was the main character in the book, but barely a supporting actor in the movie. I also didn't like how they switched some major plot points around. They completely changed the situation with Anne and her brother. In the book, they did have "relations" and even had a dead deformed child together. Anne was much less sympathetic in the book too. She was basically a biotch the entire time and you were almost cheering when she finally got the ax. I still found the movie entertaining, but just not as good as the book.
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I totally agree w/your review Liann! :) Esp. that it was supposed to be about Mary, not Anne. You know it's funny, I remember the relationship betw. Anne & George as you do, but I just read Vee's article (thank you Vee!) & Gregory denies that portrayal & says (which is what I believe) that the incest was a trumped up charge to get rid of Anne (altho I still think Anne was a ho :p).

The message of the book & the movie was pretty much the same though: being a woman from a wealthy family in the 16th century kinda sucked.
 
I saw the movie first and liked it but then borrowed the book from a co-worker and loved it. I totally agree that the book was much better. That's usually the case especially since it would be hard to put everything from a 400+ page book into a 2 hour movie. I love books and movies like this that make me want to learn more about real events in history.
 
Though I have been a big fan of Anne Boleyn and the Tudor history since I was fourteen, I just wasn't interested in this book or the movie. From what little I read and/or saw of both, it didn't seem very accurate. That's fine; it's a novel, not a biography or history, which I'm more interested in reading. But, did the author really, as one post mentions, have Anne being beheaded by an axe? I can't imagine why, since she was executed with a sword, which was considered a much more humane method. Seems like a small thing, but it did show a little (if not warped) compassion on Henry's part.
 
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TeTe - Oh, it was probably a sword, I was just using the slang phrase regarding "getting the ax" ;).

Laura - Wow, I'm surprised that she said that wasn't what she was trying to portray in the book. I thought it was pretty obvious that that was what was implied. I'll have to read that section again.
 
I didn't think it was even implied Liann. I thought it was pretty explicit. (the fact that is, not the act! :eek:)
 
Ive never read the book but did watch the movie! I thought the movie was good. I will have to read the book now...another book to add to my list:D
 
LauraMax said:
I didn't think it was even implied Liann. I thought it was pretty explicit. (the fact that is, not the act! :eek:)
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Laura - Didn't they say they were going to do it and then later when the deformed baby was born, Mary was like "what have you two done!" And they never denied it. And even Anne kept going on and on (before the baby was born) that she had made sure this time that the baby was going to be healthy because it was coming from good blood or her own blood, something like that? Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear.
 
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