An Analysis of Joy Carol Oates
Though the film "Smooth Talk" maintains considerable fidelity to Joyce Carol Oates's, "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?," the written form on which it is based, a single yet critical difference separates a literary masterpiece from a cheap flick's misguided interpretation. The main pitfall of the film adaptation is that it portrays a concrete ending, effectively negating the possibility of alternative conclusions, an intentional device employed by the author. Consequently, the film fails to perpetuate the central motif of confusion so critical to complete appreciation of this literary masterpiece. Conversely, admirable attention is paid to the accurate transposition of other motifs, specifically music, prevalent throughout the story in the movie. The movie's ending portrays a definite conclusion where a definite conclusion was originally intentionally avoided. Her character's naive confusion embodies the average teenager. Thus, the ambiguous ending was essential to continuing the motif of teenage confusion. Herein lies a critical obstacle of a novel's film adaptation: whereas an author may purposely leave ambiguous certain events in written form, movies cannot always logically convey
Provided, Chopra's revision of the story's ending was unavoidable, as the story's original ambiguous conclusion was one deemed "impossible to transfigure into film" by even Oates herself. Nonetheless, by sacrificing the resolution's ambiguity, the movie version loses much of its effectiveness in conveying the confusion and mental struggle of teenagers trapped between childhood and adulthood. that emotional suspension; rather, a comprehensive conclusion is sought in transposition that brings closure to the issue at hand. Joyce Chopra, Smooth Talk's director, was faced with the considerable task of portraying this ambiguity; unfortunately she opted to present a decisive conclusion instead. This suspension symbolizes much of the teenage angst and confusion that is a central underlying theme throughout the written work. Therefore, by portraying a decisive ending, in effect answering all the questions for its audience, the film adaptation nullifies the unifying themes of internal tumult and the naive courting of one's fate, both critical elements essential to complete appreciation of Oates's literary genius. Music is also portrayed as an often underestimated and therefore sinisterly exploited influence. It is this medium through which Arnold Friend first establishes a "bond" between Connie and himself, citing a similari
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Approximate Word count = 902
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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