James Franco please...

          Short story, if I didn't just read the book for the class I wouldn't have had the slightest clue what was going on in this movie. According to IMDB, Matt Rager and James Franco were in charge of "screenplay". What really disturbed me was how the characters would constantly break the forth wall and stare at the audience. These moments just were too intense for a book that seemed to be a little more joking than what his adaptation was going for. Still being a downer, I really didn't like the screen being cut in half because it just looked...bleh. Though from what we saw the movie really did follow the book plot-wise which is pretty good. Every time I think of this film I just pictured Anse smiling with his new teeth and that is something I could live without.

           Speaking of Anse I don't like how he got such a happy ending. The worst thing that may have happened to him was that he broke a sweat. The rest of his family was left either physically or emotionally destroyed. Poor Vardaman  didn't get his toy train, Jewel loses his prized horse, Cash loses a leg, Darl is heading toward a psychiatric ward and Dewey Dell is still pregnant. Anse gets a new wife and a new set of teeth and that just seems unfair to me after all that everyone went through.

Bumbling Bundrens

         The story As I lay dying is very different from other books. First off we have the way that the chapters are set up. Each chapter gives us the perspective of a different character which is nice because in this this book its really important to know what each of the characters are thinking when they do what they do. It also skews our views because we end up finding out a lot about the characters they don't know. Like Addie's affair and deep hatred for her family. If Anse knew about this, he probably wouldn't be making such a huge deal about this trip.
      In addition we have have the plot of the story. Everyone wants to bury Addie in Jamestown because it was her dying wish but is it worth the trouble? We've got this horrible storm that has flooded the river and taken out the bridge. Because of Anse's stubbornness, cash breaks his leg, their mules are sleeping in the bottom of the river and Addie's coffin is actually making everything smell like death. It's also kinda strange that most, if not all the people in the Bundren family have alterior motives for even going. Vardaman wants a toy, Dewey Dell wants an abortion, Cash wants tool, Anse wants teeth, and Darl doesn't even want to go. What a lovely family.
     Lastly, Faulkner provides us the perspective of some people outside of the family. The Tull family would basically have the same views with most of the people the Bundrens would meet. Vernon thinks this trip is a bad idea but at least Anse is trying to respect his wife's wishes. Cora on the other hand thinks its its terrible that they are parading her body all over the place. In the end I agree with Cora. This entire trip doesn't really seem necessary and if they really wanted to get some random stuff from town, they could just get it later.