In 1924, a literal adaptation of Frank Morris' novel McTeague was attempted. What resulted was a film by the name of "Greed." This was the first time a novel was adapted into a major motion picture, and it certainly was not the last. Since then, hundreds of books have been adapted for the big screen with varying results. There have been cinematic masterpieces such as "The Godfather", "Jaws", and "Carrie" (1976). There have also been some lesser adaptations such as "The Cat in the Hat," Bonfire of the Vanities," and "Carrie" (2013). While films based on books vary in quality, there seems to be a consensus that the movies that stay true to the source material are often better than ones that stray away from it. Unfortunately, the film "Dreamcatcher" based on the novel of the same name that was written by Stephen King falls under the category that strayed away from the source material. As a result, the quality suffered. The film adaptation of Stephen King's novel Dreamcatcher was not a satisfactory adaptation because of the differences it had from the novel.
One of the big things that the novel had going for it and the film missed on was the characters. Throughout the novel, readers are introduced to the characters of Henry, Beaver, Jonesy, Pete, Owen, and their mutual mentally-disable friend, Duddits. While it follows these characters as young kids and as adults, we are able to look into the minds of these characters in order to really understand each one. It delves into their relationships with each other and especially each person's relationship with Duddits. Even as the story progresses, we understand the motivations and actions of the characters because they were established early on. Unfortunately, the film skips a lot of the character development in order to rush to the story. It shortens big moments in the characters' lives at young ages, which loses any connection between the viewer and the characters.
