Disney Channel’s much-promoted Princess Protection Program, featuring its two latest stars, Wizards of Waverly Place’s Selena Gomez and Sonny With a Chance’s Demi Lovato, premiered Friday evening.
I watched it, and there wasn’t a child around. I’m not ashamed. It was really cute, really wholesome, and had a fantastic message. Selena and Demi are best friends in real life, and that chemistry translated onto the screen. They also teamed up on a song for the soundtrack called “One and the Same.” Again, cute. Something I won’t mind listening to when the kids are in the car, and I’ll even listen to it when they’re not.
I also saw My Sister’s Keeper, adapted from Jodi Piccoult’s novel. I usually try and read the books before seeing the movie adaptations, but in this instance, I saw the trailer before I even knew there was a book, and it so moved me that I didn’t want any discrepancies between movie and book to alter my viewing experience.
I’m glad I chose that course, because apparently, the movie was way different than the book. I know how the book ends and honestly, I’m glad the movie ended differently. Frankly, I liked the movie’s ending better. I already was leery of the subject matter — I wouldn’t have chosen the course Brian and Sara Fitzgerald pursued in “engineering” youngest child Anna — and I grew so attached to Anna, masterfully portrayed by Abigail Breslin, that I would’ve actually been angry had the screenplay writers opted to use Piccoult’s original ending.
Sofia Vassilieva played Kate, stricken with leukemia, and she was amazing. She actually shaved her hair and eyebrows off rather than dealing with extensive makeup and skullcaps/wigs/etc. Not too many 16-year-old girls would do that, acting role or not. I’ve always thought she was a good actor, from the time she portrayed the oh-so-precocious Eloise in the Disney adaptations of the beloved Kay Thompson books. She’s also pretty solid in the role of Alison DuBois’ (Patricia Arquette) eldest child on the TV show Medium.
Really, everyone was great — I’ve never seen Cameron Diaz in such a serious role. Jason Patric was fantastic, too, particularly in the scene where Kate goes to the dance with her new boyfriend. Evan Ellingson, who plays the eldest Fitzgerald child, Jesse, was really good as well.
Anyway, I probably will opt not to read the novel, especially now that I know how it ends. But I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.
Even though I sobbed through three-fourths of it.
Posted by SteveB on June 29, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I’ve heard My Sister’s Keeper is definitely tugs at the heart-strings!