Speak Movie Review








The novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was turned into a film just in 2004. This film was directed by Jessica Sharzer. In the film, Anderson wrote about a girl starting her freshman year in high school on a way that no one ever should. As the novel progresses you notice the way that the main character Melinda grows as a person and how she begins to slowly start understand herself once again. I felt that Kristen Stewart as Melinda, did an outstanding job and impressed me in many ways. Being only 13 at the time, Stewart had to take on a big role by being very mature compared to some of her other films around that age. To get through big things that you cannot get passed by yourself such as being raped like Melinda, you need people to help you. David Petrakis, Melinda’s lab partner, is played by Michael Angarano. He helps Melinda realize that she needs to speak up if she wants any help in her life. Mr. Freeman is played by Steve Zahn and helps Melinda by showing her ways to speak about her emotions through art. Hallee Hirsh plays Melinda’s ex-best friend Rachel. Even though Rachel doesn’t talk to Melinda anymore for calling the cops at the party, she eventually helps Melinda because she knows she deserves it. IT aka Andy Evan is played by Eric Lively and he takes advantage of Melinda and rapes her. Through Melinda’s freshman year in high schools spends her time afraid of Andy, not knowing if he will do something to her again. Allison Siko as Heather was the only girl that would even talk to Melinda on the first day of school but eventually ditches her to go hang out with other girls who don’t even want Heather around. All these people show Melinda a certain way to get through her fears and to stand up for herself.
Even though the plot line is always the same with novels that are turned into movies there are always some things that are the same and some hat are different. For example, one constant in both the book and the movie was that she receives the tree as her art assignment for the year. This is one thing that I was happy about because the tree is something that symbolizes Melinda by showing how something grows over time. By Melinda still receiving the tree she is able to put her emotions into the tree to make it her own and unique. One big difference that I was not very happy about was that when Melinda finally does decide to speak up she decides to tell her mom about being raped over the summer. This makes me upset because her mom has been nothing but unaware of her daughters feelings. On the other hand, Mr. Freeman always had supported Melinda and was there for her. Another difference in the movie was that in the bathroom she never went to make a list of “what boys to stay away from” in the stall. I was also a little disappointed about this because in the novel she went back into the bathroom she saw everyone’s hateful comments about Andy and she stated that it made her feel like she could fly. I feel that if this certain type of thing made Melinda feel this good it deserves to be in the film as well.
I know that it may seem that I disliked the film, but that is far from what I felt. I enjoyed watching the film very much and did not want to leave class after the bell rang. All I wanted to do was finish the movie. The bildungsroman of Melinda is clearly shown throughout the film; I especially noticed through the music. At one point in the beginning when she is sitting in her room and on the bus sad music was playing but as the days grew warmer her emotions grew happier and people could see that she was getting through her painful past.