Watermelon (2003) Reviews

• Calling all fans of the novel

  SuzLouA2003-09-02

  I'll be brief. I'm a huge Marian Keyes fan. I'd read her grocery list if she'd let me. I own everything she's got in print and I love them all (especially her collection of journalism, Under The Duvet - I suggest you get it if you're reading this), and read them over and over again. Watermelon is one of my favourites. (well, that and Lucy Sullivan and Sushi for Beginners) The book is hilarious, touching, and unsentimental despite the subject matter. The TV adaptation shares these things in common with the book: 1. The protagonist is called Claire. 2. The love interests are Adam and James. 3. Claire has a baby. That's it. That's all they have in common. The TV has a completely different ending, and a completely different plot. THOSE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK AND LOVED IT: For Christ's sake don't watch this. It's beyond awful and will make you sad for the "real" Claire Walsh. (Not to mention Rachel and Maggie from Rachel's Holiday and Angels by association) THOSE WHO HAVE SEEN THE TV ADAPTATION AND HATED IT: Please, please, PLEASE read the book. It's beyond fantastic and very very funny. It will reaffirm your faith in humanity, which has probably been destroyed after watching this piece of trash.

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• the book is way better

  reneinsa2004-11-03

  movies made of books are often not as good as the book was, and this a perfect example!! The book was brilliant! The movie was horrible!! I stayed up late to watch this last night, and was more than disappointed.. they use the same names, but left some characters out, and changed the entire thing around. Claire met James while she was a waitress... and then they got married, and he left her on the day their baby, Kate, was born - so she fled back to ireland, to live at her parents house with her folks and 2 sisters... and she has 2 other sisters that don't live @ home.. all great characters.. (in the movie she has one BORING sister) and she goes out with a friend of one of the sister, Adam, and falls for him.. i wont give away any of the rest - the book is fab! ignore the movie.. read the book!!

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• One of the best movies i have ever seen.

  angelandcordi2005-01-08

  I love this movie not just because it was moving but because it was funny too. Its about a girl named Claire who moves to London with her boyfriend. He then dumps her and abandons her all alone in a new city. She applies for a job but ends up getting sick during the interview. A charming and kind guy helps her get a small job in a company where she applied. They soon become an item and fall in love. However, Claire then discovers she is pregnant with her ex boyfriends baby. She ends up telling her current boyfriend that its his baby. The couple set about making a new home for the little baby. Unfortently the truth comes out and he dumps her... Welli don't want to give the rest away but needless to say it is just as exciting and confusing in second part. This film is one of My all time favorites. I would strongly recommend watching this, Even if you don't like soppy chick flicks. Anna friel is supported with a strong cast full if witty and slightly crazy Characters.

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• Please don't watch this movie.

  sunniva_j_892005-09-07

  Awful awful awful film, ruining the great book! I know that some people think it's -such- a funny and sweet flick, but most people don't. And, maybe some of the reason is that they've read the book like me. The book is brilliant! If you have the choice between the book and the film; BOOK. It doesn't help that the movie is so bad, even if you haven't read the book. In the beginning the film says: based on the book by Marian Keyes. Well, it's based very loosely. Very. Anna Friel was also just to fresh looking, when she felt awful after having her baby it lasted for a day, and just... I'm mad. Please, everybody, read the book instead!

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• Patronising script highlights Friel's lack of talent.

  adrianh00012003-04-22

  Anna Friel plays an embarrassingly stupid Dublin girl who jets off to London with her boyfriend for a job that's really just a job interview. The interview ends disastrously, she's dumped by the boyfriend and then, literally, bumps into one of the interviewers who (and who'd have guessed) just happens to fancy her. Find herself pregnant by her previous boyfriend, she cons the new guy into believing he's the father. As the birth is earlier than expected, he realises what's been going on, walks out on her and she returns to Dublin. Reconciliation with the father fails when the English boyfriend turns up and it all ends in a highly unbelievable lovey-dovey get-back-together at the airport. This really is very much a "made-for-ITV" film: catering for the lowest common denominator in their target audience (i.e. try not to make the people think too much about what they're watching). Friel's Oirish accent is passable and, of course, she gets her clothes off (it must have taken some time to get those nipples peeking out of the bubble bath by just the right amount). Altogether, don't waste your time watching this if it should ever be repeated.

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