The Goldfinch Movie Review: Stop Comparing it to the Book

Photo Courtesy of IMDB

I'm just going to put it out there in the open: the critics are basing their thoughts on the movie based on a comparison of the book, and that isn't right.

I have not read the book, although I plan to after seeing the movie. As someone who hasn't read "The Goldfinch" and went into the theater Saturday night with no biases, I thought it was absolutely phenomenal. And it's a complete shame that it's tanking at the box office because critics are sh**ing on it.

The Goldfinch, directed by John Crowley, shows a boy named Theo who faces many hardships after surviving a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that killed his mother. He steals the surviving Goldfinch painting as a comforting sentiment. We see Theo grow up, carrying the burden from that horrible day with him as he goes from place to place.

Photo Courtesy of Book and Film Globe

The film features a star-studded cast, including Ansel Elgort, Finn Wolfhard, Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, and Jeffrey Wright. Their character dynamics were exquisite, especially the relationship between Theo and Boris from childhood leading into adulthood. Sarah Paulson's performance as the dumb, chainsmoking girlfriend of Theo's dad was quite memorable as well.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins deserves an Oscar for his work on the film. If critics and I can agree on something, it's that visually, the film is a work of art.

Photo Courtesy of IndieWire

With film adaptations of books, I believe that they need to be reviewed separately from the novel they're based on. It's not realistic to expect every aspect of a novel to be put in the film when the director did not write the book. I'm sick of seeing all these critics saying the film didn't take enough from the novel. "The Goldfinch" is 800 pages long. The film is two and a half hours long, and you didn't get enough? Did you want to spend eight hours at the movies?

Don't listen to the critics. Go give The Goldfinch the love it deserves.

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You can watch the trailer for The Goldfinch here: