Benjamin Buttons -- spoilers
I saw the Brad Pitt movie this past weekend. It intrigued me enough for me to find the original short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Other than the name and the central premise, the short story bears little resemblance to the movie.the original story had a sense of wry humor. Set in Baltimore, with the main character born in 1860, it had a sense of history but little romance.
The movie, however, is a bittersweet romance, told in flashback and set in New Orleans, with the title character born in 1917. I liked the care that was put into the story line -- from the clock that ran backwards to having Benjamin grow up in an old age home to Benjamin and Daisy finally being in sync with each other. I am amazed at the make up and digital photography that made Brad Pitt look older/younger than he really is.
The story is told in flashback, Daisy's daughter is reading Benjamin's journal to Daisy as she lies on her deathbed in 2005. What I really didn't "get", though, was the juxtaposition of Hurricane Katrina with the story line. I didn't see how the impending storm had anything to do with the doomed romance.
Other than the name and the central premise, the short story bears little resemblance to the movie.the original story had a sense of wry humor. Set in Baltimore, with the main character born in 1860, it had a sense of history but little romance.
The movie, however, is a bittersweet romance, told in flashback and set in New Orleans, with the title character born in 1917. I liked the care that was put into the story line -- from the clock that ran backwards to having Benjamin grow up in an old age home to Benjamin and Daisy finally being in sync with each other. I am amazed at the make up and digital photography that made Brad Pitt look older/younger than he really is.
The story is told in flashback, Daisy's daughter is reading Benjamin's journal to Daisy as she lies on her deathbed in 2005. What I really didn't "get", though, was the juxtaposition of Hurricane Katrina with the story line. I didn't see how the impending storm had anything to do with the doomed romance.
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