How “Tiger Eyes” the movie is as good as “Tiger Eyes” the book
1. Willa Holland is perfectly cast as the book’s narrator Davey Wexler — the coolest, most non-conformist and inwardly confident character Judy Blume has ever created; 2. The key opening scene, (“It is the morning of the funeral and I am tearing my room apart, trying to find the right kind of shoes to wear.”), is there along with Davey’s cat Minka and brainy best friend Lenaya; 3. The film gets Judy Blume’s very nuanced sense of the cultural differences between working-class New Jersey and suburban New Mexico without ever once resorting to stereotype; 4. Small, but important details of the book are included in the movie, like when Davey is first approached by Wolf in the canyon and, unsure of his intentions, quickly grabs a rock or the peppermint candy Davey’s father kept by the cash register in his store or the sunset candle Davey buys to light all by her self, on her first Hanukkah without her father; 5. Aunt Bitsy and Uncle Walter’s stuffiness, (expertly acted by Cynthia Stevenson and Forrest Fyre), Davey’s defense of her family’s vaguely bohemian life, as well as Davey’s young parents’ very un-parent like love is as strong in the film as it is in the book; 6. Like in the book, the terminally ill Mr. Ortiz (played by the wonderful and legendary Russell Means) gives Davey a dancing bear, nags her to join the swim team and positiviely glows about the accomplishments of his son and Davey’s little brother Jason, (the adorably gap toothed Lucien Dale), wears a cape and bakes cookies; 7. A very beautifully shot kiss between Wolf and Davey on a snowy New Mexican night very effectively captures the soulful, sometimes flirtatious, friendship articulated in the book; 8. A couple more small changes the film makes, (Davey’s dad is not just a portrait artist but a surfer and owns a boardwalk sandwich shop not a 7-11 * Aunt Bitsy is Davey’s mom’s sister, not her dad’s), add interesting dimensions to the story, (i.e., Davey’s dad is movie star dreamy * Davey’s mom letting Aunt Bitsy take over makes sense if you think of her as Bitsy’s baby sister); 9. Director Lawrence Blume’s talent for pace and lighting is as remarkable as Judy Blume’s talent for writing true life stories.
(Source: audreysprenger.com)
