BLOG #1: A Boy's Life...NOT

In discovering that A Boy’s Life was E.T., I was shocked in a good way. The fact that I could recognize the characters, and put faces to names, made me happy. Yet as the pages continued to turn I grew disappointed and bored for the same reason. It was difficult to read because I was bored reading it. These faces were not new and reading the scenes brought the same images and shots to mind.
There was an added source of awkwardness that made this reminiscent extraterrestrial encounter different from the rest. While reading E.T. as a screen play, with all the scene descriptions, imagining the whole thing was a little difficult. I suppose my lack of comprehending certain abbreviation plays a huge role in that.
Elliot stood out the most to me simply because when I remember the movie, he didn’t seem so tragic – “fatherless and friendless.” Mary, the mother, also stood out more so than usual as well because I think I can relate her more to what I’m used to seeing in everyday life – that single mom who is totally cool but bitter as well.
The fact that I could see the script in my head, the way the movie is shown, made the reading experience less enjoyable. As far as screen plays being read by non-professionals, I’d say it is a good idea simply because they, I can only assume, would have a fresh outlook on what’s great and what can be tossed.

1. Did anyone think it was difficult to read the screen play for any reason – the structure, the fact that you know the story, or whatever else?
2. Did anyone see any the characters differently, once reading the writers perspective, then when you saw the movie with your own perspective.