Not Perfect, But Still Quite Lovely

The Lovely Bones may disappoint fans of the book, but Peter Jackson's creative vision is worth seeing

By Zipporah Porton
Published: February 1st, 2010 | 10:25pm

Based on the bestseller of the same name by Alice Sebold, the film adaptation of The Lovely Bones, directed by Peter Jackson (yes, that Peter Jackson), turned out to be a memorable interpretation of the much-loved book.

Primarily written in internal monologue, the novel version takes place inside the head of Susie Salmon (played here by Saoirse Ronan), who was raped and murdered at the age of 14 by a neighbor (Stanley Tucci). Salmon is trapped between worlds as she tries to help her family get past her death and nail down the murderer. While the film version follows a similar story line, Jackson does a nice job of taking the story outside of Susie’s head and giving it a visual life of its own.

I read the book a while ago, and have been eagerly awaiting the film since 2007, when news broke that Jackson would adapt the story with his writing partners Fran Walsh (also Jackson’s wife) and Phillipa Boyens. While the Lord of the Rings director seemed like an odd choice for this small, emotional story with a largely female audience, Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures (1994) centered around a then-unknown Kate Winslet and her off-kilter friendship with another teenager.

Surrounded by mediocre reviews, I had low expectations. Maybe this was a good thing, because the film still resonates with me a week later. While her voiceovers are cringe-worthy at times, Ronan (who was nominated for a Supporting Actress for Atonement) is still remarkable as Susie. With haunting bright blue eyes, she explores a wide range of emotions, from the thrill of her first crush to realizing (and accepting) that her life has ended.

Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz play Susie’s parents, and both performances are heartbreaking as they deal with the death of a child. Susan Sarandon is unfortunately underused as Susie’s grandmother, a stereotypical and ultimately forgettable character.

Jackson is a bit heavy-handed in drawing the dreamlike universe Susie inhabits as she watches life go on without her — but many of the CGI creations are quite striking. Yet in a world where a 14-year-old girl can be murdered on her way home from school, it’s nice to believe that afterwards, her days might be filled with gorgeous scenery (and a luxurious wardrobe).

We never see the murder on screen and there is no reference to the rape that happens in the book. These were conscious (and controversial) decisions by Jackson, and I think he made the right choice. There film is horrifying enough as is — especially Tucci's turn as a truly creepy killer — and showing the gory details wouldn't have added anything. And in the end, Susie's murder isn't really the point. This story is more about coping with the tragedy of death ... and discovering that life goes on.