One reason films change the story…

Isn't it annoying that the book never quite matches the movie. They always seem to have to alter some details of the story. At best, you can simply live with it, at worst you find that the film absolutely ruined the story. There's something about that transition from page to screen that always leaves something to be desired. 

Now, the question I can't help asking is, do we just lack filmmakers who are dedicated to the story they're telling, or is there something intrinsic about film which requires a changing of the story?

Let me start off admitting that this is a topic which is far too broad or deep for me to delve into in one article, perhaps even a lifetime, but I would like to explore one reason good filmmakers change details in great stories when they put them on film.

I have often heard people talk about films being short stories, so to condense a novel into a short story one must sometimes rearrange details or remove them in order to tell the story quicker. 

Another reason for discrepancy is the fact that most books do not give a minutely detailed account of the background props and scenery in every scene. Thus, the filmmakers must make these up themselves. In this case the discrepancy is actually between our imagination and the filmmaker's imagination. 

However, I think perhaps the most significant reason why good filmmakers change the details of a perfectly good story is because of their dedication to the feel of a story. Let me explain what I mean. When you read a story it most often uses narration to allow you to know what the characters are feeling. As you read what the characters are feeling your imagination allows you to enter into the emotions of the characters. Despite the fact that good writers are told to "show" rather than "tell" there is a certain amount of telling which is necessary to bring the reader into the emotional lives of the characters. 

In film this is actually much harder, because no one really wants to watch a narrated film; you might as well read the book. On screen it is even more important to "show" rather than "tell" because no one wants to be told what is happening in a film. Part of the magic of film is that you get to figure it out as the viewer. As much as you might want to know what's going on, the point of watching a film without spoilers is that each plot twist can surprise you. A good film will often bring the viewer into the story as another character, rather than a distant narrator.

However, what if you want to help people feel a certain aspect of the story they often miss? What if you want to put your audience in the shoes of the main character himself? 

As characters in our own life stories we are not omniscient and we have no omniscient narrators telling us exactly what is going to happen next. We make plans, but don't know what the future will hold. That uncertainty makes it exciting, although perhaps also worrisome. So to bring a viewer into the shoes of a character who has lost hope you cannot allow the viewer to maintain hope by showing him a character who has kept it. The character in the story may have lost sight of hope because he is seeing reality falsely, but as long as the viewer can see a way out he will take it. If the viewer sees people who have not lost hope he is no longer in the shoes of the depressed character, but has become more like an omniscient onlooker.

Despite our desire to enter into the stories of other people, we will always look for a way to escape the pain and become the distant omniscient narrator who knows how everything will turn out in the end. So in order to keep the viewers from distancing themselves from the weight of despair a character in a story might feel a good filmmaker might modify or remove certain hopeful details in order to help the viewer feel what the character might be going through.

Let me take this to the realm of the specifics. A lot of people criticized the film Noah which modified a number of details from the original account found in the Bible. Many people saw no reason for them to change those details since the excuse of adapting a story for the screen didn't appear to justify it. 

However, I believe that the filmmakers knew that many people saw the hopefulness of the Noah story and seemed to miss horror of it. It is my guess that things did not seem quite as clear and hopeful in the midst of the story as it does when we read it as distant, omniscient narrators. So, in an effort to help the viewers not miss the horror the characters must have felt, they omitted details which would have kept the viewers from entering into the trauma the characters would have been going through at the time.

Sometimes the only way for us to notice details of a story is to omitt other details. So if the filmmakers wanted the viewer to enter into the terror of the moment when God-tells-a-man-that-He-is-sorry-He-ever-made-man-and-is-going-to-destroy-all-flesh, they might show the main character losing all hope so that the viewer doesn't have the hope of another character to rely on. Removing hope from the main character places the viewer in the same position as the main character in the original story. Although the original character might have held on to hope by himself, he would have had to wrestle against great doubts because he was alone in his position. If the filmmaker maintained the original details of the main character holding onto hope they would have placed the viewer in a position differing from the character in the original story. The only way to place the viewer in the position of the character in the original story is to alter the main character and give him less hope than in the original story.

The question remains is the main character's character worth the sacrifice of placing the viewer in his shoes? That is a question we must each answer for ourselves, but let's at least allow ourselves to ponder this question since the filmmakers thought it was worth it.

Activity Log: Feb 14th-Apr 24th 2015

February: After getting married at Rich Fork Baptist Church with plenty of help from God via various people who contributed financial support and/or gave of their time, Isaiah and I sallied forth to Elkin, North Carolina for the Honeymoon. Thanks to the help of my grandfather and Linda, Isaiah and I enjoyed a whole week at Frog Holler Cabins. We made use of the fireplace, hot tub, kitchen, and the surrounding town while there and didn't mind a bit when we were snowed in for a few days. ;) We also watched "Sherlock"(all three seasons) and read "Redeeming Love" aloud to each other. It was seriously the most glorious honeymoon ever filled with tons of quality time and the perfect balance of adventure and rest. The best part was definitely watching the snow drift from the sky whilst keeping warm in the deck hot tub with wine in tow. #Winning!

After returning from the Honeymoon, I dropped my Russian class fairly quickly. I simply couldn't help wanting to be around the husband as much as possible, and that class fell smack-dab in the middle of our time together before work. Though my brother Mitch gave me a hard time about it, and I felt horrid dropping the best foreign language teacher ever, time with Isaiah mattered a lot more. February ended with a splash--a splash in High Rock Lake that is! Though I must admit, I like the tempature a whole lot better now. 

March: Besides the "norm" of chiropractor appointments, time with both our families, and work with my brother and at the YMCA, Isaiah and I had some extra adventure this month. We attended Keith and Lynnea's wedding in Georgia and got to see more of the Englishes on the weekend of the 21st! We got to hang with the English clan, including THE EMMA ENGLISH, who was back from Indonesia for Spring Break! In addition, we got to talk and dance with other friends including Jung Shin and his new wife Cate, Max Jones, and Tristen (although he is totes already an English...probably more so than me!). We stayed at Jocelin and Tim Yagel's house, only the best people in the world! This made the trip even sweeter. Getting to see my maid of honor so quickly after our own wedding was devine!

We also got to skype the Essenburgs to learn more about Japan later in the month. Though the opportunity to work at OCSI, for now, is not an open door, Isaiah and I gleaned a lot from the conversation. What wonderful ministers of God! Attending Encounter Church with Isaiah's siblings only added to the beauty of this second month of marriage. 

April: The month of April, thus far, has been amazing! Isaiah and I feel closer than ever, and a lot of that has to do with getting to be a part of things together so often! In addition to Skyping old friends and spending the rest of our Applebee's gift cards on nights out, we attended a homeschool dance. I learned English Country Dancing with my husband--the kind that Jane Austen writes about! Getting to meet new people, connect with some old friends like the Lauries, and experience an event that Isaiah grew up going to was way cool.

We later took a road trip up to Virginia to see Ben Fauldree in The Civil War Letters Ballet! The trip itself was wonderful! We got homemade ice cream on the way and even drove through the end of a rainbow! That's right--that happened! We stayed at the Buckley's house, friends from the Boardwalk and wedding! They are fabulous, and I can't wait to work with Sarah and Susie and have already adopted Olivia (I will pet her every day while we watch "Ponyo"). Ben Fauldree, my new friend and soon-to-be-co-worker was wonderful in the Civil War performance and brunch with he and Susie Buckley the next morning was glorious. I am even more excited for summer than before! 

We got to watch yet another wonderful performance the next day starring Londa, Elijah, Jed, and Jeremiah English! I will never forget the "Newsies" dance, Elijah and Jed's lady skills (and by that I mean winking and bumping into ladies who look like Doris Day), and the inumerable benefits of the coconut fruit from the cocoa tree. In addition to these glorious trips, Isaiah and I watched two new movies at the theater as a couple this month. #1. The Longest Ride: which happens to be a horrid movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book. But it is a much better movie when you go with my dad and brother Mitch; their mockery and simultaneous enjoyment of the film made the whole experience worth it. #2. Cinderella: which happens to be one of the best movies of all time. It was even great for our relationship in general. Go Disney! 

We newly-formed Englishes will check it later. But for now, ta-ta, my friends. And happy weekend! 

Swimsuit Season

Today I went swimsuit shopping with the husband. For those of you who don't know, the husband is Isaiah, and He's amazing. In case you weren't aware, being a girl during swimsuit season is pretty rough. As a millenial, I have seen, by this point in life, millions of perfect bodies (often via photoshop) on magazines, and guess what? When I put on a suit, I don't look like them. There are a thousand reasons why: stretch marks, cottage cheese sections, Renaissance flab (Botticelli approved but not 2015 approved). This makes the amazing husband all the more important. We had this huge discussion after swimsuit try-on time about whether or not he loves me as I am right now. He does. We then had to establish if he'll love me if I change. He will. The last thing we discussed is if he has always thought I was lovely, even in the college days. He has. So he has loved me this entire time and won't stop loving me even if I continue to get better (I'm like a fine wine, so of course, I'll only get better with time). He also won't stop loving me if I get worse or if I used to be worse or better. I am reminded of Rafiki from "The Lion King," except the sentence now reads "I doesn't matter it's in the past, [present, or future]." After this discussion, I felt I could do no wrong. But rather than cause me not to care about my body or my health, I felt even more motivated to become a better woman in every form not to please my husband necessarily. It's bigger than that. It's about honoring the love he's giving me. It's good love and hence it deserves great honor and reverence. I should and am motivated to pour time and attention into it, into this man who loves me in all of my forms. 

I started being re-enchanted with God's love for me after this suit saga. I re-realized that God loves us in similar ways. Not too long ago, I was convicted about some major issues in my life. At the time, the change in me felt so extreme that I wondered if I had even loved God or been a Christian. I had loved God. I had also been a Christian. I was just changing a lot. You see, we get it wrong when we think of 2 Corinthians 5:17 like a single act. It is true that at the moment of conversation"the old has gone and the new has come;" however, if you'll allow the typical butterfly analogy, it still takes a while for us to develop the wings that have started to grow (and let's not even mention the time it takes for the goopy crysalis to come off!). After conversion, we're still covered in lies, sin, and a major gaps in understanding. Each time we reach the end of ourselves, we change forms yet again and our wings grow more. We are these goop-covered, ever-changing, worm-like beings. Oh man! When I think of that, I'm pretty scared of standing before Holy God. 

But fortunately, God doesn't see us as these goopy looking things, constantly changing forms and often not resembling the butterflies we are apparently becoming at all. He sees us with the eyes of love. When he looks at us, he loves us. Period. He loves us then, now, and in the future, and this crazy, radical, time-traveling love is possible because, like my husband, God's love sees me at my best. He sees me at my best all the time! He sees me in my perfected form because I'm covered in the blood of Jesus. And this blood of Jesus thing doesn't take away from the fact that he loves me now. It doesn't take away from the "now" part because when you're in love, truly in love (not in "sort-of-love, I've gotten used to this person"), you see the wonderful parts of a person rather than all of their flaws. When Isaiah looks at me trying on swim suits, he doesn't see cottage cheese or flabby arms. He sees the complete person, the whole and beautiful Calli-jade that is not subdivided into good and bad because he sees the whole me in the best light possible.

God sees the wholistic and good us when he looks on us. And His love is even better than Isaiah's! It's immesurable and eternal, which means His love is not only spans time for this lifetime but for forever. He loved Calli-Jade when she was in his mind, when she was hurt by church in 8th grade, when she glorified Him well in high school, when she betrayed Him with lies, when she talked about Him constantly in Chattanooga, when she felt lost in Colorado, when she found herself again, and time and time again when she left Him for something temporal only to come running back. He has always seen her in her best form because, to Him, after Jesus entered her, she is that new creation, that beautiful woman he created and that he is still re-creating over and over, everyday until she actually becomes that new creation in actuality. You see, the miracle of Jesus is that when his blood covers your sins, God sees you as what you actually are in your perfected form even before it happens. You may still be a goopy mess, but He sees you in your truest form, the form more beautiful than you can even see with your goop-covered eyes. He sees the transformed Prince even whilst the Beast is transforming into him. 

And another great thing about thepositive view God has on you, even while you're being sanctified, is that it is helpful to your wing development. Though there is room for verses like Romans 6:1-2, receiving this radical kind of love does not de-motivate us. It does the exact opposite. Good love deserves great honor and reverence, and every human heart, on some level, knows this. Praise the Lord that every swim suit season, every season of my life, God sees me as beautiful. 

An English Introduction

First of all, I'd like to introduce both myself and my husband. I am Calli-Jade English and am a seeker of God who found a fellow seeker by the name of Isaiah Paul English. The other details aren't as important quite yet. After all, since you'll be on this journey with us for quite a while, I have a feeling you'll learn about us both soon enough. 

For now, I'd simply like to catch some of you up. Those of you who know us a bit, as well as you newcomers, deserve to know some of our story. Though it may not be time to tell you everything about who we are, I'd like to share a bit of what you'll find here. First off, in between the typical icons on this page (facebook and pinterest), there is one that holds a picture of us. This icon links to our wedding website, which tells some of our "couple" story. Feel free to visit if you feel like getting to know us a bit more. Though the Bridal Party and Details pages may not be of much use to you, the sections that communicate our heart can get you started on feeling like a part of our story and journey. 

Now to officially catch you up: Isaiah and I were married February 14th of this year. We are currently residing in Lexington, North Carolina, where I grew up. This means we spend plenty of time with my family and even get to spend a bit of weekend time with Isaiah's family in Concord, North Carolina. Though we are currently living pretty mundane lives, there is beauty in the mundane. Working at the local YMCA and tutoring my brother may not be where I  planned on being at 25, but it is certainly where God has me. And this wonderful husband of mine can be found cooking and cleaning the lakehouse we're currently renting from my grandfather (huge blessing!); he is often also at my side praying for God's direction and reading theology books aloud to me. He teaches me more about God every day. I praise God for this rest period. It is also quite wonderful for solidifying a God-driven marriage. Isaiah and I have learned more about each other these past few months of "the mundane" than many couples learn in 5 years of marriage. We have more time together because of my part-time jobs, and I wouldn't trade those cups of coffee and conversation for the world. 

There are exciting things ahead however, one of which includes The Boardwalk Chapel in Wildwood, New Jersey. It is an open air chapel run by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and it's awesome! Folks come from all over the world to visit and work for the summer in Wildwood, and Isaiah and I will get to talk with them about Jesus. Some folks gave us money for this Summer mission via the wedding, and we are so excited to use it well. The Boardwalk evangelizes during the day (welcoming people from the pier), takes a break for a night program which includes praise, drama, a short sermon, and a moment of truth, and then late night evangelizes more (this time in teams which are sent out). Isaiah will be coordinating Evagelism (teaching youth groups how to evangelize with truth and relate to people, ordering tracts, etc.) with his good friend Chris Byrd. I will be coordinating Drama with Ben Faudree, a new friend. Isaiah and I have our own room, but we will still be living in a home with many other people. We are looking forward to dwelling in community and getting a chance to minister together in a different way than we have thus far. So Summer is set, and we are pumped! 

Our after Summer plan (post-Boarwalk) is a little more foggy. If I said I was 100% okay with this, I'd being lying. Truth be told, if Fall came tomorrow, we would have no plans, no jobs, and no place to live. But God is good, and we trust Him to lead us both in this season and during the Summer; He will speak to us; He always does (even if it is to say wait). We only have to have faith and pray. We communicated a call to Japan a little before the wedding itself. Due to this, the wonderful women of Matthews OPC as well as others (via monetary wedding gifts) gave Isaiah and I some money for plane tickets to Japan. We still plan on purchasing these tickets; however, the timeline and route is less clear than we originally thought. I figured, being the "planner" I am, that I would grab a teaching job in Japan for this Fall, and we could head there directly after the Boardwalk Chapel. However, the job that I applied for fell through. Though I assumed I'd be in absolute angst about this, I remain calm, a huge testament of God's work in me this year. He is so faithful to changing our hearts, and I love that and Him so! 

We are currently thinking that perhaps after the Boardwalk, we'll at least visit Japan to get our feet wet with the money for tickets and stay with friends of ours. It would give us a feel for the culture and what prayers we should be lifting up in preparation since we know we are called there. We are simply unsure of timing. Fall could also be spent support raising and looking more into missions organizations for more full-time work. We are also praying about applying to a missions school in Georgia which would go from January to May whilst still applying to a few other places in Japan. We are praying about all of these things and would appreciate prayers being lifted up with us and for us concerning the uncertain future. Summer is golden. Fall is foggy. God is good. And hence, we are glad in this time of waiting and watching. God doesn't fit into our time frame. If He "fit into" our anything we would truly be in trouble. Serving a God greater than my boxes makes my heart happy; it makes pursuing Him that much more interesting. Talk to me in a few months, and I hope and pray I'll be as excited with the unknown as I am at present.