Everything the Fallen Movie got wrong
WHEN A YA BESTSELLER FLOPS ON THE BIG SCREEN
Movie adaptations are made for book lovers. Let’s face it, we are the #1 target audience when a film company decides to take a popular book and make it a movie, or even TV Show. Unfortunately, many film studios don’t adapt books the way WE want them to be adapted. So many of them become flops, for a variety of reasons.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… book adaptations flop for two main reasons:
- Marketing
- CGI and Technology
Fallen is no different… Despite the popularity of this bestselling book series, the movie was a flop. When it first came out, hardly anyone knew about it. There was clearly a small budget for marketing, but if the publishing and film companies had gotten the word out more than this movie would have garnered more attention.
Also, the editing in this movie was not the best. It wasn’t the worst! There are definitely adaptations with worse graphics, but the ones in Fallen are not great. Specifically, the “shadows”, the action shots of angels fighting, and the trippy lighting in certain scenes (like Luce riding the motorcycle), should have been edited and filmed in a way that would have captured the interest of audiences, like the people who read the books.
Another disappointment in the Fallen movie is how far it strayed from the book. Interesting characters were left out or completely changed, Luce didn’t have her short hair, Cam was made to look emo and depressing instead of strong and attractive… I won’t spill all the tea right now. You’ll have to keep reading to see everything that the Fallen movie got wrong.
FALLEN MOVIE SUMMARY
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Fallen is a story about a teen girl, fated to fall in love with an angel, but never allowed to get close to him or grow past the age of 17…
Luce has been troubled her entire life. She began seeing dark shadows as a young girl, shadows that no one else saw. One night, at a high school party, Luce was alone with her crush, Trevor. The shadows came for her and started a fire that ended Trevor’s life and put Luce on the path to reform school.
Because of Luce’s previous history with hallucinations, a judge ordered Luce to attend Sword & Cross Academy, a reform school for troubled and even dangerous teens.
On the first day, Luce is stripped of everything relating to her life – her phone, her non-black clothes, and even her dignity. But, on the bright side, she quickly makes new friends. Arianne and Penn stick by her side and help her navigate the school.
The first day is also when Luce meets Daniel. He is a gorgeous boy that Luce is fairly certain she has met before. Throughout the story, he is standoffish and even outright mean to her, but none of that matters. Luce is drawn to him, and it’s not long before she finds out exactly why.
The problem is that the more she learns about Daniel, the more she learns about herself, and that is a very dangerous road to go down – one that might cause Luce to end in flames.
Everything the Fallen Movie got wrong
Let’s be honest, there are MANY things that the Fallen movie got wrong. This list tells you ALMOST everything that was not exactly adapted into the movie, and what the filmmakers could have done differently.
This list is not in chronological order, or any order of any kind.
#1 Luce's Hair
Luce is supposed to have short hair! The fact that she had to shave it off after the fire incident with Trevor is a big part of why she feels depressed. In cutting off her long and beautiful hair, she is also losing the piece of herself that is normal.
Also, her short hair is meant to be cool and edgy, which would have fit in very well with the Sword & Cross student body aesthetic.
#2 Luce's 17th Birthday
In the book, it was 2 weeks before arriving at school. In the movie, it is a couple of days after she arrived. This is a minor detail, but a very noticeable one to those of us who read the book.
#3 Her Choice
In the book, Luce is ordered by a judge to attend Sword & Cross Academy. However, in the movie, the schools therapist said that she had a choice – if she takes her meds, she can go home. Luce decides to stay at the academy instead of taking the pills because she doesn’t like they way they make her feel.
#4 The Therapist
Luce had a therapist while attending high school, but she did not have one at Sword & Cross Academy. I assume the therapist was placed into the movie at the academy as a way to explain Luce’s background and her shadows.
Personally, I would have preferred Luce had voiceovers explaining her background, shadows, and emotions instead of wasting valuable screen time on a therapist that wasn’t in the books.
#5 RANDY
This might be one of the few creative liberties that the filmmakers did right. In the book, Randy is a point of interest to all of the students because no one can tell if Randy is a man or a woman.
In our increasingly aware society, it’s probably a good thing that Randy was made a male in the movie and not kept as a gender-ambiguous character that the students made fun of. A movie with a gender-fluid character (even if they aren’t intentionally fluid in their identity) that gets laughed at by other characters would have been in very poor taste, no matter what year and which generation the movie was released in.
#6 "NEW" STUDENT ORIENTATION
This scene in the book is less drawn out, but it is the moment when Luce is introduced to a few vital characters – Gabe, Gabbe, and Todd.
Those vital characters were given different introductions in the movie. Cam walks in wearing handcuffs, past Luce, while Randy is giving her the “Welcome to Sword & Cross speech”. They make eye contact and there is clearly a lot of attraction between them. We don’t see Luce meet Todd or Gabbe until much later.
#7 Seeing Daniel for the First Time
In the movie, they spot each other through a window. Their first real interaction is when Luce is sent to the Special Collections section of the library and see’s Daniel sleeping in a chair. He was drawing, something that remains consistent in both the book and movie.
In all honesty, the book did it better. It is Luce’s first day and she is with Arriane. Luce spots Daniel walking to his group, wearing all black except for a bright red scarf, which makes him really stand out from the crowd. After a minute, Daniel turns his head and spots her. He looks shocked, but then he rises his middle finger to her and quickly turns back around. Naturally, Luce is confused, disappointed, and a little angry that a stranger flipped her off for no reason.
#8 Special Collections
Luce, in the book, is directed to the special collections section of the library while doing some research. She walks up and sees Daniel drawing. She gets the strangest feeling that he is drawing her, almost like Deva Vu’, but he is just sketching a landscape of the cemetery.
Miss Sophia, in the movie, is the one who sends her to gather a book that she needs for class. Miss Sophia orchestrated Luce’s first meeting with Daniel in the Special Collections section.
#9 ALL BLACK, EVERY DAY
One of the main focuses in the book is the attire at Sword & Cross. Luce often fixates on what everyone is wearing because, with the exception of weekends, they must wear all black at the school.
In the movie, however, it seems as though there is no dress code. Most of the student body wears darker colors, but not because they are forced to.
This change is a little disappointing because Daniel doesn’t have the chance to stand out with his signature red scarf, as seen in the book.
#10 GROUNDSKEEPER
Whether or not there is a groundskeeper at Sword & Cross Academy is not fully relevant to the progress of the story, but it is a detail that changes quite a bit of how the movie adapted Fallen.
According to the book, Penn’s dad was the groundskeeper at the school, but he died a couple of years previous, which is why the plants are overgrown, vines strangle the buildings, and the grounds look haunting and chaotic. Because the movie changed who Penn’s parents are, they also had to change the look of the school and explain why it is so well-kept.
Well, that answer comes when Luce is punished for fighting with Molly and given the job of picking up litter around the school. During that scene, we can see real groundskeepers in the background. We also see them picking up the broken statue later on.
#11 FALLING STATUE
Unlike in the book, Luce is given the punishment of fixing up the grounds (not the graveyard) by herself. While she is picking up litter, the group of angels walks by her – Daniel, Gabbe, Ari, and Roland. A moment later, the statue on the roof begins to fall directly onto Luce, but Daniel jumps in just in time to cover her with his own body and save her life.
In the book, the scene looks more like this:
Cam, Molly, Luce, Daniel, and a few others are given detention for various reasons. The have to go to the graveyard at the crack of dawn to clean up the statues that are covered in dirt and dead leaves. While standing alone next to one statue, Luce is almost crushed when it begins to fall right on top of her. Daniel swoops in and, in a very Edward from Twilight fashion, protects her with his own body, then disappears without an explanation.
This scene in the movie is one of the worst. It is very clear to all viewers that the statue should have fallen far from Luce, since she wasn’t actually standing directly under it. But, through not-so-well-done camera work, the falling statue seemed to fall down and out towards where Luce is standing.
Also, the statue fell VERY slowly, and Luce stood watching it the entire time, without moving… Who watches a large heavy object fall from three stories up and decides to NOT step out of the way?
It was a very disappointing scene.
#12 ONE PHONE CALL A WEEK
Since Luce’s best friend, Callie, was removed from the movie adaptation, her one phone call was given to her mom.
They don’t really have much of a conversation before a random Sword & Cross student interrupts and her phone call ends.
Had this scene stayed true to the book, Luce would have been interrupted by Cam, whom Luce begins to tell Callie about.
#13 Parents Day
This entire scene is not in the movie. We only see Luce’s parents once, when they drop her off at Sword & Cross. To be fair, I agree with the filmmakers that this scene was not a vital part and did not need to be included in the movie.
However, the little piece of my soul that craves a complete and thorough book-to-movie adaptation would have liked to see how this scene plays out on screen, even if it means that the movie would be 5 hours long.
#14 Penns Parents
As I mentioned earlier, Penn’s dad was originally the groundskeeper for the school, until he passed away. The faculty allowed Penn to remain at school since her guardianship fell to them.
The movie changed Penn’s backstory. She has a mom and dad, but they are “TDP”, or Tragically Disinterested Parents, as she calls them. Her parents divorced and didn’t really know what to do with her, so they dropped her off at Sword & Cross and she has hardly spoken to them since.
#15 Arriane
Okay so I’m not going to lie, I actually really enjoyed Arriane in the movie. She was friendly to Luce and clearly wanted to look out for her, but not in a clingy or presumptuous way. She was funny and fit in well with the Sword & Cross angsty-teen vibe.
However, Arriane in the movie is NOT like Arriane in the book.
Had the adaptation stayed true to her personality, then Arriane would be the “crazy” one with a shock bracelet. She would be energetic and very friendly with Luce. She also would have demanded that Luce cut her hair so she could be edgy. Unfortunately, both girls maintained their long hair in the movie.
#16 Shadows
In book, shadows don’t have lightning and fire coming out. Luce does assume that the shadows bring her bad luck, such as the fire that ended Trevor’s life, so the lighting flashes in the movie does make sense.
No grey shadows are seen in movie, despite their relevance in the first book and the rest of the series.
#17 PENN
Penn is perhaps one of the best characters in both the book and movie. And by “best” I mean most relatable.
Although many of us book lovers imagine ourselves as the main character and/or the heroine with a morally grey love interest that will destroy the world just for us, in reality, we are more like Penn.
She is socially awkward, funny in a dry and subtle way, a little dorky, goody-too-shoes, and a fantastic friend. And she is a hard-core introvert. Sound familiar? If you are reading this blog, then you probably have more in common with Penn than you do with Luce.
The movie introduces Penn in a very similar way to the book – she sees Luce in the bathroom, about to have a mental breakdown, and starts the conversation with a bad joke. She then awkwardly tries to be normal and help Luce settle down. Penns rambling conversations make her an iconic character. Here is one of her best quotes:
” So the thing is, this is a really small school. Like really, really, really small. Like infantismally small, and not a lot happens here. Not like Dover. And you’re the new girl, and you’re smart and you’re pretty so I’m guessing you’re going to be the center of a lot of attention, both positive and negative.”
#18 Fire in the Library
This scene has a few notable changes from what occurred in the book, but not in a way that detracts from the progression of the story.
#19 CAM
Cam and Luce seem to have an instant attraction to each other when they first lock eyes. Since that moment, we see Cam often watching Luce as she goes about her day – when the statue almost falls on her, when she walks to the pool, etc.
It isn’t until about half an hour into the movie that Cam makes a move and convinces Luce to skip class and have a coffee with him. They flirt a lot and ALMOST kiss.
#20 Fencing
This fencing scene didn’t occur in the book at all… in fact, fencing isn’t even offered in the literary version of Fallen.
This fencing scene in the movie added a few things in a short period of time:
- Romantic tension between Luce and Daniel
- Flashbacks of Luce’s past lives
- Emphasis on Luce feeling confused about herself and her past
- Daniel’s mixed feelings for Luce
#21 ROLANDS PARTY
This epic party originally took place in Roland’s dorm-style room. The desk was converted into a bar, a DJ booth, a disco ball, and karaoke were all present, along with way too many students to comfortably fit in the room.
The movie makers did a good job of reimagining this scene to give the students more physical space to party. They also used this opportunity to emphasize Luce’s dislike for Gabbe (who she thinks is dating Daniel), Molly’s bullying, Cam’s attraction to Luce, and Luce’s fascination with Daniel.
We also get to see Todd and Penn make a connection and awkwardly flirt with each other.
Overall, the movie produced a pretty cool party. We can ignore the fact that there is no way a school full of troubled teens would have had enough freedom to throw a full-blown bonfire party on campus and not get caught…
#22 THE POOL
This scene in the movie is a combination of two scenes from the book – when Luce goes swimming alone in the pool, and when Daniel and Luce discover a secret lake and talk more about their connection.
This is one of my favorite movie scenes for multiple reasons. Firstly, the cinematography here is very well done. The lighting, steam rising from the pool, and camera angles create a visually alluring scene. Secondly, Luce sees, what she THINKS, are wings on Daniel’s back while he swims away. Finally, as a former competitive swimmer myself, I love to see a solid butterfly stroke!
#23 CONFESSIONS OF A GRAPHIC NOVEL
Daniel essentially confesses their story under the guise of a “graphic novel”. He is hesitant at first because, in the past, Luce has died just from the knowledge of her past lives with him. However, Daniel is able to tell their story, and although she feels strangely connected to it, it does not affect her mortality status.
This scene appears in the movie, but not in the book. In the book, Luce must discover most of this information on her own.
#24 GOING TO THE BAR
There are so many things wrong with this scene in the movie that was not written in the book. Let’s take a minute to unpack it:
For one, Luce does not wear the beautiful black gown, or anything similar to it, when she leaves with Cam.
Secondly, Cam sends a Towncar to pick up Luce at school, she does not drive a motorcycle with him to the bar.
Also, in the book, they go to a run-down bar in the middle of the swamp, where only a few people are hanging out. In the movie, they go to a full-blown club.
#25 MOLLY
Similar to the book, Molly in the film begins to bully Luce for no apparent reason. The most notable difference that detracts from the story is that, in the movie, Molly seeks out Luce and clearly knows more about her than Luce even knows of herself. Molly continues to agitate Luce multiple times throughout the movie, all in ways that do not appear in the book.
Also, her ripped black sweater with the red rose print is worn multiple times. I would have liked to see a variety of outfits from Molly, who I consider one of the edgiest characters in the film.
CONCLUSION
Adaptations are not an easy thing to create. There is a balance, a line, between staying true to the book and the author’s vision and having a visually appealing story with a two-hour time frame.
Overall, Fallen did a fairly good job of adapting the book, despite the MANY differences. Had some things been done a little differently, maybe the movie would have seen more success in the box offices.