Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Movie (DVD) ISBN: 25192-02226
Summit Entertainment 2008
Total run time: 122 minutes

Plot Summary

High school junior Bella moves from Phoenix to Forks, WA to live with her police chief dad. The kids at her new high school are nice to her - all except her lab partner, Edward Cullen, who acts like he hates her. However, he saves her from being crushed by a car and they find each other drawn to one another. Edward harbors a deep secret; one that Bella eventually figures out - he and his family are vampires. They have turned "vegetarian" and only drink the blood of animals - the same isn't true of a competing band of vampires who have shown up in the area.

Critical Evaluation

I can certainly see why teenage girls have flocked to this movie (and its sequel New Moon). The boys in the movie are all beautiful, from the vampires to the tribe of Indians who live on the nearby reservation. The story is romantic - Edward has to "keep himself" from losing control around Bella or he might be tempted to drink her blood! The story is actually a pretty straight-forward girl meets vampire but it's beautifully filmed and very entertaining.

Reader's/ Viewer's Annotation

Bella moves to Forks, Washington to be with her police chief dad. Things are hard enough being the new kid at school; why does her lab partner, the handsome but mysterious Edward Cullen, seem to hate her so much?

Author Info

Author Stephenie Meyer hit on the right formula for her blockbuster series of romantic vampire books. Twilight, her first book and the first one to be made into a movie, may not be as critically acclaimed as the Harry Potter series, but they are proving to be very popular, especially with women from 12- 90.

Genre

romance

No Curriculum Ties

Booktalking Ideas

1. Why does saving Bella from being crushed by the car put Edward and his family in jeopardy?

2. Discuss why Edward's room is so unusual.

Viewing/ Interest Level

Mostly middle school to high school girls

Challenge Issues and Defense

I really didn't see any for high school age - maybe some people wouldn't approve of vampires or the violence.

Rated PG13 - kids under 13 should not watch it without a parent

library's collection development policy for the book

Why I Included This Movie

Because it's such a phenomenal best-seller. The book is always checked out at our school library.
That doesn't mean it's great literature but everyone needs a little escapism!